Author: Brooke Lucy

September is perhaps the mellowest month of all with its softening light and moderate temperatures – leftover from an over-worked sun. Many years it remains full summer before beginning to turn away toward fall later in the month. This year the turn toward fall seemed that fast as the final weekend of August brought much cooler temperatures, and rain! As much as a quarter inch which served to knock back the fire smoke some, and even pause the rage of some nearby fires. No one here is complaining. As we enter this shorter month, the cooler and moister trend looks to be with us for a while.

With earlier cool-down, so went some of the birds. The hummingbirds moved on late in August, the bluebirds have disappeared while crisp weather birds like chickadees seem to be more numerous. Evening is time to listen to the crickets, the cicada, the tentative footsteps of deer grazing the nearby hills as daylight ebbs. September holds the Harvest Moon and although all of our grains have come in and are safely binned, there is a lot of fruit still to be picked. This year our apple trees sag with abundant fruit and our black Lab Clyde feasts on the drops until even he – a Lab! – seems too full to eat more. Soon he can work off some of that extra fiber as we will be going into the mountains for grouse. If successful, we may have fresh grouse to serve along our split emmer or pilaf which, with some sautéed garden greens, is one of my all-time favorite early autumn meals.

Fall cover crops will be planted soon, and here on the home field I am hoping we have enough rain moisture so that I can sow winter spelt without irrigating. I will do a round of cultivation and then just run our tine-weeder over the field before packing and seeding. I will time this around mid-month. In other fields winter rye will be sown, as well as winter peas.

This time of year custom orders pick up at our mill for fresh milled flours and fresh grains. Summer is still with us, but cooler nights invite more appetite. Chilled emmer salads may soon change to hot emmer soups, and crusty whole grain breads. Perhaps you will find Brooke’s Fried Pilaf Recipe inviting, any grain will do for this delicious savory morning recipe. We have it all here at Bluebird and enjoy hearing from all you loyal customers.

Talk continues about supporting family farms, and organic and regenerative… At Bluebird, we find ourselves squarely in the mix of what was far less popularized when we first began 21 years ago. This is exciting to see. While remaining well below the food spending levels for non-organic = often subsidized foods, a lot more folks are buying organic than 21 years ago. And many more folks are becoming more comfortable in knowing where they can source quality, healthy foods. Including grains! We love it. We hope to get more and more of our nutritious grains and flours to everyone’s table – one customer at a time.

One of the more recent and fun things for us is playing a part in helping get more fresh and organic whole wheat flour onto school menus. This makes us feel great, and justifies what we are doing which is trying to help with health. It is so important to instill the importance of healthy eating in our youth. They will take it from there.

I was invited to a speaking engagement this October in Sacramento CA where Claudia Carter from the CA Wheat Commission has been working diligently to get whole grains and flours into the school system there. I look forward to partaking in this. I hope I get to meet some of the students.

Speaking of, school is now back in session! Please be aware of the streets and crossings and sidewalks when driving. Lots of busy minds out there this time of year, and minds of kids who may not be watching the roads.

Thank you. And take care while enjoying that mellow, soft light of September as it settles across the land.

Farmer Sam

With a quarter of a million acres already burned just in our great State of Washington, it is hard to think about birds, or anything else actually. However, I do think about birds… and all the wildlife these summers when the all-to common inferno fires up around the West. People first, of course, but I can’t help but think of all the displaced or burnt wildlife these cataclysmic events leave behind. I still take coffee on the south porch each morning and jot down a few notes, but with smoke all too common there is a certain pall that enraptures the countryside. There is an eerie quiet.. Until, yes, a bird song breaks that spell. Might be a hummingbird barn-storming the flower pot. It could be the subtle voice of the waxwing, or the more urgent voice of the wren. I welcome them all as we endure the month of August – the last full “summer month” before fall. Thank goodness!

We’ve not had too many fires locally since one tried to burn town down a few weeks ago. But fire blazes all around us here in Eastern Washington and Oregon and now north of the Border. Some days ash falls on the tractors and trucks and loading docks here at the farm. Still, every so often the sky breaks and the bluest of blue magically appears when one doesn’t think it possible for months. And there is no way of guessing when, why, or for how long it will last.

So far Bluebird crops are safe. So far, and as I write this, harvest of the spring grains looks to begin about on schedule next week. The crops look good. The crops haven’t been under the smoke for very long now, as summer started so strong and lovely, before taking a down-ward turn not long ago. People joke about “smoked” grain, or flour and yet grains are extremely hardy and so far, we’ve never noticed a taste difference even after a month in the field – at least in the 25 plus years I’ve been doing this.

What do we do at the Bluebird mill? Well, we keep on truckin’… We’ve had a decent summer of orders so far, and our small but mighty crew delivers as orders come in: On time; highest quality; seldom complaining. Most would argue that these dog – days – of summer are the hardest to get through. I know they are for me. But without summer we would have no grains. And without grains we would have no flour. No flour, no bread. No bread, no cuke and tomato sandwiches or – if very lucky – a fresh BLT! Or morning flapjacks, or blueberry muffins…

August will be all about harvesting, and bringing in the various grains to storage. Some of these grains will be cycled through our processing and milling line quite quickly after harvest, as our inventory is at the year’s low. In honesty, some of the orders will come out of the fields, and end up packaged within a couple weeks of harvest. Fresh grains and flours during these darker times may indeed bring nearly the light of bird song?!

Our hearts are heavy for all those who are suffering such loss. We are ever grateful to all the fire crews, and the amazing volunteer efforts going on right now all over the Northwest. Dire times bring out the best in folks. Please consider giving in whatever way, shape and form that you can to some of the many donation platforms to help those families who have lost just short of everything.

September and it’s golden light (I hope!) is coming. But right now, it is a long ways off and we’ve got a road to travel until then. Let’s travel it with caution, and no sparks!

Stay Safe,

Farmer Sam

Early July is when the later fledglings fledge: Cowbirds, waxwings, phoebe’s and yes, Bluebirds! The early morning light – real early now – brings a cacophony of bird rustlings. There are worse sounds to wake to, although I admit the western chats have not only been numerous this spring, but extra chatty! Maybe too chatty at 4 AM for some, including me. That said, once I am up and have a cup in hand and sitting on the south porch, I am never sad because then I can observe the wild-world outside for real. A front-row seat so to speak, and one that never disappoints.

Then I get to leave earlier for the Farm. If we have an irrigation cycle going I make sure that pivots are running as well as move hand lines to a new set. “Changing pipe” is a ritual for all who have farmed in the arid West these past 50 years or more. Forty foot, 3” sections of pipe, walked across the field 60 feet at a time to the next riser (pipe hook up) can either be dreaded, or embraced. Since it usually comes in early dawn, or in the evening, or both, this contemplative activity/ strength training – is an easy one for me to like. Most of the time. And although the field at Bluebird is mostly irrigated by center pivot, the north end is done with old style irrigation pipe. By me.

When we first began Bluebird over 20 years ago, I moved 80 acres worth of irrigation hand line twice daily. This process gives one a real chance to study their soils, as well as the wildlife surrounding them. Organic farming enhances some wildlife activity through the simple fact that we are not using any poisons. I love to see the variety of insects, and beneficials once an organic crop gets grooving. Of course, “lady bugs” are high on that list, and I often see several amongst the grain and cover crops we rotate. And birds!

We will be shutting off our irrigation systems by mid – July, as grains will be filled and cover crops turned in. Thus, as water tables drop and thirstier crops (alfalfa) get more thirsty, Bluebird will not be using any water. This was one reason many years ago I decided to grow more and more grains; they are easier on the resources in many ways. And more direct food supply.

Since many of us have a big anniversary this month – 250th I believe – it feels good to have a truly independent, small mill. The daily challenges of being small and independent never go away, yet the pleasures of being able to make internal decisions, and pivot when needed to meet customer inquiries or full-fill longer term accounts go well beyond these bumps. Most of our customers buy from Bluebird because of the high quality products we have. The quality control we have as a small, independent mill is front and center and very real each day. Our crew does a great job of maintaining the high bar for customer service and product quality. Thanks, folks!

Having grown up on a 7th generation farm in New England, Independence was not foreign! Uncle Fred – dressed as a Paul Revere type – led the town parade by driving his 4 horse team with the parade’s first float, “Spirit of 76’, 50 years ago. I remember it well as a lad of 11. I remember even better all the candy that was flung off of various floats as the ¼ mile long procession traveled down mainstreet. Those were exciting times on many fronts; the dignity of all the “patriots” even then was unifying.

Unification was an absolute when it came to fighting successfully for our country’s independence. What was the reward for gaining this Independence?? For one, we got to spend the next 250 years defending it! Not only from other nations, but from within our own country. Our history is a messy one, as are most. Democracy is a messy, inexact process that ebbs and flows like most every other process. Democracies seldom last long; they’re too complicated. And the bigger the land-mass the harder it is to keep unification. Iceland has roots of democracy that go back 1000 years, however they did not gain their full “Independence” until after WWII. So, as sloppy as things seem in the ole’ USA, let’s take stock in the fact that we have outlasted every other democracy and have our “Independence” much longer than most.

Of course, there are various tiers of independence, and it is always in question as to just who is and isn’t independent and various systems are tied to one another and so forth. The words messy, biased, uneven etc. all play their parts within. Still, I can think of no other country that continues to offer more opportunity. Opportunity itself, is not a given. Opportunities take work to act upon the same as true independence. At least we have the freedom to choose.

Our democracy may be particularly fuzzy right now; the list of improvements to be made is long and broken health and food systems are near the top. We’ve been here before and prevailed. So I encourage all you readers to enjoy our 250th and celebrate this 4th as we should. Then, let’s get to work finding the good soil that will benefit us all. It’s somewhere out there in that fertile middle ground.

Yours,

Farmer Sam

The Western Tanager is one of the latest arrivals of our birds around here. While it is more common up higher in the full coniferous forests, we are lucky to have them here with our mix of fruit trees and fir and pine on the North slope above the aspen. Although they come in late May, Tanagers seem to sanctify June. As we leave behind the most wonderful May this year, I heard a tanagers this morning as I sipped coffee and watched the bluebirds dip in the bird-bath. Then caught a glimpse as a brilliant male zoomed up to an aspen limb. This was a welcome site, to go along with the other birds and bird voices: Orioles, flycatchers, towhees, warblers to name a few. Lest us forget, the persistent and ever-present Chat… always chatting away with urgency down along the creek. And hummingbirds that are zipping about at full-throttle. I’ve been seeing young clutches of grouse about, and soon will surely see some ducklings as all our vernal pools were full this spring here in the foothills. What joy.

Down at the Farm the einkorn I seeded back in early May is growing along on all that residual moisture from the late fall/winter. I’ve yet to turn on any irrigation, and plants are in the 3-leaf stage of growth. We’ve had some nice warm rains as well, and that has kept everything green green. Further south in the Columbia Basin at our partners farm there his spring wheat is cranking along very nicely, and he looks to have an early August harvest. Out on the prairie the Schmaltz family has their crops in, and the spring wheat there looks strong despite working on merely ½” of rain! Once more, this is where true Regenerative farm practices shine – under adversity! Are we not experiencing a lot of that these days!!

The crew at the mill have been servicing various orders both big and small with our top-quality grains and freshly milled flours. Our supply of most everything is solid through the next 3 months so we should easily make it to harvest with our current inventory. Our inventory, you might recall, is largely stored in its field-run, or raw state and doesn’t get cleaned or milled too far ahead of order fulfillment. The freshness of the finished goods therefore is at their peak when it leaves our doors. Many of you know this difference.

That will not change moving forward. That won’t change despite the Farm Bill finally passing both House and Senate on the way to Big Desk! What was in the Farm Bill for most farmers?

A lot of the same safety nets: Strengthened crop insurance; an increase in reference prices for “key commodities” (Soy, corn, wheat) It also dilutes animal welfare rules for some livestock businesses, while it cuts SNAP and conservation funding in half. The cost to US taxpayers for the 5 year duration of the Bill rolls in at approximately $1 trillion.

Why is this important to the largely unsubsidized organic food industry? Because this is the continuation of an uneven playing field for our pricing. As food prices rise largely due to an increased pricing by distribution companies and store chains – little trickles down to producers. Thus, the subsidies. Yet none for healthy foods… One reason organic foods cost more; they more closely reflect the true price of production.

As the economy slows and here at Bluebird we continue on in the current – albeit uneven marketplace – our loyal customer base becomes ever more important. Our steady direct to consumer sales help us navigate these times, and we are fortunate so many understand the difference between our organic grain and flour products and most others. Thank you!

The short month of June holds the longest daylight and is the kick-off of the intense growing season. The combination of long sunny days and warming temperatures bring forth the ‘juices of June.” Here in the North Cascades, June can also be one of our dampest months. I will have to let you know how this June rolls out, come July!

Meanwhile, please get out and enjoy the long days, and congratulations to all graduates! A reminder that there will be more youth on the roads, both driving and recreating so heads up!

Yours,

Farmer Sam

Certified Organic Regenified Grain Fields

Certified Organic and Regenified Heritage Red Wheat at Schmaltz Family Farm. Just look at that soil biomass!

One major attribute of the House Wren is – like a morning Rooster – they keep you from sleeping in too long. However, having had many roosters over the years I prefer the chatty voice of the morning wren. In actuality they are not the first to wake; robins are the harbingers of dawn. Some mornings I swear they get going before dawn! And at the close of day, robins are one of the last to bid the day farewell. A bird of many moods and voices, the Robin never ceases to amaze me with beautiful songs. Its evening song can be the most urgent, and most sorrowful at the same time. Alas, here we are with the birds again…

Birds can tell much about the health of a place, as fish can with a stream. When I see a multitude of birds in our fields it gives me a boost and makes me think that the soils are alive and things are “good in the hood” so to speak. Time will soon tell because as the full Flower Moon begins to fade, I recently finished sowing the first field of our Einka einkorn. I always try to use the power and pull of the full moon in hopes the high energy within will give the seeds extra vigor. Once again, we worked to select out our top grade seedstock here at Bluebird – mostly in thanks to our lead Steve White who these past years has perfected the seed-cleaning line – and made sure I had top shelf, high density grain to fill our grain drill with.

Given the mild spring, soil temperatures are plenty warm enough for germination despite sowing seed the first week in May which is on the earlier side for us up here against the North Cascades. Combined with all the residual moisture from the heavy late-fall rains, ground that never really froze and following our heavy cover crop of winter peas, I expect a great stand to pop up here any day. Of course, Mother Nature could once again prove me wrong. I will soon let you know. There is also the off-chance that it may start raining one of these days, too! We didn’t get a drop the whole month of April after the first couple days. Not unusual here. Our spring rains often come in the second half of May, and in June.

Spring in the Methow is rivaled by nowhere that I know of. This marks my 33rd year farming here in the Methow and with the varying green hillsides of bunchgrasses, the lime-green of fresh popping aspen leaves, the full bloom of balsamroot and lupine – the air is filled with the sweet, poignant smell of the earth’s juices. It is an easy reminder to this farmer to treat our Earth with the up-most of respect and grace and this is sometimes conflicting because, as I have mentioned before, “farming”, per se, is an invasive activity. While this is not lost on me, it is one reason we began Bluebird with the ancient emmer and soon added the more ancient einkorn. These are wild varieties and are gentler on the earth having learned to thrive for 10,000 years.

The nutrition that they give us is what all wheat used to contain. While not big yielding grains that our modern farm systems strive for, nutrient-wise they are a power punch of vitality that is easily digestible for most. Truth to tell, this is one reason we coined the phrase here at Bluebird: Ancient Grains for Modern Times.

Farm Bill update… Argh! I will try not to sink here. It is no secret that most “ Agriculture” is up against the wall for a myriad of reasons. However, the recent 850 page version of the 2026 Farm Bill passed the House on the final day in April, and is on the way to the Senate. The 2018 version has been running on extensions for over 3 years now. Some refer to this version as a “skinny bill” but it contains 12 titles and endless provisions and sections and… well, in large, continues to prop up a broken food system through loans, price support insurance etc. all with continued tax dollars even as 41% more farms went out of business last year than the previous.

One bright spot is the lip-service paid to Local Farm to Community Program wherein the USDA must enter into cooperation with groups that support local producers with the distribution of fresh and frozen produce – at least 25% of the time. Funding for this remains unclear? Meanwhile, how about organic provisions…? Ha, even the small cost-share program most of us Organic Farmers partook in so far has disappeared. This was to help with our certification fees, or as I like to say “penalty” for growing organic. I would say the very best news from the latest bill is that many of our legislators held strong and did not let Bayer Crop Sciences off the hook with all the Round-up lawsuits by passing provisions that would lay the blame on the users. Complicated, but this would have been a huge loop-hole. As MAHA stands in the shadows, both at odds, and caving into the current Administration I am confused like many as to what the USDA’s real path forward is? Or isn’t.

Meanwhile ‘back at the Ranch’… No glyphosate, no subsidies, no problem. Because we have so many of you loyal and informed customers who want to purchase clean food from our tried and true small custom mill that always delivers fresh whole grain flours and grains week in week out and has for over 20 years now. Thank you, and a special shout out goes to all the graduates nation-wide who will be moving on from college and into a new journey this month. You are a smart generation who has as many challenges as any to resolve. Rest up, and eat well!

Cheers,

Farmer Sam

Before full dawn flycatchers, robins, and blue grouse are already awake voicing their day’s agenda to a world otherwise asleep. Not that Nature ever fully sleeps, but the idea of sleep permeates the darkest hour just before dawn. Birds you say…? Yes! I’ve never had so many responses than from those of you wanting me to keep birds in the opening of these Notes. I am flattered and thus, will keep birds safe here as I have all these past years. And what better month than April to delight in their arrival! Juncos, finches, meadowlarks; robins, phoebes and the brilliant mountain bluebirds. Just yesterday I saw the bright blue from a flock of males flitting about similarly colored bluebells that are popping up throughout the just-greening shrub steppe. No joke, April is the month of coming alive. No joke, on the 1st we got our obligatory snow squall to remind us Spring is a slow process here in the foothills!

As I mentioned in my March notes, this spring we are seeing a major recharge of the valley aquifer due in large to last fall’s constant rains upon unfrozen soil. All the seasonal potholes are brimming while freshets pour off the hillsides and down through various coulees dispute the valley’s meager snow pack this past winter. As I say, Nature never sleeps. April arrived not just with a little snow, but also on the cusp of the full Pink Moon. This month should be very fun to watch unfold indeed.

Thoughts of farming come to mind as soils begin to warm and the biology within comes to life. Living soils nurture food for life and that is what we are about here at Bluebird. I will be taking soil samples here shortly, to ascertain how we are doing with our cropping systems insofar as nutrient levels; however, one can tell a lot about the soil’s biology by just feeling the soil. Healthy soils have a softened texture and aren’t clotted but should adhere together with integrity once squeezed. Walking across a field one should feel bounce or lift to pliant soil, and one’s footprint should not be too pronounced. This in part is from leaving a certain amount of “litter” on the soil, otherwise known as “residue”. Organic farming is big on leaving plenty of litter to protect the soil. In true min-till regenerative farming, standing straw is common-place as we have discussed. This protects the soils, and one should easily be able to step on a probe, or shovel when sampling and need no extra effort to push right in.

Of the things discussed at last month’s Cornell Organic Field Crops conference, tilth was not mentioned much. I found this interesting, though not too surprising. I did mention biology and tilth in my talk, however, trial results from various cropping systems performed by Cornell were measured largely by volume. This seems to be the leading goal of all cropping these days – certainly in non-organic farming but in organic, as well – yield. Price per bushel still leads the way for how a crop fits in rotation. This is real. However, some crops may not give the yield one hopes for, but may add other values to the whole. Ancient wheats, I was quick to point out, are one such crop. Under many circumstances the einkorn and emmer simply will not yield as high as more modern wheat will, yet they have other traits no longer found in wheat. First, they are a far more nutritious whole food. Second they will mine minerals from the field that more modern crops miss. Third, they add agronomic value in Regen/Organic systems that want as much biomass out there as possible since they grow so much taller than modern wheat. Also there is the allopathic compound. What can be seen as a bane to many farmers, is a boost to organic farmers trying to build biology. We come full circle here.

Please do not mis-read me; if we have good biology in our soils, and if we have nutrient balance higher yields will be realized regardless of the crop. What’s more, higher nutrient value in the crop will be realized most of all. And that dear reader, is what we are after at Bluebird Grain Farms. Superior nutrition.

There were some good parts of the conference and I was glad I was included. Cornell has some of the longer running organic field trials of any of the universities. I met a lot of folks I’d not met before. That is always a joy, particularly to see a new “crop” of farmers interested in organic agriculture. I was most fortunate to connect with an old friend Jay Goldmark from here in the Okanogan. Jay Goldmark grew up part of a wheat producing family on the Okanogan plateau and once grew a little organic wheat for Bluebird. He has since moved to New York state with his own family and runs a large organic feed production/processing facility Stone House Grain. There are too many highlights to mention from the weekend with Jay and his family, not least was a wonderful, impromptu evening at Levon Helm Studios next door in Woodstock where that very weekend one of the Midnight Ramble performances was taking place. Levon had started these some years ago in effort to pay for his cancer treatments. Levon is long gone but his daughter Amy introduced the show and what followed was some of the finest live music from the 16 – piece accomplished band which included Levon’s own grandson on drums! So what does this have to do with Farming? Look up the album “Dirt Farmer” that Levon and company recorded after a 22 year sabbatical since his last Band album. Followed next by “Electric Dirt – both recorded right there in that barn studio, with cover footage from a nearby farm.

Speaking of art, those of you who enjoy the ramblings from yours truly – we still have a few copies of my latest book “Colors” available from our web store. The opening piece is a poem titled Earth Day and it is a fair lead right into April as the waters’ rise.

Earth Day is every day on my calendar. “Officially” it is this coming 22nd. I encourage you all to give our Mother some extra love on this day, and at least a kiss on all others.

Cheers to Spring!

Farmer Sam

Reasons I often begin my Farmer Notes with birds: Birds add cheer. Birds can tell the season. Most people like birds. Birds seldom talk back and when they do it is worth listening to. If any of you readers would like me to change this format, please let me know. Otherwise, know that a new chorus of bird-song has begun out the kitchen door as first-sun floods the white hills, warms the south porch, and has a variety of new birds all tuned up about the day. These include nuthatches, juncos, finches, grosbeaks, chickadees, and I saw the first robin yesterday in the elderberry bush despite the dumping snow! Twice now a pair of bald eagles have swooped up and landed atop the big fir on our north slope. I could go on…

But let’s get to farming and organic grains and the floundering Farm Bill and all this other stuff because March is here! The wonderful and wild month that mixes up the hard and the soft, the warm and the cold, the still and blustery. As with November, it is often a month I feel goes unloved by some. This winter has seemed much like March the entire time and so perhaps that was a little overdone as we’ve had no real cold, nor any real warmth and day after day of gray skies. I admit this grew wearing, but it also makes one joyed all the more when the sunny days popped. Now, ample sun ushers in March and the changes have begun. As well, we have the early month full “Worm Moon” on the 3rd so that should perk up all the unground wageless workers so critical to our soils – full lunar eclipse notwithstanding.

Many, many years ago I once planted grain here in late March, albeit in the lower valley. It was spring rye and on a sandy 10 acres next to the river and it was predominantly to out-compete a bunch of old-growth thistle. There was just enough moisture to get it germinated, and it hardly rained a drop all spring but by late June that rye was 6 feet tall (see photo above)! This was one of my earliest love-affair with cereal grains that, ultimately, led me to beginning Bluebird. I do not believe I’ve planted any grains that early since, but it was a testament to the resilience and power of old cereals.

Photo of Sam Lucy standing in front of his six foot Rye crop, 2014.

Then came the emmer and, well, the rest as they say is history.

To be sure, this spring we will have as much ground moisture as I can ever recall; the complete opposite of that spring so long ago. All the fall rain and unfrozen ground has set up a deep moisture profile in our soils – several feet deep. As well, snow is far from finished falling in the mountains setting up ample water supply here in the North Cascades. Am I anxious for spring? Not exactly. As I age, I do not wish ahead for anything as much as I may have in the past, and I love winter but it is going to be a fun spring and by the end of March we will know just how fun.

We’ve been having a lot of fun here at Bluebird Grain farms, and the first 2 months of the year have been busy. With the overall agricultural sector in dire straits again this year, we are grateful for all of our loyal customers and the growing number of folks dedicated to healthy, good tasting food. To this regard, we are receiving an increasing number of inquiries about glyphosate. Are our grains glyphosate free?

Why glyphosate? Many of you know this is a main ingredient in Monsanto’s trademarked herbicide Roundup. Many of you also know there has been a lot of press about Roundup these past years, and part of that press is about the long-line of lawsuits against Bayer Crop Sciences now, since Bayer bought out Monsanto just prior to most of these suits. It is wildly confusing. These suits have been through a gamut of courts and there have been a lot of ruled settlements and a lot of unruled settlements and just days after Bayer’s proposed $7.25 billion settlement, our fearless leader in the White House declared increased glyphosate production as an urgent and national mandate!

What exactly is glyphosate? It is a chelating agent that binds macro and micronutrients essential for many plant processes. In other words, it kills plants by tying up all the goodies. There is strong evidence now that it has been so widely used in the past 50 years, it is throughout our entire food system, much like “forever chemicals.” So folks are taking note. Under the organic label herbicides are banned. However, residual amounts of past use can be present. In case you are curious, yes, you can march right into your local hardware store and still buy Roundup over the counter. Speaking of birds…

We’ve never used RoundUp here at Bluebird, of course, nor have our growers- or any other chemical input for that matter. As for the rest of the Farm Bill – it is a mess. The MAHA movement is at odds with Big Ag, both sides of the isles cave in on different things, tariff talk flies around and 46% more farms went out of business in 2025 than the previous year. What is there not to like? Almost all of it. As I remind you readers during this tax season, all this rhetoric is real and it comes from your taxes. For some fun reading, look up the current Farm Bill and where it stands, and how long it has been since we passed a new one.

On a lighter note, there goes a red-winged black-bird! And by the end of the month, Spring will “officially” be on the calendar. While some of you are reading these notes, I will be on my way to Waterloo, New York as one of the guest speakers at Cornell University’s Organic Field Crops Conference. I will give a report in April Notes. Stay tuned!

And be well, Your Farmer, Sam

It stands to reason that what I’ve always considered one of the longest months is followed by the shortest. Hello February. Some years it could be spelled more appropriately as “Feburrary”. Last year, our coldest temps were in February and I recall other years we received a fair bit of snow. However, I will be surprised if that is the case this year. Maybe the cold, but our big moisture cycle beginning back in October 025’ lasted up to the first of this year, and now has cycled out. I am grateful for all the moisture we did pick up, as our snow pack on the valley floor remains quite thin.

As to the long month of January: Goodbye. It seemed plenty long this year as clear days were few, fog and gray skies dominated while hardly a snowflake fell. Despite the gray days and some chilly temperatures at times, the silence of a frozen landscape in of itself held beauty. Frosted trees; bitterbrush and sage coated in a rhime made them less skeletal looking and more alive. Deer could be first noticed by their crunching footsteps before actually catching sight of them. Our Labrador Clyde loved rolling in the snow at the top of our hill here, then sliding all the way to the bottom on solid crust. Finches pilfer the feeder, and chickadees take a second seat. Here from the afternoon table, I notice our first nuthatch atop the elderberry. Owls speak before dawn and coyotes sanctify twilight. On my evening walk last, I wondered how a landscape so quiet and chilled could be so noisy!

February – being short to March – has always been a month when thoughts turn to farming as daylight grows. Our production rotation is being worked out for another season which fits into the following season, and the seasons after that. Larger the rotations are, the richer the soils stay and the denser our grains become. With last year’s red wheat testing 16 percent protein, emmer 17.5, and our einkorn testing almost 22, Bluebird quality grains certainly add nutritious punch to your menu. Each year we challenge ourselves to hit a higher notch above the last, and this tells us how our soils are balancing out. Mineral balance in the soil equivalates to that balance in our grains and flours.

Speaking of, here at the Farm our mill has been humming with fresh batches of grains and flours being turned out weekly. Thus, the ship-out door has been busy as well. Some might agree there is a lot of uncertainty floating around these days, and at times it is hard to know what is true. Rest assured that we have a great supply of all our Bluebird products, and we remain consistent with quality and delivery. Our crew here, both new and seasoned, is jiving right along. I have spent a fair amount of time the past couple weeks on the fulfillment floor and time flies right by! Thank you one and all for continuing to buy our products.

With the gathering daylight comes a little better chance of spending more time outside each day. I always try to get at least a walk in with the dogs, and on the best days an early morning or evening ski. Although our snowpack is paltry, the ski trails have been good and as long as you put on creeper chains for your boots, the walking isn’t bad either. These are my times for reflection and time to remember how fortunate we are that Bluebird has grown over 20 years, and Brooke and I remain still such a part of it. One of the biggest joys for me is talking to and meeting customers. Please stop by. If I’m not there one of our staff is always happy to help.

Soon after I moved to the Methow in the early 1990’s I met a gal named Wanda Myers. We became good pals. Wanda had grown up here on a homestead on a country road with a 10 acre apple orchard behind her parent’s place. After high school she went to work for a while as a back-country Forest Service and trail crew. She showed me a lot about this beautiful valley I’ve since called home. Wanda passed to the other side early in January, after many years of staying just ahead of a nasty cancer. On what would be our last walk together around Thanksgiving, we stopped and sat on the banks of Methow River not far from her place. We watched the water ouzels play about the rocks with their suction-cup feet. We saw the last of the salmon come to spawn. A pair of bald eagles sat awaiting. We listened then, almost in unison, we mentioned how we loved this place more all the time and could never possibly take it for granted. Because Wanda loved this place, and loved her life so much it is all the harder to say goodbye. However, she never quit on the moment, and enjoyed each one as if it were the last. I am grateful to know this truth. Peace, my friend.

And peace to all of you. Enjoy February, because March comes next and one never knows how the shifty moods of March will play out!

Yours,

Farmer Sam

I begin these first-of-the-New Year notes on the cusp of the full Wolf Moon. How can one not love that name? As we strolled up the driveway last night with the stars still vibrant despite the growing brightness, the only sounds were that of an owl and a chorus of coyotes. Although not the howl of wolves, a couple weeks earlier when daughter Mariah and I went hiking for a Christmas tree not far from our place, there in the fresh snow to greet us was a heavy, solitary line of wolf tracks. To be outside at night under the waxing Wolf Moon knowing there are indeed wolves nearby sanctifies the mood of January for me. What’s more, it fills me with an inner glow of hope.

Then there are all the finches new to the feeder, and juncos, chickadees, nuthatches and quail scattered beneath. Following a truly torrential month of December for most here in the Northwest, we ended, finally, with some cold and snow – enough to whiten the hills and change the atmosphere just in time for the holiday season. We feel grateful, and so enjoyed this time as I hope many of you did, also.

2025 was another interesting year. Given a myriad of uncertainties – economic and otherwise – Bluebird Grain Farms continued to hold its own. In the final quarter of 2025 we engaged with a fair amount of prep work for expanded growth in 2026. Aside from securing the winters’ on-site inventory of our high quality organic grains, travel plans were set for trade shows, speaking engagements, marketing material and such. As things tighten, 2026 is going to be a year I believe where many of us are going to make more choices of value and really make decisions based on those values. Food comes to mind.

There has been much rhetoric this past year about health initiatives and such, and federal funding of $700 million has been promised for a “Regenerative Pilot Program”. This includes helping farms make the switch to more soil friendly, and soil building farming practices. Most of these funds will be channeled through existing programs like the NRCS and other branches of the USDA. I am very interested to see how all this actually plays out.

Having the good fortune to already work with one of the premiere Regenerative certified farms in the country, we have seen first hand the eventual benefits of dedicated Regenerative practices. Without question this is how we hope the world farms one day. It would reduce the landmass needed as crop volumes gradually increase. It will cut way back on carbon emissions: Minimized soil disturbance; minimal crop inputs; more nutritious food; less waste all contributing factors in this. Twenty-five percent of the world’s carbon emissions are generated by agriculture. True Regenerative farm practices would reduce this significantly. I hope these funds go to those that want to make the change for generations, and not just dip into a short-term money pool. We need the next generations of farmers to embrace true Regenerative farming.

Meanwhile, we plan to keep chugging right along here at Bluebird Grains doing what we set out to do 20 + years ago and continue to practice daily and that is to inspire change, and offer up the highest quality whole grains and whole grain flours milled to order. Authenticity is not guaranteed by a label. Bluebird carries a lot of labels, too! Rengentified, Organic, Kosher, Whole Grains, SQF… just to name a few. And while we go through all of these annual inspections and pay the subsequent fees, it is our original story that we lean on the most and want to make sure all of our customers remain confident in. Being pioneers in the small-mill/local grain movement, and first in the ancient wheat movement, here at Bluebird we aim to always stay true. Fear not! We’ve no intention of deviating.

So… Here is to 2026! Most of all, here is to your health. We want to continue our role in promoting good food for all people. My New Year’s resolution is to work to get more whole and nutritious foods into our schools and health care institutions. Please reach out of you have any creative collaborations you want us to entertain. We value local direct connections the most.

Cheers,

Your farmer, Sam

That fast, we are into the final month of yet another year! The full “Cold Moon” is scarcely in the rearview mirror as you dear readers read this. The winter Solstice is not far ahead and if one listens close distant bells can be heard. Such is the sanctity of the short daylight. Such is the grace of the Christmas season. No better bird signifies this than the cheery black-capped chickadee, whose voice the feeling of winter seems to cling to. As the year’s darkest month deepens, the chickadee’s notes seem to grow more urgent, reminding us to remember the light. Amen.

Of course a little bright snow doesn’t hurt. So far this year, very little. November couldn’t have been nicer and I am reluctant to let go of its gray days, abundant, beautiful rains, and sodden country lanes. Just what this farmer had hoped for and to be sure, this year November delivered. The day before Thanksgiving the moisture turned white here in the Valley for the first time. This may be later than many years, but it is okay with me. That deep soaking is now covered, insulated, and well preserved for spring and the fields all tucked in. Thank you, Mother. The real snow may now cometh.

Bluebird had a busy November and we anticipate a bustling December as the holiday season is often true to form. We can not wait to help any shoppers out with gifts, and we love to spread good cheer with our fresh flours and grains that are used in all sorts of holiday meals. We are building our popular gift boxes and we already are shipping some. Get your orders in!

Last year my second book “Colors” was just coming off the press around Christmas time. I can’t remember if it was available on our website then or not, but for those of you who enjoy the style of these Farmer Notes, “Colors” is my latest collection of poems and stories that might make an entertaining present. I am told I do not “push my stuff” enough, so there ya’ go. Glad to get that over with!

On a little less smiley note the various struggles of the country’s farm economy continue. One thing news sources talk about is the climbing costs of Farm chemicals. When we are dealing with finite resources – all the ingredients that make up the wide swath of herbicides and fertilizers that current farm systems seem to be chained to – it is hard to imagine these costs ever going down. Add on tariffs of varying sorts and consistency, and the stage is set for drama, if not disaster. Many “family farms” simply can no longer hang on. Even some much bigger farms, and certainly farm suppliers (read Bayer; Cargill) are shuttering parts of their business or, “restructuring”. One thing you readers may not hear mentioned on news channels, or piled onto the concern table is: The widespread degradation of our country’s soils. In many cases, this is due to the list above. So long as we as a nation continue to prop up, and support these high chemical input systems that degrade the nation’s soils, this treadmill is unlikely to change and more and more producers are going to be forced off the cliff. “Profit” by filing paperwork is no farmer’s dream.

How about Farm subsidies for those who want to build back the soil! And sequester carbon, rather than pump it into the atmosphere through chemical manufacturing and use. I sure hope to live to see the day this sort of tax-support becomes mainstream.

Meanwhile, there are some farms and farmers who have already re-set their systems and whose main focus is soil health and always has been. We are fortunate to have concentrated on that all along, and now work with a couple other farms who have been in this game just as long. Rest assured, from these soils come your Bluebird goods. Unsubsidized, unpolluted, always fresh and tasty. We are indeed fortunate. And we give thanks for this every season of the year, not just during the holidays. As well, we are grateful to all of you customers: New, old, near and far. This holiday season I raise a toast to all of you. And as always, encourage all to lend a hand to those much less fortunate. See ya’ next year –

Cheers,

Farmer Sam

Join us & Special Guests Saturday, Dec 13 | 10 AM – 2 PM

Bluebird Grain Farms is hosting our Annual Holiday Open House and Granary Tour. We will feature fresh-milled flours, ancient grains, grain samples, and holiday gift boxes. You can also enjoy sampling and tasting from regional producers. Granary Tour: 10–11 AM (arrive by 9:45 / free, please fill out this form for the free tour.

Meet, purchase and sample from:

Lagrioth Winery (Manson) – Wine tasting
@chelanvalleyfarms A small family-run farm and winery built from the ground up – no big investors, just our own hands and a lot of heart. Lagrioth farms differently: their grapes are grown organically and grown under Salmon-Safe and Sustainable WA standards, and their wines are crafted with a modern, thoughtful touch that reflects our land and the way we work.
Willowbrook Farm (Carlton) – Seasonal foods & krauts
@willowbrookorganics High-vibe, nutrient dense, certified organic produce and cultured foods grown with Love in the beautiful Methow Valley.
Creative Koji (Twisp) – Fresh miso sauces & sampling
@creativekoji Dedicated to crafting artisanal miso products using locally grown and organically sourced ingredients. We combine traditional techniques with innovative local flavors, offering consumers high quality, non traditional miso options that celebrate the region’s diverse culinary heritage.

Shop and sample Bluebird ancient grains and Fresh milled flours —while meeting exceptional regional farmers and makers behind your food. This is a great opportunity to support local producers. You can also stock up on meaningful holiday gifts. We need you now more than ever.

“See how upon bare twigs they lie,

Raindrops, lately of the sky – “

So begins the autumn poem After Rain by Rachel Field. It sets the tone for the mighty month of November very well. A month sometimes left unloved by many; November is one I love the most. And rain we have had! Perfect and pure; unabashed and soothing to the once parched countryside. I have mentioned before how Mother Nature always seems to even things out, and fall rains before the snow is a recipe for moisture recharge that will be most noticeable come spring. The mountains themselves are already filling with snow which will soon be here in the Valley for keeps. Amen.

As I tap these keys chickadees bounce about the aspen limbs that droop with their load of orange leaves not-quite shed. The woodstove crackles, and snow flakes now intermix with the rain. Robins rejoice in the easy pickings from the lawn, but their time is drawing short. Ravens caw about during weather breaks; coyotes sing before dark; owls hoot sanctifying the cooling, and much faster falling evening time than a month ago. One day sodden skies, the next sharp and brilliant with gathering afternoon shadows catching up in hillside coulees, and casting across golden grasses. One can fairly hear the land sigh in relief after the business of summer. How can one not relish in this month of November?

October stayed dry and mild and beautiful throughout the first couple weeks. This enabled me to do a bit of fall field work, including some deeper undercutting (chisel plow) on the home field where we have a few perennial grasses encroaching after years of minimal cultivation. Given a window of late dry weather – not likely at this viewing – I will pack down the plow ridges and try to get the field as prepped now and with this fall moisture, for next spring’s early crop. The minimal amount of spring disturbance, the better for moisture retention and the less apt I am to stir up weed-seeds I don’t want. My fall soil tests are showing balanced minerals, and good levels of available nitrogen due to the heavy cover cropping.

As has become an annual fall pilgrimage of sorts, last month I set off for the northern prairies with our Labrador Clyde riding along. First along the various rivers of Montana, and then into North Dakota. I love North Dakota; I love the prairie fall. Good news for me, our partner and long time, well established organic and regenerative farmers the Schmaltz family happen to be my destination. Year-long I look forward to this trip and this year was no disappointment as Blaine, Suzie and family welcomed us as always, and we spent a few days talking about farming, walking the land for pheasants, and taking to heart the whole ecosystem and wildlife sanctuary they have created through their farming practices. Good stuff. Their farming not only has made the wildlife happy, but the integrity of their harvests is rivaled by few as their lands now work for themselves keeping in balance. We are fortunate to have such great farming partners and friends! What they have achieved is a testament to the generational dedication to the land, and a stalwart work ethic that doesn’t always exclude some fun and games at times. In regenerative farming, regeneration of all energy is a critical part, not the least of which is human energy and zest.

The quality of these grains shows when we go to hull and clean them, and then when we mill them into flour and ultimately show up on your plates! From the vast wide open, to your cozy little homes, restaurants, and schools you can trust the organic and regenerative certification labels that come with Bluebird products. This is a food system that is secure and consistent and healthy. Elsewhere throughout the American “bread basket” maybe not so much.

It may not surprise some of you but it was commonplace to see mounds of soybeans, some corn and wheat surrounding various elevators. Tariffs anyone? A cruel irony here is the fact many of these “independent growers” are not so. Tied to the realities and whims of a global market, in many cases tied to the banks, many of these subsidized growers are stuck in a bad spot. Does it break my heart to know there may not be near as many GMO crops flooding the delicate prairies lands come spring? No. Does it break my heart to see families under such duress – some of it rather sudden? Of course. Would I rather see our government take this opportunity to begin subsidizing healthy crops taken from healthy, biological soils? Absolutely. Now is the time to double down on our domestic food systems, and make sure this supply feeds everyone in this country first of all. We can do this. While doing this, we may find we do not need near the sheer volume of some crops, but might instead enjoy a greater variety. Yumm.

Which brings us back to our farm tucked away up here in the growing-cold foothills of the North Cascades. We are doing what we do 5 days a week, year round and welcome you to drop by our small but vibrant entrance store. Our staff is awesome, and we will be sure and get you what you need whether at our door, through the various stores we sell into, or on the web. Times are spooky, but let’s not give up the ghost just yet. Food security is vital to society. This has always been.

Gather round, give thanks to our Mother Earth, and be kind to one another and in particular, those who may be in more need.

Yours, Farmer Sam

Organic Einkorn Flour