Leafhopper Farm is now a Washington State Forest Stewardship property! Liz Crain completed the six week class through Washington State University on October 31, 2017. The farm now has a documented forestry

It’s been a busy Fall here at Leafhopper Farm, and that’s to be expected. The last of summer’s bounty is gathered, processed, and stored in the larder for the coming dark times of winter. Some foods are

At Leafhopper Farm, most of our meat is domestically raised on site, from chicken and ducks, to goat and sheep. In the Fall, there is a special time, for two weeks in mid October, in which I have the privilege

Liz Crain of Leafhopper Farm gives an update on the Permaculture Gardens as we transition into Fall. She describes how she recently harvested potatoes while adding compost, wood chips and turning up the

Liz Crain of Leafhopper Farm describes how she uses her Goats to assist in clearing land which has been overgrown with Blackberry Bushes. GOATS CLEARING LAND Goats are browsers which means they prefer

This is a post about mushrooms, and there’s a lot of learning so dig in for a nice read. Shad cloth covered inoculated log pile Hypha are the thin threads of filament which make up the structure of mycelium.

Liz Crain of Leafhopper Farm demonstrates how she sinks T-Posts into the ground using a Post Driver. These are primarily used for fencing, but here on the farm we use them to tether the goats as well.

Leafhopper Farm is a mosaic of fractal beauty. Every day the richness of nature offers a never ending train of splendor in her working imperfection. This tapestry of life s scattered throughout a living

Boer goats Capra aegagrus hircus are big animals with a lot of good appetite. This is a meat breed, so they are bred for fast growth and size. They put down a lot of food, and if it was grain, I’d be bankrupt

Liz Crain of Leafhopper Farm describes how to hatch Duck Eggs in an incubator, and at the end of the video you get to see one of the lil ducklings hatching! Be sure to minimize how often you open the

Lucia has come into her own as a magnificent hunter. Yesterday, while I was weeding the garden, she brought me a rather unusual present. This young opossum was mortally wounded by a firm bite to the neck,

It’s October and the garden is at peak performance for the year. Many of the mature plants are leafed out to the max and I think I’ll have to blanch and freeze a lot of greens to maximize my harvest. Chard

The goats are on a walk about through the forests at Leafhopper Farm! Bran, his sister Branwin, their mother Brownie, and Nigerian Dwarf Buck Brock are all feasting on the end of the summer lushness. Though

There are ducks at Leafhopper Farm! These little peepers hatched out of the incubator this week and I’m learning so much about ducklings. These Magpie Ducks Anas platyrhynchos come from a fellow farmstead,

Here’s a great photo of the farm flock. Black Jack, our breeding Ayem Cemani, is keeping watch over his divers harem of hens. In this flock you’ll find Delaware heritage hens, Americana hybrids, Speckled

Transition spaces are always important parts of a landscape. Often, they are edges, where forests meet fields, outside moves inside through the edge of a building, or stepping up or down topography. Fences,

Liz Crain of Leafhopper Farm describes how she transformed a huge patch of blackberry bushes into a diverse pasture of diverse herbs and grasses using goats and pigs. ANIMALS RECOVERING THE LAND This field

Yes, in broad daylight, a Bobcat Lynx rufus stalks along the Zone 1 western fence line. Last week we had a night attack on our chicks and one was predated. This daytime testimony leads me to think the

It’s Fall at Leafhopper Farm, and the wildlife is moving through at a much higher rate as it stocks up for winter. I’ll post a few stories about our visiting friends and the challenges of hosting open

Eggs of every color at Leafhopper Farm. The hybrid hens are starting to lay, our first farm bred and raised chickens! Once the dark egg layers mature and begin laying next Spring, we’ll have chocolate’s