Headlamp Farms

Headlamp Farms Headlamp Farms is a 1/10-acre urban subsistence farm in Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle. In Seattle in October, 5 PM is nearly nighttime.

I chose the name Headlamp Farms when I got home from work at about 5pm one day in the late autumn. I was pulling a bale of hay out of the truck to set up for the rabbits and chickens and came to realize that I was always out doing farm chores by the light of my headlamp. Either because I have a full-time day job or an active urban life or because the sun sets so early for 5 months of the year, sup

plemental light has always been essential. In addition, I've always liked the image of the headlamp as a symbol of searching. The other half of my farm-life is foraging -- searching for the bounty that nature provides either in the city or in the nearby mountains and waterways. The Pacific Northwest is full of edibles. From Chanterelle and Morel mushrooms to geoduck and razor clams to huckleberries and stinging nettles. And my work on the farm helps in a deeper search -- searching for how I fit into the world and searching for meaning. Caring for my crops from seed to sprout to plant, raising my animals in the best way possible, preserving the bounty of the wild for future generations -- all of these help me to focus my energies toward positive change. I hope you enjoy the site. Come over for a visit, come play with the hens and relax in the sanctuary of my little urban retreat.

So i accidentally grew some humongous squash. Luckily i also grew some big ol’ garlic. This is the biggest single garlic...
09/01/2021

So i accidentally grew some humongous squash. Luckily i also grew some big ol’ garlic. This is the biggest single garlic clove I’ve ever seen. Quarter for scale.

Look who are turning into full-fledged hens! Audacity continues to be the most curious and really loves being held; Corn...
06/11/2021

Look who are turning into full-fledged hens! Audacity continues to be the most curious and really loves being held; Cornelia is a little d***y but likes cuddling the others while keeping her distance from me; Justice is brave and eager to follow on whatever the next adventure is.

The new hens had a bit of stress getting moved into their new coop and went on egg strike. This tiny egg was the first o...
05/20/2021

The new hens had a bit of stress getting moved into their new coop and went on egg strike. This tiny egg was the first one laid after a two day break. No yolk, but still delicious.

They are now happily settled and loving the miner’s lettuce and snails from the yard.

So many things happening at the farm, including baby chicks continuing to grow, big chickens visiting for a couple month...
05/09/2021

So many things happening at the farm, including baby chicks continuing to grow, big chickens visiting for a couple months, and the chicken coop gets closer to done every day.

04/29/2021

Zeta discovered that the laser pointer makes for fun chicken games.

Spring is here and new growth is popping up on the farm- including a new chicken coop!
04/24/2021

Spring is here and new growth is popping up on the farm- including a new chicken coop!

9 lbs of plums from a friend’s tree and 3 lbs of tomatoes from the garden to make BBQ sauce, duck sauce, plum chutney, a...
09/15/2020

9 lbs of plums from a friend’s tree and 3 lbs of tomatoes from the garden to make BBQ sauce, duck sauce, plum chutney, and tomato salsa. Stocking up and storing the summer bounty for the winter ahead.

The late summer harvest always feels a bit melancholy. Storing up for the cold winter and reflecting on the year past. I...
09/10/2020

The late summer harvest always feels a bit melancholy. Storing up for the cold winter and reflecting on the year past. I find it especially difficult this year reflecting on the pain suffered by so much of my community.

It is also a celebration of the work we’ve done. The work hasn’t always worked out, but I’ve got successes and I’ve gained some knowledge.

Foraged peaches and figs from neighbors with summer fruit trees. Plus bonus zucchini. Plus 10 pounds of blueberries from...
08/11/2020

Foraged peaches and figs from neighbors with summer fruit trees. Plus bonus zucchini. Plus 10 pounds of blueberries from the farm.

The persimmon tree did very well this year. Also pictured: quince, medlars, and the last of the tomatoes. I’m doing my b...
11/25/2019

The persimmon tree did very well this year. Also pictured: quince, medlars, and the last of the tomatoes. I’m doing my best to preserve what I can for the winter months.

Bam! Suddenly Autumn is here! Harvest is in full swing at the Farm; foraging, preserving the summer's bounty for the com...
09/07/2019

Bam!
Suddenly Autumn is here! Harvest is in full swing at the Farm; foraging, preserving the summer's bounty for the coming winter.

07/02/2019

TW: Poultry slaughter

So one of my chickens, Dulcet, made a distinctive Crowing sound the other day. I didn't want to believe it, but I finally had to accept that, yes, I had a rooster.

You can't have a rooster in the city; and for good reason as my neighbors can attest. They are obnoxiously loud, with a shrill call that goes right to your bones in close quarters like this.

Since I'm about to be out of town for 10 days i realized that i truly had to deal with it this week. So Headlamp Farms again earned its name when i started boiling water at 10 PM.

From saying goodbye to having a fridge/freezer of meat and cleaning up the evidence took just about an hour. I'm a slow and meticulous plucker and certainly not fast at butchering even though this is, I think, the 12th bird that has hit my chopping block.

Address

3540 S Brandon Street
Seattle, WA
98118

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