two things you should know about

Well, hello! It appears I took the summer off from blogging. :)

But I am back! And with some cool things to share....

First off, the apple book I spent the past two years shooting is out! And it's pretty darn beautiful, if I do say so myself. In the near future, I will be posting a whole bunch of photos that didn't make it into the book (due to page count), but first I wanted to mention this event. I know it's last minute but, if you can attend, it will be a great opportunity to meet Rowan, learn about rare apples, taste some cider and get your hands on one of these books. You won't be sorry.

Second, my farm to table workshop is coming up in one month, and it's pretty much full. HOWEVER, one of the registrants recently had to back out of her spot and she has generously asked that it be given to a person who would love to attend but doesn't have the funds right now. I am going to call this the "Peggy Scholarship." :)

If you would like to be considered for this free spot, please first make absolute sure you can attend. The class description is here. Second, send me an email (clare at clarebarboza dot com) with "Peggy Scholarship" in the subject line and tell me why you are interested in the class. I will be choosing a winner by September 18th.

More soon...

ticket update for october farm to table workshop...

Hello!

Just wanted to pop in quickly and tell y'all that I recently scheduled another Farm to Table Photography workshop, and it's happening October 2-5, 2014.

Like previous workshops, it will be in my favorite place- Whidbey Island, WA, and there will be  farm visits (a sheep farm and an organic vegetable farm), a trip to the local farmers market, food photography and styling sessions, great food and drink, and a big house where we will all stay.

As of now, there are only four ONE spot left, so get your ticket soon if you are interested in attending!

Tickets available HERE.

a little recap of the 2013 farm to table workshop

It's always so hard to write about my multi-day workshops after they end. Each group of students is so different and the class dynamic is always unique. This recent Farm to Table workshop was no exception.  Eleven women attended the 3-day event on Whidbey and all of them were, quite simply, AWESOME.

We visited and photographed 2 farms-- Willowood (which I wrote about here and here) and Little Brown, where the farm animals and students did some serious bonding, (photos below to prove it.) We also spent time at the Bayview Farmers Market, played with props, photographed a lot of produce and cheese, drank a good amount of wine, ate a lot of delicious food (thank you Sean, Joe, and Christine) and spent a fair amount of time laughing. It rocked.



Thank you to EVERYONE for helping to create such a magical weekend! Sending huge hugs to all of you. xo

{farm story} glendale shepherd

I recently got the opportunity to visit Glendale Shepherd, a small dairy on Whidbey Island, specializing in delicious sheep's milk cheese.

I'm having a hard time coming up with words to describe the beauty of this farm. The property, which has been in the Swanson family for 3 generations, is magical. Gorgeous, tall pine trees cover the grounds, with a winding pathway that leads down to the lower pasture and waterfront. There are numerous buildings on the property-- a tall, fort-like house that the family built themselves, a wood shop, a metal shop, a cheese-making facility, a greenhouse with a root cellar, a sewing room, and various barns. There are ample spaces for creativity, in addition to areas for practical work.

In short, I want to live there. :)

ebey's landing (and a barn)

During the lovely weekend on Whidbey I recently mentioned, Joe, Nina, and I went on a little hike at the amazingly STUNNING Ebey's Landing. If you are in the area, I cannot recommend a visit strongly enough. The trail from the parking lot winds up from the beach and onto a high bluff. Your walk is bordered on one side by woods (or farmland at the beginning) and the other by a steep cliff that overlooks Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains. It's overwhelmingly gorgeous-- I think I had a smile on my face the whole time.
I wish I had a "real" photo of the view from the top-- the only one I took was on my phone because I don't like dragging my heavy-ass camera on hikes-- but you can view some snapshots on my Instagram feed. (Oh, and I just found this youtube video that shows the amazing view.)

The shot below was taken on the beach before heading up the trail.


And the photo below....well, it has nothing at all to do with Whidbey or Ebey's Landing. I took it on our leisurely drive home. I have a thing for old barns. :)