Recently, I have been on a “get smarter” kick of sorts.
I have completed a couple of online courses and attended a few workshops. All were focused on agriculture in one way or another.
Also, I recently took a local excursion to take part in a tour of Burnt Ridge Nursery and Orchards. I have bought a few things from them over the years, but I did not really know that much about them.
So, when I saw an advertisement for their farm tour, I decided to give it a shot.
July 18 was a nice sunny day, on the warm side, but not too hot, and not one of our “dripping days,” which would have definitely dampened our spirits. I arrived shortly before the tour was to start, figuring I could wander and shop afterwards if something caught my eye during the tour.
Owned by Michael and Carolyn Dolan, Burnt Ridge Nursery is very different from what many people think of as a typical nursery. The tour is not for limited mobility folks, and when they tell you to wear good, sturdy walking shoes for the tour — there is a reason.
Carolyn greeted our tour group and sort of set the mood, and then Michael took over, leading the group (limited in size, so you have to RSVP with a nominal fee) through a forest of plant life.
Michael wears a head set, but one warning — don’t get stuck at the tail end of the group when it gets strung out through the trees, as with others talking and occasional glitches in the sound projection, which has distance limitations, you will miss part of the knowledge Michael is passing on.
Stick close — the man is a walking, talking encyclopedia and is very willing to share his knowledge.
Michael and Carolyn bought the 20-acre property outside of Onalaska in 1980 with a goal of having every fruit and nut tree that grows in the Pacific Northwest. Quite a goal!
Over the years, they have installed coolers to hold root stock and other plants for shipping and a commercial kitchen. They have expanded to include their own winery. They sell their plants, produce, wines and jams on site and at the Olympia Market, through a co-op, wholesale and mail order. A large part of their sales is nursery stock.
The property is located at an elevation of 1,100 feet with mountain views that occasionally peek out as you wander around the hillside. The soil is of volcanic origin, and they use low tillage techniques in order to protect the microphagy naturally occurring in the soil.
They aim to protect, and work within, the natural ecosystem.
When they logged an area, the trees were cut at ground level and debris was left on the ground. They planted amongst the existing roots, etc. They operate 100% organically. As you take the tour, you may get the feeling there is no rhyme or reason to how it is laid out.
But there truly is.
Michael considers the lay of the land, the direction the slope is facing, the trees in the area providing shade at various times of the day, what needs pollinators, what needs or tolerates heavier soils, moisture levels of the soil, etc.
At times it felt like an unmanaged jungle, but it is actually all pretty carefully planned out.
So, walking around we saw and learned about wild hazelnut, then black elderberry and its health benefits. Next was hardy kiwi, and then jostaberry, gooseberry, currents, aronia berry and mulberry. We saw a paw paw tree and learned it is the largest fruit native to the U.S.
We all know the story of Johnny Appleseed, but few people know the one apple native to Washington is the Swamp Crabapple and that it likes clay soil. It makes good root stock for Western Washington areas. More native U.S. plants? Pecans (one of my favorite nuts — OK, I admit I like just about any kind of nut), blueberries (lots of them available locally this time of year) and sunflowers — a favorite for a lot of gardeners and florists.
Michael, as I said, is a fountain of knowledge. He showed us a butternut tree — directly descended from THE George Bush Butternut in Tumwater. Bush was an African-American veteran of the war of 1812 who came to this area in 1845 and founded Tumwater. Nobody knows for sure if Bush brought a seedling tree or if he brought seeds that he then planted. The tree was thought to be the oldest Butternut in the U.S. and possibly in the world. It was damaged during a 2015 windstorm and collapsed in 2021, but Michael said there is a new tree starting from it. The Bush homestead is now owned by Bush Prairie Farm, a land trust, on the edge of the Olympia airport.
The culmination of the tour was a fruit sample plate of currently ripening fruits from the nursery — and a delicious fruit popsicle. Mulberries are currently ripe, so we got to sample different varieties. I did not grow up eating mulberries. I have heard of them but really knew nothing about them. I found out I like them, and when I get a spot ready, I will be back to Burnt Ridge to buy one or two for my yard.
Michael and Carolyn have another tour scheduled for Sept. 12 (actually two tours on the same day).
If you are interested, go to their website at burntridgenursery.com and reserve your spot. I just checked and, at this point, there is still room in both time slots.
You will learn, sample some yummy produce and possibly walk away with new plants for your yard.
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Maureen Harkcom grew up on a Lewis County dairy and operated a beef and native hay operation and developed an equine competition facility. She is a past president of Lewis County Farm Bureau and a current member of Washington Farm Bureau Board of Directors. She can be reached by email at maureen.harkcom@gmail.com.
