Wandering Wolves: Farming in the high desert

Holland Ranch is a small certified organic farm in Palmdale, CA, about an hour northeast of Los Angeles. It's not an isolated rural piece of land like the name would imply, the neighbors are right next door and the gardens are bordered with chain link fences- which are lodged with tufts of tumbleweed. Joshua trees dot the fields like watchmen, complete with ravens perched on top making their eerie woodblock calls.

Since the farm is so small (and organic), most things must be done by hand rather than with machinery or chemicals. In these two weeks, Reilly and I have spent our time removing plant debris from last season, collecting potatoes and carrots that were left in the ground, cleaning garlic heads for storage, and moving compost onto new fields. Their soil here is essentially sand, and needs more plant matter and nutrients for healthier plants. Their growing season is also much much longer than in Minnesota! In the middle of December, they can plant garlic for harvest in March.

Eric and Cheri Holland are our WWOOF hosts, and are truly good-hearted people. They live on the farm and cook dinner for us each night (creamy sausage pasta with homemade tomato sauce, chicken and dumpling soup, steak with buttery mashed potatoes and broccoli...YUM) We stay in a trailer next to the house which is cozy and stocked with breakfast and lunch items. The previous farm we stayed at provided all ingredients, but we were expected to cook for ourselves each night. It has been a welcome change to have someone cook for us!

Another thing I really have loved about this farm is that we can use the guest bathroom inside the house. It has a real western flushing toilet and a glorious shower stall with plenty of hot water. We were also welcome to use their laundry! I have gotten into a ritual of taking a hot shower after working (we are expected to work 5 hours each day, with Sundays off) and then lazing about in the trailer while I wait for supper. The work load here has definitely been more demanding than the last farm, and it's not unusual to feel sore afterwards.

With our days off, we explored a section of the Pacific Crest Trail (a thru-hiking trail that runs from Mexico to Canada, along the western coast of the United States) and Death Valley National Park. They were both beautiful, and we had gorgeous weather for both visits.

It's been really nice staying here, especially when we first arrived and it was 60's and sunny every day! But as it gets colder and Christmas approaches, we are both eager to get home and spend time with our families. We will stay until a week after New Years in the Midwest- then our next stop will be a farm in Arizona (the one we had lined up just cancelled on us yesterday!... So we will need to work out a new plan). For now, let's enjoy the holidays together :)

Much love,
Haley