August Farm Notes

This time of the year is the busiest, yet most rewarding. It is very special to see our plants coming out of the greenhouse and going into the world to thrive. Not that dissimilar to raising children and then watching them fly the nest.

Over the last week we have transplanted Valerian, Skullcap, Echinacea and Hemp. We will soon be transplanting Ashwagandha, St. Johns Wort, Lemon Balm and many others. Most recently, we dug up three-year-old Biodynamic® Astragalus, which has thrived throughout three years (!) of hot, dry summers and long, relentless Central Oregon winters. This plant goes through several washings before being hand-cut and preserved in biodynamic grape alcohol. Potent, slow medicine fresh from the farm to you. We are proud of our resilient roots.

We have completed our 4th compost pile, which will soon be applied to the land. This amazing compost provides vital nutrients that are put back into the ground, helping to restore life and fertility to the earth. Rich, nutrient-dense dirt grows nutrient-dense plants and medicine, which is why soil health is the cornerstone of our farm.

This week we will harvest fresh, hand-picked Oats, Valerian root, Echinacea tops and Sheep Sorrel for our Essiac Tea. Recently we sustainably hand-stripped White Willow bark to the tune of 50 pounds. Hundreds of these trees thrive and grow plentifully along the banks of the Crooked River that meanders the entire length of our farmland. How special it feels to live in a harmonious, symbiotic relationship with the medicinal plants that were growing here long before we arrived.

It is time to come full circle; back to the land and the plants. To be vigilant stewards of the soil, waterways and all creatures cohabitating this land with us. Our intention is to grow the highest quality plant material available by having control from seed to bottle. We feel confident that we are doing our very best to provide customers with herbal products loaded with bioactivity, without sacrificing the health of the planet.

Stay well out there and thank you for following along on this journey to heal people and the planet.

Peace and blessings my friends,

Randy Buresh, Co-Founder and Lead Farmer