Circle M Farm

We’ve welcomed a new member into our crazy mixed-up Circle M family this week – Honeybun, a delightfully large and fluffy buff-colored angora rabbit that is to be my companion in the summer kitchen dye studio. Lovely new friend and fellow spinner, Laurie, brought her down yesterday from Madison, where she was getting to be a bit bossy with the small children and cats in her home. I find her just darling – twice as big as I expected and three times as soft – and hope she’ll be happy with the cool concrete floor and quiet atmosphere of the studio. So far, she won’t come out of her cage. But I’m working hard to coax her out with pellets, carrots, and dog bones, so I can pluck her belly. continued »

Greetings from soggy Circle M! Now in Week 2 of flooding here in our valley, we’ve lost the storage potatoes, roasting corn and summer squash under the waters, but we’re certainly enjoying the green that’s returned to our pastures and meadows. Honestly the farm couldn’t be prettier. Shannon had to mow around the buildings this week, in between thunderstorms, of course, and the animals are beside themselves frisking about in the newly lush grasses and alfalfa. We’ve enjoyed canoeing in our lower paddocks, and appreciated new views discovered on detours we’ve taken since our road to town has been closed! continued »

Today I returned a book to the library, surreptitiously in the drop box, that was due April 7th. Even though I couldn’t face our kind and patient librarian, who often renews books for our family without us knowing, I did tuck a nice apology note behind the front cover and a vehement encouragement to recommend the book to whomever she knows with interest in farming and the environment. Never have I taken so long to plow through a book, but it was worth the months of reading and whatever fine I incur. continued »

These days, I find myself turning more and more to the preserving books on my kitchen bookshelf, first among them “Keeping The Harvest,” by Nancy Chioffi and Gretchen Mead. What is ripe now is ripe in gallons! Tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, oh my! Not to mention the neighbors’ generously shared sweet corn. continued »