Mary Alionis - Whistling Duck Farm

Inchelium Red – a favorite artichoke variety as our workhorse garlic for reliable harvests and happy customers

July 6, 2026July 3, 2026 by Mary Alionis

One of the great joys of growing garlic is the wide array of beautiful garlics and diverse flavor profiles. There’s so many to choose from! But then the reality of market farming jumps in, and the quest for a top-quality, reliably high yielding garlic to anchor market tables, CSA boxes and chef sales becomes important … Read more

Record-keeping and Preparing for Harvest – Late Spring on the Garlic Farm

May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 by Mary Alionis

It’s hard to believe how quickly the season flies by. After the adventures of winter, the soil warms, new growth emerges, and the crazy-busy farm year is suddenly in full swing. Garlic moseys along for months, staying green and vibrant as long as weeds and gophers are held at bay and water is plentiful. Then … Read more

The Springtime Garlic Schedule – Manage your garlic planting for a great crop

April 15, 2026April 6, 2026 by Mary Alionis

spring garlic plant growing in dirt with orange marker with mountains and blue sky

Fertilizing, Weeding, Watering, and Harvesting Green Garlic & Scapes Spring is when garlic really begins to take off. After the dark days of winter, the plants resume growth as soil temperatures warm and day length increases. Extra attention to fertilizing, keeping beds weed-free, maintaining steady moisture, and even enjoying scapes and a few green garlics, … Read more

Best Garlic Varieties – a Garlic for Every Garden, a Garlic for Every Plate!

May 5, 2026March 24, 2026 by Mary Alionis

image of 6 pieces of the best garlic varieties spread out and labelled on a wood table

Choosing the best garlic varieties for your farm or garden will be informed by your growing conditions and your preferences – flavor, storage needs, scapes in the spring, braiding potential, or maximum bulb size, for example. Garlic is broadly divided into Hardneck and Softneck types, with specialty subgroups within the types. Hardnecks tend to thrive … Read more

Fermented Foods in Southern Oregon – Come get your Ferment on!

April 15, 2026January 22, 2026 by Mary Alionis

Small glass jar of seasoning with a black lid placed on frost covered green leaves outdoors. The label reads "Whistling Duck Farmstead Kitchen" and "FERMENTED CHANTERELLE SALT" with smaller text "charred onion lemon and garlic" and net weight details at the bottom.

Trust us when we say nothing quite captures the soul and spirit of fermented foods like FERMENTOPIA, a festival dedicated to all things wild, bubbly, cultured & delicious. Taking place this Saturday and Sunday, January 24-25, at the Phoenix Plaza Civic Center from 11am-5pm. From fermentation experts to curious minds, they all gather here. So … Read more

Best Uses for Garlic Scapes – Big bold garlic bulbs await! But first, some scapes.

March 29, 2026June 14, 2023 by Mary Alionis

The Solstice is coming and it’s almost garlic harvest time. The weeks leading up to harvest when you’re a garlic grower are filled with garlic scapes, those curly top-sets on hard stem garlic varieties. We’ve always snapped bushels full to sell at markets, to local stores and at our on-farm store, enticing folks with delicious … Read more