Fall 2008

In October we made our last trip of the year—this time to properly close up everything for the winter! Jim and Adele spent the weekend in their new trailer, and some of the kids stayed up at the campsite. We planted wildflower seeds on the berm beside our future barn apartment and around the trailer and campsite.

Our family campsite is on Bethany and Tommy's 20-acre parcel, where they've scoped out sites for their future home and vegetable garden. Bethany has started layering a garden bed area, where we compost as much as we can. Eleora and her mommy planted some garlic this fall and tucked it in with a layer of leaves. Let's hope the garlic sprouts are not appetizing to deer!













Larry and Lynn's new cabin was a welcome sight on their hill "next door"! We checked on it and found everything safe and sound. Back on our property, we looked at the potential well sites located by a well seeker and figured out where to drill first. Before leaving the property, we closed up all three trailers--and took apart the Costco canopy this time. Okay, now let it snow!

At Thanksgiving we had a family meeting to discuss the NLA goals and potential pursuits of each adult in the family. We have a very diverse set of skills and interests that will come in handy as we work on our individual parcels and the common projects at the ranch.

This fall, Jim and Adele took the WSU Livestock Advisor Training course and a Ties to the Land Family Succession seminar. This winter, Adele is taking the WSU Master Gardener Training course and we will attend the WSU Forest Stewardship Coached Planning class. All these classes have been offered through our local county extension office—an awesome resource in any state!

After extensively researching livestock guardian dog breeds and breeders, we reserved a Maremma puppy from a litter due in January. We’ll get another pup from next fall’s litter. Windance Farm, the breeder in New York, will train both dogs before sending them to us when we move to the ranch. These dogs will be our personal/home/garden/
henhouse pair, keeping coyotes and other pests away. When we get more livestock, we’ll add more guardian dogs for the barn and pastures. Maremmas are “guardians”--not “guard” dogs. They are awesome animals that instinctively deter predators and will bond with and defend whatever humans or animals they are to protect. Our two pups will be trained with young children and most of the species of animals we plan to raise. Once the dogs arrive at our place, they'll get to know all our family members and livestock and we will become their "flock."