Burbank and the Blackberry
Burbank and the Blackberry Recently I had the pleasure of being sent a radio and written feature from KUOW here in Seattle, on Luther Burbank and the Himalayan Blackberry. The article reveals the little known fact that the blackberry was actually an experiment by the legendary ‘wizard of horticulture’, Luther Burbank. In fact, he brought this blackberry from the East because of it’s incredible propensity for growth and abundance, like many an eastern export! Yet, we find many a garden clubber, homeowner, farmer, and conservationist alike, a wee bit troubled by this plant and it’s seemingly uninhibited expansion in the landscape. Ultimately, much like Burbank himself, the blackberry lends itself to…
Drought, Trees, and Water
Recently there have been many articles relating to NASA’s research and predictions of “mega-droughts” for the American West. See one example from the BBC, here. The ultimate conclusion reached by the scientists states that “The cause of the drying was twofold: reduced precipitation – that is, reductions in rainfall and snowfall; but also increased evaporation, driven by higher temperatures, leading to more parched soils.” Certainly, in California, and even in Washington, where the snow-pack is at record lows right now, and where February has felt more and more like April with each passing day, none can deny the significance of such a report. NASA’s findings of reduced rainfall and…
Lavender Hydrosol for burns
One of the products being produced at Ananda Farms Camano is lavender hydrosol, using lavender grown on the farm. This preparation is very effective in preventing kitchen burns and treating sunburn. Lavender Hydrosols are made by distilling Lavender flowering stalks. Distillation converts the volatile liquid (the essential oils) into a vapor and then condenses the vapor back into a liquid – it is the most popular, and cost effective method in use today to produce essential oils and hydrosols. Literally all of the commercial products of lavender hydrosols have extracted the lavender essential oil so only the water portion is left. By contrast, the process Sara, Joanne and Hailey are using at…
Healing Gardens
Now is the time to visit the healing gardens on the Ananda Farms at Camano,Island. I had the pleasure to visit on Saturday to help Hailey and Zack during the Saturday harvest. Something touched me so deeply when Zack talked about the harmony, how they planted certain combinations together, and the ancient ways of the Native Americans. It was so moving. I could resonate on the deeper truth of his wisdom while we picked. We didn’t even touch the surface of the bounty that lays in this land. It felt like each plant was raising up sweetly as a choir,in joyful service to us. Then the next day after service,…
Farming with Spirit!