From Fall Harvest to Spring Dreams

We’re finishing up another growing season here at Sister Sage Farms, and fall has definitely arrived. This week we’re harvesting valerian root, while our apple and pear trees have given us more fruit than we know what to do with.

We’ve had some absolutely beautiful fall days on the farm. The temperatures are getting cooler, the light is changing, and not too far away in the Cascade Mountains, the larches are putting on their autumn show of gold, red, and brown. It’s that time of year when everything seems to be slowing down—but around here, there’s still plenty to do.

Getting to the farm has been pretty spectacular, too. The ferry ride from Fauntleroy to Vashon Island has been especially beautiful this fall, with that incredible autumn light and views of Mt. Rainier (Tahoma) rising in the distance. We keep watching the water for Vashon’s resident orcas, but so far, no luck. We’re still looking!

Life On The Farm

Of course, growing herbs is only part of having a farm. We’ve spent what feels like an enormous amount of time repairing our fence in a possibly unsuccessful attempt to convince the deer that Sister Sage Farms is not their personal all you can eat salad bar.

We’ve also been making repairs to our little tea shack and storage shed, working on the roads, and generally fixing all the things that a season of weather, plants, animals, and people can throw at a small farm.

And then there’s the harvest. Along with the valerian, we harvested calendula and tons of apples and pears from our trees. Many of the apples will probably make their way back across the water with us to the kids at the kindergarten at Pike Place Market.

From the Farm to the Bottle

Back at Sister Sage, harvest season also means making herbal remedies. We’ve been busy with brand-new tinctures, including fresh batches of Dream On and Holy Mama.

This is one of our favorite parts of what we do at Sister Sage: following the process from the plants growing on our Vashon Island farm, through harvest, and eventually into the bottles and tins that make their way to you. It really is from seed to remedy.

And Somehow, We’re Already Thinking About Spring

Even while we’re harvesting valerian and putting the farm to bed for winter, we’re already talking about next spring.

One thing we’re especially excited about is creating more opportunities for people to volunteer at the farm next year. There is always something to plant, weed, harvest, repair—or apparently protect from deer—and we’d love to bring more people into that part of Sister Sage.

For now, though, we’re enjoying these last golden days of the season, making remedies, watching the mountains from the ferry, and keeping one eye on the water for those orcas.

Fall harvest always feels a little like an ending, but on a farm it’s really the beginning of whatever comes next. Exciting changes for us in 2027!