We calculated that we’d need about 50 Blueberry plants, or so, to have enough blueberries for fresh eating, to share with friends, and to freeze for winter eating. When thinking about where we would put these extra plants, we suddenly realized that they didn’t have to be here at our house, they could be on some larger property we had out on the Key Peninsula. From that point on, we began to dream bigger- why not make a blueberry patch big enough for our extended family? Why not go even bigger and open one for the community? And so it began. 😊
From that point on, we started studying to figure out exactly what we would need permit-wise, and financially. We wrote up a business plan and took a couple county agricultural extension classes. We planted a few test varieties to see what we would like best.
Things began to happen…we decided our Key Peninsula property was too far away. We grudgingly admitted that we would need to live on site for us to be able to run a farm out there, and that was not going to happen-we were not going to move out there. The dream seemed to be slowly but surely dying. While back home in Olalla, we wrote a letter to the neighboring property owners, asking them that if they ever wanted to sell, we would be happy to buy. A few years later we got a letter, out of the blue from the owners of the property,- the nice level parcel below ours. They were selling the property and wanted to give us the chance to purchase it! 😃 We were ecstatic, and replied at once. And the old dream of a blueberry farm for ourselves and the community was revived! Only this time, it was even better- it would be in our own backyard, no commute, it would be safe, and we would not even need a business start-up loan if we carefully worked at it.
We could hardly wait to break ground in 2013. Jami started a blog from that point on to chronicle the adventure. And it was one backbreaking adventure!
The goal was to create an organic farm using as many soil enriching methods as we could. We decided we would incorporate hügelkultur (burying logs beneath the mounds), BTE practices (wood chip mulching over the surface of the soil). The wood beneath would eventually rot, creating a nutrient sponge for the moisture loving blueberries. The wood mulch on top would help prevent drip irrigation evaporation, as well as break down into organic matter, which helps nourish the plants. Of course we would also incorporate peat moss and sulfur for acidifying, organic fertilizer and liquid sea minerals. This seemed so easy on paper, it turned out to be the biggest, most rigorous project of our lives!
Some pictures of our progress over the years.
