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“Recall that whatever lofty things you might accomplish today, you will do them only because you first ate something that grew out of the dirt.” – Barbara Kingsolver
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Hey Friends & Farm-ily,
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‘Tis a season for tea, hunkering down, eating dinner before 9pm, and starting up the ol’ woodstove. ‘Tis a season for reflection, for putting things to rest and looking towards the future growing season. A limbo between summer and winter.. a gentle dance that has us trotting down hill for the remainder of the 2014 season (but, oh, not too fast, winter thoughts.. there are still a great many things to do on the ol’ farm list..) Harvesting in the rain, double washing roots, packing on the layers, and cold fingers are upon us. ‘Tis a season for hot tea (or even ginger toddies), that’s for sure.
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All the animals have been moved to higher ground in preparation of wetter, colder weather in the coming months..
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But, oh, the change of seasons feels so good.. right down to the bones. Everyone on the farm seems to be acclimating to the gradual shift in seasons… the garden, the plants, the animals and the farmers… hopefully you guys are too with the shift in farm fresh produce. We know we’ve been enjoying a lot of homemade, hearty Fall meals in the comfort of our kitchen. Curried veggies, soups, roasted medleys, crispy salads, noodle bowls… it’s that time of year! We’ve come a long way since the Spring and we’re feeling full to the brim. Each season that passes we love farming more and more and we feel as though it truly shows through the variety of our products and the love and care that go into growing all of those farm fresh goodies…
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A season of rainbows, dark skies, and sunburst sunsets… all is dewey and green now on the farm!
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‘Tis a season of reflection and inspiration especially on our misty morning walks. On a walk yesterday morning with our pups, I looked around and took it all in, and jokingly said to Brian, “have we even learned anything in the last 3 years farming together..?” Brian replied, “Yeah, just a few things…” Never mind the last 3 years we’ve been farming together (or the 3+ years before we met), we’ve learned a lot since this past Spring. We’ll never forgot “you only get 30 chances to plant your crop of potatoes..” These seasons pass too quickly and farming ain’t for the faint of heart. We are constantly on our toes, making spur of the moment decisions amidst all the thought-out long-term decisions all in hopes of working towards a model that helps us to grow better.
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We wake each morning more eager and excited for what the day may bring.
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These are the things that we get to do.
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We pulled the greenhouse cover over in an afternoon over the weekend… Ahab sure loves the cooler weather..
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We find inspiration in our peers from all over the country and all over the World. There are a handful of “small” farms that are really paving the way for young farmers. We share our daily activities on instagram and facebook not only to give insight in the day to day of a young small scale farmer but we also use the images and words as tools, references and resources for ourselves, fellow farmers and consumers. Like we always say, farming has a steep learning curve so any information, advice etc that we have to share or glean from others is of most value to us. If we can save someone money, time, frustration etc we are happy to do so! If we can show people a glimpse into all of the hard work, thoughtfulness, time, money etc that goes into small scale organic farming we are happy to share that as well. These outlets help keep us connected to friends, fellow farmers, family, CSA members etc…
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Brian and I tried our hand at AI-ing our gilt, Rosie, 21 days ago. She didn’t come into heat this past weekend so we’re hoping it took!
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But most importantly, ‘tis a season where we take more opportunities to move slow-er than we have since the Spring. To invest in those close relationships that got buried in all the long harvest, transplanting, weeding days of the season. To invest in yourself, to take good care and find a balance suitable to the new season… with the shorter days means greater opportunities for moving slowly.. for sitting and taking care. *And makes up for those 14+ hour days on our feet – when our summer energy was never wavering – but always wanting more!
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There’s a lot one can learn over the change of the seasons and there’s also a lot to be grateful for. Every Monday evening I get the chance to sit, reflect and share little snippets from the farm… it is my opportunity to take it all in cause in real time it just goes too fast (even when the days do grow shorter…) Here’s wishing you a few moments in this week to really take it all in, to reflect and enjoy all that life and the seasons have to bring!
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The last hurray for the pasture before the short, cold days freeze it in it’s tracks. It’s had a wonderful start though and can’t wait to see what it looks like next Spring!
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We’ll see you all soon!
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Your farmers,
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Jess & Brian
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dirty hands, clean hearts
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working hands farm 