Seasons – Plum Blossom Farm

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Carole Balala

Local, Organic Wine Weekend!

This weekend my friend and I explored the small community of Hopland with wine glasses in tow. I live in Cloverdale in the northern most portion of Sonoma County. Hopland is 10 minutes north in southern Mendocino County. I have driven through many times and even had a meal there a few times but never really got to know the town.

This last weekend they held their bi-annual Hopland Passport. Two full days of wine tasting and food at over 15 wineries around the valley. Quite a deal I thought. $50 for two days and at least 3 pours at every winery. Each stop had a stamp for your passport and free food for pairing.

Everyone we bumped into was smiley and warm and having a great time. The pretension level was much lower than what I would’ve expected. My friend Brynn and I could’ve easily spent an hour at each place, drinking wine outside in temperate weather in always beautiful settings.

My favorite stop was Seebass. It is open to the public only for this event and is just a working vineyard and winery the rest of the year. It was off the beaten path, quiet and so welcoming. The woman pouring owned the winery and her mother owned the vineyard. Everything bottled by them was grown on site. And they had to heeler dogs which of course were a hit!

It was a very nice was to be involved with our local businesses and agriculture. Many of the wineries were certified organic. There was an olive mill involved. It just felt good to support these local folks in doing something they love and participating in the community.

Be sure to put this in your calendar for next year if you are nearby. It won’t disappoint!

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Carole Balala

Love Lake County

Saturday night as I was driving home from the Mt View Art & Wine Fest I could see an orange light glowing over the hills to the east. I thought “Could that be a fire?” but then thought no. In the morning as I took the dogs for a morning walk ash rained down like so many gray snow flakes. It was the Valley Fire which started in Cobb, Lake County.

I was nervous to leave the animals but had to drive back to the fair Sunday morning. Lucky for us the fire was headed the opposite direction so I did feel okay to leave for the day. Evacuation would be so stressful but doable so I watched the fire updates from the fair.

This fire is so terrible and fast moving that close to 600 structures have already burned. What absolutely killed me were the reports that people had to flee so quickly that they didn’t have time to take their pets and livestock with them. I just started crying for all the devastation and animal lives lost in this event.

As of this morning:

67,000 acres burned
15% contained
13,000 people displaced
9,000 structures threatened
585 homes destroyed
2.362 fire workers
4 injured firefighters
1 confirmed death

If you feel moved like I did to help any way you can there is a website set up for item and financial donations. Lovelakecounty.org has lists of organizations that are helping and what they still need. I just gave a financial donation to Wine Country Animal Lovers so they could get whatever they needed. My heart goes out to all who are affected by this tragedy.

Posted on March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 by Carole Balala

The sweet sound of sheep grazing…

I have to share one of my favorite sounds in the world. The lovely noise a happy sheep makes grazing on lush, green pasture. I hope the sound quality is good enough on these short clips so you can hear. I suggest watching the first time then pressing play again and closing your eyes. I hope it brings you the same feeling of peace and calm it brings me. There is something so palpable about listening and observing someone who is joyful. And these beauties certainly are.

Check out the different styles of grazing that these two sheep have. The first video features Rabbit, a white Karakul wether. The second is of Persephone, aka Percy, a chocolate Corriedale ewe.

To view, click on the links below:

rabbitgrazing

percygrazing

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Carole Balala

Winter in California is spoiling me!

January and February have been so mild I feel guilty about what the East and Midwest have had to go through! The green grass is really taking off now and so many flowers are in bloom! First the daffodils popped out, then my plum trees started budding. Now the Camiellia bush is bursting, the redbuds have arrived and the Brodiaea have blanketed the hills.

I just cannot keep from photographing these beauties! On Instagram here.

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Carole Balala

Some Much Needed Rain

Thank goodness we got another storm that brought some more rain. I measured and this week the farm got 8+” from the storms that came through. At the end of last month I had started to get a little worried since our dry spell seemed to stretch on and on. We were having very warm temps for the winter as well. It definitely felt more like spring. The grass in my pasture had stopped growing and that is not what the sheep want to see!

As much as I hate keeping the sheep in the barn during a heavy storm it is very dry, warm and cozy in there. I put down fresh straw and everyone just hunkers down. And although nor the sheep or I enjoy slogging through the mud the days after a rain we all do love the life the water gives to the plants. Including the moisture received by the hay and alfalfa fields of the central valley which will feed the flock next year. I am hoping that we will get enough precipitation this winter to drastically lower the hay prices this year. I won’t hold my breath but I’ll keep my fingers crossed 🙂

The Russian River really flows after a big rain and it feels so good to watch it grow to a muddy, healthy size!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Carole Balala

At last- out to fresh pastures!

Joy! The sheep are able to do what they are born to do – graze! They fields have dried out enough that I have moved them into three of the four fields, moving rotationally so it’s easier on the land.

They are so happy and contented this time of year. The grass is cool and lush, the weather is in the 70s, they can come and go as they please. It is absolute bliss.

When they are stuck in the barnyard and they see me before the evening feeding they will all sing a chorus of “we are bored and hungry, please feed us now”. These days though there is this wonderful quiet due to happy sheep with full bellies. Pretty heavenly. Their feeling of peace is thankfully contagious.

Wish this could last forever but hot, dry days will be here before we know it. Better enjoy each moment of this season while it’s here…

Posted on February 24, 2014February 24, 2014 by Carole Balala

Blossoms Have Begun

Every year it surprises me how early the first flowers of spring arrive here. February seems like it should be the dead of winter but these brave blooms are a welcome treat.

One of the first trees to flower is the Plum tree which of course I am partial too. Plum blossoms are a symbol of strength and hope because of the time of year they bloom.

I have been lucky to be near Camellia bushes in most places I’ve lived and here is no exception. These bright bursts of color are always a delight to see.

Just today I noticed I have pink roses coming into bloom from the most productive rose bush I have ever known. She seems to come into season almost every month of the year. Although even she takes a break in January. 🙂

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Carole Balala

When it rains, it pours

California had been waiting for rain and worrying about dry conditions. This weekend we got a storm that took an edge off that worry. On Saturday my house got 6″ of rain in a 24 hour period. That’s A LOT!

I cleared all the drainage ditches in the morning and by the afternoon so much debris had washed down from the hills the ditches had overflowed and I had flooding. It was a long day trying to get so much water to flow the ways that I wanted.

The sheep decided to stay cozy in the barn over the weekend while 8″ of much needed rain fell on the roof. The ducks however had a ball! Running/waddling as fast as their web feet would take them, they’d race towards the pasture and the little streams that popped up to dig their bills deep in the water and mud. Whenever I get tired of the rain I can always watch the ducks thoroughly enjoying their playground and I feel happy about it once again.

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Carole Balala

Daffodils Already

I couldn’t believe my eyes yesterday when I spotted my first daffodils of the season. They always sneak up on me but they seem even earlier this year. I am honestly surprised they could make it out of the ground with the little rain we’ve had.

Anyway they were a welcome friendly presence opposed to the dying grass in the pasture. The forecast is calling for rain in just a few days. It feels like all of California is holding their breath and hoping for some moisture!

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Carole Balala

Brrrrr!

Temperatures have been unseasonably cold for our area. December usually brings rain but instead we are having a cold snap. Dipping into the high twenties many nights in a row is not common for Sonoma County but these freezing temps have even been happening state wide.
I realize we have nothing to complain about since thirty degrees is a warm day in Wisconsin this time of year. But having to do chores when everything is frozen and frosty definitely gives me a great respect for shepherds of the mid-west!

Category: Seasons