June.. already!?

Today has already concluded the Third...yes Third week of some of my farm markets! It feels so wonderful to be back in the full swing of farm season. Seeing so many wonderful people, and starting at amazing new locations it is all an energetic jump start for re-awakening the season ahead!
I will have to say.. as I was hanging around the 600th lavender bundle of this week.. I was in deep thought about some comments and questions I kept hearing at the Market this morning.
"For a farm market, you guys sure do not have very much produce" " This is a FARM market and there are no FARMERS"and many more comments just like this...
uh huh... well, I do completely understand the misconception of or society on what a farm market is about. It is really so amazing that there is this wonderful shift going on that is really making people want to be more conscious, to buy local things at local markets!! That is so wonderful I can not even begin to explain.
However, while it was very liberating to me to explain the growing season.. fresh greens, tomatoes in about 2 weeks, broccoli, then peppers melons and squash, and then corn..etc...., I was also a little saddened that people were coming to the market and were wholeheartedly disappointed that they did not have the selection the grocery store does.
I know this all comes with learning, but going through the half acre of produce myself last year I know first hand how much work it is and how much care and loving energy it takes to make food flourish :) Those greens available now have SO much potential to become meals and are definitely something to be excited about!

I have been so happy to see FRESH GREENS, tart cherries, my all time favorite honey... (which I do have to say is a huge addiction to me, especially the comb!! makes all of your taste buds go into a state of bliss!!) You can find this from Chris' Honey, from Lebanon, Ohio... the FRESH strawberries.. which I don't buy this year because I have so many that I cant even get to them fast enough. Fresh organic and grass fed meats, fresh chickens, eggs, baked wonderful things.. and I could go on and on.... Early season markets are still SO amazing!
The season at the market will continue to bring about many more wonderful things, and I hope in time that everyone will see the hard work and amazing things farm markets can hold from start to finish...

On another note, I really feel like time is moving even faster than normal.. we are only one week away from Yellow Springs Street Fair and only TWO WEEKS AWAY from our wonderful Lavender Festival!!! (Check out the amazing video on the front page to see what we are all about!!!)
I have had about 10 wonderful, lovely, amazing groups of people come and have a tour of the farm, hosted 2 amazing workshops, and met even more wonderful souls than I thought was possible. I am always so blessed by crossing paths with so many people.. and I am so thankful for every light that shines brightly from every one of them, every one of you :)
Oh...also our dog Moon who normally meets you in our field has been cleaned up and recovering from an infected foot in the house. Our big sweetheart may finally like it in here better than outside!


My eyes are beginning to blur and when they close I see nothing but lavender blooms.. (just another added bonus of harvesting around 1000 lavender bundles in one week! You get to see them in your sleep, or even just when you blink!)
It is close to 1am, and I started today at 6am..well yesterday I guess now... I am off to bed to do some recharging for my soul. Tomorrow starts another beautiful day of harvest, and really getting a move on to stock up my lavender goodies! Thank you so much to all of the wonderful people who have supported us on this journey and we hope to see you all at our festival!!!

a clear path ahead, a clear path behind....

Spring is here again... so many of the lavender blooms are turning a beautiful deep purple, the aroma so strong you just need to breath it deep inside and feel refreshed all day!

I have harvested 3 big baskets full of the most juicy red strawberries I think I have ever had! Lainey is extremely happy, as she says she can only eat them if she picks them off of the plant and puts them in her mouth. I guess that is what you get when you raise a bunch of country kids.. they are spoiled on fresh produce and cant eat it from the store most of the year. I guess at least they can appreciate where and when food comes from...that seems so lost to so much of our society.

One of the things that has made me so comfortable here is the security in knowing I can feed our family..that I have the land, the plants and now the knowledge that if we really focused on it, we could live off of this land all year long. The abundance of tomatoes and other vegetables last season made me gain quick experience canning and creating wonderful things to pop open in the middle of the winter. This was one of the things that made my mind fight my heart when I thought about letting go of this farm, of our life we have created here. I am not venturing down the produce road this year except for the berries and things that come back without any help. We have been brought to another road in our lives, on this amazing path we are on. It took so long to stop thinking and worrying about the "what ifs" and just truly letting go and feeling what we need to do. We are at a wonderful place with this farm, with being known, and successful, past all of the really hard work in getting a farm started. Life, just like the universe, shifts and moves, and I have finally learned that holding on to something you know you should be moving on from will never do anyone any good. Mikes MD has definitely shifted the way he needs to keep himself busy. He has always been so amazing at seeing a vision and doing, doing and doing to make it happen. Having an extremely active, and smart mind can be a challenge when your body can no longer keep up with it. Living on a farm provides many opportunities for amazing options, and many opportunities to do even small physical things that he should not be doing.

I am at my limit of what I can do on my own, and still be a good mom... this in itself is the most important thing in the world to me. Life is way too fast....

So, although this door is being gently shut, I can see so clearly a new door that is going to open, and a new door that is lit brightly open for someone else, someone whose shift they need in their life is the pathway of growth and abundance we have created here on this farm. I am still sad about letting it all go...still a little scared about such a huge change. I thought for the last 4 years I was creating this life and this farm so that it could be who I am for the rest of my life, what I do and what I was to become. This land is so sacred and there is something so special about it. I am acknowledging all of this because every feeling deserves to be felt... But I also know what we feel in our hearts and how this movement is so right and exactly the path we need to be on.

Everything will keep going on as normal with the farm... Markets start this Friday :) We will still be at all of our big events, and the 2ND annual Summer Solstice Lavender Festival is going to be even MORE AMAZING than last year! Be sure to check the schedule and plan on spending June 19 and 20, 2010 with us!!

We are also open for visitors by appointment and would love to take you on a tour or feel welcome to have a picnic in the amazing aroma of lavender!!

The universe is amazing at working things out exactly the way they need to go with so many amazing chance for internal growth, and learning at every turn. I am so excited to continue this vision with complete trust and flow with where this life journey intends for us, and I am so excited to be able to provide an amazing start at a new journey for someone else! Our Farm for Sale website was created by Mike too.. this website development path is so perfect for his mind and his body..

Thank you so much for reading my thoughts and enjoying this journey along with us! Wishing you smooth transitions, abundance and life full of Love and Lavender Bliss!!!!

Changes of the seasons, changes of the mind...

Well, amazingly enough, already, here we are again.. ready to jump full swing back into the season of new growth, new possibilities..... As long as winter can seem, time in itself is so incredibly fast, that just blinking can make you miss so much......

On the farm and Reflexology front, I now have 2-3 events scheduled a month, I will be making a Thursday shift to Madeira's farm market, Fridays in Dayton, and Saturdays when I am not vending a big event, I will be back in West Chester. Planning is being finalized for our Lavender Festival, June 19th-20th. I am really excited about the amazing people I have connected with that will be a part of this event! We will finish up our season at the Renaissance festival, which the kids especially, are really looking forward to. My new website that focuses on my holistic work and what I am about is now up an running, www.kymprell.com.
I am blessed with so many wonderful people and connections....I received my level 1 Reiki training, and was trained in crystal energy work, which I now incorporate into my Reflexology sessions and into daily life. I have been working hard this winter on stocking up the many lavender goodies in anticipation for a busy season ahead.

I really can not wait to get back into the field of blooms. Breathing in the fresh aroma of lavender can not be compared to anything else in the world... it seeps deep into your soul and truly makes a lasting impression on your entire being. Not to mention the many berries that are thinking about coming into form right now.. getting ready to focus all of their vibration into becoming so juicy and delicious and ready to be picked, and the sweet-grass I will get to braid.......

As I look back at this fall.. and think about the leaves, when it is time, they just let go. They do it with such beauty, such amazing color and vibrancy they get to their fullest potential, become the most beautiful they can be, then one by one, they let go. Letting go is completely different than giving up... I see even more meaning than ever before in the cycles of the life around us. Not only does mother earth have a way of letting go of things that no longer serve, but a way to use those things to replenish other things, other energies, other new growth, and new possibilities.

There is such a strong pull going on right now. I know it has been working it's way to this point for a long time, but more than ever, we are being asking for some major changes and shifts. Just like the leaves falling to the ground, I am able to look back at so many things that have worked their way into this journey, this earth-walk for me, and see the importance of fully experiencing every one of them. This full moon in Libra, today, and the way the planets are aligned, is another needed step of this change, this growth. Conflict, and being "knocked off our feet" is just another lesson that we need to feel and grow with. Have your conflict, feel very defeated, and jump back up again. See your mistakes, and know you can not rewind time. Only that you must see things are for what they truly are, and learn from them. Do the best you can do next time at not making the same mistake. If it wasn't your mistake to learn from, learn compassion (and learn it for yourself) , because that is what truly keeps this existence flowing.. no one is perfect.

It has taken me a really long journey my whole life of lessons, of compassion, of the hard times, of the good times, and of seeing the beauty and true blessings in everything, to get to where I am now. It is an amazing feeling to look back at the extremely fast spin of life and know my place here. That place is not about me at all, but about what small steps I can take to truly leave a footprint for the many generations that will come after me... There is such an important need for us to let go, to flow with what we truly feel in our hearts, and not listen so much to the confusion that peaks its way into our mind...

There are so many changes that are needed, and I feel the need to truly let go of everything I have been clinging to for so long. The universe can not do the movement, and the work it needs to in your life if you are holding on too tightly. Being open for change can bring about a new world of beautiful things...

If my mind frame seems way off from where you are, we are all on our own path here. No one else can learn our lessons for us or make us into the person we are destined to become. Our kids are on their own paths, our parents, our soul mates in this life.... I do not believe in coincidences and I do not believe that anyone does not have a place here. I do believe we choose our life for the lessons we want to learn, and how clear the path we have made becomes behind us so that only beauty and light can be felt behind us. There is such an abundance of amazing universal love and light energy, we just need to be open to receiving it, and sending it outward to those who need it around us. .
Something that has truly helped me is making a list, every day, once a week, as often as you can, of the things your life is blessed with at that moment. Some days I can not stop...... simple things to the biggest blessings in your life..... for the land and the thriving crops... for the hawk who has blessed me all winter and hatched her babies right in the woods.. for the family of deer who pass by almost every day, and wait on the three legged baby to catch up.. my kids smiles, dimples, their humor, my husband who is amazing in so many ways.... the smell of the grass turning green, the smell of the dirt........
Try it, make it a practice.......

If you ever need a place to escape, this farm is very magical and very soothing... we are open for roamers anytime you feel the need!

Glistening Winter Snow....

Here we are, at the extremely fast start of another new year, winter snow glistening in the warm sun like glitter sprinkled all over the ground. The reflection of it keeps bringing my mind through the rotation of the seasons, the growth of so many things in the stillness of the earth in its frozen state.
It seems as though a few days ago we were climbing in and out of the creek bed back in the warm woods, watching the bright yellow, orange and red leaves dance to the ground. We found a lot of good treasures again this year, even into the winter. Pottery pieces, arrowheads, tools.. Makes me wonder if time seemed to swirl by just as fast when the ones before us were living in these woods, in this field where the lavender mounds now stand.
The winter has been kind to our lavender babies this year so far. Although the first field will be reaching its fourth year in the ground, just like the kids they are still babies, which take love and attention to truly flourish in this life. The snow coating gives them a nice insulation from the cold chill of the wind. We are keeping our intentions out that if ice has to make its presence this year that at least mother nature will make a nice coat of snow first.
I definitely got behind in the fall keeping the weeds out of the holes in the field. We had more of them because of missing or damaged plants from the previous ice winters. It actually became very calming and peaceful to me when I gave into making the weeds less of a priority in life. Seeing the beauty of the wild weeds in lovely harmony with the lavender buds, painted a beautiful picture all by themselves.
As fast as this year has truly gone, I am amazed at how long ago and how different life was a year ago. The universe, god, has really decided that I needed to grow, and to learn, and I needed to do it fast. Lessons in life can be extremely hard, they can be very trying, and they can change us as people. The question is, do we let them change us for the worse, or do we let them seep deep inside, and truly listen to the whispers they have for our souls, the lessons they have to teach, and the growth they can offer to build us into the person we are asked to become.
Listening, is a very different thing than thinking. I have thought myself into knots for much of my life.I was always trying to figure it all out, trying to have an answer to everything, when the excitement of life is not always having the answers, just feeling and knowing you are exactly where you need to be at this moment in time. I was blessed over and over again this past year by amazing teachers, and guides for me to help keep my head in the right direction and to help keep my lessons from knocking me into a hole in the earth. I know that this past year was a major crossroad for so many people.. my hope is that they decided to follow their faith, their heart and their feelings down a path that brings only more light. If you have gone down one that does not feel this way, I know this new year has many chances of amazing growth, so do not forget to feel your direction and you can't go wrong.
This year is definitely a new year. A lot of listening for both Mike and I has been knowing there are things we need to let go of in order to truly enjoy this precious life that was given to us. We still do not know for sure what exactly that means or what this new existence has in store for our journey, but we are not meant to know all of those answers right now.
This past year brought about our first half acre of produce, which I was ready to throw my white flag in after lettuce (first crop of our year), Many new lavender creations, our official OEFFA organic certification, our first annual field day event (which was wonderful), so many new wonderful people in our lives, and a lot of new trials for us to meet.
I do know my work with Reflexology is only the beginning of what I am meant to do for people, and I have an extreme passion and excitement for being able to add any type of light and comfort into peoples lives. I also know that growing involves letting go of things that no longer serve our purpose, and this can be in so many forms. I am ready for this change, and truly excited about the journeys to come.
I miss my kids while they are at school a lot, and am happy for my hiking buddy, Moon (the big white dog) who is always there with wide loving eyes, and for my wonderful husband who has been in full swing using his mind creating websites for other people and making ours wonderful :) If you need a website, by the way, check out www.lunacraze.com!

For now, while the repair business I run is in full swing, I make as many products as I can, talk to many people about their broken down fitness equipment, do a lot of paperwork, and watch the beautiful red-tailed hawk that now follows me around and lives in our woods at the farm. It's reassurance is always there flying above letting anyone who sees him know that you are on this journey in life to grow into your full potential. May your journey be wonderful!!

Blink your eyes and the season is so far...

I was just realizing that the last blog I posted was many months ago, and if anyone farms at all, you know why I have not had any time to catch anyone up on our happenings here!
The sounds as I woke up this morning and headed to the field were as beautiful as ever,the birds were loving the morning as well! The sun so warm and welcoming on my face, the breeze so cool and refreshing the butterflies all doing their dance. We all need to take time to open our eyes, and soak these moments into our roots so they are always there hidden somewhere when the beauty is not so present.

With all of that said, Market season has been in full swing! Wednesday I am in Wilmington which is new to me this year, has been pretty good (and so close), Thursdays is Lebanon, Saturday is West Chester. So far this week has been extremely slow at the markets. I am not sure where everyone has been but I hope we all pick up again. Our Lavender field day was so amazing, and we got to see so many wonderful people!!
I made the first round of Lavender harvesting in the whole acre, which lucky does not all happen at the exact same time! I have many almost ready for harvesting again, but this year has been much different than before. Still just waiting for the next big bloom to take over all of my being and all of my senses! Although, waiting is not a good word for it as we have added the half acre of produce this year! There is no waiting involved in that, it is constant harvesting going on with that. So many tomatillos, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes (which are a fun treasure hunt until you get down 30 foot of them, then it is just tiring!) Taking on the challenges of slow markets and a ton of produce has made my head spin and think of all possible canning creations, which I plan to take on in a few days! That will be a new adventure to me so I may update on how that goes.. We had a very scary discovery in our large tomatoes also, we had total destruction, something eating away the whole tomato! hollowed them out, every single ripe one of them. We were on a major solution search thinking it was a horn worm problem.. man we must have had a million of them! Long story short, smarty pants, our oldest chicken was leading an escape from the coop on a tomato feast!!! We normally let them free roam the whole farm, but looks like we can not allow that until after harvest season any more!!

I have added a few new products, a new ylang-ylang cinnamon lotion, and liquid soap. I have been working on many "dream enhancers" which are kind of a dream catcher concept but I want them to help you process the dream not catch it..
The amazing beauty in the field we let go wild is such a reassurance to me of how amazingly planned out our life is and how it all works the exact way it should. All season the wild flowers and the native plants create a colorful landscape that I could have never planned so perfectly. All of the birds and butterfly's really enjoy it too. I love watching them, I am such a kid some days though, and will really be focused on harvesting lavender or produce, and a beautiful bird or butterfly is caught in my eye..with camera always on hand I quickly take off after it, chasing them around a few rows, get distracted by something else, take more pictures...

Even the barn swallows I was so worried about early spring have become a love of mine, and I can see how beautiful they are. The other birds seem to be holding their own much better this year and Peaceful Acres seems very harmonious..Even the thistle make such a beautiful purple poof flower that is fun to put into the kids sachets they make here. So If you have not come to visit us yet we would love to have you come and share the amazing beauty with us. Keep an eye out for workshops and we always have free kids activity's. If you made it all the way to the end of this I appreciate you reading my thoughts, maybe if I can make myself take time I can make these thoughts not QUITE so long... :)Wishing you a beautiful day! ~Peace Love and Lavender~ Kym

The Return of the Bird Song in the Field

I was taking my daily walk out to the fields today, It was a little cooler today than it has been. The sky pretty overcast, letting us know that at any moment it could pour down and delay some of this planting we had set on for today. I love to close my eyes as I am walking and just listen. The birds here are amazing. There are so many sweet songs that go on further than my hearing will allow me to take in. We have quite a collection of so many kinds of birds, and the melody change walking from the woods to out in the fields is like changing the channel on the radio. The fields are so full of killdeers and red-winged blackbirds right now. The song of these two alone would satisfy me fully. The red-winged black bird males love our nature field, all of the nice tall slender left over stalks from last years wildflowers make excellent standing grounds for them to perch their amazing bodies and blast out their impressive song to all of the ladies around.

The killdeer have become quite fond of our mounded lavender rows. Their little legs seem to get much more running and exercise than most birds. If you have never seen a mother bird put on the most extravagant display of distraction, you have not been close to a killdeer nest! Last year was the first time I experienced this. It was early spring and I was checking out the winter ice damage in the rows. After hearing several displays of a racket coming from a nearby bird, I was so alarmed to see that this one seemed to be severely injured. It flapped around horribly on the ground, one wing spread out and curved. “Aw! poor bird” I was already thinking of placed I could call that surely would know how to save this birds wing. I turned towards it, changed my direction and up up and away it went. Good as new. That mamma sure did distract me from the direction I was heading....straight towards its nest it had decided to make in the middle of a half dead lavender plant. That is a smart bird! Also one of my favorite to listen to may I add. Their tweeting repetitive sound, their white ringed necks, and there little slender legs make you feel like you are on the sandy ocean shore listening to a bird that would be nested in a rocky outcrop by the edge of the ocean water.

As I walked down the driveway this year I saw the same marvelous display, although I was not being tricked this time. The Earthship has now become a wonderful nesting community for them, and I am very happy to open up an apartment community for these beautiful creatures anytime.

The barn swallows have not yet returned this year. I reluctantly decided removing the mud packed nests in the barn from last year was the only direction I could go with them. Not much further in the season in 2007 they had chased out all of the red-winged black birds, killdeer, mourning doves, and any other flying creature around. Although I have a childlike passion for birds, these mean little bullies are no longer welcome on this harmonious farm. Even if they do return I believe our killdeer population has definitely outnumbered what they used to be and maybe they could work something out.

My next objective here is to help the little traveling hummingbirds find the acre of lavender yummyness. They have returned like they do every year to the trusty feeders we have in the woods. Although lavender is said to be a favorite of hummingbirds, I have come to the conclusion that since we have no blooms early season when the scouts are around, they are missing what is there for them the rest of the year. I had wanted to get the feeders closer to the field for them, but may have missed my early season opportunity for that. Hopefully with the helpful watch of visitors to our farm this year we will see that they have discovered it on their own! I’m excited to see if we gain these tiny marvels to the fields as well.

The simplicity of the birds, and the way they bring so much joy into every day field work is such a simple blessing that could easily be overlooked if there was not so much work to do out there! No matter how much rush, or business, or list of things I am not sure how to accomplish before the next day is in my head, soaking in the sweet songs of the birds instantly melts it all away. So with the bucketful of nightcrawlers in the kitchen and the luminous moon peaking through the cloudy sky, Its time to get some rest, and look forward to what will come as the season moves on.

Blog by "Kym Prell"

Organic Certification with a game to play!

We have made it through all the complicated paperwork for our ORGANIC certification. All our Lavender, Produce, Woodlot, Soaps & Lotion will be certified by summer! The 20 farm acres fit all requirements. The years of documentation & no cigarette butts paid off.

I just can't believe how involved certification is. It felt like we were buying another house.

I'll make a deal, the first person to find a cigarette butt on the property gets a $50 gift card to our gift shop!!

Let the game begin?