June, 2023
There are lots of farms in the eastern part of Washington State, east of the Cascade Mountains. I suspect lots of people who do not live anywhere near Washington have heard about farms in eastern Washington (wheat, corn, hops, lentils, hay, sugar beets, etc), but there are large farms west of the Cascade Mountains in Washington too … blueberries, blackberries, wine grapes, asparagus, potatoes, corn, parsnips, tulips, christmas trees, and … marijuana, yes grown commercially and legally. Probably the largest area of farms in western Washington is in the Skagit River Valley. Bay View, where I was camped for this trip, is right smack dab in the middle of the lower end of that valley. So any time I drove anywhere this week, I drove past farms … farms of crops and farms of animals and farms of flowers (billions of tulips are grown here).
In the farms that are in the photos above and below, I don’t have a clue what the crops are. You’d think I would know since I live in Washington. But I was either a baby in a bassinette in north Seattle, or I was in Fargo, North Dakota (for 1 year), then in the Philippines (as a kid for six years), then I was on Whidbey Island (as a teenager), then in college over near Idaho, then I was in the big cities of Seattle or in Portland, Oregon (working), and then I was back in Washington but I owned those two boats for almost 30 years so I don’t know hardly anything about the land in Washington State. Now that I have this perfect travel trailer, I’m exploring the land in Washington for the first time in my life and I’m learning a lot about it.
Maybe you can help me learn what the crops are in the photos above and below!
Here are some close-ups of the plants growing in the fields above …
Ok, the photo below is not of a farm or crop. 🙂 But it shows the usual array of plants along side the road, or in yards or around buildings, where the native/natural plants are allowed to grow. We have a plethora of plants! Wild blackberries of course, but so much more. To people who aren’t “from around here”, these plants might look like weeds. To us, they are rich, lush, native plants and they belong here. Notice the pink flowers in the middle of the photo below.
They are either Pink Thistles, or Bull Thistles, or Scottish Thistles. Photos from online sources give proof to each of those three varieties. The online photos of each of those varieties look identical to me. Hmmm.
Some people think they are weeds. In fact, they are beautiful and they belong here.
Farms mean work. Sometimes lots of boring work … driving a tractor back and forth, back and forth, around and around and around and around. I hope people who drive tractors have great music to listen to, or pleasant thoughts to think about.
Ah, and then there are the barns!
What do you think? With all of the windows in the old barn above, maybe it was used for milk cows?
And then there are the cows (or cattle).
And lastly, a new barn below, likely used for hay or other feed, and other such storage as that. Although there is likely room on the ground floor for shelter for a few animals.
The photos above were taken in late June. Please let me know if you know what the crops are in the photos above. Those cattle won’t tell me anything!! 🙂
Photo #5, first closeup, looks like corn to me, really young corn. But isn’t it a bit late in the year to plant corn in late June, isn’t that when you were here? Corn should be planted just after the last frost, so I’ve always planted corn in my vegetable garden in early April here in western Washington, and I’ve always had great luck with that. By late June, my corn is a LOT taller than the corn in your closeup or in the field. I also plant when I do so to take advantage of spring rain here, and I’d think the commercial farmer would too. Hmmm. 🙂
Love the pink thistles.
I figured it wasn’t corn because of how late in the year it must have been planted. But maybe they do things differently here, eh? When I’ve had vegetable gardens, my corn is planted asap after the last frost, just like you. Thanks for your knowledge and input about corn, Lisa, makes sense to me!
I found this website that lists the crops grown commercially in Skagit Valley, https://www.westag.org/our-crops. It’s impressive! I thought at first I would go find photos of each crop and see what that tall green thing is in one of your closeups, but there are too many on the list. 🙂 I hope someone else reading here already knows what that tall green thing is.
I like those pink thistles too, and the cows, and the fact that you always have fun and learn things. Really appreciate all the work this must be to produce this blog. I did one for awhile on woodworking and I sure know how much work it takes to do this. Thank you!
Wow, thank you Olivia! Great website. And yes, ha, I thought about researching each of those plants listed too and quickly decided not to since I hoped someone here could identify the other plant in my photos.
Yep, it takes quite a bit of time to produce these blog posts, but I sure have fun doing it, and reading the comments, and learning from everyone. You are welcome. 🙂
I’m like you, I’ve been a boater for so many years that I don’t know anything about the land. But I like those pink thistles (yes they are everywhere here!), and I like that photo of the two cows (cattle?), his horns look weird, but maybe that’s natural? And of course the barns are great.
Oh now there’s another question … what kind of cattle are those with those weird horns? I think the cattle are Herefords. And I’m pretty sure the horns are not curved naturally, but in my youth I saw farmers put weights on the tips of the horns when the bull is young in order to make the horns curl down and inward, which makes it safer for the other cattle and the people who work with those bulls. Heifers (females) have their horns removed soon after birth. That’s what I think I know. 🙂
Barns, pink thistles, cows. Great stuff. 🙂
🙂 Thanks Cindy.
Yes, first closeup is corn. Have no idea what the other two are/is, I think they are the same plant tho, just that one has a tall plant coming out of it? The leaves look the same in both photos. Love the pink thistles and the cows and the barns, and the fun and interesting things you find on your trips. Thanks. 🙂
I went to ETI in Chilliwack and looked at trailers! I really like them! Still saving my money for a bit yet before I buy one, but it just might be an Escape Trailer. 🙂
Ok, with your say-so too, corn it is. Now that you mention it, the leaves do look the same in both of those other photos, I hadn’t noticed that. More info coming about that from another reader (or two) below.
You went to ETI? Super!! 🙂 I hope they treated you well. There are two or three things about my trailer that I wish were different, but I’ve never found any other trailer that fits what I want any where near as closely as my Escape 21 does. So I’m happy to live with the very few things that I would have done differently. And, buying from ETI (in BC, Canada) means that we here in the USA get the advantage of the exchange rate and difference in dollar value. Keep saving those dollars, Emily, but not too long … time’s awasting. 🙂
That tall green plant is spinach that is going to seed, growing a stalk with seeds on it. Both of those two closeups are spinach, first photo is plants that have not yet gone to seed, second closeup is the stalk that is producing seeds. Don’t know if this whole field will be allowed to go to seed such that the farmer is selling spinach SEED, and not spinach LEAVES. The flavor of the leaves changes to quite an unpleasant taste once the plant goes to seed. But spinach seeds are a definite commercial crop. Hmm, on the other hand, this might be two different fields, maybe one was planted earlier and the plants have been allowed to grow the stalks and go to seed (the second of these two closeups) so that farmer is selling seed — and the other/first closeup of spinach is a different field that was planted later and might be harvested just for the leaves. Great photos! 🙂
Spinach! I figured if anyone here would know what it was, it would be you Ruby. Thank you! And great info about the different path of growing spinach for the leaves vs growing spinach for the seeds. Must admit, those photos of that plant might have been taken on different days, so maybe they were from two different fields. The tall plants looked so different to/from any other plants I’d seen, that maybe it was a completely separate field. Hmm, maybe I’ll keep better track in the future.
Great comment! 🙂
Farm stuff is always great to read about. I didn’t know so many crops were grown in western Washington. More to learn! Great photos of the cattle and the barns and the fields. You gotta get to know the cattle before they’ll talk to you. 🙂
LOL! Thanks Tim. Next time, I’ll introduce myself before trying to discuss anything with the cattle. 🙂
Corn yes. I don’t know spinach. Does it grow in Nebraska? Fascinating info about it though. Ok, how many RV blogs do you know (or their readers) that talk about spinach plants going to seed? I love this. 🙂
I love this too. Any time I have a question, someone here always has the answer, already has the knowledge. I love that. Everyone’s comments sure add to this blog. And yet … hmmm, I don’t know if spinach grows in Nebraska or not. I bet it grows in people’s own personal gardens, but I don’t know if it’s grown commercially or not in Nebraska. Nebraska grows a lot of stuff that the rest of eat, that’s for sure!
After extensive online research (ok maybe 2 minutes), I found the following info. California produces the largest amount of spinach leaves in the USA. Washington State isn’t even listed on most websites but it is mentioned on some. So you may have found just about the only spinach field/s in Washington. On the other hand, I can’t find any information online (in those 2 minutes) about where spinach SEEDS are grown for commercial production. Maybe farmers harvest the leaves to fill that quota, then they leave the rest to go to seed? We need a professional spinach farmer here! 🙂
Ha! Nebraska, I usually post here before you do, you beat me this time. 🙂
That’s ok Nevada, I gotta let you go first once in a while! 🙂 We often post about the same time don’t we.
🙂 Loved your comment about doing “extensive research maybe 2 minutes”. Isn’t that the way these days? Made me grin and chuckle, Nevada. Yes, we need a professional spinach farmer here. And … your research paid off and is interesting and more stuff I didn’t know. And more questions.
Well, “Nebraska” comes first alphabetically before “Nevada”. I have noticed that the two of you often comment on the same day. I think that’s cool. 🙂
I took a look at the link that Olivia shared here. Yes indeed, spinach is on the list of crops grown in western Washington. Although it has an asterisk after it that means there is less than 10 acres of it, so it is considered a small crop. Maybe the photos you took, Ann, are of the only farm that grows spinach commercially in western Washington? You find the best puzzles for us to solve. 🙂
Of course, I love the pink thistles and want them to be Scottish Thistles. 🙂
Aye, pink thistles! 🙂
Pink thistles.
Cows/cattle.
Barns.
In that order. 🙂
Perfect. 🙂 Thanks Marge.
I’m a little late posting this. We were visiting my sister who lives in Skagit Valley and I asked her about these pictures. Her responses first picture was the same as mine: ” can’t really tell from this picture, but looks like potatoes”. (But it might be spinach.😄 ) Lots of potatoes are grown in this area..
The corn is pretty obvious. It is very very sweet corn, wonderful fresh. Back when I was in college, I worked in the cannery (frozen food,actually) and harvest started late September/early October and of course planting was staggered.
Priscilla and Anne both identified the spinach. Evidently spinach seed is a local crop.
Finally, we always called my pink flowers Canada/Canadian thistle. They grew in the vacant lot that was our softball field and our croquet Court and general playground. Yes, they are pretty, but stepping on one with bare feet…😫😲!!
How cool! Thank you Fritzi! You and your family know so much about so many things. Ok, potatoes, now that I know to look up images of potato plants, it does indeed look like a field of potatoes. And as many years as I’ve lived here, I never knew about spinach seed being grown here. My readers are the best.
Ok, I just looked at a bunch of photos of “Canada thistle” and it is a real thing, a known plant, and it does look exactly like what’s in my photos, so that answers that! 🙂 And no, I wouldn’t want to step on one. Ouch!
Thank you, this was great. 🙂