A Deep Inhale

When the rains come to swell the soil and darken the skies, the trees breathe in.
When the droplets fall and the air is damp, the plants inhale.
All of their leaves (and even some of their stems) are covered with structures called stomata, a fancy word for a system that is their breath.

Breath is something my mind wanders to often.
I named my farm and business after it.
People often seek out water, shelter, and food as things that sustain live, but often overlook breath.
That act we do without thinking...but we can also control it...to a point.
It is simultaneously automatic (we breathe without thinking to) and manual (we can hold our breath). We can only last a few minutes without taking one and even that requires dedicated practice.
If you have ever had the experience of a panic attack, you know the intense fear the body and mind feel at not. getting. enough. breath.

And so,
when it rains and the air is damp,
the plants and trees,
mosses and leaves,
open their stomata and breathe.
A breath they have been holding since winter. 

With the leaves unfurling, the sun warming, and the weeds growing ever higher, spring is an intense time on the farm.
A breathe I have been waiting for all winter.
It is easy to begin rushing to complete the tasks, barely slowing for a breath or a meal or a break.
So this is me taking a breath.
This is me slowing down and controlling my breath. 
This is me choosing to just 'take a breather'

I won't be at either market this week but look for my return to the hustle and hurry of the farm and market on June 8th. And maybe, just maybe, we all (tree, leaves, and humans) will be breathing a little deeper.

You may have seen the new salve packaging this season but may I also introduce the Bud Blood Salve! All those sticky red, resinous Cottonwood Buds that plump in the last vestige of winter are infused into Organic Sunflower Oil. They are strongest with the sticky substance right before the leaves unfurl, birthed into the world to breathe and pull in sunlight. I use it when I feel stiff, like winter won't leave my bones. That ache, soreness, pain, or swelling that lingers and has out-stayed its welcome. When I feel the need to breathe deep again, expand, and stretch in the sunshine.

​The green is here.
Golden and glossy.

So the hens roam.
Hunting.
Pecking.
Following the food.

Scratching the soil for worms that surface to breath, a breathe that will be their last, but a breathe that carries on in the hen, her egg, and her chick, and the grass she fertilizes along the way.

Even the cats stop to catch their breath.

When the sun is a little too warm,
the grass a little too damp,
or their bellies a little too grumbly.

That's when they know to settle down and breathe, or maybe using a little of their breath to meow for snacks

The Weeds! Oh my gosh, did I mention the weeds? When you see a task that needs done but you don't wanna do it, what do you often do? *sigh*, with exasperation. A quick inhale before a drawn out exhale. Breathe before all.

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Future Learning OpportunitiesAre you ready to step into the wilderness?
Early Summer Foraging Class: Dragon's Breath Farm: June 18th
Come learn about commonly available seasonal edible plants in our region. We'll meet the plants, learn about their edible and also medicinal qualities, proper foraging etiquette, and taste the wonders of the wilds. Join me on the farm on the afternoon of June 10th to see what the wilds can provide!
Sign up here!

HIKE: South Fork of Ross Creek: FSPW: July 2nd
Leave the summer crowds behind as we make our way through the ancient Cedars, following the creek up to a waterfall. It’s 9 miles roundtrip with 1300 feet of elevation gain, a small price to pay for getting away from the hustle and bustle along the nature trail. Sign up here!

Relational Farming: Dragon's Breath Farm: July 9th
Our discussion will focus on the 'why' and 'how' behind the systems and methods I have used to develop farming practices that sit within a worldview that recognizes the sovereignty of the land and all the non-humans that live on it. Going deeper than the popular concepts of permaculture to reset our place and belonging as humans in our relation to land. Sign up here!
HIKE: Foraging Hike at Spar Lake: FSPW : July10th
Embark on a magical journey through the lush forest, as you discover the hidden treasures nature has to offer. Follow your senses and collect wild edibles, vibrant berries, and fragrant herbs. The crackle of leaves beneath your feet and the sweet scent of pine needles in the air makes this foraging hike an unforgettable adventure.Join staff member Juli Thurston and board member Megan Leach for a fun day on the trail foraging.  We will meet at the Big Spar Lake Trailhead.  Bring lunch, snacks plenty of water, and a bag to carry your foraging finds! Sign up here!

Where to find it all?

I'll be back June 8th at the Farmers Market at Libby and June 10th at the Kalispell Farmers Market. Until then, just breathe!

Find me and all the spring farm goodies both Thursdays and Saturdays.
Thursdays from 3-630pm at The Farmers Market at Libby
&
Saturdays from 9-1230pm at the Kalispell Farmers Market