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Drekaflugustaðir
Trollsländagården
Dragonfly Farm is a small farm in the Pacific Northwest's temperate rain forest. Our friends translated
the name into Icelandic and also Swedish for us. The marsh area needed by dragonfly's is not on our property. However,
on any given day, there are many dragonflies around and about. They are stunning as their wings glisten in the sun. We love
our simple life on the farm as does our pack.
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| Dragonfly Farm circa 2002 |
Icelandic
Sheepdogs
Alpine Goats (Cheeses, yougurt, breads and the world's best ice cream are our payoff from the girls)
Ameraucauna/Barnevelder Chickens
Heritage Vegetable Garden
Italian Honeybees
Fruit Orchard
A visit
to Shellie's farm (see links)
and reading Barbara Kingsolver's book
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
started it all ...
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| Three kids born to Rebekka on 3.24.10 - She is a great mom |
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| Kol wanted to play midwife badly. She sat in the door to the barn the whole time. She loves babies. |
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| Myra and Rebekka checking out the new digs. 2.25.10 |
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| Kol and Ras stand on a table to see the new goats. Wow! This is so fun! |
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| I am so excited, mom! Can we taste their food? It looks delicious. |
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| Recycled skylights will be turned into coldframes during garden redesign |
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| Done. The old skylights now recycled into cold frames. |
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| Myra is quite a character; very happy and playful. |
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| Concord Grape Vines after massive pruning. What a beautiful and delicious reward. |
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| Kol meets Myra. She tried to play ball. Myra says, "Let me show you my horns. Oh, I don't have any!" |
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| Beautiful winter grape vines |
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| Only something this cute could stop our work for two months. Giddy and Mama Ras on New Year's 2010. |
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| The garden before. Pretty and productive but needs some TLC. |
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| We have Ameraucauna chickens and a Barnevelder Rooster |
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| Taken at our first little chicken yard at the old house. Little did we know what the future held. |
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| The new chicken coop. We turned a horse corral into the chicken yard. Our hens roam all day. |
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| We spent a good part of the summer painting. |
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| Rebekka arrived on Feb 25, 2010. She is very pregnant. |
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| Auntie JL and Falki show us the "after". Boy did we have fun in the pasture that day! |
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| Ras thinking about some indoor ball games on a rainy day |
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| We measure wealth in wood & friends in the PNW. This is a pic of both. We are blessed. |
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| Weeded and mulched, the strawberry garden will provide many a pie this summer ... as if we need pie. |
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| All ready for more herbs. Where are you, Spring? |
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| A young Pico de Gallo (Barnevelder rooster) moves into his new digs. |
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| A local stone artist puts the finishing touches on the wood burning stove surround. |
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| Pregnant Ras checks his work. "Very nice," she says. |
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| Supervisor Approval. Nothing better than a wood stove's warmth on a rainy day. |
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| Our Italian Honey Bees will love thier new home which is right next door to the orchard and gardens. |
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| Native Douglas Fir, Cedar, Alder and Madrone as well as Vine and Big Leaf Maple grace the property. |
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| The cutting garden. Kol and Rassie's favorite digging spot. Oh Summer, Oh Summer, where are you? |
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| Zucchini and Bush Beans. Yum! |
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| Post renovation - Notice Kol at the gate. She never leaves my side but is not allowed in the garden. |
After the winter die back, we tore down an
old woodshed on the property and some old decks and used the wood from those to terrace the garden and build raised beds.
We expanded the strawberry gardens and added ample horse manure and mulch to everything. We have raspberries, blackberries,
blueberries and strawberries. There are grapes, herbs and lots of cutting flowers. Having fresh cut flowers for the house
through the fall was a wonderful treat.
We will plant tomatoes, bush beans, zucchini, green beans, broccoli, delicata
squash, spinach, swiss chard, lettuce, peas, some pumpkins and winter squash, carrots and potatoes, onion, and, of course garlic.
After experiencing the flavor of fresh broccoli and beans, I am forever ruined for canned veggies. We look forward
to canning so that we can enjoy our wonderful bounty throughout the winter.
Why isn't Kol allowed in the garden? Well, there is nothing better than an ISD who has rolled in wet mulch and horse
manure. If you have not expeienced it, I highly recommend it. Once.
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| The winter orchard in the background. I'll get right on that pruning, Shellie. |
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| Hmmmm. What will replace these horses in the pasture now that they have moved on? |
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| Before face lift. Some Nubian goats will live here as soon as Spring shines on us again. |
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| This is now the chicken's racoon proof yard. |
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| Augustino checks Juan's work. We harvested 9 cords from our old property so it moved with us. |
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| It started small. If you don't want the bug, don't read "Animal, Vegatable, Miracle" |
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| Notice Kaepa looking for some ripe veggies to snack on. |
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| The cutting garden against a forest of Douglas Firs |
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| Productive but W-I-L-D. Pre renovation |
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| Where the ol' leanin' wood shed was. All of the pieces were recycled in other projects. |
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| Kol says, "Move a little more of that dirt over there." Wonder where the other dogs are? |
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| Here they are, staying high and dry. Can you see Kol in the background? |
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| Grape vines after clean up and mulch. The grapes are absolutely delicious. |
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