Sustainable Livestock Farming    Sustainable Farm Projects   Sustainable Homesteading
THE FARM

CONTENTS:
The Farm & Family
What We Grow and Raise
Why Heritage Livestock Breeds?
Why Herbs?
Education
What is Sustainable Farming?
What is a Homestead?
Business or Hobby?
How Can You Butcher Animals?
How Sage Lake Farm has Grown and Changed and the Future Plans

THE FARM & FAMILY – We are a family owned and run sustainable homestead farm in Western Washington state on Seattle's "Eastside," between Seattle's lake Washington and the Cascade Mountain range.  Once a rural farming valley dotted with dairies abnd berry farms, most of the Eastside is now suburban sprawl from the city Seattle and the boom on industry such as Microsoft, Boeing, and Starbucks.  However, there are still areas of small and medium farms.  Our small farm is tucked away in the valley with outbuildings, pasture and wooded areas.  For security and biosecurity reasons our farm is not open to the public. However, you can take a virtual tour of the farm here on the website or come to visit at a scheduled tour or class.
 
Western WA is a unique and beautiful place to live.  Seatlle is dubbed "The Emerald City" for its year round green.  The Maritime Pacific Northwest weather is mild.  The area is sometimes referred to as a mediterranean climate because we get most of our rain in the winter months and have very dry 2-3 month summers with droughts.  In actuality we do have a mild climate but it varies greatly depending on how close you are to the water, the mountains and the Puget Sound Convergence zone.  We do get a lot of rain and rain and wind storms with flooding in the fall.  Winter is cloudy, drizzle, and some freezing weather at the peak for winter.  Spring can again bring flooding as the snow in the mountains melts.  Though our summer is short and dry, it is usual pleasant and around 75-80 degrees.  From the Seattle and Eastside area, we are a short drive to WA beaches, mountains, a multitude or lakes and rivers, the Hoh Rainforest, and British Columbia, Canada. 

We are a family of six and everyone, including our older children who live off the farm, help out.  Perhaps most importantly, we have been practicing sustainable gardening & farming, using herbs, raising, breeding and showing animals for years. However, we each have our unique skills and training that we bring to the farm.  John has previous experience working on produce farms and livestock farms, and experience working as a vet’s assistant. He is a graduate of the WA Master Goatkeeper course. John is a Jack-of-all- trades when it comes to building, repair, and mechanical things. Over the years he has worked "on the side" in construction and mechanics. He is an accomplished, expert computer geek and has worked in the computer industry as his primary employment for many years.  Jolynn grew up on a family farm in a family that grew and preserved their own food and raised many animals. She raised rabbits as a child in 4H. She started riding as a preschooler, showed in 4H but switched over the Pony Club and "aged out" of Pony Club working at the "A" level. She has been a riding instructor and rode 3-Day Events at the national level through the early ‘80’s. Jolynn is now a licensed psychologist and uses therapeutic animal companions in her work. She is a trained and experienced yoga instructor, a trained and experienced Community Centered Herbalist, a seasoned livestock farmer, gardener and equestrian.   Collectively, we are Waldorf homeschoolers, herbalists, yogis, animal lovers, master goat farmers, equestrians, computer geeks and perpetual students.

WHAT WE GROW AND RAISE - We are a typical sustainable farm raising a combination of livestock animals and food crops. We chose to raise heritage animal breeds and focus on herb crops as that is our interest. Currently, the livestock we raise and breed include heritage breed rabbits for show, meat and fiber, Kiger/Spanish Mustangs, Oberhalsi and Golden Guernsey dairy goats, heritage breed poultry and Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs). We actively show, breed and sell our rabbits and horses. We also use rabbits for meat and wool collection. We keep our goat herd small and use them for our own supply of raw milk. However, we do sometimes have young goats for sale. We keep poultry for eggs and meat, and usually have extra eggs for sale in the summer.

We raise LGDs as livestock. That is, these are working dogs who live with and protect livestock. We currently have a female Maremma/Great Pyrenees cross who will be bred to a Great Pyrenees stud when the time is right for us. We also keep 2 gelding llamas for goat companionship and protection as well as general farm protection.

We choose to focus our crop production on herbs. We usually have bumper crops and make and sell herbal products. We also grow our own vegetables and much of our own fruit.

WHY HERITAGE LIVESTOCK BREEDS? We choose to focus on heritage livestock breeds for several reasons. First, keeping heritage breeds alive and in production increases the biodiversity of the species and helps to ensure the species survival. Second, the heritage breeds are usually those that were raised in backyards or family farms and are well-suited to small production. They are typically hardier, more fertile and "easy keepers" compared to commercial breeds. Third, we feel that saving heritage breeds is also saving living history. Many heritage breeds are ancient in their roots and to lose their presence would be tragic culturally and biologically. Fourth, those heritage animals raised for meats taste better. Many commercial breeds have been bred with a focus on growth weight and size. Generally, the heritage breeds are slow growing, smaller at maturity, but have a better taste than commercial breeds.

WHY HERBS? We choose to focus our crop production on herbs because of the immense diversity. Herbs are used for food and provide a myriad of nutrients in addition to flavor, they are medicinal for both humans and animals, they are used in the making of many wonderful body products, fiber, dye, and more! 

EDUCATION - A big part of our farm has been farming education program. In 2002 and 2003 we ran an herbal education program in Woodinville. In 2004/2005, we had seven adult students attending our program and three students graduate our first Sustainable Farming Program. In 2006 and 2007, we had 2 live-in apprentices on the farm and a live in farm-hand student. We hope to continue providing education services to adults and homeschoolers.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FARMING? Sustainable agriculture refers to the ability of a farm to produce food indefinitely, without causing damage to the environment. Economically, the long-term goal is for the farmer to create an eco-friendly farm system that requires minimal inputs and yields maximal outputs. There is typically an emphasis on small but diverse farms, natural/organic processes, multi-function components and systems, farmer-owned operations, buying and selling locally and to direct markets, and buying and selling seasonally.

WHAT IS A HOMESTEAD? Homesteading was originally a term used to describe settlers starting a home "from scratch." A modern homestead is typically defined as a small, self-sufficient farming home and homesteading as a sustainable agricultural lifestyle. We feel that a homestead is also a dynamic system that meets the ever-changing needs of the family. There is much more flexibility in a homestead and homesteading lifestyle than a "conventional American home" (house with a lawn and with working full-time or more outside the home and consuming to meet their basic needs) counterparts. Note that one can and people do "urban homestead" so we do not distinguish rural from urban. In a homesteading lifestyle, there is less dependence on consuming/consumerism, more independence, a wider financial base, a wider skill base, and more flexibility to meet changes and challenges of the family.

Homesteading does not equate to being isolationists! It is more about being self-sufficient, centering around the family, protecting the environment, and honoring and preserving the skills and crafts of our grandparents.

BUSINESS OR HOBBY? Sometimes it is difficult to tell! We do have a business license, but we did not start farming to make lots of money. There is a great deal of dedication and work involved in farming of any kind. It is a labor of love. It is a lifestyle choice. It is most definitely not a get rich quick scheme! We are most successful at what we are most passionate about, which is not surprising.

HOW CAN YOU BUTCHER ANIMALS? Raising your own meat is an integral part of homesteading and raising livestock for meat is a common practise in sustainable farming. We do not butcher large animals ourselves and when choosing a butcher we chose one with the utmost respect for animals. Raising meat animals is part of the cycle of life. That does not mean that the animals are not raised happy and healthy. Nor does it mean that it is easy to give death. But, it is a necessity for our lifestyle. There is no native culture on earth that is vegetarian, let alone vegan. This is a trend that has developed in the mid-1900’s as people began living industrial urban lifestyles and became decreasingly connected to the natural world. Humans cannot get all the necessary proteins without eating animal proteins as plant proteins do not have all the necessary amino acids in the correct proportions to support human health. Soy comes closest, but is not fully comparable to animal proteins.

That stated, we neither try to convert vegetarians to carnivores nor apologize for eating meat. We respect and support everyone’s choice, lifestyle and strive to provide education, information and a model for those who chose a similar lifestyle to our own. We do not support any "activists," animal or other, who try to force their lifestyles on others. Along this line, we do not support the actions of activists who refuse the use of real fur or leather (hide). We believe it is best for the environment and people to use all of the animal when it is harvested, including its fur and hide. Leather and fur is far superior to any synthetic substitute. This does not mean that we support or condone "fur farming" or inhumane killing or use of livestock.