Enjoying summer
Lest this blog start to seem too downtrodden, this week I want to write about the good things. It's summer time! I love it. It's hot, sunny, and full of flavor.
Last week we invited the community out to the farm for a day in the country and a full tour of our vegetable operation. It was awesome!
To start, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wake up a little grumpy Sunday morning at the thought of giving up my only day off to host the event, but I was more than rewarded by the piles of kids who came to enjoy the barn swing and eat fresh cucumbers off the vine. One of the best parts of my job is getting to share the experience of farming with my costumers. It's easy to eat your salad without thinking about where or how it was grown, but it tastes much better when you actually see the lettuce in the ground and understand what it took to make that tomato soooo delicious. It was a treat for me to be able to show off our work and see how impressed everyone was by what we are building.
I was reminded this morning how lucky I am to be living in such a beautiful place spending all day doing just what I love. This new life (I had an office job in California less just over a year ago) feels a little like being a kid again. I see everything with fresh eyes, noticing small things that never used to matter to me -- like how squash leaves shift and move throughout the day based on sun and moisture or how many types and numbers of bees there are in the field. Little wonders coming and going throughout the busy days.
It's easy for me to forget in the chaos of the day-to-day that really, despite all of bugs and weeds, the farm is thriving! Last night, after finally getting everything washed, packed and ready for market tomorrow I went out to the field on one last errand and was shocked to notice how beautiful everything looks––the sun just setting below the tress shined delightfully on the rows of kale, chard, broccoli, squash, and tomatoes. Soon it will be overgrown with weeds and I'll hate the summer with all of it's heat and disease, but today I'm relishing in my (admittedly bizarre) choice to be a farmer.