Happy Spring from Cloud 9 and Heavenly Hideaway!

This is an exciting time of year at Cloud 9 and Heavenly Hideaway when the valley fields turn from brownish to bright green and the cows (herd of 11) start to ignore the last of the hay bales and turn to munching on the succulent new growth. The daffodils, forsythia and lady’s slippers are at their peak making for yellow and pink on green my favorite colors.

It is also time for the farmer (me, but sounds like a reason for a ‘work party’ of friends) to impregnate oak logs with shitake spores for growth for the next 2 to 5 years. I take 4 foot culls of forester-prescribed 6 inch oak tree thinnings, drill holes 6 inches apart, insert the shitake spores (mmm, yum, Italian marinated whole shitakes on the spit, what’a meal), and seal them with beeswax.

When you come to the farm, you’ll get a tour OR if you’re like the Good Family and the Signorino Family you can learn the skill yourself and have a photos to take home to prove it! Thanks for pitching in, you willing renters! It was fun for all! Come again next year for the harvest!

-Janet