My friend Aly was visiting from Seattle this week. She took lots of videos on her phone of the farm animals around. She took this one standing in the barn while the sheep came in to eat dinner. I actually have never seen this perspective before since I am outside opening the gate for the critters to come in. I close them out of the barn before I put out the hay to keep fleeces clean. Otherwise I’d never get any hay in the feeders and all of it on their backs!
Duck video!
Check out this short video my boyfriend Steve put together of our ducks enjoying the “rain” from the garden hose. Their enthusiasm is contagious! So cute!
duck post
YouTube – Videos from this email
Pears
We have these wonderful pears growing on a tree in our front yard. Not only are they very sweet raw but I plan to dry some of them to preserve the harvest.
I cut them in slices and lay them on wax paper. I then put them in a deep pan and place a net over them. Then they sit in the sun and dry naturally. Depending on how thick you slice them and the temperature of the weather it can take a few days to get thoroughly dry.
They are delicious and chewy and you can then enjoy them all year round! Yum!
Needle Felting Machine
I recently purchased a Simplicity 12 needle felting machine. I was concerned that it wouldn’t work well with batting and roving, being thicker than yarn. But my back was begging me to get some help with the nuno felted scarves. I had progressed from rolling them out on the floor to a high table which did help a lot. Unfortunately, the continuous rolling and pressure was still taking a toll on my body since I had so many scarves to make.
The machine works beautifully and really speeds up production. I am not able to make the lock scarves (learned this the hard way by breaking 3 needles) with it but it handles the processed wool and cotton scrim fine. I do still finish the scarves by wet felting, rolling them. But I probably spend half the time at that stage as I would without the felting machine.
I am so pleased with this investment. It is great for embellishing as well. For flat felting or production work it saves your body from the punishment that wet felting can deal out.
Soap Season
It’s soap season once again here at Plum Blossom Farm. The time of year where I’m making LOTS of felted soaps in preparation for upcoming fairs and this year’s holiday season. I try to create a variety of colors and shapes to suit all personal tastes. I usually offer four different scents: lavender, jasmine, cucumber and coconut. This year I’ve decided to try to give customers more options by offering 6 to 8 fragrances. In addition to my regulars I will offer a different combination of these scents at each fair: pomegranate, oatmeal stout, peppermint/eucalyptus, sandalwood and the gardener’s soap- tangerine/bergamot.
I love to smell the familiar fragrances and get creative with the fiber dye color combinations. There does start to be some monotony though after the 100th soap!
Book Recommendation
I have to recommend a book written by my Small Business Adviser, Janet Wentworth. It is a great tool for small business owners, entrepreneurs or anyone interested in marketing. It is all about the power of stories and how they connect buyers to sellers. Funny and personal and interesting to read this book gives you a new perspective on the stories you have but didn’t know you have. It is very motivating and gets you actively involved because it also acts like a workbook. A great read and a great tool.
Janet has helped me so much with my brand already. This book taught me so much more and helped me realize my potential stories. Check out her book on Amazon.
Hay in the Barn feels like $ in the Bank- Except it’s Actually the Opposite!
Yay! All the hay that will feed my flock until next June has arrived safely at the farm. It is such a relief to have it delivered and stacked high. My barn is filled to the ceiling with beautiful bales of oat and orchard/alfalfa hays. There is very little room for the storage of anything else or much movement in the hallway but it doesn’t matter. There comes a feeling of security with all that feed there. It feels safe.
In fact I got so many bales this year ( 170) because of the new sheep that not all of it fit inside the barn even with the 12′ high stacks. Some bales are left outside for now to be feed out first. Hopefully before any rain shows up. I feel confident that I can do this since it will only be the end of August by the time the outside stack is eaten.
Final Version of New Logo
Thank you so much to my designer Camille Chung! I found her on Etsy and really loved her designs. She was patient and kind with me through the rounds of edits. She has such a great eye and I’m so glad I chose her to work on my logo. To check of her work check out Camille Chung on Etsy.
I am absolutely delighted with this logo which I think conveys the warm and organic feel of my business with a touch of elegance. At the same time it conveys how much I care for and respect my animals.
Watch for this image to be on all my written materials and on my fair booth:
Hot
California is being hit with a hot weather system right now. This is our 5th day of what is supposed to be a weeks stretch of temperatures over 100 degrees. It has reached 103 on a number of days here and that is hot!
I try to keep the sheep cool with drum fans and misters. They appreciate it and often crowd around the moving air. They stay pretty still from around 2:00-4:00 to conserve energy and regulate their internal temps.
The ducks get a hose sprinkling several times a day which they absolutely love! I have a cute video of their reaction to the cool down in next weeks blog.
Our dog Rosie loves to sun bathe! But this week she’s only been able to stand the heat until about 8:00 in the morning! It’s too hot! We are looking forward to a break that’s supposed to be on it’s way Friday. I sure hope so.
