Author: EEC Forest Stewardship

Red crackling bolete is popping up across the landscape here at EEC. Forest mulch paired with grassy, dappled light across the ground invites perfect terrain and substrate for mycological bloom. I’ve been harvesting this wild patch in the upper pasture since first arriving on this property. Over the years, with careful timing, the patch continues. I have to keep the livestock out in early fall, after a week of 40F nights and enough moisture in the air, even without rain, mushrooms leap onto the scene to spread spores and generations of this truly strange fruit. It’s a bolete mushroom- no gills, yellow sponge like spores under the cap, a red fibrous stock, and the brown cap with red cracked patterning, all staining blue when bruised, makes for mushroom descriptions which usually point to poison warnings. But this friendly field specimen is a perfect fresh ingredient for any stir fry or stew. It should be cooked separately to sweat out any water and crisp the meaty caps. Stocks will also brown and crisp with regular stirring in the medium heat pan.

No oil should be added until the mushroom are browning, then I usually add butter or olive oil if needed, bacon grease if you are decadent. These mushrooms when into a tomatillo sauce with a little chicken. What a tasty fall treat! Any mushroom cooking I do works best in the cast-iron skillet. From Porcini to these humble cracked boletes, the mushroom spring brings ample flavor from the decomposition all around. Great thanks to the mushrooms and their close connection to this table and the complex ecology all around. When we can eat from the space we tend, there is humbling abundance and direct tending like no other I’ve ever found on this earth. It’s getting close to what I call, original instructions- like any other living organism, we eat, and we drink, interact with what’s around us, and become part of our ecology, which is more screen time and commuting for many. I’m staring into these figments of light shapes as word, typed, for written script is as rare as any hunter gatherer societies in The United States, well, maybe not that rare. I’m hunting, and gathering, so there’s one, but one does not make a society.

The fragmentation of individualism has gotten the better of us. I’ve watched it in less than two decades, and for older generations, I’m sure it’s been a thing for centuries- particularly to precolonial encounters here in The Americas. In an appreciated frank talk with a First Nations friend the other day, I was talking about people’s plan for the apocalypse- if it happens, and she calmly pointed out that her people had been living in a post apocalyptic world for generations. It was one of those- “oh yeah, I’m a privileged white person” moments. So grateful for honest truth from friends with enlightening perspectives. Listening to voices of others helps us all acclimatize to a broader world view. That’s what inclusivity (had to add that word to Microsoft dictionary) is all about. But what’s all this got to do with mushrooms? A lot.

Most people won’t find or harvest many mushrooms in their lives, especially here in North America, where there is a cultural history of avoiding fungus- mostly European biases. Granted, mushrooms can kill you if you are misinformed, so I can encourage a healthy fear of fungus to prevent risk. Boletes are realitivly safe here in The Cerntral Cascades of Western Washington. As I’ve mentioned many times before, know your local bioregion well before you start harvesting, and only go with mycologists, or people who have been in the field for a while. If you meet someone who tells you all the mushrooms- they are probably not what they seem, because most of the species out there take a lot of microscope time and DNA testing to affirm. But for the humble crackle cap bolete, having a strong familiarity and continued fruiting in the same place year after year had built a highly localized relationship for me that affirms confidants when harvesting in this situation. There are still many mushrooms I don’t know, and many more I’ll never meet, but the boletes are gentle teachers, with only the bitter bolete in our area to deliver a pungent unpleasant taste if you mis-identify. None of our local boletes are killers- maybe intestinal upsetters, but not major organ melting. Still, don’t try harvesting mushrooms on a whim, or because an ap taught you.

This is Satan’s Bolete, a poisonous bolete most often found down in California. It has a white cap and a heck of a lot more red on it than our brown capped crackled bolete, but for a newbie to mushrooming, it could still be confusing. Here’s a fun site for bolete sorting that might be fun to learn from-

The Bolete Filter

It will also help you see how vast the bolete family is and why specific regional identification is crucial to narrowing down your specimen. I would not eat what you find using any online key without extensive in the field experience with experts. Mushroom observing and picture taking is always a fun way to start learning on your own. You don’t have to be out harvesting every mushroom you see to ID. If you are lucky enough to have a crackle cap patch close by, enjoy these underrated edibles. The home grown here at EEC are still popping up with this early onset weather, so I look forward to many more mushroom feasts.

On a walk to fish at a local cranberry bog near home with a friend, we were checking the ground for tracks when my companion pointed out what they thought was a large deer track. As soon as I glanced down, I knew it was a local ungulate, but not Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. The general hoof shape was round, not so pointed as a deer toe. The size would not easily overlap with our deer species. The rounded toes suggested something I had never found sign of in this forest.

Out of the examples above, there are two species you’ll find here in Western Washington, and the rest are non-existent, with a hand full of flukes like this. Have you a guess what wonderful animal we tracked only a few miles from home? I’ve often dreamed of seeing them on my land moving through one day, but to discover one had come through this forest to the east of us, was no less exciting. It was a lone animal on the trail, but had still made it into some woods where I hope see more of its kind, though there is not a lot of ideal habitat for them here, mainly because of development. Such a great gift to see in familiar woods, it’s an encouraging hint at what could be if we gave nature more of a chance.

It’s below 60F and the clouds are socking in above 3,000 feet of elevation. Time to check in with understory floor vibes and sure enough, the mycology is hoppin’. Check out Boletus, Amanita, Hygrophoraceae, and more! The porcine are off the hook, I’m starting the dehydrator to keep up with the findings. In a week I now have a cold from being wet and in the woods all day for several days in a row weaving in and out of low branches in fir forests at elevation. It’s been a real trip, and I’m not talking Psilocybes. These fungal miracles pop up at a moment’s notice in the right conditions, and in some cases, I was late to the party and just had to sit back and marvel in natural wonder.

These Boletus edulis fruitings are like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s mountain to mountain all over The Cascades. I’m guessing this sudden bonanza has something to do with long awaited cool, wet weather, which has arrived early (though I would say more normally in a non-climate crash scenario). Driving up to my pickings, I noted low 50Fs temps and cloud level moisture- meaning you are covered in a light layer of beaded dampness, which soaks through your quick dry layer and wicks down your socks into water proof shoes that quickly become buckets of water that squishes out as your feet catch along steep mountain sides trying not to slip on rotting branches. It’s heavenly. I would do it all day, and did, a few times, but the energy drain is great, and your feet start slipping more times than not in the rugged terrain, so knowing when to stop is crucial to a good hunt- whatever you are seeking for the larder. I noticed Val began having a seat where she could while I leapt and balanced- sometimes with an open harvester’s knife in hand- to gather the porcine abundance all around. My feet felt it the next day, but my stomach is still enjoying a feast of mycological delights.

Though edible fare is certainly choice, keeping an eye out for any mushroom as a learning encounter is highly encouraged- by this I mean, takes pictures and note ecological indicators such as substrate, time of year, weather patterns, and what’s growing on around the harvest spot. I think of forest age and species, down to single trees under which a patch, or single shroom, fruits out. It’s so detail specific for learning, but once you have those observations stored in your thinking files, the hunt becomes easier because you’ll body radar the mushrooms without much hesitation once you’re in the environment. I say this with about 10 years experience, so I’m still quite young to the filed. Truly, I still have to look up most of what I see to even try guessing species of fungus- as well as other fauna. It’s nice to walk into nature and see what are fast becoming old friends in the field- like red belted conk or turkey tail. Certainly the velvety and colors enliven the mind as curiosity abounds. Flipping through pictures online is another options for those not able to reach woodland areas. It’s such a gift to be able in so many ways- access is true privilege.

As well as wandering public lands to see mushrooms and harvest a modest amount for personal enjoyment (purchased permits are required to harvest commercially), I also have a recreational pass into The Snoqualmie Tree Farm nearby. This 80,000 acre western slope of The Central Cascades offers endless terrain to seek out the mycological classroom. I’ve spent the last week in one small section of forest documenting what I come across in the forest floor. It’s an endless mapping of mycelia in the making. These deep pockets of dense forest undergrowth offer safe haven to spores, which in turn settle in and spread a mycelia layer through the decaying ground detritus to establish residency. Then, over time, fruiting fungus will pass on the sucessful genetics to another part of the forest in the wind- or waters, or even on the surface of passing wildlife, hitching a ride through the landscape. I find my way through many forest growths on animal trails- places the land has been walked over my narrow feet to form enough foothold for traversing through- but it’s still a rough go at times. I’m not as sure footed- and on only two main balance points- though using hands on supple passing branches to keep balance or lower ones self down the bank comes in- yup- handy.

When my body is soaking through, much like my breathable bag of mushrooms harvested, it’s time to head back home for a hot shower and some food processing. Rewarming the body, putting on fresh, dry cloths, and eating something are all important after a day in the field. Keep hydrated throughout the day too. These self-care steps may seem obvious, but when you are cold, tired, and wet for a while, your brain can make less that ideal choices to further the harvest, get over one more ridge to see the view, or not turn back to the truck while your legs are strong enough to hike back down safely. Always take a buddy too when you can- and though Val is a great mushroom buddy, she cannot make effective decisions if something happens to me. Opposable thumbs and language skills are prudent to call for help. Also- in most of this mushrooming country, cellphone service is not likely available, so keep a well mapped plan (shared clearly with your buddy or emergency contact) to know what to do if something happens. That something can be a simple as a sprained ankle, or as complex as unconsciousness, heading towards death. Back country mushroom hunting is high risk when you get into steep terrain further from established trails. With some smart planning. mushroom hunting can be enjoyed by all- in any landscape- even backyard gardens or paved edges in the cracks of your sidewalk. Keep your eyes open and a field-guide on hand for the ample learning with fungi.

Late summer laze is on for all animals on the farm- including people! When it gets hot, we all take a siesta, and when it’s cool, we’re out working for our food. Sheep are grazing, cats are chasing, and the pups are on guard night and day with a little play. The birds are scratching, clucking, and some are even hatching out end of summer chicks. It’s the best time for fresh eating so all are at their most well fed and rested.

Valentine and Mogs are buddies on the porch and around the house as our newest member of the farm settles in and keeps mice away. Her dog friend Val is enjoying the escape to cool indoor floors when the heat is at it’s worst outside. She shed the last of her winter coat in early August, just in time for the new one to grow in.

Valley is also working better an better at her herding talent. The geese have been her toughest challenge yet, but she adapts and learns well. She blew me away the other morning when I asked her to gather the geese. The mated pair fled to the pond. I then stood at one end and asked Val to come from my right to pressure the geese back towards the coop and barn area where they are fed. The birds swam around avoiding the dog on the bank, then I asked Val to swim and take direction in the water. She had done that to find sticks, but never to move the geese- and she did it flawlessly. It was a humbling moment and felt amazing. That dog is so smart, and driven- and that’s a blessing in that she will self teach and try new things, but a curse when she ignores human direction for her own ideas, and lets her drive become chase. The geese can stand their ground, but I don’t like Valentine ever chasing just to run after the animals. Her work is herding- and with the birds, gathering. She can do both, but likes to just run at if left to her own way.

Gill’s presence puts a calm vibe on us all. It’s when the sheep move in, trusting the huge K9 protector who has known most of them since their birth here at EEC. Gill’s tendon was injured at the start of the summer, putting him on a 60 day rest with short walks but no running. He was off his leg for the first two weeks, then slowly began to stretch and rebuild his muscle with limited walking and standing exercise. What is standing exercise? Cutting nails- he can stand on a certain leg I ask him to put wait on by lifting the other to cut the nail. It’s like a farrier with a horse, he has to take the weight off the leg, and his injured leg needs support when he has to put weight on it, so I usually ask him to lay down for that cutting. I could do all his nails while he lays down, but asking him to stand gives him that balance and strength training. You can see in the picture below, Gill still takes his weight off the back right leg when he needs to for comfort. He’s tethered frequently to keep him from running on that injured leg and re-injuring himself, but he gets good movement engagement in these more limited physical therapies, and the leg is getting better. At the end of August, he began walking on a long line and trotting with his orthotic on for stability. I think by the end of fall, he’ll be back in free movement with his brace under careful observation.

The dogs have given much alert barks to keep active predators at bay. Nighttime birds have been the only challenge, with goslings taken in late spring by an owl family who was feeding their own juvenile chicks. All young birds are now kept in covered coops or inside. The goose setup is being rebuilt this fall, with an old “I” beam and recently harvested holly posts. Our single pair of cottonpatch geese are settles into the farm routine now, and folded in with the other animals. We hope to retain this pair and sell the goslings and help perpetuate this breed in small livestock systems. A late summer clutch from a smart broody hen is settled in the hay barn. I usually let them have a “wild” hatch to build up the flock before a cull. Young roosters are put in the pot and older plump hens are taken for winter feasts and good stock. We got a lot more roosters in our winter hatches this year, and are hoping to pick one out for breeding in future. The Ayam Cemani genes are still alive in the flock, but new blood will be needed soon to keep things healthy. This chicken system has seen a lot of fun evolutionary changes over the decade. Dark meat birds with a more duel purpose focus has made our fowl larger and more productive egg layers in most cases. We’ll continue to overwinter about 30 birds in the flock and try to keep hatching out 2-3 winter clutches each year.

The chicken coop continues to provide great sources of calcium, nitrogen, and other essential minerals for the gardens, orchard, and surrounding landscape. The birds also free roam the land, distributing organic poop to the pastures and native plantings around the property. The meat and eggs are an additional bonus to all the restoration work these animals put in daily. Manure from non-chemical sources provides the soil with a great balance of nutrients and conditions the animals in what they eat from the land. The inputs we feed the animals in addition, especially in winter months, are sources from local in state producers and all grain is certified organic. This ensures the cycle of nutrients on the landscape remain chemical and synthetic free. All research shows organic is the healthiest choice for long term abundance on earth. Go deeper on this research for personal health here. Though it does cost more, organic ensures we stop many of the toxic cycles in our food systems and protect our personal health. The land here at EEC Forest Stewardship continues to grow and expand in diversity and lushness with smart livestock systems folded into good water management, the right plantings of native and non-native plants to provide a mix of food and medicine, along with adaptation as climate extremes continue.

The ultimate goal for our animal’s diet is as much native brows and grazing the animals can do- so we condition the pastures with a mix of forbs and grasses, as well as diverse hedge plantings for optimal browsing choice. We can also harvest for personal use from these mixes of herbs and medicinal vegetation. The sheep are the best connoisseur of the landscape buffet, and right now, it’s blackberries all the way. Lupita shows off her purple stained nose after a long chow down on our invasive berry bramble’s best asset- an abundance of fruit in late summer. So much lush opportunity when the land is in harmony with the animals.

On a humid Saturday night in August, 2024, EEC Forest Stewardship had a rare weather event. A thunderstorm rolled in just after dark, and stayed with bellowing force and flashing fierceness through much of the night. It was quite a show, and a welcome extravaganza. I sat up taking photos and video to capture some of the magnitude. Though there were no close by strikes, we experienced some wild weather that night.

The electricity lit up the sky many times, casting eerie colors across the landscape. The storm brought a deluge of rain, which hammered down on the metal roof of the porch, almost drowning out the low rumbles of thunder which accompanied the light show. Gusts of wind coaxed confusing notes from the wind chime, which remained agitated and disjointed throughout the vivacious weather.

To many, this event may not seem like anything too special. But here in Western Washington, thunderstorms are a rare treat. My parents happened to be visiting that weekend, and they commented on the alien sounds the storm produced. Thunder here is often muted by all the surrounding mountains. It comes in slowly, and usually lasts a while as it rolls. Sometimes you’ll not hear any thunder, as the storm is far enough away to be muted by the thick forest terrain. Other times the cracking sounds shake with such force, you begin to wonder if a volcano is not also going off nearby. This storm was quieter, but still carried thunder in the clouds. The videos I took do not give full audio well, but the cacophony was a welcome, though brief visit from the storm.

As the hour grew late, I took one more time laps of the excitement. I grew up in Oklahoma, with legendary extreme weather. Though I don’t miss the anxiety of running into the under stair closet during a tornado warning, I do miss the energetic storms of fireworks in the sky and the wind blowing a chorus of howling downdrafts at the windows and doors. It’s worth documenting here in Western Washington, and I hope you enjoy the show as much as I did.

One of the most anticipated harvest times at Leafhopper Farm is later summer fruit. From heritage apple trees to a frost peach I planted my first year on the land, a decade of slow, steady cultivation has begun to bare fruit. Even hiking in the mountains, there is an off the hook bounty of blueberries to be picked too. Back in The Puget Lowlands, we’re enjoying plumbs, our own berries, like the aronia and blackberry, as well as apples. This is the garden of paradise I’ve often pictured as I work towards the vision of abundance here. So much joy in picking fresh bounty, as well as processing it into stores for the larder for future enjoyment once the sun is gone and cold wet winter sets in.

Many harvests are still modest as the vegetation which supports the fruit matures. The Aroni bush that has survived gives a hand full of her fruits, which are highly medicinal. This year’s collection was good for a number of salads, as a few berries eaten fresh are more than enough of a single serving of this nutrient dense richness. I paired them with fresh peaches, feta, and balsamic over mixed greens and enjoyed. This fruiting shrub is on the list of future investment, as they are not a native plant to the area, but do thrive in this climate. They require some irrigation in dry summer to ensure survival and production. The fruit is not sweet, so predation of this berry has been limited. The soft leafy vegetation is prized by deer, so we have to plant them in fenced areas for added protection.

Another slow but steady fruit on the farm is grapes. The vines need irrigation, and when watered and regularly trimmed during growing season, this seedless table variety produces numerous clusters with abundant fruits. I picked the one below a little early, but the juicy tartness was still enjoyed, and they lasted on the plate for a week before showing any wilt. That’s the power of freshness. There are also some slow growing white wine grapes, but they will take many more years of development before we grow enough for bottling. Austrian varieties do seem to thrive here, and through grafting, I hope to produce more vines of this type in future.

Speaking of wine- the blackberry harvest has, like the mountain blueberries, been gang busters this year. I’ve already picked 5 gallons worth, enough for 10 gallons of wine, which have been boiled and sugared with a fine 5 Star red wine yeast. By December, we’ll be toasting the fermentation and celebrating with some tasty fruit wine. After years of experimenting, I’ve begun to dial in a farm recipe that tastes delightful. However, like with most fermentation projects, the outcome will be slightly different every time. This year, I’ve put down two different harvests in the pair of carboys. One is early onset fruit, the other is late. I think the late harvest will have more of a kick, as it was ripened to a higher sugar content with the sun. Still, both batches should be well appreciated in the depths of winter.

Looking ahead, there are more apples and pears to look forward to. I’ve picked one round of late summer apples, and keep a close watch on the fall verities, which are shedding the imature fruit right now to help the larger fruit reach maturity. Today (late Aug 2024) I dropped excess fruit off the Asian pear tree by the front gate. It’s a mature tree, and the fruit often overwhelms it’s branches, causing a lot of breakage. I’ve learned to encourage an initial shedding of fruit by gently shaking the branches when a few begin to fall. Some of those pears are big enough to process, but most go to the sheep. Lambs finished on organic fruit is no loss to the farm. All harvest is used for improvement on site, from fattening livestock to conditioning soil with added nutrients. What we do not do is leave the fruit on the ground where it falls. The scent of rotting fruit attracts unwanted scavengers, like bears, racoon, and opossums. Cleaning up fallen fruit is important in any orchard. This also prevents waste, or the overabundance of wasps and hornets, who also love to feat on the rotting fruit in late summer. Though I have deep respect for all the animals and insects, I try to keep them out of active areas of the farm- like orchards, where livestock grazes and people enjoy the summer days picking fruit and lazing under the canopy in cool shade.

May all the summer harvests continue in such bounty. Thanks to the sun for all her warmth and growing energy. Gratitude for the late summer cool down we’ve also had, with enough rain to suppress fire danger. May the bounty processed be shared by many friends, family, and neighbors when the cold winter returns, carrying us through the dark times until the warm light returns.

Exploring the local forests surrounding EEC Forest Stewardship is an important way to get a read on forest health and see some great water features and flora and fauna in our surrounding environment. In July 2024, a friend accompanied me into the nearby wilds for some summer fun in our local creeks and streams. The picture above is form an offshoot of The Rapid River in Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. These little streams are gems of summer retreat during hot days. The falling water creates natural air-conditioning, dropping temperatures by tens of degrees, especially in the shade of the taller trees that usually line these waterways. The water is either glacial melt or spring fed from the mountains above, offering clear, clean fresh water- the life force of our ecological survival.

When reading a landscape like this in a picture, look at the size of rocks in the water. If they are much larger boulders, like the ones pictured above, you are closer to the mountain source of the water. When the creek is wide and fill of smaller cobbles, you are in the lowlands, but not yet to the wide, slow moving rivers of the bottom valley land. Weiss Creek, the stream running through EEC, is a lowland creek, with many smaller cobbles, but still hosting some larger glacial erratics and stones too big to lift. Still, the rocks pictured above are much larger, and there is a lack of cobbles, showing a younger landscape of water erosion. These boulders will break down into cobbles over thousands of years, but won’t move down to the lowlands for millions more. Glaciers did all the initial wearing down of this landscape till about 12,000 years ago. Then, as the ice retreated, till was left behind in many places, but up in these higher elevations, the rock is still young and sizable. It makes for some dramatic falls.

I could sit all day watching this water cascading down the mountain, it’s a great meditation on a hot summer afternoon. This creek was warm enough to wade in, and I spent some time carefully stepping over the slick boulders and into different pools. There is not a lot of wildlife in these young waters, as the sediment and nutrients necessary to support flora and fauna is still getting mixed in further down stream. Geology in these young streams is impressive, and you’ll find all kinds of strata within these moving waters. There is a lot of granite higher up in the mountains. Where as the lowland rivers, post glaciers, has a broad range of rocks from mountains all over the west, brought down through millions of years of erosion in time. That’s part of what makes The Cascades so interesting. I’m still learning so much about the surrounding ecology that makes up our small acreage here in Duvall.

Taking time to explore the greater area gives me a larger view of my surroundings and what makes up the landscape. Mosses, rocks, trees, and streams all have an important role to play in the long term health of our lands. It’s so wonderful to trek up into the mountains and find wilderness that is accessible, and still relatively pristine. This landscape was still clearcut at least once a hundred years ago, and was probably cut again in the 70s. Now, the land seems to be protected, as many national forests are choosing to remain wilderness, while state lands are generally logged for the local taxes- usually for schools, which is heartbreaking when you think about it. Still, commercial timber is a part of our modern convenience to support construction, paper products like toilet paper and magazines- you have to cut trees somewhere to further the consumer needs of our nation, so logging will continue.

This unnamed stream shows us that nature can recover and remain beautiful and alive, even after brutal extraction. It’s a reminder that in time, restoration is possible, and wilderness can come into its own if left to do its work. Hopefully places like this will now remain undisturbed, except by occasional visitors like us, who take a few hours to explore, observe, and enjoy the wilds of our native lands. By going out to see these places in person, we can appreciate what is being protected, and better understand what makes other more impacted places degraded, and perhaps, help restore more local habitats to better protect all the living systems that rely on our ecology to survive- that would be every living thing. When we cement over creeks and streams, putting the wild waters out of sight, they are soon forgotten, and future generations don’t know what they are missing. Take some time following waters through your own city or town, you might be surprised at how many wild waters are now buried under the roads and channeled into the sewers near your home.

For the animals, summer is a great time to find a shady spot and enjoy the high life. From lush grazing to warm afternoon breezes, these gals are thriving, even with summer heat. Katahdins are highly adaptable to temperature, growing a wool coat in winter to protect them from snow and ice, to shedding the layer in late spring and spending time in the shade during the hottest part of the day. When there is a heat advisory, I do take extra time to check everyone and monitor condition. Extra water is on hand from the cisterns, and the sheep tend to stay under cover when they need to cool down. The flock has just come back up to the barn for some focus grazing around the orchard. It’s amazing how efficiently these grazers and browsers have trimmed the landscape and reset pastures to grow a fresh crop of new forbs and flowers, grasses and more. The second graze will be more sparing, to account for heat and no rain.

This is the crucial management of stock to keep the land productive. You’ll often see paddocks of unkempt animals standing in mud or a dust bowl. It’s a “sacrifice area” or overgrazed space that has no time to recover. Even my pasture by the barn has a compacted area, about 8×8′, by the gate, where compaction from heavy use has made a bare patch in the clover and plantain. But all pastures need amending from time to time, from minerals to reseeding, care of the land is crucial to having healthy place and animals. Keeping the numbers of livestock in balance with what the land can support is also important. In many poorly managed systems, too many animals is a usual cause.

In summer, our rams are pulled from the ewes to prevent a second wave of lambs in the fall. Most sheep come into estrus twice a year. Industrial farms will make sure their ewes are pregnant both cycles for optimal production. The inputs to keep these ewes in lamb are impossible for a small farm like Leafhopper to justify or afford. It would also put a stress on the land, and force us to keep the ewes in the barn too often, preventing them a healthy quality of life. Giving the ewes the summer to ween their lambs naturally, prevents undo stress, and then lets the gals graze, put on the needed weight for winter, and grow healthy lambs. Rams will be reintroduced in late fall to cover the ewes in time for spring babes. These seasonal cycles are important signals in land capacity and animal care. Industrial models ignore these rhythms, and exploit animals at the cost of quality of life. It is expensive to buy locally grown food, and most people cannot afford the luxury- but those who can and do are making a huge difference ecologically, and economically, by supporting local farms and work done by neighbors to bring healthy, mindful food to table.

While the sheep rest, I take a moment to check breathing, temperatures, and body condition in the flock, before refilling water troughs, and moving fence to create new browsing avenues. We just finished a massive 90F week, and the cooler 80s offers more outside work time. Orchard irrigation is also starting, and the hourly hose moves give me a chance to visit each tree and plan the logistics of a work party to re-mulch the fruit trees next weekend. Many hands make light work of the wheelbarrow loads of mulch and card-boarding, which will skirt the trunk and protect the roots. Fruit trees prefer a clear field to stretch their roots into. Grass hinders that growth and takes most of the water and nutrients the tree needs for good fruit production and growth. Establishing other plant companions is on the list of things to do, but orchard maintenance at EEC takes a back seat to my work with the animals. It will be good to get a team on site for a day of mulching, which will prep the beds for fall understory establishment- if I get to it this year.

Other trees that have been growing well on their own are the many planted as part of EEC’s CREP project. I’m standing with this western red cedar, now over 5′ high. It’s established, and by next fall, I’ll be removing most of the nets protecting these young trees from browsing and rub attacks by eager blacktail bucks looking to carve out territory for the fall rut. Most of the trees and shrubs are now well established and thriving in our most extensive riparian area at Leafhopper Farm. This conservation corridor is supported by USDA, and offers a great representation of how restoration farming works here at EEC Forest Stewardship. The sensitive wetland areas around our salmon stream were replanted and fenced to keep livestock out, including a setback well beyond State requirements of 25′. Federal water protection no longer extends to side streams and wetlands away from coast or river shoreline. Thankfully, Washington State still sees these smaller waterways as crucial to protecting our future on this planet, and see to minimum setbacks, though on this creek, there are countless infringements to the law with construction, water rerouting, grey water runoff, and much more. Summer is the time county inspectors take a walk up some of the creeks and small wetlands to check setbacks, and little is done to enforce anything- short of gross negligence, which I assume would be some kind of catastrophic spill or massive damming.

The creek is low, but still flowing. In August, I plan to take down some of the maple branches, as the tree is dying, and some of the wood would make good firewood and kindling for next winter. To be clear, the main trunks and most of the wood will stay in the creek as habitat, but some of the larger branched will need to be cleared off the bridge and out of the way of the road before the rains return. The picture above shows how the tangle of branches is also creating great shade on the water below. But as the wood begins to decay, it will create a large mesh block on the creeks flow, which might cause problems with flow during floods. Larger logs stay set in the gravel bank, but branches clog up under the bridge and could cause problems down stream if not removed. Keeping a balance between nature and human needs is not always easy, I’ll take less, rather than more, and try to time the cutting all on one day to prevent drawn out disruption of the sensitive space. Chainsaws and the truck bed will make light work of this project- with a few extra hands. It’s another group activity we’ll execute next month with help on hand.

As nature builds her green castles and wild landscapes around EEC, so much growth and abundance springs forth. Gratitude to all who support this small forest farm in The Central Cascades. Our production continues to flourish with the support of neighbors, friends, and family who share our vision of restorative action in our work for the land that gives all we need to thrive on this earth. May the lands inspire all to plant, water, and nurture better dreams, lives, and community. Cool shade and lazy days in the long summer light.

The first thing I noticed when I looked into the burn at the tree farm was a near total lack of regrowth across the landscape. Usually it only takes a year for new vegetation to come into a burn site, because of all the rich carbon from ash and charcoal. But in a hot burn, caused by too much undergrowth and not enough natural burning in the past, the soil is sterilized by heat, destroying all the living biomass in the ground that would invite restorative growth to return quickly. On top of not reseeding the ground, two years of total exposure to the elements, has drained the soil of any remaining top soil fertility, setting back recovery for years to come. Since this area is a commercial tree farm, replanting monoculture trees and the spreading of treated city sewage will fix the problem, as far as industrial planners are concerned. The landscape will not have long term capacity to regenerate, and perhaps that’s why nothing has been done in this two year old burn.

Red elderberry attempts to flower without leaves as some stunted fire weed breaks through on an edge next to the road. Dead replantings stand as testament to the failure of young trees to survive in this sterile soil. I wonder why there was no attempt to mulch with seed and straw as a way to help the land recover faster, especially on these steeper parts of the mountainside. There is one burned ridge that remains covered in standing dead forest, a good thing for long term restoration, if the forest company lets them remain. It’s a trend in forestry that is a step in the right direction- let things be and see. The timeline is much longer, letting the trees fall as they decompose, allowing mycological fungi to take over and replenish the complex underground systems of living microbiome, which in tern, transfer important minerals to the plants to encourage growth. When hot fires burn through, they kill these microbiomes and make restoration slow. The land will still restore its self in time, but we can help or hinder depending on patience.

Within the commercial timber world, standing dead wood is a disaster waiting to happen. Dead wood attracts wood eating insects and fungus, which can spread into living forests nearby. I’m going to keep a close eye on this standing grove of chard trees to see if they are allowed to stand. It could be a grand experiment for the timber growers, or a nightmare they are planning to rectify once summer heat makes the ground solid enough for the large machines to go in to cut down and remove the “bad” wood. These burn scapes are such important habitat, it would be a shame to remove them. As we walked around in the burned area, there were many subtle and not so subtle signs of life, including a rough grouse on her nest of eggs, and a sensitive bleeding heart established on a steep bank, which sheltered this face of hillside from the extreme heat.

Fire is an important part of ecological change across the living land. Forestry practices are starting to understand this complex relationship, and trying to accept burning as part of the life giving cycle necessary to keep soil and growth healthy. The challenges of seeing this action through in commercial forests is not yet embraced, and I’m not sure what the best answer is, but mono-plantings are certainly not fire resistant, and the management of timber lands remains anti-fire at all cost. Still, fire will find its way in, and this particular blaze was human caused. Though it was under control relatively quickly because of a lack of wind, location on the top of a hill, and fast acting fire prevention for land and sky; the smoke and licking flames sent a chill through the surrounding community as we watched our neighboring west side forest burn. This fire was less than 15 miles from EEC Forest Stewardship. That’s a first for us, and it won’t be the last.

What are ways to create better fire resistances in our local woods? Well, in a temperate rainforest, deep rooted trees in layers of debris create a sponge for water to stay in the soil. The trees here are partners of fire- with thick outer bark to protect against burn, and expansive wetlands that keep fires low burning as they move across the landscape. We humans prefer to drain wetlands and clear forest to open up the land for commercial agriculture. For generations we have pushed out water and planted stands of one type of forest with no understory sponge. Water tables drop, the soil gets parched, then weeds and bramble come in, creating a tinder nightmare excellent, which when burned, created an oven of heat to kill the living soil. Humans think we can simplify the land for our short sighted capitol gains, but while making a profit, we destroy what nature took millions of years to create. With the total erosion of the once rich sponge that held the water and protected against hot burns, we replaced it with bone dry clay and rock, with little retention capability. This makes it much easier for heavy equipment to work in the timber farms, but no protection against fire in the event of a burn. Sadly, this is the only way to perpetuate industrial extraction of our crucial ecological home.

Our EEC Forest Stewardship team is hard at work keeping rodents out of the farm with sharp teeth and claws at the ready. But these nighttime warriors are also very affectionate with people, giving a cuddle and a purr when resting during the day on a porch chair or tucked under the house in cool shade. Marrow and Lucia are the veterans of the farm, fully grown and bulked up as outside animals with a good coat of thick fur now blowing out for the summer heat to come. Our newest member of the pride is Mogs, who was introduced earlier this spring. The brown tabby is now roaming outside with her fellow felines, learning the ropes of nighttime hunting while keeping a kitty eye on the sky for owls and hawks. She still comes in to feed a few times a day, and Val is a fun playmate on the porch. The two of them enjoy batting around at each other and sniffing each other in circles.

Though cats are master predators, they sometimes eat the birds, so we continue to encourage daytime resting and nighttime roaming by feeding first thing in the morning and leaving them hungry and ready to hunt at night. There are no mice around, and the rats can only establish if we humans are not paying attention to the out buildings. A spring infestation under our pole barn was cause for some painful flock losses, followed by a massive extermination project led by one of our residents who has worked in pest control and knows how to set up great bait systems that will not harm our domestic friends. By summer, the rats were eradicated, and Lucia is now sleeping at the barn, on guard for nocturnal disturbances and ready to pounce. We’ll keep bait traps with dated lables to monitor any unwelcome visitors. Dating the bait and checking it helps us know if rodents come in, when, and when the bait stops being fed upon, when the rodents are gone. It’s an important monitor when you have birds and grain on site.

EEC is still invested in cats and will be for the foreseeable future. The relationship between cats and people in agriculture goes back centuries, and we’re still opting for this age old relationship as part of our holistic management. Our pup Val is also on the prowl, using her digging skills to identify active rat holes and excavate any entrances with her own set of claws. She caught one rat in an early morning raid, and remains amped and alert when we go to the pole barn to check bait traps. In future, we might invest in a terrier type pup to roam as a night watch around the out buildings. For now, out cat team is on the hunt, and backed by some human ingenuity and K9 muscle. Gratitude for feline friends and all the work they lend, as well as companionship. We’ll keep investing in kitty power by introducing new friends to the farm about every 5-7 years. Lucia is still in her prime, and Marrow is only a few years behind. Mogs is the start of a new generation, and we’ll keep the count at 3 for now. When Lucia gets older, she’ll retire for her final years in the house, and another new cat will be introduced into the pride to keep our grain and birds safe for years to come.