I arrived at Dog Song Farm in Skamokawa (pronounced skamuckaway, and meaning smoke on the water) and immediately liked my hosts, Evan and Sarah, just a few years older than myself, and trying to make a go of farming for themselves on a farm leased from someone else as they couldn't afford to buy their own place. Both of them were extremely knowledgeable and had years of previous experience working on commercial farms, which I really appreciated and both were extremely down to earth. There was another Wwoofer staying there - Marcella from Australia, which I thought was funny as most Americans ask if I am Australian. We spent our time harvesting from the farm and selling at the farmers market in Astoria (where the Goonies was filmed and it does look like that) interspersed with visiting their very nice friendly neighbours, exploring the local area, swimming in the Columbia river - or should I say washing (I had my first shower in three weeks the other day) discussing the economics of small scale farming, discussing the state of the world, history, and the use of horses on farms. I learned all sorts of things about companion planting, crop rotation, fruit and vegetables, market gardening etc. I loved digging up the potato plants and finding a nest of treasure beneath the soil! I also had a window into viewing the world in a completely different way, and I think my stay there has shaped my thoughts in a different direction, which is always beneficial!
Skamokawa was an amazing place, very beautiful, lush valleys full of grasses as tall as me and some with cattle grazing, winding rivers and creeks, and wooded hills. It felt removed from reality in many ways, a place that had been truly forgotten, there were beautiful barns in true American fashion with huge roofs made from cedar shingles which were silver with age; there were ruined falling down houses all over the place, and at night the coyotees sang. The area had been thriving at the turn of the last century with the timber industry, salmon fishing in the Columbia, fish canning, and a small community thriving. There were no roads and all access was by boat, the buildings all face the water, the children would paddle themselves to school in boats, the house wives would go to market by steamer in Astoria, and the milk and cream was award winning. In the thirties all this changed; most of the old growth forest had been harvested, the salmon had been over fished, it was the depression years, damns were built on the Columbia, and roads were built through the town linking it to the wide world. Now most people hurtle pass on route four and see a peculiar town, (the road takes in the backs of buildings) and miss the quiet places off the main route, and miss the beauty of the place. I feel so lucky to have stayed there and got to know it. The community who live there are all very welcoming and friendly, we went out more than I have done in a few years at least!
Skamokawa was an amazing place, very beautiful, lush valleys full of grasses as tall as me and some with cattle grazing, winding rivers and creeks, and wooded hills. It felt removed from reality in many ways, a place that had been truly forgotten, there were beautiful barns in true American fashion with huge roofs made from cedar shingles which were silver with age; there were ruined falling down houses all over the place, and at night the coyotees sang. The area had been thriving at the turn of the last century with the timber industry, salmon fishing in the Columbia, fish canning, and a small community thriving. There were no roads and all access was by boat, the buildings all face the water, the children would paddle themselves to school in boats, the house wives would go to market by steamer in Astoria, and the milk and cream was award winning. In the thirties all this changed; most of the old growth forest had been harvested, the salmon had been over fished, it was the depression years, damns were built on the Columbia, and roads were built through the town linking it to the wide world. Now most people hurtle pass on route four and see a peculiar town, (the road takes in the backs of buildings) and miss the quiet places off the main route, and miss the beauty of the place. I feel so lucky to have stayed there and got to know it. The community who live there are all very welcoming and friendly, we went out more than I have done in a few years at least!
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