New Logo & Great Canning/Spa Day

Here is our new, 2012 Windmill Farm logo. It was designed by the very talented Gridley Graphic Designer/Photographer Sarah Tamagni. She was so patient with us as we went through the process of adding/subtracting/editing ideas. Frank and I could not agree on the final logo due to the fact that she designed 3 separate ideas and we liked them all. So contrary to what most people advise us, use only one logo so people associate your business with it; I may use one of the other designs occasionally, when doing price labels; or canning labels or letterhead just for fun.

We had a very special day on Sunday, November 6th. Windmill Farm had been asked by a lovely lady in Auburn if we would host a Mother/Daughter day at the farm and provide a canning class; lunch; and a mini spa. With that theme, the word got out and before we were through setting up the day, we had 14 people signed up. Luckily, I had my wonderful daughter Celli and husband Frank to help me out. Since it was raining on the scheduled date, we set up the canning class in the house kitchen (instead of the outside sorting shed kitchen) and the spa part of our day in the front room. Dru Otten and Kathy Turner, my very special esthetician/massage/aromatherapy expert-friends really made everyone feel relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated with paraffin hand waxing; arm/hand massages; and mini facials.

The day started out early with people arriving around 9:30am. After a tour of our house and farm, the applesauce canning class began with a hands on education with everyone participating in all the aspects from peeling the apples, to the water processing part. Our Windmill Farm lunch used the "apple" season theme and provided a fresh green salad with pomegranate seeds, walnuts, cut up apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, Feta cheese; we had chicken breasts seasoned with fresh Meyer lemon juice and garlic; side dishes of homemade applesauce and fresh strawberries. For dessert I had made apple/raisin cake and a lemon/lavender cake.

After the lunch, our guests moved to the front living room where the mini spa treatments began.

Celli and I had prepared a small parting gift for everyone which contained a gift bag full of fresh pomegranates, persimmons, Meyer lemons, 1/2 dozen free range eggs, springs of fresh rosemary and mint, a remembrance for their day at Windmill Farm.

We all had such a wonderful day together and it was so fun to see mothers and grown daughters working side by side canning; chatting away at lunch and relaxing together as they each had their hands/arms massaged.

Next week, we will be putting together our end of the year Harvest Basket for our CSA members. The basket will have two varieties of persimmons, pomegranates, egg plant, carrots, beets, Meyer lemons, Indian corn, walnuts, potatoes, fall flowers and a few other surprises. We put a fall basket together last year and it was very well received. A member gave it as a hostess gift when they went to a friends house; one member brought it to work and shared the contents with her co-workers. One member said they took almost everything out of the basket and used it as her table decoration at her Thanksgiving dinner and later ate it!!!

Frank and I feel very blessed to have met such an inspiring and giving network of people in our community. If we had not started our CSA business, we would have not been able to meet such wonderful people as we have during these last few years. Yes farming is lots of very hard work; is filled with lots of worries, just like any other business; but boy what fun it is too.

Until next time-F&P