End of the Year Snow

Hello winter! We were all so excited to have some snow - fun and beautiful and it always makes the house feel extra cozy. The alpacas were pretty confused about it, but they seemed pleased when Craig rolled some big snowballs to clear areas of their pasture. It was a wonderful conclusion to 2009 and we wish you all a very happy and healthy new year!

Happy Holidays!

We are closing up for the season, and getting ready to tuck in for a cozy Christmas Eve dinner and some family time by the fire. Thanks to everyone who came to our farm this year to get their tree. We look forward to seeing familiar faces again next holiday season.

Our very best wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

We are Open!

Christmas tree season 2009 is here and we are open!

The U-Cut experience we offer has a rustic feel... walk along the hillside, enjoy the view, and select a tree with character that you like. Our trees are unsprayed and unshaped, grown the way nature intended. We have nobles in all sizes, but with a particularly good selection of large trees. There is a little Charlie Brown in most of our trees, so if you don't find what you are looking for, you can head up or down the hill just a bit to one of the many other local tree farms who have a more predictable selection. We appreciate your visit either way!


It is our second year in this business and we are excited to see what it brings. Craig has substantially improved the trails and cleared lots of blackberry brambles, but care is still needed when hiking out on the ridge to find a tree. Craig also planted over 220 seedlings, but with the very hot and dry summer it seems only about 10% will survive. And just a couple days ago, he spent several hours trimming boughs from some of our very tall, mature nobles to be used by a local wreath-maker. We have learned a lot over the year and will continue to work to bring our farm into greater production.


We hope to see familiar faces from last year and get to meet new folks as well. Thanks for checking on us and happy holidays!

Fall Friends

There is so much life on the farm, big and small. We've been enjoying the seasonal fruits from the orchard for months now, and with fall here, we continue to do so as the pears, apples, Asian pears, and grapes ripen.

In addition to the rich vegetation, the abundant animal life that surrounds us here is just amazing. The insects, birds, snakes, lizards and salamanders have all been particularly busy finishing up their summer business as the annual cool down approaches. Some of our favorite regulars lately include a pilleated woodpecker and a great horned owl.

We also have some new additions to our farm family to introduce, our new alpacas: Al and Paco. They are two young boys who come to us via North Plains Alpacas after we won them in a raffle (yes, really). Al and Paco are getting comfortable and seem to be pretty happy as they settle into their new home, especially now that the dogs have learned not to bark at them. Both are friendly and come over to the fence to say hello as people approach. Al is more confident and enjoys eating being hand-fed treats. Paco is more inquisitive and is always peeking over to see what is going on and who is coming to say hello. Al and Paco are a delight and we are so happy to have them here with us at Corner Crest Farm!

Summer Abundance

What a gift our farm has given us! We have been enjoying the most delicious fruit from our trees as we experience our first harvest here. The cherries came in first with three trees that ripened one at a time. We (with a tall ladder) and the birds (without a ladder) managed to consume nearly everything, with only a few portions going into the freezer for the winter.
The yellow plums came in next, along with the figs, which we enjoyed fresh and in delicious baked goods. We also endeavored to learn how to make preserves, which was easier than we expected and more delicious as well.
Right now, we are almost done picking the black plums which are small and tasty enough to eat by the dozen.
Over the months we have been here, Craig's hard work in the orchard cutting back the blackberries that had covered several trees has certainly paid off. And we certainly have no shortage of blackberries in more preferable locations left to enjoy. We are so thrilled to be experiencing this bounty, and hope to plant more fruit trees in the coming years.

Spring has Sprung

And suddenly everything is blooming. Grasses are green and the forest floor is now lush. Flowers are popping up everywhere and the orchard trees have come to life. The air smells sweet and bees are hard at work buzzing audibly near any mass of flowers. The resident chipmunks have come out from their winter home having added two new members to their family. We have been enjoying regular visits from a bunny, some racoons, and many new types of birds who have come to call at the feeders. It is such a joy to be surrounded by such a grand celebration of the rejuvenation of spring.

Seedlings

It's planting time!

Craig went down to Aurora and purchased about 250 noble fir seedlings. Over the last several years as the previous owner of our farm aged, there were very few seedlings planted so we are trying to bring it back up to higher production. These seedlings are called 1+1, as they are two years old, having spent their first year in a tray in a greenhouse and their second outside in the ground. They are sold in large bags (we bought 2 bags) of bare root trees that have been kept at very cool temperatures to remain dormant until they are replanted.

We were told of some of the trickier aspects of planting nobles, such as how important it is for the hole to be dug deep enough so their roots will be loose and straight down into the soil, rather than balled up under the seedling, which tends to cause death a couple years down the road. Craig got to work in the rain, digging and planting sometimes up to as many as 30 in a day. It was a lot of work and we have heard that mortality can be very high, especially if the summer is very hot and dry. In the end Craig planted about 220 of the baby trees and we will be happy if we get at least 50 or so that mature successfully. Time will tell and no matter what happens, we will have learned a lot from our first year of planting.