Today’s blog post is a photo dump of an ongoing project that has been underway since Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson got Covid. Do you all remember those bleak days of March 2020? Our son Walter and his partner Heather had been forced to return from jobs working at an eco-village in Thailand. As the four of us sheltered in place at Laurentide, we would take breaks from our rectangles of doom and walk around the perennial fields thinking, “Can we eat irises?”
Read moreInstasham!
Everyone has an opinion, ya know? Recently, our third son Atticus (pictured above), critiqued our Instagram content. “It’s getting stale,” he said in that blithe manner typical of an apartment dweller with three houseplants. “No interesting stories,” he said, “and you posted four photos of Heather in a row.”
Read moreToday's Crop: A Branding Package
It’s been nearly two growing seasons since we named our farm Laurentide, after the prehistoric ice sheet that sculpted this valley more than 12,000 years ago. Since that naming, we’ve talked about a brand identity that could elevate our farmer’s market stand and our website.
Read morePull Up a Chair Why Don't Ya?
We purchased this farm back in 2018, but rented the place to the previous owners until July of 2019. Which means we are now one year in, on our own, and little Laurentide is home. I’ve shared some pics of the new kitchen, but you will see from this post that I’ve feathered the outside of the nest as well. After all, what is a bit of grass other than a carpet? A flower a painting? And the sun a giant chandelier? I have enjoyed searching every antique shop and rummage sale in the tri-state area for perfectly weathered perches to furnish these outside rooms.
The bench above was a retirement gift to my father almost twenty years ago, a thank you from his grandchildren for the excellent medical care he gave them. It is situated outside the fence of the new vegetable garden, which I will be posting about soon. But for now I will crow that my son has earned my deepest admiration for what he has accomplished inside this fence in the course of a few short months.
Back to the myriad of seating options. I hope you’ll join me on a virtual walk of our place, and then in the comments, let me know where you would like to park your tush here at Laurentide. Shall I be bringing you a lemonade or a gin and tonic?
Read moreA Good Morning to You
Here we are, the last few days of May, and we are sore, both my husband and I, to the point that it is difficult to sleep. I see some dried blood in his ear. My clawish hands couldn’t open a spice jar today.
Read moreLinda Bleck's Farm Map
Shortly after my husband and I closed the deal on our new farm, we saw an Instagram post from our friend, artist Linda Bleck. She had just completed an illustrative map of Whitnall Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as part of the Milwaukee County “Parks for Good” fundraiser. My husband was intrigued. To him, Linda’s map looked vintage, like an illustration in a third grade social studies book. He loved the feel of nostalgia her map conveyed.
To his giant to-do list for the farm, which included check chicken butts he added: commission Linda Bleck to draw a farm map.
Read more