Tornado Hits Our Farm

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Due to the difficult weather this spring, with late frosts followed by intense early heatwaves, our farm has a lull in its focal flower production that makes it so we don't have enough to be worth going to the Farmer's market this week. We decide to make the most of a bad situation and head off to Seattle to explore Washington state and the big city in a super road trip adventure. But the weather problems don't stop there, as when we leave our farm is hit by a little tornado that is strong enough to destroy one of our greenhouses. Luckily nobody was in the greenhouse when it happened, and so nobody got hurt, but the stress of being away from the farm hits us again. When we return from our travels, can we get back on track with the markets? How will we deal with the difficulties of farm life? You will have to watch the video to find out!
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Ian and Serina of YOU CANT EAT THE GRASS feel that every small change can make a big difference to the world we live in. Every garden planted leads to a better future. We hope to inspire and motivate others to make positive changes in their lives by sharing our journey towards greater sustainability as we build our family farm. It's hard work to build a life worth living, and completely worth it!
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[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Thanks for all the kind comments. We have been busy on the farm, so we don't have time to get back to all the comments, but I wanted to share some details about the tunnel, that I saw asked multiple time. We do have insurance on the farm that would cover damage to structures like this (as well as liability insurance). But, these tunnels are actually very affordable. That is why I spoke about the lack of crop damage as being so important - a few good harvests will cover the cost of the replacement. Finding the time to deal with this will be a nuisance, but only because we would rather spend our time on growing or making videos. The tunnel cost about $2500, and our insurance deductible is pretty similar. We will also be able to salvage about half of the tunnel, so we aren't worry about replacing it. It's not in the video, but when we first found out about this damage, the thing I was the most concerned about, was what happened to my shade cloth. The shade cloth for the tunnels costs about the same as a new tunnel. The shade cloth was fine - it maybe has some small damage, but nothing I can't fix. As meatloaf says "2 out of 3 ain't bad", so saving the shade cloth and crops ain't bad. Finally, we actually have a tunnel waiting to get put up. And we have been talking about moving the tunnels to further up the farm.

[@lindaparra6002]

God bless you all and keep you healthy and safe❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@saramonder]

You guys deserve a nice vacation

[@teresaswanson1850]

So glad you enjoyed Seattle!❤ and so sorry about your greenhouse 😢

[@MySGarden]

You should crowd fund for a new tunnel. I bet ppl would help you

[@lisagee2789]

Great idea to help the farm recover. Crowd funding is something I would love to participate in to get Ian and Serena back on track as soon as possible !

[@delphine88313]

Love when little man said " i faced my fears " .That should be on a tee-shirt. ❤

[@ginnysulya9805]

Thankful you weren’t at the farm to be injured! Enjoy your time off! ❤️🌸🌸❤️

[@PianoVideoLessons]

Nice you had a holiday! PS Borage wanted me to tell you that it's a self-seeding wildflower, (not a weed. 😊)

[@nessidoe8080]

Here in Germany borage is an herb! Most people like it in cucumber salad and it's one if the seven herbs in "Frankfurter Grüne Sauce" a dish Goethe used to enjoy (and many germans around Frankfurt eat it in spring even today).

[@samgreason4449]

So glad everyone was okay. Maybe you guys were meant to be away that day--or you could have been inside. And thankfully the employees weren't either. And that rebar being bent is just insane. Hope you guys can build it up again without too much pain to the wallet and your time!

[@southernparadise9896]

Based on the damage, I’d say your hoop house suffered from a phenomenon called straight line winds. I’ve had it happen to me and it picked up a 30’ animal shelter and threw it 100’ but caused no other damage. I’m so sorry it happened to you. Mother Nature has an odd sense of humor. Glad you got to get away though. ❤️

[@raduradu1252]

That s a stupid comment

[@a.p.5429]

I'm in NC. We've had straight line wind sheer too. Causes insane damage...in one direction.

[@toniasgarden3550]

Thank God it wasn’t your house- and thank God the kids weren’t there. Of course- thank God Nellie wasn’t in the greenhouse! Greenhouses can be replaced… Your priorities are in the right spot! I’m so happy to see you guys get out as a family. Thank you for taking us along.

[@vivherman2296]

Oh No!! This crazy weather! The strength of that wind to bend the rebar....glad your home wasn't damaged or anyone hurt. Materials can be replaced...lives can't! Are all the cats ok? So nice you got to take a break...and had your worker bees to help out . How wonderful for you guys!! My small market going well here.

[@ECole-le7we]

Was it a tornado or a microburst? I had never heard of the latter until a microburst came through our neighborhood this month and took out a 30 ft. (about) holly tree we had since 2006. The great news is that when the tree came down, it didn't hit our house or our neighbor's house, and no one was injured. The next dat, I stood looking at the fallen giant wondering what I would put in its place - as if it could be replaced in my heart. That's when I had an epiphany. Before the tree company came to remove it a few days later, I saved several limbs with attached berries for propagation! So my initial sadness at losing our old friend, the holly tree, has turned into excitement about that same tree possibly coming back to us. I will know for sure if and when I see new roots. Lemonade anyone?

[@woodchuck9]

🤗 I hope insurance might cover some costs. 🤞 Loved the editing btw, the cutting sounds with the music was enjoyable. Not sure if it was deliberate, but it was fun😄

[@paisleyjane9606]

Borage is an herb, not a weed. A volunteer plant of it is brightening up my broccoli bed right now and the bees are as delighted with it as I am. There was some in one daughter's wedding bouquet. Looked beautiful!

[@florneiers5651]

I am so sorry about your farm. I love your videos. You are both so hard working people. I’m glad you got to enjoy some time away with your family. That is a precious time. May you both stay strong and continue with your flower farm.🌸♥️🌸

[@teresaedwards3659]

Serina and Ian, I'm so sorry to hear of your damage. However ,I have no doubt you guys will come back stronger. I have been watching since you moved there , I have enjoyed your channel , your farm and that area. Good for you for taking a trip. I grew up in a suburb of Seattle, and I enjoyed vacations to the Okanagan! I hope you had a good experience in Seattle and the whole trip, it sure looked like it! I am 63yrs old and you have inspired me to keep on growing! I love your positive, realistic, resilient attitude. THANKS FOR SHARING😎

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Seattle was fun, we took the kids to the children's museum as well and they had a really good time

[@kele1264]

oh geez. You know, you couldn't have done a thing about the tornado if you were home. So don't regret going on vacation. It is what it is and you have a great employee who cares and will do what she can to mitigate that situation. She is a KEEPER! Thank goodness the tornado didn't take out the house or any of the buildings or their roofs. You made a great recovery. Sorry about the disappointing market. You're right, attitude is everything. To be grateful for what you've got, and to be able to pick up and carry on! Love the kitty lovin'! Dusty is such a snuggle bunny! Ian, you and your cherries. I'm so jealous! I love cherries!

[@WMHhomestead]

We had a tornado hit our homestead a few years ago and it was legitimately traumatizing! We had so much damage that it changed our whole infrastructure plan

[@tamaradavis4054]

Tornadoes are completely unpredictable and they hop. Grateful no one injured and the crops barely touched. Remain steadfast. You both are hardworking and strong.

[@lindaparra6002]

At minute 19 the music is so perfect! Thank you for sharing this video. I love your flowers........Blessings!

[@marypritchett115]

You should have a farm meeting with your cats about that vole damage. 🙀

[@osmia]

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[@altheab.8907]

So sorry you had this terrible weather event, Serina. Glad you are able to look at the bright side….no one got hurt….and stay positive. 💖😊👍

[@millennialbuddhism2619]

i know ive said it before but its so satisfying when the snips match the music lol. Hope you guys had fun in my hometown of Seattle!

[@brucecarr5411]

My wife loves your vegetable overalls! Where did you get them? We live in New Brunswick and have a farm stand... enjoy your show! Keep up the good work!

[@kelleyforeman]

Kitten kisses do always help! Hugs ❤️

[@hillfarm7044]

Same thing happened once when we left our farm for a weekend. The wind pulled up the roof on the new tractor shed. Hard not to feel like you are getting punished for taking a break. Here in Vermont we are dealing with flooding and all the mess that brings, luckily we are on a hill.

[@LanasTieDyes]

I would love to see a just yarrow bouquet, with all of the different colors

[@belindapickthall9839]

Have you considered placing something else in your stand such as for winter markets sell umbrella,socks,mittens scraves and beanies, gumboots and summer, sun hats, jewellery body creams so you are not ever fully reliant on flower sales. You guys work so hard, I pray for your success.🌻

[@pri.sci.lla.]

I’m eating cherries while watching this but I hope to one day be able to pick them off of my own trees 😍

[@mariagillinson8527]

Life work balance exactly… you so deserve it!

[@hopeliveshere1121]

I love the fact that the flower farmer went on vacation and bought flowers

[@juliahelland6488]

When you get 🍋 you make lemonade and all is good! I'm glad the damage was minimal. 💯❣️

[@americafirst5773]

Glad your all good, sorry. About the damage, God’s speed with repairs…

[@jeremygavard8871]

Im happy to see the Rudbeckia is started!

[@murrrriel]

Borage is also an edible flower! it tastes like sweet cucumber

[@rina2072]

Вітаю! Я дуже рада, що ви живі та здорові після торнадо. Це велика вдача, що ніхто не постраждав. Впевнена, що ви відновите теплицю. Бажаю вам вдачі і віри у власні сили! Успіхів!

[@MimiGardens]

We had a tree come down on our garden last June due to high winds. I remember feeling very blessed with where it landed and how little we actually lost.

[@kathrynplett8386]

God protected you folks! So glad you were away when that tornado came thru.

[@texartisanstudios]

Sorry about your tunnel. See if you can find a welder in your town to assess the situation and salvage the metal structure. My husband is a welder and he would find a way to set it back up. Might have to buy some new parts, but might save you some money. Good Luck!

[@heyy13]

I am so glad the damage was limited and noone was hurt. Wishing you the best.

[@drydockflowerfarm9098]

So sorry that you lost the hoop house. But very glad you got to get away to recharge. You have a great way of looking at things. So glad no one was hurt. Just keep moving forward.

[@bhavens9149]

You could NOT have done anything about the tornado if you had been home, Glad you're okay enjoy your vacation!

[@idoitforchina]

Praying the rest of this season goes more smoothly for y’all! You seem like the sweetest family 💖

[@fairyprairiefarm]

I feel you. We’re in Arkansas. The arctic blast killed my first crop. It stormed on 5-1, ripped the tunnel roof loose and flipped ALL my trays. 6 weeks later the tunnel, reinforced with wood. 60mPH winds ripped the roof off AGAIN. I’m over it. 😬

[@farrenadellestudio]

“By thinking positively and that being focused on the future and being focused on moving forward, that is what it’s gonna take to be able to do hard things.” I’m feeling supremely tested recently as well and your perspective really hit home. Also, those overalls are so fly. 🕺🏻

[@MySGarden]

You passed 100 cars before you pulled in. That's not very Canadian of you 😂😂😂😂😂❤ that is so accurate

[@amberjeanne9308]

Such a blessing you were away

[@LifeHomeandGardenwithAnaRica]

Great to see you guys on vacation! You all deserved it!

[@rickyt3961]

it will get better! push through, persevere, and endure. easier said than done that's why you persevere and endure the struggle.

[@markmyart]

You make the most beautiful bouquets ever! I do have to say here in the USA we don’t say Gyro like the Greek sandwich. We say it with an "a" as in Yarrow.

[@kelleyforeman]

We do?? I the Midwest, we say yee-row.

[@VirginiaFlowerFarm]

A BLESSING no one was hurt- and your farm didn’t face too much damage. Praise the good lord! Looks like you had a nice trip as well ❤

[@cloverdo-over2541]

So happy for you that no one was injured and that you were able to get some family r&r. I have mad faith that you will find a way to make it all work. And those veggie overalls are AMAZING! ❤

[@maureenbrophy7852]

Great idea to go on a holiday. You all needed it. Memories go the kids Sorry about you green house. But u said it well , nobody was hurt. I think you will have a great summer selling flowers🌼🌾👍🥰

[@donnaj1049]

Take some cuttings of your "favorite" daisy and propagate your own plugs to plant out or are they big enough to divide yet? Just a thought. So sorry you lost your hoop house! Happy no one was hurt is the most important thing. Oh, BTW, you are so much braver than I, as you would not catch me out at night picking flowers. Fear of the dark, even with a head lamp!

[@eyrerosecottage1970]

We love Leavenworth and often go there in November for my birthday. And Pikes place market is so cool to walk through! I'm glad you were able to go on a fun vacation as a family. Sorry about the hoophouse damage!!!

[@paigeshirk4502]

Borage wants you to know that it isn't just a random weed. It's actually an edible wildflower/herb that tastes sort of like cucumber. Some people use it in salads and cocktails. The plant self-seeds and it's pretty fabulous! P.S. there's white borage as well with white flowers and green foliage if you ever want to plant a different variety of borage 😁

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

I love borage and snack on it all the time!

[@paigeshirk4502]

@@YouCantEatTheGrass me too! So good!

[@jenniferfahnestock450]

Leavenworth is adorable! Dim sum, yes!!!!! Emotions..... Handled!

[@sjwestmo]

‘That’s not very Canadian’ means so much. It’s a good citizen only rivaled by the ‘Minnesota nice’

[@Michelle_L1974]

I love your overalls! Where did find such cute patterned ones?

[@anniinglucksdorf960]

So glad fore you that you managed to make the most out of a week that could easily have made you feeling low. Much to leanr from your perspective on things. Loved seeing you enjoy yourself! And it makes me very happy for you hardworking people to see the roadsidestand succeed. Must feel very rewarding, especially since I imagine it to be the most comfortable way for you to sell the flowers. Looking forward to summer aboundance!

[@kellymcdonald9396]

Ah you were in my neighborhood! Hope you had a fantastic time. So glad you are all safe!

[@ellenmartin4509]

Great vlog and great editing! I loved the market shots and the harvesting shots timed to the music! I could just watch you walking around naming flowers all day.

[@jucjuc314]

You guys think so positive, you should teach it! I am happy I can learn some of that from you, while learning about flowers 🤗 Greetings, Judit

[@radhikam2401]

Love your cup half full attitude. Got me out of my funk. Thanks a lot. Your thanks button isn’t enabled. Maybe you guys should enable that? So we can thank you for your awesome videos.

[@renevague3]

I love seeing your cats! Especially all of the cuddles and the luxurious kitty massage at the end 😻 Reframing and learning to make the most of what we've got is a very valuable skill. Like you said, you can guarantee bad things will happen, but after acknowledging that this sucks and isn't what you wanted, you don't necessarily have to let that be the end of the story. I'm glad you guys gave yourselves a little break, and that the tornado missed the house and cooler and nobody got hurt. We lost a beloved mango tree and nearly flooded from Hurricane Irma. A few years later the replacement mango survived a tornado, and less than a year after that we were extremely lucky to have minimal damage after getting walloped by Hurricane Ian. We were in the house for all 3 events and it was pretty scary! I hope the weather cooperates and you can get a replacement greenhouse back up without too much trouble. Thank you for the kitty footage 😸

[@mariaj3263]

2:05 nooo, keep driving in the open lane and then zipper at the actual lane merge! I used to move over early too but then my sister explained the "zipper" system and there are videos that show it helps reduce the traffic backlog if everyone uses both lanes until the merge site. It's not being rude, it's being efficient!

[@osmia]

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[@patriciawhalen1023]

Love to watch you and your kids on an outing.

[@TanjaHermann]

Pike Place Market in Seattle is one of my favorite places in the US. Got introduced to Chukar Cherries there and the addiction never stopped ;-)

[@jacquelinewhittaker4651]

Thanks for sharing the wonderful scenery on your trip. Too far for me visit from northern England.😊

[@MrsLovelyPendragon]

Snip to the beat 🎶 💃🏻 🕺🏻🎶💃🏻🕺🏻🎶💃🏻🕺🏻LOVE IT

[@helenpetersen7174]

Love that you visited a library on your holiday. I would so do that. Ha ha ha, glad there was minimal damage to your farm. Wow, wind is wicked. Thanks for sharing your trip. :D

[@natasha1369]

Good on you for such a level headed attitude😉

[@firehorsewoman414]

Ian you crack me up. ❤ Your question, “Does this count as vacation yet?” is the adult version of, “Are we there yet?”

[@ivylll3397]

Happy to see you guys taking a short vacation. It's still got lots of days to the end of season; got to keep spirits up😊 (love the blue & white bouquet too! Is that chrysanthemum-looking flower a double feverfew?

[@patty8991]

Ahhh, sorry the bad luck keeps rolling in. But glad you were able to go on vacation and still keep the stand open! That's major milestone for the business.

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

It feels good to be going for the work life balance

[@lexithompson3030]

Always going to keep requesting a video on your cooler.

[@debinbc]

Very glad your all ok and Nellies family too... 🙏💕🥰

[@halinawiecek2297]

I feel sorry for you guys, and damaged by tornado, flowers 🌹 going to grow I can wait to see beautiful flowers take care guys.

[@beckymiller6703]

😢 ❤ I guess the blessing is no one was hurt, your animals are safe, but darn.. Tough break, it's been a tough, tough, growing season for me in the USA too.

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

It was a tough break, but that's farming ya know

[@maltipoosoffgrid6868]

Have y'all ever thought of opening another stand in a different location? Maybe you wouldn't even need the farmers market😊

[@julianachandler2975]

So glad that the tornado wasn’t worse! Thanks for taking us on your vacation. Glad that you were able to make the best out of a bad situation.❤

[@Homestead-ish]

Such beautiful work you do. And such hard work.

[@rachelburnett4332]

God Bless you and your family I hope you have less stressful times ahead. 😊

[@summermucha5207]

Welcome to my state!!! 😊❤❤ Hope you all had fun! 👏👏🥰

[@drewblack749]

So happy you are getting a little break.

[@RemsFamily]

New sub from New-Brunswick! Hope you're getting back on your feet by this point

[@annamaria54321]

Yes, I had to rewind a few times to read the "lorem ipsum" and then look it up, lol. ... Thank God you were inspired to go on a family vaca, and that your home was not hit. Someone is looking out for you and your precious family. Oh, and bravo Nelly & fam!! Nice work!!

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Lol lorem ipsum is the default text that comes on when I insert text during the editing process, that is a mistake that I somehow missed during editing. Whoops

[@sunitashastry5270]

This was one of your most compelling videos. The coverage of the vacation was v well done. It is devastating having a tornado hit you esp your most important greenhouse for farming. But having been through one - our town was hit by one 10 years ago - you were Lucy it could have injured a person or your house. You both are such hard working farmers - I hope you get back at least some mow way from insurance to build it back. And it’s kudos to you for not being upset and facing the future head on. If could, I would buy your flowers. Looking forward to your Christmas ornaments being sold online. Good luck!

[@999applegirl999]

Disco snipping!!!!!! Love it!! So happy the damage was confined. Go Nellie, way to stock up the cooler and manage the broken tunnel while they were rejuvenating.

[@ElderandOakFarm]

I'm so sorry about the hoophouse! I'm glad yall got a vacation in! I just got a shed for a STEAL & my husband & I are going to have a setup very similar to yours! I'm soooo over the moon excited! I've been selling through word of mouth/Single orders for the past 3 years, & farmers markers for the past 2, & this year is my first year really making any kind of an income. I'm so excited to see what year 4 brings!

[@terryhenderson424]

I hope you saved your green house plastic complete with any tatters, tears, and holes. While not particularly a commercial green house, there are a lot of designs put there for chicken tractors, animal housing, old school wood framed clotches, and more. In all of your free time (lol) as things slow down, between what remains of the metal pieces, pallet wood, scrap fencing, and more you may be able to come up with protective covers for some of your space. Yes, it would be multiples, likely not something to comfortably walk through, and all the rest but better than nothing. Ypu might even be able to come up with a seed starter shack (plastic covered book shelf like structure) et al small enough to load in the back of a truck for use and then sale.

[@jobo8819]

Wont go into all the strife we had on our farm at times. Certainly learnt resilience and built strength of character in our whole famz to recover from disasters. However still rather work for ourselves than go back to the mundane of working for someone else. Like our freedom too much now.

[@hopslopscanada]

Every farmer ive ever known: I'm going on my first vacation!/ I haven't been on a vacation in a decade and I'm finally taking one! Life: tornado/ death in the family/ crippling injury of livestock/ absolute distruction of crops Me: whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[@Parisloverable]

Love that you mention Floret, but are aware that it's obviously not the best in the Skagit valley. I haden't heard of Joe's but will make a point to visit in the future. So glad the damage wasn't worse to your farm

[@SoulCompassCenterElkin]

The delicate flowers and the variety are amazing. You have an amazing eye and a real gift.

[@draganpower]

I am worried about your markets. I loved seeing your hard labour come to fruition weekly last year. I am sad they aren't selling like they used to.I am wondering if it is because of the economy and people are not buying flowers anymore.

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

We talk about it in future videos, but other vendors are reporting similar slow sales

[@rebeccawatson9284]

❤ I'm so glad you got to go to Washington! Chinatown is a favorite childhood memory from when I would visit my dad in Seattle. Luckily, the tornado didn't do much!

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

It was only in that spot, but I saw another one there about a month earlier that was the biggest one I had ever seen, so I'm worried that something about that exact spot is going to keep spawning these small tornados/big dust devils that are going to keep wrecking stuff.

[@rebeccawatson9284]

@@YouCantEatTheGrass I hope not! I didn't know you guys had tornadoes that far north. Good luck!

[@plaisirdelanglais]

What did the insurance say?

[@janaimaughan3599]

My grandparents used to live in Leavenworth. I love that town. Did you find the taffy shop? That was always my favorite stop.

[@lois4329]

Phew! So glad you have amazing support so you and the kids could continue having your family time. Part of me said I was glad you did not have to see it in action! It is surprising how things can be when you are truly refreshed by doing something different. From what you showed it looked like a great time for all on the road ❤. I am one of many cheerleaders even though we live thousands of miles away 🎉 sis boom bah!

[@mariagillinson8527]

Have you thought to dry and press flowers between two pieces of glass and tape around with a cute hanger (in craft store and ideas on KZbin) to use left over flowers.