Meet a Reader | PNW Farmer Denise
Today we're meeting a Pacific Northwest reader who is my polar opposite when it comes to growing things. Denise has four gardens that total an acre!
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I am Denise and I live in NE Washington State.
I’ve lived here for four years, after living on the Oregon Coast my entire life. We have a 5-acre permaculture farm and I grow about 50% of our family’s food.
We have two beef cows with calves, goats, a honey hive, 15 laying hens, a large berry patch with approximately 10 types of fruits and three additional garden areas.
I have been a part-time freelance writer (taking a break from that at the moment) and a photographer (though all of the photos I submitted for this post were just taken with my cell phone.)
For quite some time, the photos I took were in conjunction with the feature stories I wrote. Then, after I became a teacher to my children, I branched into family and senior portraits creating a small business.
Occasionally, I'll help with some product photography for friends with upstart businesses, but that is not my specialty.
For example, my son is interning with an artisan cheesemaker and I took some photos for their website. Below is a photo taken with my cell phone of one of the flatlay arrangements. I didn't have it quite right, but I wanted to see what it would look like.
Soon, I may wrap it all together into a website/blog/channel....but right now is not quite the time.
I also do part-time teaching through our school district’s parent partnership program. I teach high school literature and high school botany and am halfway through my Master's in Teaching, Secondary Science.
Both my husband and I have agriculture degrees and for much of my adult life, I covered freelance feature stories about small acreage farming for a newspaper and several magazines.
I took all of that great advice from the farmers I interviewed and put it into practice.
I also scratch cook the majority of our meals using the food we grow.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
That’s a hard one to answer, but at least ten years. I was initially drawn to this blog because of the quality of photography.
I don’t know how I found The Frugal Girl, but after a few weeks, I realized how much we have in common. We’re the same age and our children are similarly aged too. We’re also a homeschooling family, and I loved reading about your homeschooling life.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I was raised on a farm and thus I never knew a time when my family had excess money when I was a child. My husband is also from a farming family, so you could say we had no choice in the matter.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
We had a goal to have our home paid for by the time I was 40. We sold our Oregon home and purchased our Washington home with cash when I was 39.
But, also, I love the power and freedom of working part-time doing what I love, which is having animals, working the land and schooling our children. I didn’t intend to home school. Our oldest is 18 and just earned his associate degree, but when he was in grade 4 we discovered that he is both high IQ and moderately dyslexic.
All three of our children have had specific learning needs and I’ve had to become an expert in their learning styles, which is why I began a masters in teaching. I’m seeking two endorsements: students with dyslexia and students who are highly capable.
5. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
My husband and I are not handy with cars or mechanical/plumbing/electrical. You’d think as farmers we’d have some of those skill sets, but we just don’t.
So, we have to hire out for projects.
6. What's one thing you splurge on?
I love great Broadway shows, and will go see live theater and productions at least 6 times a year.
If you're wondering how we do this while living in a remote area: it feels extremely remote where we are, but we are not too far from civilization. We actually live only a 40 minute drive from Spokane, which is the third-largest city in the state of Washington.
I am 3 hours from the Canadian border and ½ hour from the Idaho border and really, anything an hour north of us is really quite isolated. There are many lakes in the area and many people live remotely and off grid too.
7. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
We live in one of the most beautiful, rugged, remote regions of the country. The Pacific Northwest is both ethereal and not to be taken for granted. The weather here can be brutal. We are always prepared for scorching heat and frigid cold.
Our children are outdoorsy. They are science/nature-minded and as such, we spend much time on area lakes or skiing in the winter.
8. What is something you wish more people knew?
I wish people understood how cheap it can be to maintain a garden and yard. I scour the area for free plant starts.
How do I get free starts?
FB Marketplace is an excellent venue for free plants. So, too, are buy/sell/trade groups that are local to your particular area. I belong to 4 of these types of groups on Facebook. Last, asking friends and neighbors is an excellent idea. I purchase all of my garden tools at garage sales and the supplies for raised beds are also from Facebook groups/marketplace.
I started with a completely blank slate and created our entire garden/yard/perennial garden for less than $3,000. That total includes the cost of my plants and all of the supplies to build raised beds and drip irrigation for the gardens (I have four gardens totaling about 1 acre.)
9. How has reading the Frugal Girl changed you?
Kristen taught me how to engage with an online audience with respectful discourse, something I needed to learn. My most sincere thanks.
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Denise, I just wanted to say that the thing you listed as your dumbest money mistake...I don't know that I'd agree it's a mistake! If auto repair, plumbing, and electrical work aren't things that interest you, I think it's smart to hire them out.
And actually, I know of a fair number of handy people who still do hire out electrical and plumbing. So, I think you can hold your head high. 🙂
Also, I want you to know that your cell phone flat lay photo made me hungry for some cheese, so you must be doing something right!
A question from me before I open it up to readers: what's something you don't grow yourself?
Denise,
It was wonderful to read about your life. I love how your whole family is involved with home schooling and gardening. I'm sure your children will have lots of wonderful memories of this time in their lives.
@K D,
Thank you. We really enjoy our life. It isn't easy, but it's fulfilling.
Hi Denise! Thank you for posting so many photos of your gardens! I love seeing how other people grow their food. Your climate couldn't be more different than mine, so on that note: What is the biggest challenge you face growing things where you live? And what grows best for you?
@kristin @ going country,
I love, love, loved seeing your feature a while back. Your question is excellent.
We have one of the shortest growing seasons in the entire U.S. We are in the foothills of the Rockies and our last frost date is June 10. Two years ago, it snowed Sept 3. I came from a coastal climate and getting accustomed to this growing season has been hard!
I've implemented hoops on my raised beds, and begin all of my plants indoors. ALL of them!
@kristin @ going country,
As to what grows best: berries and fruit tree varieties.
@Denise, Ah ha. Having never lived there, I automatically thought "wet" when I read "PNW." But after I asked the question, I looked back at the photos and started to wonder if you lived more inland PNW. It looked a lot drier than I was expecting. That is a VERY short growing season. And I thought my tomatoes were unhappy with our summer nights in the 50s! 🙂
@kristin @ going country,
Yes. We live in the Inland Empire. Wheat country.
We used to live on the coast. THAT is wet.
So nice to meet you !!!
@Stephanie,
Thank you.
Wow. I am so impressed! Thanks for a peek into your life. Sounds so idyllic!
@Rose,
I chuckled. Idyllic...yes...and full of flies, cattle manure and enough insects to drive me insane. 🙂
Hi Denise, nice to meet you! I love how your life seems to fit together your interests and strengths - nurturing plants and people. When I was younger, I felt defeat when I had to hire out but now I believe that hiring an expert to do a task that I'm not equipped to do properly is wise. Now that I am an empty nester means there's more money available for the occasional expert. Enjoy your very full nest!
@Elaine N,
Thank you. I just get frustrated that we have spent so much money on things that in my mind we should have been able to do. Alas, it's not in our skill set. It's okay and I know it.
You mentioned you were working toward the two endorsements and one was students were highly capable. I've never heard that term and wondered if you could give an example.
@Jennifer, Most people call it "gifted."
@Jennifer, Yes, as in Rose's area, it’s called "gifted" here, too.
Both of our sons were recommended by their teachers to be tested in first grade, based on their performances. It helps you to make good decisions in their schooling.
@Jennifer,
In WA it's called Highly Capable. In other states, gifted. Basically, high IQ. Students who need differentiated learning.
In the case of all three of our children--high IQ.
Two of our children are also dyslexic. You can be both. That term is called Dual Exceptionality, or 2E.
Thanks for sharing, Denise - this is a fun read (and it will be neat if/when you do start a blog)! And yup - now I'm hungry for cheese too. It's great that your son has gotten that internship; I hope that opportunities like that keep expanding.
I'm with you about sharing plants - I've shared with neighbors, and in fact my favorite plants on our small lot are from my family in another state; they're lovely reminders of them. Your permaculture acres are beautiful; it must be very satisfying to produce so much of your food, and with such great variety. And PS - love the lamppost in your garden!
@Suz, You have a very good eye. After reading your comment I went back and looked through the garden photos twice before I found the streetlight. I agree it's a very cool garden feature.
@Suz,
Thank you! When we moved, I dug up half of my Oregon garden and brought it here. A whole cattle trailer (small) of plants. So many were gifts from people I loved or out of their gardens. I wanted to take a piece with me.
I also brought berry starts from my Oregon garden.
As for the lamp post-- my youngest is an enormous fan of Narnia. We have one garden entirely devoted to perennial plants and it, too, has a lamp post--and a stone lion. Aslan.
@Linda,
Thank you. I purchased two for a total of $100 on FB Marketplace. One is in my cool weather garden, the other in my perennial garden.
This post made my PNW-born and raised heart so happy! I grew up about forty minutes from Spokane (Idaho side), and there is something wonderful the PNW does for one’s soul. Your gardening is incredible and the scenery pictures are great. Thank you for sharing!
@Kyndra,
Do you mind saying which town? I love CDA, but really love Old Town, Newport/Sandpoint. If I had to do it over, I'd live in that area. I'm not too far from there.
@Denise,
I was in a tiny town south of CDA called Plummer, about halfway between CDA and Moscow. Sandpoint is gorgeous, and I always really loved Priest River/Priest Lake. The beauty of that area is unique. I’m always hesitant to tell people about it; it almost seems too good to let the word out.
My parents have since moved a little closer to Spokane (after my husband and I moved to North Carolina). I always love going back to enjoy the PNW. Blessings to you and your family this summer!
@Kyndra,
Plummer! I had to look it up on the map. It IS tiny.
Our son will be attending university in Moscow. What a lovely little town that is.
Hi Denise,
Great story. I agree with you about Kristen's photography as a lure to her blog (your images, too). Then, of course, it’s everything else about this blog.
Your accomplishments are very impressive and it is fun to take this tour of your very different life with you.
Do you eat everything your acres produce or give away/sell some things (eggs, e.g.)?
@Erika JS,
Thank you. 🙂
In our Oregon garden we grew for more families than our own. We had a small Community Supported Ag farm, and took on 5 additional families.
When we purchased this property, it had limited water and we knew we'd only be able to farm for ourselves. I have recently begun teaching some classes though, so others can learn to garden along with me.
Denise, your life sounds full! Your pictures are so inspiring.
I love your gardens. One of my goals is to keep increasing my number of raised beds. How long is your growing season?
You mentioned animals - do you also raise some of them for meat, or is that not something your family does/eats?
We have a couple of things in common: I have a moderately dyslexic child and spouse, and you are right, there are definitely learning adaptations there. I also come from a farming background, and my kids have many stories of working in our gardens as they grew up.
How wonderful that you could buy your house for cash - that's quite a feat.
It was good to meet you!
@JD,
Thank you!
Our beef cattle are for meat. Our chickens are for eggs. (We don't eat the chickens. My daughter draws a firm line there, and I respect her wishes.)
The goats-- are brush eaters. We keep them to keep down some of the brush on the back portion of the pastures. Plus, I love them.
It is very difficult for me to raise my own beef. I was born on a farm, I know life cycles and yet...still...it's hard.
I do think that knowing an animal died to give me sustenance means I value every bit of meat. We don't waste meat in our home.
Our growing season is super short. One of the shortest in the country. June 10 is the last frost date, and we had snow Sept 3 two years ago. It was a fluke, but it sure didn't take well with my tomatoes. We typically have a lovely fall, but it's not guaranteed.
All the pumpkins! And to answer Kristen's question, we don't grow our own pumpkins--they take up a lot of real estate and we don't have tons room for a garden, so we grow other produce that fits better in a smaller area. Denise, you live in a beautiful area and it sounds like you can take advantage of a lot of outdoor activities. Thanks for contributing to the guest reader discussion. 🙂
@Kris,
You sure are right. Pumpkins take up a ton of room, but my husband is fond of them. So, we grow them.
What a full, busy life you have! Do you find that the highly capable and the dyslexic designations often coexist in students? I’m gradually moving towards specializing in working with students with adhd (I teach piano), and find that that syndrome (I don’t necessarily think of it as a “disorder”) does often coincide with giftedness. It’s a really fascinating area, as I’m sure yours is as well.
@Jem, Hi Jem! I'm a parent of a gifted child with ADHD and sensory processing issues and one of my dear friends is an adult with the same issues and teacher of gifted kids. She is so amazing with them (she was my son's teacher turned good friend) because she 'gets' them and challenge them. Children with some form of giftedness often go hand in hand challenges like dyslexia, ADHD, sensory challenges, etc. It's referred to as "twice exceptional" or 2E. Cait at Raising Poppies has a lot of interesting and helpful resources about 2E kids, whom she calls 'Poppies'. 🙂
@Jem,
Mia's comment below is spot on.
As for dylsexia--
I read a stat somewhere and I wish I could give proper credit for the source, but I can't.
Paraphrased it's this:
Approx 20% of the total population has some form of dyslexia. There are ranges of severity.
Of those with dyslexia, 50% are found to be high IQ.
And, of staggering alarm: 35% of all convicted felons in the U.S. are dyslexic.
Unfortunately, our schooling system often sees what needs remediating and fails to recognize that the person needing remediating may also be brilliant.
@Mia,
Cait's website is such a blessing. She didn't coin the term, Poppy, but she sure has helped thousands of people have a better understanding, hasn't she? I adore her.
Denise, how does it feel to be living my dream life?
@Heather, what you said. If I were a few decades younger and had a fully functioning DH, this would be my dream life too.
And, frankly, I'm relieved that there *are* a few things Denise and her family can't do and hire help for. It's taken me a long time to stop being shy about asking for help, and I'm still working on it.
All in all, a truly impressive Meet a Reader!
@Heather,
Well...today I worked in my garden from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., then went to a little part time gig I have till 1.
I came home, trimmed the goat hooves, turned the compost pile, and fly sprayed the cattle. I was stinky, sweaty, and totally needing a shower and a beer.
But--I do love my life. A lot.
@A. Marie,
Thank you! 🙂
There are many things I can't do. I have never changed a tire in my life, for example. It seems amazing to me to write that! But--I can assist our cow during calving when the calf is coming breech.
Everyone has talents and areas they need to grow, right?
Hi Denise! I'm envious of your agricultural degrees. It's always nice to know the science behind why something works the way it does.
re: dyslexic/high IQ
My husband is the same way. Unfortunately when he was in school very little was known about dyslexia and they thought he was slow and stupid. It wasn't until one sharp eyed teacher noticed a pattern. She had him tested and found he had genius level IQ.
Today, now that he knows it's an affliction he remedies it by taking a few extra steps so he always reads letters and numbers correctly.
As to Kristen's question: I cannot grow lettuce in my hot climate. This year I'm going to attempt to grow it indoors under lights to see how it does.
@Maria Zannini,
Your husband's journey would have been my son's journey. I am NOT dyslexic, but my husband is, as was his father. Both brilliant men.
I learned about dyslexia when our son's WISC scores showed a major disparity in his scores.
As for Kristen's question:
I can't grow melons. We have heat, but not for long enough. I also don't have enough water to grow as much food as I'd like.
However I purchased exactly zero berries at the store last year, and we eat a lot of berries. That makes me happy.
I am impressed that you can grow such a large part of your food yourself.
I tend to refer to highly capable people as quick learners. I've noticed that it does not intimidate less scholarly people as much.
One of the things I have learned from a colleague who is very definitely very highly capable, is that there is such a wide range of differences in capacity within Mensa. The IQ ranges, for want of better terminology, can differ as widely as between people of average IQ and people that are at the threshold level of being eligible for Mensa. It makes sense, but I had never considered.
@J NL, A friend of mine asked me once why I'd never joined Mensa. I said, "I can't imagine why I'd want to."
@Rose,
I may be wrong but you strike me as someone who is firmly in the "don't expect me to think, feel, believe or act like you do" corner 😀
@J NL,
Yes, what you wrote is so true. My people are high IQ, but we're all just "blips" on the scale, and frankly, that makes me happy/relieved, which sounds awful. It isn't meant to be, it's just that I have a hard time keeping up with their learning needs as is. One of my best friends has sons who are significantly higher on the IQ scale and as we talk back and forth, I am astounded by how their brains cognate.
I do think, though, that homeschooling our kids has been a great fit.
Our youngest, for example--strongly earth and space science minded, but severely dyslexic.
So inspired by this story and the photos! Makes me feel I need to get out there and learn how to garden more.. .. we have a small suburban back yard and we built 2 square foot garden boxes but can’t seem to get the right light on the boxes .. need to tweak it some, and learn what we CAN grow.In our previous home, I had two garden boxes in perfect sun that produced a LOT of our food! In Arizona, we can garden year round.
My husband is quite handy but PLUMBING is always something we hire out. .just never goes good for us when we try to do our own plumbing! Except, when our ice maker went out on a perfectly good refrig.. it was easy to find repair instructions on youtube.Turns out there are only two kinds of ice makers! And they are super easy to replace with a YouTube video.Voila, a $90 ice maker,purchased online,and installed by dear husband saved our refrig,. From needing replacing! No plumber needed!
Love your blog,Kristin! The energy of the folks here who comment really make my day.No snark, no mean ness, just support and care.And INTERESTING stories and photos!!!! Thanks for sharing!
@Madeline,
Are you currently in Arizona?
I am a volunteer gardener at schools and other organizations, and I really enjoyed reading your post.
*quickly Googles "permaculture farm"*
Thanks for sharing with us, Denise! I have grown to love gardening and I really enjoyed reading about you and your garden and life! I'll have to do some more reading about permaculture gardening in the coming months. I think we incorporate a number of the principles already, but I enjoy looking for ways to improve our garden.
@Ruth T,
It's such a fun term and a fun way to garden. Basically, it's holistic in that in incorporates many techniques together.
For example:
Our cows graze a pasture. Then the goats graze it, as they eat different plants. Both fertilize the field with their manure.
In the fall, I let my daughter's chickens into my berry patch to get rid of insects that want to hibernate.
In the spring, I do the same. However, those berry-eating poultry are NOT allowed in the berry patch during summer. Haha
wow wow wow. what a beautiful post and an interesting life you lead. when hubby and i are on vacation we try to go to local theatre performances. some of them are real broadway quality. the surflight theatre on long beach island, nj comes to mind. we saw a fabulous performance of annie there. thank you for sharing. i absolutely agree with you that kristen's photos are top notch.
@Anita Isaac,
I really do enjoy small productions too. We have an exceptional children's theatre here. I love it.
I have had miniature sheep but have always wanted goats, so I envy you those animals. Your life seems so full of what seem like some of the best things in life to me: animals, gardens, a fully involved partner, children, the ability to provide the schooling best suited to their needs, and a location of beauty and remoteness. Congratulations on finding a way to make that all come true for you and your husband.
@Lindsey,
My most sincere thanks. We have worked hard to get here. It was deliberate long-term planning. It is rewarding.
Thank you so much for sharing, Denise - you and your family are remarkable!! I'm in awe... I also agree with you about how graciously Kristen manages to address sensitive topics and comments. Inspiring indeed 🙂
@Shelagh,
Thank you. I think we are all inspired by Kristen.
The first photo looks a lot like The Little Mermaid looking out from Copenhagen at the sea. Thanks for sharing your story!
Denise, your home and gardens are just beautiful. And that photo of the cheese and crackers is whetting my appetite!
It’s lovely to meet you and to hear about your life. I love the part of the country in which you live. It’s beautiful. I have spent some time in the panhandle of Idaho and visited Spokane several times. It’s filled with good thrift shops and vintage stores.
I think it is great that you are homeschooling your son. My adult son is also dyslexic with a high IQ. Unfortunately, his dad and I sent him to public school. There was very little support for homeschoolers in the early 90s. It was such a horrible experience for him and for us.
Thank you for sharing your frugal life.
@Bee, If I could do it all over again, I'd homeschool for ages 10 or so on. We had excellent local schools, but both my kids had terrible trouble in them. My daughter had zero friends growing up (and this is after I'd drunk the Flav-r-ade about children needing to be "socialized) and my son was extremely rebellious and had a few too many friends growing up. Both of them barely graduated, even though they won national competitions in Latin (my daughter won a state award in writing when she was five, for heaven's sake), and both had the highest SATs in school by some distance. Oh well, I thought I was doing right by them.
@Rose,
I am sorry you had that experience. Homeschooling is indeed a gift, and a privilege, (at least it has been in my experience). However, I am glad that, despite the hurdles, you seem to have maintained a good relationship with both of your children, which is a major blessing, indeed. I have seen and heard of so many children who are well "socialized" in public schools, but who, sadly, have zero relationships with their parents.
I love the idea of permaculture and have read about a lot, but have never had the time or space to do it. I admire that you are doing it so successfully!!
I think we must be "neighbors." I live 30 minutes from Spokane, and 5 minutes from Idaho. I also go to the Broadway plays in Spokane.
I love your gardens, and the iris is spectacularly beautiful.
Other than homeschooling, your life sounds very similar to the one in which I raised my family.
Denise, thank you for this fascinating look into your life! So beautiful.
Denise, I am so impressed with your gardening skills and success! In what ways do you preserve what you grow to eat during the winter season?
Kristen,
I can't grow melons. Our season is too short. Also peaches, for the same reason.
However, there are some arctic region foods that grow exceptionally here.
A short list: honeyberries, arctic kiwis, elderberry, tayberry, Oregon grape, aronia berry and salmon berry. None of these are mainstream foods, but they are all delicious and I grow all but salmon berry, which needs a woodland environment.