Brandelyn Tafoya and her family purchase a farm in the Pacific Northwest 15 years ago — but it was when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States Department of State of Washington last February that she really stepped up and embraced the idea of apply the land to “ take some control back in an uncontrollable office . ”
“ It protrude when I tried scram novel wench from the feed store as I would normally do each spring and there was a three - calendar week waitlist , ” call back Tafoya . “ Immediately the entrepreneur in me kick in , and I filled both of my incubators with egg and started think of bird . ”
By the end of summer , Tafoya’sPivot Farmhad successfully hatch and sold over 700 chicks . She also added goats , turkeys and pheasants to the speculation , along with revamping her garden area to maximize yield and vegetable crops .
We spoke to Tafoya about preserving produce and sprucing up old barn . We also buzz off the grievous bodily harm on her love of growing squash .
What’s in a Name?
A post shared by Brandelyn Tafoya- Homestead ( @pivot.farm )
Tafoya says that she and her husband chose the name Pivot Farm for their homesteading adventure to represent their power to bide adaptable .
“ I am an enterpriser , and my husband [ Joe Tafoya ] also became one after he go to bed from playing NFL football game for eight years , ” she explains . “ Together we have depart many businesses . Some of them have been loser and some wildly successful . We have gone through a lot on our journey together , but we have learned to embrace the ability to swivel . ”
She sum up , “ The parole pivot has become very meaningful for us . So it was only fitting that we name our farm using it . ”
Read more : Learn the fundamentals of press canning for food storage safety .
Canning and Preserving for Winter
Food task play a key part in the running of Pivot Farm , specially during the colder calendar month . Tafoya says that canning and preserving the harvest is one of her favorite chore .
“ I learned to make and preserve orchard apple tree sauce , pumpkin vine puree , pickled cucumbers , jalapeños , beans , asparagus , strawberry and blackberry jam , ” she say .
“ But the coming project I am most excited about is tapping our maple trees to make maple syrup ! January is prime start time for that , and I got all the supplying for Christmas . ”
The Poo Pile Pumpkin Patch
“ Our pumpkin vine and squelch spell has been pretty epic for the last five class , ” says Tafoya , spotlighting one of Pivot Farm ’s of the essence crops .
“ It all grows from our manure and compost pile . We dear refer to it as our Poo Pile Pumpkin Patch . Each fall we would slash all of our rotten Cucurbita pepo out there , and then they come back the next twelvemonth ! I literally do nothing but cover them with more compost from cleaning the barn . ”
When it come up to utilizing the pumpkin haul , Tafoya pronounce she ’s a devotee of using the gourds to decorate the farm , along with make and freeze down puree for future pie and muffin batches .
Read more : Pumpkin troubles ? Try growing them vertically !
Getting Into Barn Renovation
Pivot Farm includes a barn that Tafoya has turned into an centre - pleasing centerpiece of the belongings .
“ The one thing I have learned is that a fresh pelage of blusher change everything , ” she say when asked about wind to fancy up an former barn . “ Our farm has white paint that has single - handedly turned my house and barn into my dream !
“ I beget some funny looks when I told people I wanted to alter everything from blue grey and green to all snowy . But now everyone that comes over says it ’s unrecognisable in a good fashion . And it ’s in reality easygoing to keep looking courteous , because if it get dirty you could just slap some more white on it without worrying about oppose colors ! ”
Tafoya also intimate Modern lighting and “ a pretty pendant never hurt ” when it come to barn refurbishment .
Providing Security for the Family
The COVID-19 pandemic push home to Tafoya the grandness of being capable to cater immediately for her family . That ’s a life lesson she want to croak on to her kids .
“ The amount of things I have learned how to do this yr alone are innumerable , and I have no aim of stopping , ” she pronounce as she casts an eye back over 2020 . “ I want my kid to develop up with all of this noesis as second nature so that they have this same sensory faculty of surety for their families someday as I do . ”
