Beat the Heat (week 4)

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“I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief… For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.” – Wendell Berry, The Peace of Wild Things

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Hello friends and farm-ily,

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We hope you are all staying safe during what looks like an incredibly hot June! Your farmers have spent the last 4 days trying to beat the heat that the 10 day has brought us. We can’t ever quite remember a June as hot as this one… We’ve been running around making sure all the crops have cool roots and are well watered. Same for all the critters. We are also adjusting our schedules a touch to begin work by 530/6 and come in during the hottest part of the day to reenergize, hydrate and maybe even take a 15 minute recharge nap (or, write the newsletter!). We’ve been pulling some late nights and are hoping this slight adjustment will bring us in earlier in the evening so we can continue to get up before the sun!

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This weekend Brian and I were able to plant all the melons, summer squash, cukes, pumpkins and winter squash. During the evenings this week we’ll be seeding some more beans and corn. It’s a crazy time of year for us (two farmers, one farm) as we try to manage harvesting 3 days a week with all the other tasks that are on the list such as weeding, watering, seeding, transplanting, tilling, garden bed prep, laying irrigation, washing eggs, writing emails, rotating/feeding/watering animals, etc.  We’re hoping it’s in the cards for us to begin building on our coolbot cooler.  It’s been such a hot Spring already that we’re thinking a cooler will really help keep all produce happy and even make it possible to harvest things in the evening before pick up.  Which means less schlepping around 2,000lbs of produce in hot weather and working smarter, not harder!

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Kickin’ butt and takin’ names. It must be all the years farming under our belt 😉 (it’s our 6^th season as Working Hands Farm) as the “community” aspect of the farm really feels like it’s taking on a life of it’s own this season. Part of it could the natural process of things but we wanted to say thank you to everyone for your amazing participation, encouragement gratitude and appreciation.   From insightful discussions surrounding food at the CSA pick ups to encouraging and inspiring other members in the Member Group Page, to bringing your farmers a snack or prepared meal after a long harvest week. We appreciate you all and the wonderful energy you breath into this farm. Your impact is far greater than you could ever imagine on these two farmers and it feels so good to focus on all the positive things that the season will bring!

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Thank you to everyone in the CSA member group for your awesome recipes, pictures, suggestions and questions. We love seeing all the images and gaining inspiration for our own food cooking habits as well as seeing all the produce being utilized and enjoyed week by week! We also love hearing about it all at the CSA pick-ups. So thank you creating the community that we always hoped to create surrounding good, wholesome food and connect with awesome human beings who are happy, productive members of society!

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More food related inspiration….

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Edible Education with Michael Pollan : We recently found the lectures to Michael Pollan’s course from UC Berkley called “Edible Education.” Your farmers will be viewing these over the course of the next month or two. If you are interested, please watch along as it might stir up a good dialogue to talk about the future of food. Here is the link to the videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=EC28B5EDF74E734607  (NOTE: The first video has introductory information and may need to skip ahead) and here is the course description, “As the costs of our industrialized food system—to the environment, public health, farmers and food workers, and to our social life—become impossible to ignore, a national debate over the future of food and farming has begun. Telling stories about where food comes from, how it is produced—and how it might be produced differently—plays a critical role in bringing attention to the issue and shifting politics. Each week, a prominent figure in the debate explores: What can be done to make the food system healthier, more equitable, more sustainable? What is the role of storytelling in the process?”

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Cooked! Brian and I have ordered copies of Michael Pollan’s book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. We invite you to read along with us.

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Here are a few of our favorite documentaries:

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To Make A Farm – This one hits close to home. It was inspiring, heartwarming, hopeful and very real. A must watch! This doc explores the lives of 5 young farmers who have decided to become small-scale farmers. “exceptionally hopeful, giving us a close-range view of humanity along with a detailed portrayal of the nuts and bolts of agriculture.”  The trailer can be found here… it’s available on Amazon, google play & itunes.

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Food, Inc. – This one is a few years old now but it’s one of our favorite food documentaries. This is a great example of why we do things the way we do and keep it small, safe and the best!  Here’s the trailer and it’s available on Amazon, google play & itunes.

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More than Honey –  These little honeybees are at the heart of our food system so why are they facing worldwide extinction? Beautifully filmed revealing a fascinating, complex world in crisis.  Find the trailer here and it’s available on Amazon, google play & itunes.

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We surely hope you are enjoying all the Spring bounty. It’s been an incredible harvest thus far and we look forward to seeing -what the next 24 weeks will bring!  Wish us luck with all the heat in the coming week. We have lots to keep up with even though the weather makes us move at a sluggish pace… time to seed, trellis, weed, transplant, water….. here we grow, week 4!

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Remember to bring you egg cartons, berry boxes and rubberbands… For all those who purchase eggs, please save up your WHF egg cartons for us and return them. We also reuse all berry boxes (1/2 pints, pints, quarts) and rubberbands which can be left by the sign in sheet at the CSA pick up.

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With fond regards,

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Jess & Brian

-xt

dirty hands, clean hearts