Honey 2026

 Yes, we still have honey. $ 18.00 for a 1lb jar, $ 2.00 deposit for jar. you get a $ 2.00 credit on your next purchase when you return the empty jar.

The Hobby Farm VS a Real Farm

 If you ask any farmer or homesteader is you place a for profit farm or just a hobby farm your answer will probably be as varied as the people you ask. 

The IRS has one definition.  Your accountant will have another some people readily admit that they are just hobby farmers some are hoping to be profitable and be a REAL farm. 

Like myself, right now if being honest with myself, I probably am just a hobby farmer, but that is not the intent and hopefully we will turn a profit. Right now, our expenses far outweigh the income so the difference comes out of my paycheck from my day job. 

And it not for the lack of trying. If you look back in the history of this blog, you see that I grew up on a ranch in mid-western, Central Oregon, just at the southern tip of the Willamette Valley. We generally had 50 head of Registered Polled Herford Cattle and 30 head of Registered Romney Sheep.

Me, Showing My Steer 1978

In 2016. We tried raising pigs with the hopes of selling free-range port locally but that flopped, no one, well almost no one wanted to pay $ 500.00 for a 350 lb. pig. 

Our, honey sales have done a bit better, than but still not as well as I hoped. But I digress

Was our Farm Profitable  back then? Well, to be honest, I do not know I know for my parents it was more of a lifestyle than dollars and cents. We always had fresh Dairy Products, Milk, cream and sometimes butter.

We always had fresh beef and chicken and occasionally Pork and Rabbit. 

We always had fresh vegetables in the summer and fall. My mother worked countless hours tending the garden and in the fall canning and preserving every extra ounce of vegetables from that garden. 

We also had fruit trees, Apples, pears, plumbs, and Peach, but in our area, the peaches struggled to thrive but we always managed to get a few.

My mother canned all those fruits except the plumbs; my father took those to a local dryer house and traded their services for a few pounds of plumbs. 

My father built a cider press around 1975 and we had either fresh or frozen cider year round.

Also, In the mid 70's my father got several hives of honey Bees and did beekeeping right up to the end of 2011 when he passed.

We never took our farm products to a farmer's Market, Hell, in those day there wasn’t even farmers market to take it too. 

The Point is, sometimes, just having a steady stream of fresh food that you know how it was raised is more important than making a profit. 

My Father worked as a Sheet Metal Mechanic for most of his adult life. Fortunately, he was able to retire when he was 55. Even after that he stayed busy but that is another so=tory for another post. 

 A ariel view of our homestead in Oregon current, 

A closer look. 

New Babies on the Farm !

 We've got new babies on the farm, Betty was first, had a single lamb, next was Thelma. She had twins. all 3 are doing great. all three are boys. Louise is still very pregant 

as of this writing and hopfully will have a girl or two. 

Abbey"s new Puppies

On Aug 30th abbey had her second  litter, an  oopsie pregegancy.  she had 9 puppies. 5 Females, 4 males they are all Black and White like their dad, Keko They'll be ready to go to new farms on November 1st.

More New Sheep Family Members

 

Well, the sad news is Ramsby ll passed away in April 2025 from unknown causes.

Because of this, we were forced to find a new Ram as our herd sire as he was the only registered male on the property.

Therefore, the search started. We finally found a new Ram, actually two from a farm in Randle, WA

So, meet Will (William) And Teddy Bear. William is Registered in all 4 Regestries OldE English Baby Doll,

NABASSAR, BSSBA AND BSRA.

TEDDY IS REGESTERED IN OLDE ENGLISH, BSSBA AND BSRA

New Members of our Farm Family

 We Just picked up 4 new members of our farm family!

Meet Thelma Louise Betty they are Olde English Babydoll Southdowns or more commonly known as 

"Babydoll Sheep. they are primarily a wool breed sheep. they will be our primary herd for a larger flock.

BETTY

Louise

Ramsby ll

Plant For Sale Spring 2024

 Here is a current List of Trees and Plants I sell, I will update this list as necessary.

Note: many of the plants listed below are in the ground and will not be dug up until

a deposit is made. Payments can be made at paypal by entering 

Beanstock2@gmail.com please state in the comments what the payment is for

THANK YOU PHOENIX FARM

American Chestnut Trees  (from Local seed trees)

NATIVE TREES:

Western Red Cedar Trees

Hawthorn Trees

European Holly Tree

Big Leaf Maple Trees

Douglas Fir Trees

Plants:

Native Daisy

ferns

Hardhard Hack plant (Rose spirea or Spiraea douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the rose family native to western North America. Common names include hardhack,^[3] hardhack steeplebush, Douglas' spirea,^[4] douglasspirea,^[4] steeplebush,^[4] and rose spirea.^[5]

 

Oregon Grape Plants

Oregon Grape Description, uses

Wild Huckleberry bushes 

Rooted cuttings- 3.00 ea

Mature Plants- dug up $ 20.00

Huckleberry Identification, Uses

Nettle Plants. $ 2.00 each

Nettle Plant- Identification Uses

Fruit Trees:

Red cherry trees $ 20.00 each

Elderberry Tree Starts $ 10.00

Red Elderberry, Identification, uses