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It's already the end of July!?

7/23/2023

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​A few quick updates as somehow it's already mid July, and the days are ticking by! 

  • Fruit trees are on auto-pilot - we picked a total of 4# of cherries, and 8 nectarines (birds ate about 20 while we were gone on a long weekend), not much, but far better than last year's zero! Plums are next - be ready for some fun cocktail specials at KickStand!
  • Tomatoes are growing fast - we planted 9 Black Krim, of which last year we got about 40# per plant - YAY for Heirlooms! We've got LOADS of green tomatoes on vine right now...about 90 so far.
  • We started a massive irrigation project back in April - re-working our current farm irrigation, and installing 5 more acres of in-ground sprinklers, from scratch, just Nick and I. What was supposed to be "simple" re-work of pumps, filters + cistern turned into two-months of what I consider "Irrigation hell" and eventually a very small, but massive win. We picked up the project again before we left for Whistler a week ago, and we now have almost 1 acre installed!
  • KickStand is summertime rockin' busy - we're finally full staffed, and have an amazing team. Thankful to be a barista and work amongst such a rad crew while managing and operating our business.
  • Our annual "Blackberry Cobbler" pilgrimage is fast approaching - pedaling over 100 miles and 10k climbing over Lolo Pass to ZigZag Cafe for Cobbler, then home. 
  • Our community MTB Rides are back! If you're local or just passing through, join us at KickStand every Wednesday for an intermediate mountain bike ride leaving from KickStand, pedaling to Post Canyon for a purely social no-drop shred. Don't worry, we're back in time to cheers beers and listen to live music!
  • We are headed back to Whistler in a few days - it'd been about 4 years since we were last there, and it's so nice to see old friends, hit big jumps and challenge ourselves in steep, tech terrain. Anyone around Wed-Sun? :)
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Whistler

7/19/2023

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After 4 years away, we finally made it back to Whistler! A whirlwind trip found us catching up with a bunch of friends at Crankworx, riding some old favorites, and discovering new trails. We even got some rain which lent to perfect trails, meaning too much shred, and not enough photos - ha.

Enjoy our little video...


​Kim and Nick


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Balance.

7/15/2023

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Between operating KickStand and our mega irrigation project, there's not a while lot of extra time - I find myself forever balancing work, projects and play, as go from KickStand to irrigation work to riding bikes until dusk to finally making dinner and falling asleep to the Tour de France bed by 9:30pm. Don't even ask me about hobbies... someday I'll take up metal-smithing or something cool. For now, I fall asleep before reading half a page in a book.

Amidst the craziness, and tight scheduling, I have found a few moments of glory/success using the following recipe:
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1. Wake up early, go to bed early! Take advantage of the quiet early morning hours to get a workout in or get those nagging to-do's done and off the list. For me, spraying the orchard in the early morning hours means I can pedal my bike after work.

2. Set time limits (We’re going riding at 1pm!) - It's easy to get engulfed in work, especially when you're excited or passionate about it. However, remember to take care of yourself and schedule time to exercise and do you. 
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3. Plan for success - Try to layout your week and schedule tightly so you can maximize your free time! Big fan of Evernote, Google Reminders and of course Google Calendar. Don't forget, if you have to, schedule in you time - that could be a bike ride, yoga or straight up free time.
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4. Fuel your body - I can't say this enough. If you don't have gas in your car, you can't go anywhere. Same with your body! Eat from the rainbow to get the proper macro/micronutrients your body needs, and be sure to eat plenty of protein. Don't have time to think about it? Consider a protein shake as a "meal replacement" or a greens/reds powder. It may feel like cheating, but at the end of the day, you're better able to meet your daily requirements, feel better and be ready for the next day. My life-saving hack is 1st Phorm Opti Health Stack, featuring Green & Red Powders - I make a shake before breakfast using the powders, and know my body is getting what it needs to perform whether I am able to eat properly that day or not. Greens = immune boosting, better gut flora and improved digestion, while Reds = antioxidants + improved blood flow. It's like taking a multivitamin for micronutrients...you know your giving your body what it needs.
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5. Meal Prep - Once a week we smoke all our proteins on a Traeger so "the hard part" is done for the week - this ensures we eat a healthy meal vs reach for those potato chips because we're too tired to cook. All you need to do is reheat your protein, cook some veggies and add in some complex carbs.
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Got a pro tip? Share your tips & tricks  to maintaining life balance amidst all your projects! 

​Kim Hardin

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Stellegacy Farms

7/13/2023

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Over a year ago, Nick and I moved onto some acreage near Hood River, Oregon and started Stellegacy Farms.

If you know us, you know we love a good project (or four), and the acreage gave us the opportunity to dabble in far too many at one time, while giving us the space to build our own trails, let our Australian Shepherd children run, as well as us grow our own food, mainly apples. Long term, we hope to put in a large scale apple orchard, and make our own cider for our restaurant, KickStand Coffee & Kitchen. But let's be realistic - Nick and I have grown vegetables, but never managed an orchard, let alone grown apples or pears - this was going to be either a brilliant success story or complete failure.

Lucky for us, a small orchard on the property of about 30 trees (Apple, pear, nectarine, plum, peach and cherry) gave us the opportunity to learn as much as possible about pruning, insects, thinning, sprays, harvesting + so much more prior to putting in the big orchard. The first year was an utter failure as we inherited this orchard from the previous owner being somewhat neglected - never pruned, never sprayed, producing no pears, no peaches, no cherries, no plums and only apples on 2 of 10 trees. No idea why. Over the winter, we asked all the stupid questions, googled everything orchard that existed, did everything we could to have a better year, and so far, "knock on wood", the trees have fruit and look pretty darn good!

While it's not riding bikes, nothing gives us greater satisfaction than eating an apple straight off the tree at our home. There's plenty more to learn, but for now, things are looking up!

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Allow me to Re-introduce myself...

7/13/2023

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My name is Kim Hardin.

💥 I’m 34

🛠️ I’m a small business owner @kickstandcoffeekitchen 
👩‍🎓 I have a BS in Human Physiology, and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration
🚣🏻‍♂️ I was a professional whitewater kayaker for over 12 years, winning every downriver race I entered as Pro Female
🎤 I was nominated for @canoe_and_kayak female paddler of the year in 2015
🚴🏽 I started racing bikes professionally in 2015 after a shoulder surgery took me out of paddling
🚴🏽 Currently riding for @evilbicycles @chriskingbuzz and a handful of other awesome brands
💍 I married my best friend @nickhardin11 in Argentina between EWS Rounds
🐕 We have two Australian Shepherds, our kids: Pilot & Mae
🍏 I’m a farmer: apples, pears, peaches, galore…
🍻 I don’t like the taste of beer
🏍️ I ride a KTM 300xc
💪 I’m an ACE certified Personal Trainer
🚗 I LOVE anything with a motor, especially my MINI Cooper JCW
🌶️ I like my spice rack labeled and alphabetized
🦄 Unicorn slippers make me happy

I think that’s it! Ask me anything ⬇️
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