Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Kitsap Agricultural Advisory Council

 Last Thursday I attended the first meeting of the newly appointed Kitsap Agricultural Advisory Council. Most of this meeting was mostly boring administrative work however the Council members voted for their priorities for the plan of work for 2026. 


Some of you may not know, but last fall, the Kitsap County Commissioners were considering expanded rules on EQUINE Facilities, Farm Stands and other Agriculture land use rules. There was a huge outcry and an few people organized a protest at the following Commissioners meeting. The result of that protest caused the Commissioners to pause these efforts and form this advisory Council to advise them on future rule making proposals to the Commissioners. These are the Council members for  Kitsap:

​Angela Cordiano
​1 - North Kitsap
​Agriculture Specialist

​Karissa Holcombe
​1 - North Kitsap
​Farmer - Livestock

​Mira Rosenkotz
​1 - North Kitsap
​Farmer - Producer

​Scott Hall
​2 - South Kitsap
​Agriculture Specialist

​Dawn Oien- Chairman
​2 - South Kitsap
​Farmer - Livestock

​Gary Winn- Vice Chair
​2 - South Kitsap
​Farmer - Producer

​Mickey Centeno
​3 - Central Kitsap
​Farmer - Livestock

​Tonya Hirtzel
​3 - Central Kitsap
​Agriculture Specialist

​Christina Mayfield
​3 - Central Kitsap
​​Farmer - Producer

​So, now is the time to voice you concerns/ suggestions to the Council members 

You may contact them at this general e-mail address. In the subject line put the person's name to whom you are trying to contact. 


Here is a link to their website:


Michael Bean

Green Bean Acres is the place to be,
Farm Livin is the Life for me,
Land Spreadin far and Wide .....
Goodbye city life
Green Bean Acres we are there !

Beanstock Enterprises

Friday, February 13, 2026

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. 

Thursday, February 12, 2026

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. 

Saturday, September 6, 2025

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.




Saturday, May 3, 2025

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




Friday, August 16, 2024

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

Monday, April 22, 2024

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 steeplebushDouglas' 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



Honey Sales 2024

 Yes, we are still selling honey. 

 Currently, we only sell Honey in 1lb glass jars. they sell for $ 20.00 per Jar with a $ 2 per jar deposit

the deposit will be returned when the empty jar is returned or exchanged for another jar of Honey.

I also deliver to Local Communities for free. these areas include Port Orchard and Surronding area,

Bethel/Burly area, Purdy and Gig Harbor. You may text me at 510-556-9306 to see if I can deliver to

you. in some cases, I will deliver to other areas for a small fee.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Honey- Plant Sales.

 Currently, we only sell Honey in 1lb glass jars. they sell for $ 18.00 per Jar with a $ 2 per jar deposit

the deposit will be returned when the empty jar is returned or exchanged for another jar of Honey.

I also deliver to Local Communities for free. these areas include Port Orchard and Surronding area,

Bethel/Burly area, Purdy and Gig Harbor. You may text me at 510-556-9306 to see if I can deliver to

you. in some cases, I will deliver to other areas for a small fee.

Currently I sell Native Plants and Trees by appointment only. 

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

American Chestnut Trees (from Local seed trees)

Cedar Trees

Hawthorn Trees

European Holly Tree

Big Leaf Maple Trees

Douglas Fir Trees


Plants:

Native Daisy

ferns

Hardhard Hack plant



New Hours

 Due to my schedule change at my full time Job, the Times I will be avaliabe for Honey Pickup

will be Mon-Thrs 3:30 to 4:30,  Friday 4:00 Pm 5:30 Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. We are closed 

on Sunday. Thank You for your understanding

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Maple Syrup Experiment


I have toyed with the idea of tapping my Big Leaf Maple Trees on my property ever since I saw this YouTube video UW YouTube Video several years ago. this year I'm getting more serious and am going to try it for the first time. 

I read this NPR article a few days ago that really inspired me.

 NPR Big leaf Maple Syrup Flows As Profits Drip

I have tapped 6 trees so far, as of 12/27/2021 we’re still waiting for the sap to flow but things are looking promising as we’re supposed to literally in 20’s at night and in the low 30 during the day. I’ll up date this page as the season progresses.

On the first Week of Feb  2022 I tapped 20 additional trees, by the end of the flow, I had collected 30 gallons of Raw Sap and boiled this raw sap down to 5 gallons of sap. it is currently in my freezer waiting for the final boil down to syurp. 



Friday, July 26, 2019

We're Live on Hipcamp !!



We're Live on Hipcamp !!

 

Well, we finally took the plunge and listed Part of our Farm in Packwood on Hipcamp.
 
If you don't know about Hipcamp find more here.
 
We Listed the Parcel that is 1 acre in size and are starting with 7 Primitive sites that people can pitch a tent. as time goes on we'll add more amenities like composting toilets, Running water etc.
7 site Plan.


 
Our Long term plan is to develop it into a 20-30 site with spots for RV back-in's with a main cabin with a retail store on the bottom and a rentable upper second level. We want to dedicate one spot for  campground Host./ Farm Assistant
The idea is also to provide places for people to stay while we conduct Permaculture/sustainable
Farming Seminars



Our grandiose plan ends up having 35 tent sites anywhere from 12' X 25' to 30' X 50' multi family sites. 7 RV Sites and 5 Yurts. To check out our Listing click on the "book on HIPCAMP LOGO BELOW. THANKS.

 NOTE ALL OF OUR HIPCAMP RESEVERASIONS ARE ON HOLD UNTIL WE CAN GET ADEQUETE INFRASTRUCTURE/ STAFFING.


Book on Hipcamp





This is our grandiose plan
.

Honeybee Conservation Program

the USDA has a program to provide finiciancial asstance to set aside land for honeybee protection it's called :


Honey Bee Habitat | Agricultural Productivity | Wildlife Habitat

In other news,


Actor Morgan Freeman declared that he has created a " Bee Sanctuary" to save the bees.
ok, well I have to admire anyone wanting to do their part for the honey bee but come on Morgan, 25 hives Really??  I also read that he is not going to do any intervention for mites, diseases etc.  I would like to see his records on how many of those 25 hives survived the first winter of 2015, 2016 etc ect. What do I really think, well it's just a publicity stunt. now Morgan, if you were really serious about the plight of the Honeybee how about donating say, 100K to a university doing research on CCD.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Getting Ready for the Bees.

Two years ago, i decided to get bees, but at the time, it was going to be a part time hobby, to produce a little honey for ourselves and family.
However due to changing circumstances,  I have decided to make it a more prominent endeavor on the farm.  Unfortunately,  the hive that i had died last winter. I may have been partly my fault due to my inexperience in beekeeping.  I was going off the presumption that I knew enough from raising bees with my Father 35 years ago, but many things have changed since then. The rampent use of pesticides,  new diseases,  and new pests., most notably,  the Varroa Destructor.

That being said i decided it was time to get more knowledgeable about modern beekeeping.
I found out  at the February meeting pf the West Sound Beekeeping club that they were going to be offering a 6 week course in beginning beekeeping.  I decided that if I was serious about beekeeping that I needed to get my butt in that class.  It's been 5 weeks now and WOW, have I learned a lot.  Two more weeks to go, and several weeks after that, I'll be getting tow new bee hive packages, from improved bloodlines from California.


Saturday, January 13, 2018

STARTING OVER

Well, as you can maybe surmise by my previous posts is the pig project mostly failed. but not for trying.
After spending time reflecting on just went wrong I have distilled it down to 3 conditions

1. Expensive feed: I was not able to procure enough cheap feed like many other pork producers do.

2. Got in to Pig Breeding/ Rasing instead of starting slow and just rasing feeders.

3. Transportation. After the Truck broke down, I was spending so much money on feed that I could never get enough money to get the truck fixed... Everything spiraled down from there.

On the upside, the pigs did a fabioulous job of clearing the land so there's that.

I have now decided to get started (slowly) into the garden market business.
I just started learning the strategies from Curtis Stone, you can find out more about Curtis on
YouTube https://youtu.be/1MNhtcagNO0.
I am currently taking his online course and hope to replicate what he has done but on a smaller scale
his plan is based on a 1/4 acre..... more to come

UPDATE: After much pondering i have decided to get back into the bee business.
With the continued detorating health of my wife, and the limitations of still having a full time job, i believe that raising bees for pollination and honey, it is the best option for me at this time.....

Monday, February 13, 2017

Herd Reduction

Due to Health Problems I must Reduce my Herd size to a more manageable number.

These Pigs are for Sale: ALL PIGS ARE SOLD !! THIS POST IS BEING SAVED FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES ONLY

ALL THESE PIGS ARE PUREBRED-COME FROM REGISTERED STOCK



Males:

Curley Joe 2-9 (intact Male) was born on March 17th 2014
He Sired 4 litters last year He is already proven and can
be registered, great for someone who wants to
continue breeding Registered Stock
ASKING $ 700.00
Reduced to $ 500.00



Spot- (intact Male)

Spot was born July 17 2015, Spot is very Friendly he
will come up to me in the field just to get a
scratch behind the ears, He would make a great herd
sire for someone who wants to X-breed possibly
with a Herford, GOS, Large Black would be
my suggestions
ASKING 200.00
**SALE PENDING-DEPOSIT**


 Unnamed intact male
 ASKING $ 200.00

Un named  INTACT male
no picture yet, coming soon
Litter mate of Spot,
**SOLD AS BUTCHER HOG**

Females:
Guinerevere , one of our orginal herd sows
she is Regestered with Tamworth Assn.
ASKING $ 200.00
**SOLD**
THANKS DUSTIN

Savanna, the other original  herd sows,
she is a older sow but in the right conditions
could produce you a couple litters
ASKING $ 200.00
Lucy, Curley Joe's Sister, she had one litter of 11
last year in June
 ASKING 350.00
** SALE PENDING- DEPOSIT**

Ruby, Curley Joe's and Lucy's Sister and litter
mate, She Farrowed 13 Last year, a excellent mother
will produce many litters for you, keep her for
several litters and still sell her for the same as
you Paid  ASKING $ 400.00



This is Pickeles and Grapes, I sold them last August to a local farm
They are from Lucy and Sampson they will be butcherd next week
we will see what the weigh out to be... Just a example of what
you will get from Lucy




UN NAMED FEMALE,GILT IS PROBABLY
Born in July 2015 Probably is
BRED BY HALF BROTHER CURLEY_ JOE
2-9  Asking $ 250.00
** SOLD PENDING DEPOSIT AND
PICK-UP**




Unnamed Female, Dark Red born July 2015
Probably is  BRED BY HALF BROTHER CURLEY JOE
2-9  Asking $ 250.00
**SOLD**




Tuesday, July 5, 2016

My Beekeeping History


A new Chapter in Beekeeping 

 
As I mentioned in a previous post, I kept bees with my father as a teenager, after my father passed away in 2011, my brother was selected as the Trustee of the estate. I have never had many conversations with my brother either before or after my father’s passing so, when I get a call out of the blue asking if I would come down to the farm to help him with something.

Evidently, to my surprise, I discovered that my father had continued to keep bees right up till his death, also a weird twist of irony my brother is highly allergic to bees (had that not been the case he never would have called me)

When I got there he reveled all this to me and asked if I would take the hives. Since he has been such a jerk about the whole estate situation, I had a few conditions. They were that I would be taking all the bee keeping equipment including the honey extractor also the cider press and the apple grinder.

Of course he agreed and I got to work.  I got up on the roof of one of the barns where my father had built some unique hive stands ( he was always very innovative) I checked them out and saw bees going in and out but since I didn’t have any protective suit I told my brother that I would have to  come back in a few days and come back with my truck and trailer and new hive bodies as they were in very bad ( see above Photos) conditions and I knew that I would have to transplant any surviving bees into new hive bodies The next week I came back but before I showed up at the farm I made a trip to Medford, OR ( a 4 hr. round trip) to get some new equipment I spent $500.00 on new hive bodies, supers, a new suit, gloves,  smoker, and other miscellaneous tools.

Once I got into the hives a major disappointment hit me. Both hives were dead and the bees I previously saw were bees robbing the left over honey stores. I rescued the remaining frames with honey and burned the rest. So sad. However, I got a good apple cider press out of the deal.  The other good news was now I was ready to start my own bee keeping operation. And as luck would have it, I was called in the following May to rescue a wayward swarm of bees. And I am still using the honey from that hive.

old hives on roof of barn from the ground.
Old Hives Vew from the doorway opening














 

Friday, November 27, 2015

More of My Family's Farming History part 3, Paul S and Edna Bean

In my Last Post, I spoke of my Great Grand Father Charles Bean, in this post I will tell you about my Grandfather Paul S. Bean Sr.

Paul was born in Omaha, Nebraska, USA on Nov. 13, 1889.
Paul S Bean in Cotati, Ca




Paul was born on Nov 13 1989, in 1901 Paul Moved with his family from Ohoma, NE. Paul took to Farming quite naturally and like most farming families started at a young age.

Paul went to school and helped on the farm until he was 15, he then quit school and helped his family run the farm, as they were tenant farmers they had rented farm land in several locations in Sonoma county, so often times, Paul would "camp" at the "other" farm and take care of the livestock there.

In 1915 he married Edna Simmons, together, they had eight children, My father, Wallace, was the next to youngest.

In 1929, the family fell upon hard times, not due to the Depression, but due to the fact that
the land they farmed and lived, was sold. As it turned out the woman who owned the land
died, and her sons did not want to keep it. They did not waste any time evecting my grand parents, so short of notice was given that they were forced to sell all their prized herd of Dairy stock.

Shortly there after the great depression hit making things much worse.
The family was broke up, found jobs, Paul spent many months away
from the family, Edna moved to Petuluma, starting a daycare.
Eventually Paul and Edna divorsed.

Paul worked as a ship builder in the Naval Ship Yard in Vallejo,
CA

In 1945 things started to get better, and Paul took a trip to Oregon to look
for land to buy. Ultimately they purchased 160 acres in Drain, OR
With the help of his eldest sons, they were able to build a small home
before  winter set in. At some point in the construction, Edna, came to
Drain, and Paul and Edna reconsiled, and remarried.


Bill of sale for Drain Ranch
Partially finished Home of Paul S and Edna Bean

A year later his son Paul jr (kick) was discharged from the army, and in a letter
to his suprise most of the Bean family was no longer living in california, however
two of the daughters had married one, Elenoir was living in Oakland with her husband
Dallas, and Francis, was in Palo Alto with husband Paul.

Paul jr briefly visited with both and then made his way to Drain





Happier times in Cotati

Edna's daycare business card

In 1948, Wallace moved to Drain, with his wife Virginia, and 6 month old daughter
Claudia, having tired quickly of city life. 

Both Paul jr and Wallace were given one acre each, subdivded off of the original
160 acres.

With the continued support of his newly returned sons they quick work of building
building barns, milk parlors etc.

They soon had a fully functioning Dairy, selling milk,
butter, heavy cream and sometimes ice cream to the local
residents of Drain, Yoncalla, Scotts Valley and Loraine

My grandfather, my father Wallace, and uncle Paul, wife Edna
ran a successful dairy, a realization of a dream started in
Cotati, CA 18 years earlier.
Two of my cousins in front of main barn/milking parlor

The dairy continued until Grandpa Bean fell ill in 1965. Unfortunately,
he was not able to pass any of the land to either my father or uncle
thus ended the legacy of the Bean dairy.

Next chapter, My Father Wallace Bean





Saturday, November 21, 2015

How We Farm and More

Many Have asked what are our farming Practices are and why?

First I''l try to answer the "why" First,

As many of my blog readers may know, (see my Posts, My Family's Farming History") I come from
multi generation farming family, But Unfortuineatly, due to family disputes etc. I have not have had the luctury of other Family Farmers like Joel Salatin, (Polyface Farm) who's farm has been in the family for 3 generations now. or like Craig Floyd of Footsteps Farm in Stonington, CT who's farm has been in his family since 1712, however, those setbacks have not deterred me.
In 2006  i purchased 5.5 acres in Packwood,Wa 1 acre is wooded and the other 4 is flat grass land.

Main  4 acre Field
Since Purchasing this property i have agonized on how best to use it. At First it was to just a place to
pitch a tent, build a Fire Pit and use it a jump off point for other Recreationl activities with my Family
and we have used it for that, at least a few times, but clearly not to it's full potenial, primarly due to it's distance (3 hr drive). Now that my children are grown, we don't camp as a family as much which leads me to it's secondary purpose. A FARM !!. But there again, being a 3hr drive from home base it's hard to manage. hence the aganizing I have had many ideas, one was to plant corn, but then came the issue of the hoards of Elk that roam the area and i fugured corn would be just a appetizer for the Elk.
Next came Blueberries but  it takes 5-7 years to start getting a profitable crop and  although not as tasty as corn, elk would still most likley like blueberry plants as a nice browse also. As of this wrighting, I am now considering considering planting pumpkins, other types of squash etc.

but i digress...

When I first decided i wanted to get back into farming, I decided early on that i wanted to have a grass based, pastured  based farming model. Much like the one my grandfather use on his dairy farm. Once i made that decision i need to re-educate myself

Read the artcle, on grass based Farming

I started researching  breeds of animals that thrived the best  in that type of system. that is why  we are using hardy old-breed animals, or more commonly know as Heritage  Breeds and we are following farming practices that my ancestors followed in the 18th century Grass Fed systems.


Our farm is not certified organic but we think of Phoenix Farm as  (read about what this means). All our animals have free range all day, every day. We do not use herbicides, antibiotics, nor other chemicals on the animals or the farmland. We believe that because they are giving their lives for us, we owe it to them to see they lead happy, healthy, stress-free lives.

UPDATE: I HAVE EDITED THIS POST AS OF MARCH 24TH 2018