–
“here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)” – e.e. cummings
–
Hello friends & farm-ily,
–
February was a whirlwind month on the farm for these two farmers. It was a month of extremes. In the garden, it started off pretty rainy but the rest of the month’s weather proved to be absolutely beautiful. With all the sunshine and dry days we’ve been crossing projects off the list left and right. Our propagation greenhouse is brimming with our first starts of the season (kale, broccoli, beets, lettuce, collards, chicory, onions, cabbage, herbs etc… to name a few). We’ve begun working up the soil and have already planted our first crops of carrots, beets, bunching onions, spinach, peas and fava beans. In the garden, we have never felt more prepared, productive and ahead of schedule and it feels really good.
–
–
At the beginning of the month, during an incredibly rainy time, our sweet Rosie had her first litter of piglets and has been an extremely successful first-time mama. She gave birth to 12 healthy babies and they all continue to grow and thrive. We have been most impressed with Miss Rosie (she’s ‘some pig’) and look forward to cultivating that relationship more and more over time. The heritage pigs have been a great compliment to our small farm and we constantly feel inspired by life through all the animals and plants that we tend to and keep.
–
The late Winter/early Spring is a magical time on the farm – full of endless possibilities. Getting the chance to work outside so early in the season feels incredible. To move the body, build, till, mend, fix and cross things off the list. But at the beginning of last week we encountered a major setback on the farm that would impact our beef herd. As many of you know, just a week ago, on February 23rd in the wee hours of the morning, our herd was involved in a terrible freak car accident (for more of the story, you can read about it here). Three of our cows were injured and two of them (our steers ages 16 months & 7 months) were so badly injured that we had to put them down. Thank the Lord the driver of the vehicle was okay but we suffered an immeasurable loss that morning.. physically, mentally, emotionally and financially…What had spooked them? Why they had bent their brand new Behlen gate like a banana and ventured all the way to the road was a question we could not answer. To see them there, in the dark hours of that morning, was like a bad nightmare. It felt senseless and lacking purpose. So many hours, days, months, even years had been put into the care of these animals and it felt like – just like that – they were gone and it was out of our control. As a fellow farmer said, we are “so sorry for this loss of their lives; your labor and their companionship.” We love our cows and truly believe they are the most amazing creatures and, as farmers, our hearts have never felt more broken.
–
–
We’re learning though that something’s in life are just out of your control – no matter how hard you work or how much care you can put into something. The afternoon, after we buried the two cows under the oak tree, I told Brian, “there is no amount of magic in the world that can keep us from experiencing such pain, but it is BECAUSE of the magic that we don’t give up.” We hurt and it’s hard but we will keep the faith cause it’s all we got. I suppose it is these moments that are a catalyst and reminder to truly enjoy the moments in between such horror and tragedy. Enjoy every moment. Be present and love well.
–
The root of the root. In the most challenging of times you must pick yourself up and venture forward and do better. Often times it is after life’s darkest moments that we find a truer, more meaningful sense of life and self. In the wake of their death we have found so much life and love and inspiration within our community. Friends, farm-ily members, fellow farmers and admirers from afar have stepped up to help us out: emotionally, spiritually and even financially. We are in total awe, appreciation and admiration for the community that surrounds us. It has been our saving grace and inspiration during this time of sadness and tragedy. We truly feel touched by every comment, “like”, email, note, and donation that has been sent our way over the past week. “We are rooting for you!” We read every single comment and email that we received. It filled our hearts and left us feeling humbled by all the love that was shown to us. Just knowing that other people are thinking of us gives us strength, inspiration and helps us feel even more connected to our community (near and far) and to the root of the root of why we’re farmers.
–
–
As tragic as this accident is there is a silver lining. We have never felt more connected, aware and inspired as both farmers and individuals. Thank you to everyone who has helped – whether it was a kind message or a generous donation… your outpouring support and love has truly opened our eyes to all the goodness that life can bring when you open yourself up to it. Life is a balancing act and, while we have felt a wide range of emotions this past week, we mostly feel grateful, humbled, connected and inspired to grow better.
–
Ready to welcome Spring... Spring is surely is an exciting time of the year with many endless possibilities ahead. Your farmers have been extra busy planning out a year of delicious seasonal crops. We are getting hungry for the 2015 harvest and are looking forward to the delicious bounty in the coming months. Every growing season is different but we work very hard to grow better with each passing year.
–
–
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for the Working Hands Farm 2015 CSA season. We have only a couple dozen veggie shares available so be sure to sign up soon! You can read all about our 2015 CSA here – for the Who, What, When, Where, Why & How (much). As farmers we’ve really come to love the CSA model as members share both the risks and benefits of food production with their farmers and it keeps us all very connected to where our food is coming from, how it’s being grown, who your farmers are, the organic practices we use…. etc
–
Share the CSA Love (a note from your farmers): Word of mouth is the best way to help us grow and sustain our small farm. Please encourage interested friends, family, neighbors & community etc in signing up for their 2015 CSA share. Many thanks in advance for your help from your farmers at Working Hands.
—
–
Our hearts are full as we enter the month of March and we thank you all again for your commitment, support, inspiration and encouragement. We are your farmers, who are dedicated to growing you the best, most delicious, safe, nutrient dense, farm fresh food and we believe in excellence as our standard – no compromises. Thank you for believing in us and thank you for investing in yourselves and your health. We look forward to growing for you all in the 2015 CSA season.
–
“And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home.” – Wendell Berry From a great reminder post about gratitude called, Gratitude on the Farm.
—
With our fondest regards,
–
your farmers
–
Jess & Brian
–
dirty hands, clean hearts
–
working hands farm 