luckymud farm
Lucky Mud sits in the Willipa Hills of southwest Washington. The Willapa Hills lie between the Olympic Peninsula and the Oregon Coast Range. Luckymud got 154 inches of rain in 1998, in an area of big red cedars, hemlock, Sitka spruce, fir, red alder, maple, and cascara. Underneath grow hazelnuts, salmonberries, red huckleberries, vine maple, devils club, and many ferns from large sword ferns to arboreal licorice ferns. On the ground grow oxalis shamrock, yellow violet, skunk cabbage, dewberry, salal, miners lettuce, and a wide diversity of mushrooms.
The homestead rests on a south slope with 20 acres of upland pasture surrounded by 20 acres of woods, looking across a small forested valley. A half acre pond is centrally reposed, with many springs, a year round stream supporting runs of sea run cutthroat trout, which feeds a nearby creek supporting Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead trout. This creek wanders seven miles down East Valley to the estuary of the Columbia River at Skamokawa. The estuary is protected as wildlife refuges, and is one of the few non industrialized estuaries of a major river, with its attendant wealth of biological activity.
Animal friends on luckymud include friendly blacktail deer, ravens, pileated woodpecker, domestic Toulouse geese, two white horses, and several cats. Tolerant animals include elk, kingfisher, wild turkey, bald eagle, red tailed hawk, blue heron, crow, and hummingbird. Shy animals include black bear, cougar, bobcat, coyote, porcupine, skunk, raccoon, beaver(nearby), possum, large and small brown bat, mole, vole, and shrew, mouse, rat, chipmunk, flying squirrel, mountain beaver, nutria, barn owl, screech owl, bantail pigeon, grouse, spring peeper, newt, garter snake, alligator lizard, and banana slug.
All these grow on, live on, or have been seen on Lucky Mud Farm (except beaver).
Our pastures were cleared by mule in the 1890’s, and an American chestnut planted, which is now very large. Shortly after the turn of the century, several dozen full size apple trees were planted, which continue to provide apples for humans, deer, elk, horses, birds, and the occasional bear. Some have died, and snags are allowed to stand, providing bird habitat (especially our friendly pileated woodpecker). Varieties include (in order of ripening) Transparent, Wealthy, Gravenstein, unidentified yellow apple, King, and Northern Spy. Several Lombardy Poplars were also planted, and one huge tree remains. Farmers only logged selected trees when needed for a building project, so the forest has retained it’s "old growth" character.
In the 1940’s, Virley Kesterson built a 16’x24’ entirely of split cedar, including studs, rafters, roof sheathing, and, of course, roof. It was used to raise Springer spaniels. In the 50’s and 60’s, the Haegey clan raised Appaloosa horses here. Family members still visit.
We bought the place in 1971 as a group of hippies, limiting shares to six, the maximum number of dwellings that could "fit" on 40 acres. To date, three have been built, as the six shares constituted three households. Any changes to the farm must be unanimously agreed to. Since moving here in 1972 and building an eight sided multi level home, (our county had no building codes in ’72), I have planted 8 chestnut trees, two walnut trees, (with ten more in the nursery), seven hazelnuts, five plums, three pears, nine dwarf apples (with ten full sized replacements for the old apple trees on the way), three cherries, a dozen blueberries, and several European elderberries. I make a great wine from our wild blackberries.
Lucky Mud is a permaculture farm. Permaculture combines simple gathering and agriculture. Agriculture, as now practiced, is destroying our mother, the Earth. By planting trees and perennial plants that are native or naturalized to a certain location, no plowing or fertilizing is needed. One simply gathers the bounty of nature, as we did long ago. Ancient people could meet their needs working two hours a day. Chestnuts provides almost as much protein per acre as wheat, without the environmental and monetary cost. We could (and someday will ) be living in a Garden of Eden. But instead of waiting for God to fix everything, we must realize that, in the "image of God", we have the power to create our own reality. We do it anyway, but it needs to be done consciously, listening for the "ring of Truth" in our hearts to make choices that won’t backfire. The Earth "peoples". Our hands are God’s hands. Let’s do it, in the universal Love that connects all.