Our backyard!

So this is our backyard! I transplanted ten of the twelve rows with Broccoli Raab's.
There is also a ton of stuff growing on the fence line like herbs, greens, flowers, salad mix...

Soon i will have my summer home garden up and running. I will be doing three varieties of tomatoes; a paste tomatoe for sauces and canning, and two heirloom varieties! Two varieties of onions, salad greens, herbs, radishes and all kinds of other fun stuff!

Final step

Final step is to water in the transplants and cover them with either mesh cloth,if the weather is warmer or plastic for colder temperatures. This creates a greenhouse effect and lets the transplants settle into their new soil. We lay straw down on the walkways to help block weeds and retain moisture... Starting to look like a farm? In a few weeks these transplants will be goin crazy with regular water and some sun!


Cool interior views of our new crop!

Progress

Six full beds of trans[;ants is ton of produce! We arent even half way done...

Ground view of fresh young transplants, standing straigh up and looking happy!

Smalls starts done in soil blocks transplant straight into the ground. This tray alone will fill a large amount of bed space. This tray has three varieties of Japanese greens, restaurants eat this stuff up!

After amending the soil and flattening the beds its time for transplants!

Breaking Ground

A week ago we broke ground on a new plot of land here in the city. The land was given to us by the home owner, who was eating lunch at Ned Ludd (the restaurant we sell produce to and also farm the back lot) http://www.nedluddpdx.com/ . The hole yard was long, overgrown grass that hadnt been mowed in who knows how long... We Mowed and weed- whacked, then got busy with a sod cutter. After we cut out all of the grass and removed it from the area we planned to plant, we tilled the soil. After tilling we mapped out the beds and cut in trenches... We rake the loose soil into mounds and flatten using a hard edge rake.

Gary flattening beds... We got lucky with warm sunny weather all weekend.

We made walls for our compost pile out of the rolled up sod we removed!
The walls will eventually break down into the compost, we think we are the first ones to do this!
It saves a ton of money and labor not having to removed and dispose of old sod... Work smart not hard right?

To keep the plants happy and healthey and the soil's micro-biology crankin we amend the soil. We use a lime and kelp meal mix. Turns out plants on land can benefit from oceanic plants nutrients! We also do heavy scoops of pig and goat compost mix into the beds. We get our compost from Gary's friend Richie who lives within the city and has a pi and goat farm!
We turn our amendments into the soil before flattening the beds and transplanting.

Off to Portland!

The drive from Orland, CA to Portland, OR is about 71/2 hours, so i got up early and hit the road!

The drive is amazing!
As soon as you pass through Redding,CA it's all mellow mountain roads.
Man i wish i could have taken more pistures but it gets pretty hairy trying to hang my arm out the window and zoom and focus, while navigating a fully loaded truck through mountain roads i have never been on. I saw so many amazing sights, coming through bends onto bridges over the most amazing lakes and streams, huge snowy mountains and incredible forrestry!
And before you know it you're in Oregon and the beauty just gets more and more amazing!
Thank god the weather stayed nice so i could see and enjoy the new state i'll be living in!

71/2 hours later, HELLO PORTLAND!
Gary was in the front to flag me down, and the first sight of my new home, neighborhood and city was great!
Took me hardly any time to unpack, and before i knew it me and Gary were at the local watering hole talking about my trip, family, what it is i want to do in Portland, travel and every=thing else we could think of!
It was like catching up with an old friend, no weirdness or anything, just two guys shootin the breeze over a cold one!
More on my first week in Portland to come. Maybe tomorrow... Theres a lot to tell, so ill have to get back to it!
But my first week has been great, meeting lots of people, getting the streets down and riding a Bicycle!!!!!!!!!!! Im having so much fun!
I miss you all, but im doing well!
Ill put more posts up soon!

Left the Bay Area for Orland, CA!

Got into Orland around 8 pm, beers and bikes were waitin for me in my buddy Casey's garage!
Casey sold me my first bike, the Honda and has always been cool with helping over the phone when i ran into problems.
He has always said im more than welcome to come up and stay at his place if im ever passing through, so i took him up on his offer and im sure glad i did!
He had cold beers, stories to tell and cooked me a great dinner!
He made wild Hog pork chops, from a Hog he shot while hunting North of where he lives!
Sooooo gooood!!!!
He had a ton of cool bikes at his house, and since he sold me my first chop he has been in magazines and people are starting to see what hes doing and diggin' it! I wished him luck and thanked him for the awsome dinner and took of in the morning, Portland bound!

Berkeley, CA 3/14

Spent Sunday afternoon in Berkeley with Robert and Nina...
There is a ton of "Hippy" culture in the bay area and most of it ends up in the small college town of Berkely... So needless to say these "Drug Free Zone" signs that are all over are kind of funny and definitely do not reflect the people and activities in Berkeley!

Though it is a Hippy town, there'e a lot of cool stuff going on!
Art, music, political awareness and fee spirits fill the streets. Coll town to see, but i couldnt see myself hanging there.

More photos...

I got so many different views of SF, the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate!
Such a clear day and a great sunset!

More exploring!

This is the Richmond bridge, it goes from Rochmond to Marin County.
The houses in the hills in Oakland are unreal!









And i just had to leave my mark on this bench!
I wasn't the first though...

Exploring the other side of the bay!

Oakland is a super rad city!
Lots of grimey, sketchy streets, but the further east ya go into the hills, the views of the bay are insane!
Me and Robo on a hill with the nicest view of a city ive ever seen!

Nina and Robo!

Good Morning EAST BAY

Woke up this morning to a gorgeous Oakland morning!
This is the view from Robo's back deck!

You can see the whole bay all the way across to SF!
It was clear enough to see both bridges!
AMAZING!
Click on photos to enlarge...

Made it to Oakland!

Just got to Oakland to hang with Robo!
Adolescents in SF manana!
Life's grand!!!



Pics up later!

Cruisin up the good ol' I-5

Day 2 of driving!
The 1-5 gets pretty boring!
And i still dont care much for shaving my face!

Day one! Bakersfield...

Yeaa Rich!
This is night 2 in Bakersfield, night one was a bit blurry for photos!


Gotta Have a Queen poster!

And a bottle collection!

I hate...

The Grapevine!
And hat hair, and shaving my face!

Whoops!

Missed the 210/134 split somehow...
Had to get off the freeway in Pasadena, and im supposed to be driving to Portland?!?!

Ready, set, go!

All packed up and ready to hit the road!
First stop Bakersfield to party with Richard!

Going way meal...

My last meal at home, for a while anyway.
Pops made pork chops and mashed potatoes, Momma made some really good Yellowtail, man am i gonna miss meals at home!!

Rough plan...

Ill Be leaving Wednesday March 10th.
First stop will be Bakersfield to see my good buddy Richard, have some beers and catch up!
Ill stay at his house then Thursday morning ill be off to Oakland...
Gonna hang with Keith's cousin and my good friend Robert!
Stay with him a day or two, go see the Adolescents in SF (one of my favorite bands)!
From Oakland i am off to Santa Rosa to see another good friend Liz.
Hang with her for a day or so then off to Medford, OR via the coast.
Skate and camp in Medford, ride my motorbike around a bit.
Then off to Portland, all the while stopping at the great skateparks Oregon has to offer!


Like i said this is a rough plan, i can only hope for twists and turns, good times and MILES OF SMILES!

Cheers

Follow me on my trip and my new life!

I will do my best to update and keep this blog current with my trip to Oregon.
People i see on the way, experiences and sights seen will take you on my trip with me, right from your computer! So enjoy, and feel free to contribute!
All of you are the reason i am starting this journey! The things you have taught me, showed me and have allowed me to experience make me the person that i am, and give me the desire to spread my knowledge, and passion for life.

First stop Portland, OR, next stop.... WHO KNOWS!



Cheers!

-Christopher Roy