The glories and woes of an early spring
The daffodils are in bloom, the hills are turning green, and I'm ecstatic to get up in the morning—it must be spring! But wait... it's only mid-March. What happened to the worrisome tail end of winter? That last snow that ruins my spring planting and keeps my heart rate up all the way to April? Is it possible that we might have a long, lovely, gentle spring?? Seems almost too good to be true.
Finding peers
There aren't a lot of Organic vegetables farmers in Botetourt County. Actually there are no other certified organic growers in this county.
Dates to remember
One of the hardest (but perhaps most important) things I want to do for the farm, is keep track of critical—often game changing—moments of the year. I love my winter spreadsheets and planning documents. But, this year when the season really got rolling and weather/pests/life crises came flooding in, the plans flew out the window. So, on this rainy Wednesday in late October I'm taking the opportunity to crawl through my memory (while it's still relatively fresh) and write down a few dates I don't want to forget for next year.
Refining our Farm Share program
Our farm share program is so fun. I know that sounds self-aggrandizing, but seriously, I love our members and the community we are building. Getting to know our farm share members (especially the little ones :) has been the most rewarding part of this season. The farm share program is the aspect of the business that is the most fun to dream about, has the most compelling narrative, and really makes me the most excited about building a vibrant community around healthy food and sustainable agriculture.
Breaking new ground!
It may still be mid-summer, but my head is already exploding with plans for next year. Today we broke ground on the site of our expansion field. This new piece is about a half an acre of flat bottom land on the front part of our farm.