Andrew Acomb

Jennifer and I have been on a quest to find a farm near us where we can buy fresh organic produce. Well, today our search has officially ended!

We discovered the Solstice Farm Bed and Breakfast. Such a great name! It is located in the beautiful Beaver Valley near Chimacum, Washington just south of Port Townsend. It’s owned and operated by Linda, Jim and thier dog Megan. They are all so friendly, including Megan!

Linda gave us a tour of the farm and house. As we walked around, we tried some of the Lacinato Kale. Linda even showed us a nifty way to prepare the kale. We liked it so much we picked over 3 pounds of it!

Linda introduced us to their sheep and chickens. The chickens are truly free range. There are only two areas on the entire farm where they are not allowed to go. We will definitely be trying some of their eggs.

As we left the barn, Linda pulled some of her Interlaken grapes right off the vine and gave them to us. Now I haven’t really been too much of a grape person before this, but these were unbelievable! I could eat these by the bucketful! So sweet and tasty with no seeds.

We tried some of their Gravenstein apples. They were some of the best tasting apples I ever had. We ended up getting 20 pounds of them for only $17! After we got home, Jennifer made some yummy apple crisp with some of them.

We also tried their peas and plums. Everything was just so delicious. The best part of it all is that I know exactly where it’s all coming from. I feel so much better knowing that my money is going to some great people!

If your near the area, definitely stop here and check it out. Right now their produce stand is open on Sundays and Thursdays from noon to 6pm.

Linda also teaches a few classes. Jennifer and I will be taking her pickling class soon.

View Solstice Farm Bed and Breakfast in a larger map

Yesterday Jennifer and I went to the Port Townsend Farmers Market in downtown Port Townsend, Washington to pick up some fresh produce. Out of all the farmers markets near us, this is definitely my favorite!

Now it wasn’t the biggest farmers market I have ever been to, but it definitely had the best selection of fresh locally grown organic fruits and vegetables. The prices were fantastic! For example, we purchased about 10 pounds of organic locally grown tomatoes for about $2 cheaper than what they are in the grocery store.

It’s every Wednesday and Saturday starting in June and running through September. If your in the area, definitely check it out.

View Port Townsend Farmers Market in a larger map

Yesterday Jennifer and I went to the annual Lavender Festival in Sequim, Washington. This year we went to 5 of the 8 farms participating in the event. Out of all the farms, I had the most fun at the Olympic Lavender Farm and the Purple Haze Lavender Farm.

The Purple Haze Lavender Farm is probably my favorite. This place is just HUGE! They serve alcohol, have tons of vendors, and have live music that echoes through the fields.

You can’t leave the Purple Haze Lavender Farm without trying some of their lavender ice creams. My favorite flavor is the “lavender lemon custard”. Just the right amount of lavender. Tasty!

The Olympic Lavender Farm may be smaller but they had some really neat vendors. Jennifer and I learned all about guard llamas and how to distill oil from the lavender flowers.

While at the farm, I met a guy named Sam who builds some awesome potting sheds. Jennifer and I have been looking at sheds for awhile, but haven’t found any as nice as his. Check out his website called Sam’s Workshop to see some of his work.

Also at the Olympic Lavender Farm, there was a booth that was selling lavender honey. Their honey came from the beehives that we walked by on the way in. This honey was actual lavender honey. Some manufacturers will take regular honey and then add lavender oil to it and call it lavender honey. Not these guys! Their bees visit the lavender plants right there on the farm.

Another thing I found interesting was these spinning wheels that are used for making yarn. I saw them at a couple different farms. They are wooden, handmade and human powered by means of two foot pedals. The contraption folds up and even has a little handle on top making it easy to carry.

The Olympic Lavender Farm in Sequim, Washington had an operational distillation plant set up for everyone to check out. There was a very friendly guy standing by to explain how the whole thing works. Pretty neat.

The sign in the photo above was actually from the Purple Haze Lavender Farm. Their distillation plant was HUGE! You can probably figure that out from what the sign says.

While in New York, we had to stop in at Gaffney’s for Open Mic Night. Jennifer’s brother Pete has been hosting it for as long as I’ve know about it. If your ever in Saratoga Springs on a Tuesday night, definitely check it out! Pete usually opens up with a few songs. The one in the video above is awesome. It’s been stuck in my head all day.

Jennifer got up and played a few songs too. The first couple were with her dad Ray. She did one by herself that I will have to post later.

Ray also played some songs. Pete joined him for a couple of them. The video above is one of my favorites!

All these videos where taken with the Flip Mino HD. I’m so glad I picked one up right before leaving for our trip. I wanted a super portable video camera so I can share videos online. It records in 720p and can store a full 60 minutes. I really like the pop up USB connector. It makes it so easy to transfer movies to my laptop on the go without any annoying wires.