Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm
Soil-first farming, building health from the ground up!
This week we added the first of many new animals to our growing farm–Willow the livestock guardian dog! Willow is a great pyrenees/anatolian shepherd cross. The Great Pyrenees breed–or the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is an old breed that has been used by shepherds for hundreds of years. Developed in southern France and northern Spain where…
It was my father in-law who first introduced me to the concept of companion planting, as we discussed gardening, and he sagely shared the secret of planting marigolds with tomatoes in order to repel nematodes. I remember wondering what other plants could be grown among my crops to aid in the health of the garden,…
When I got started with beekeeping, I had spent a year prior to bringing my bees home, just researching and doing my homework. My dear sister-in-law, who had watched over a hive in her youth, was by my side, and we were so brave and confident in our abilities to tame the stinging bees with…
“Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you.” –Denis Waitley. Farmers are a ruggedly determined lot. The farmers whom I know personally, are full of vim and vigor, and while obstacles may sometimes get them down on occasion, typically these challenges do not hold them back…
“What a hideous plant! Isn’t it terrific!?” “Oh my gawd–check out this spider! Look at all those long legs!” These are not exclamations of repulsion, but terms of endearment uttered by myself and our family. We truly love nature. To us the Earth is a marvel; there is beauty in even the ugliest of plants,…
Mother Nature brought us a whopping 12-14 inches of snow last week, forcing me to postpone the first class of bee-school, and while I’m sure we’ll get more snow between now and then, the first day of spring is just 6 weeks away now. Here at Runamuk, Keith and I are gearing up for the…
These days nothing is more enticing than the concept of living a life sustained by the land and nature. Folks from all walks are turning away from the mainstream and it’s commercialized lifestyle. For some it is a mission to provide a healthy atmosphere for raising their family; for others a desire to live more…
An expression of art and science, gardening is a practice that dates back to the start of civilization, and is both creative and economical. With the ever-increasing trend towards green and sustainable living, gardening is enjoying a resurgence–if you’ve been considering taking up the habit, I hope this is your year! If you’ve been toying…
What’s a beekeeper to do during the winter? Those–like me–who hold such passion and adoration for their honeybees–for whom there is no better feeling in all the world than watching these busy girls coming and going, carrying pollen and nectar to the hive; for whom opening the hive, viewing the larvae-grubs in their cells, or…
I’m really excited to announce that this year, Runamuk will be reinstating it’s CSA! Some of my followers might remember our CSA program from 2012–which I put on hold during 2013 in the face of our impending move. I learned a lot about farming and business that year, and we will carry those lessons with…