Bare Mountain Flowers

After a mad dash last week to get the garden put to bed, the dahlias dug and cover crop in Chris and I headed south to Oregon for a long weekend. Ahhhh, what a treat to get away for a few days!

Our first stint away from home since January, we both basked in the silence and space of the open road.It was the perfect way to celebrate the close of such an abundant and crazy season.

For the past few years I have been writing back and forth with Denise and Tony Gaetz of Bare Mountain Flowers. Longing for the day when I could  meet them in person my wish finally came true!

Chris and Tony Gaetz admiring the young crop of Ranunculus.

Tony has devised some very clever mini hoophouses that he uses to extend their growing season. Economical, sturdy,simple and quick to assemble these hoops are the perfect tool on any small farm.I will be sharing some of his tips and tricks in the next issue of Growing For Market.

Chris and I have been wanting to add this system into our farm mix for awhile but were a bit too intimidated to make the leap without in person instruction first. Luckily Denise and Tony were open to a hands on field day!

a mini hoop full of biennials awaiting cover

I am often humbled by the generosity of  growers who so willingly share their successes and failures with us. Denise and Tony were no exception and truly went above and beyond to host us! Not only did they set up a full day of hands on instruction, they also answered hundreds of questions, shared stories and lessons from their business and fed us two amazing meals.

Tony Gaetz and Chris admiring their work :)

the farm at dusk.

On the drive home we scribbled pages and pages of notes, planned, calculated, argued and daydreamed about how we will take all of these new ideas and improve our production next year. My head is still swimming!

The more I connect and share ideas with others, the more I see that the traditional way of holding ones gifts close for fear that another might benefit from our "secrets" is no way to live. By risking a little, we gain so much.

Denise and Tony, thank you so much for opening your home and life up to us! You've certainly changed our life for the better!!!