The Joys of Living on a Small Farm
By Karen Pickering
In the Pacific Northwest it’s sometimes difficult to appreciate the beautiful greenery we enjoy in the spring and summer months. The seemingly endless days of rain and darkness have us wishing for warmer and drier weather. However, I love where we live and appreciate the fact we rarely have really bad weather. Our climate is pretty mild and certainly great riding in the summer months. And there’s no doubt why we have so many covered arenas in our region. Our biggest challenge is mud.
Thankfully we have great resources to help us plan and manage our horse properties. In 2018 I was able to take advantage of a generous grant from Whatcom Conservation District and have two O2 compost bins built. The forced air system processes the manure much faster and leaves me with beautiful mulch for gardens and spreading on the fields. It also protects the water by keeping the bins covered in rainy weather so the nutrients don’t wash away or pollutants enter the nearby streams. It’s certainly a great way to manage manure. I look forward to sharing the experience and what I’ve learned in an upcoming issue. Feel free to call me if you’d like to stop by for a visit and see the system.
The thing I love most about my acreage is the location. I’m close enough to town to walk or ride to the bank. I have a beautiful park minutes from my house and I still feel like I’m in the country. It’s the best of both worlds! Shoot me an email at [email protected] and let me know what you like best about your acreage if you live on a farm. I’ll share the results!
March is full of great events. I will be at an event nearly every weekend in March. We start off with the Washington State Horse Expo, March 1-3, followed by the Small Farm Expo on March 9, then the Northwest Horse Fair & Expo, March 22-24. Stop by our booth for a chance to win an assortment of fun prizes, horse care products, books, shopping bags and more! I will also have a Haygain steamer on display. My horses love the steamed hay. So many health benefits too!
I look forward to seeing you on the trail! Have a great time at all these horse events! And remember to send me an email or message letting me know what you like best about your horse property.
Quote: “Dreams come a size too big so that we can grow into them.” – Josie Bisset, Actress
Owner / Publisher | Canfield Certified Trainer
Karen Pickering is a lifelong horsewoman and the founder of The Northwest Horse Source, which began in 1995 as a small equine newsletter and grew into a respected industry publication. With more than 30 years of experience serving the horse community, Karen now focuses on helping equine businesses and organizations build visibility, credibility, and lasting relationships through online marketing, digital promotion, and educational platforms.
As a Canfield Certified Trainer, she blends proven success principles with real-world industry experience, supporting both businesses and individuals navigating change in today’s digital landscape. Karen remains deeply connected to the horse industry and is passionate about serving the community she has helped build for over three decades.
