Dear Friends,
On our farm, there are times of joy, wonderment and exaltation (that are savored) as we know too well there’s also fear, panic and exhaustion. I spend a lot of time answering emails and phone calls from people all over the world with questions ranging from how to cook or grow something to curing cancer. I do my best to be polite and helpful especially when for the umpteenth time I respond to ‘what kind of stuff do you ‘guys’ grow there! I’ll patiently explain that I’m ‘long enough in the tooth’ to suggest they not call our products ‘stuff’ and that it’s actually a woman’s farm. Mostly I’m thanked as they didn’t know the meaning of their words to the recipient. I realize the world is a different place then it was when I was growing up. Nowadays it’s ‘awesome’ and ‘perfect’. But actually that’s not how things always are as I tried to explain to the young and extremely enthusiastic person hired last week for the farm help so needed.
Well, providence decided to test us again. Record heat, humidity, outbreaks of mildew, Argentine ants, aphids, moths, worms, snakes, spiders in unquantifiable numbers descended on us along with the family of 5 raccoons unmercifully digging through newly planted heavily composted beds of new crops and the two bobcats daringly still cruising along after sunrise inside the fencing after trying unsuccessfully to break into the chicken housing. And our heavy crops of cucumbers, spaghetti and winter squashes had to be harvested, hauled up hill, cleaned and stored or we would lose them. So to the young person that lasted 4 hours the first day of work, I don’t blame you, I understand you had no idea of what it takes to produce food week after week for almost 30 years. Your tempering will come.
When I planted these mulberry trees in the photo many years ago as a buffer to the ‘best use housing’ adjacent to the farm I mostly envisioned shade, privacy and fruit. And what we received in addition, was a gorgeous tunnel with light at both ends with many patches in between. Such is life.
Kind words and encouragement will be most appreciated to get us through this next week of harvesting and delivering with this weather pattern that I wish would switch back to coastal paradise conditions. Sadly, without the extra pair of hands we need!
Let’s keep this farm growing and feeding people. It takes a community.
Happy cooking.
Stephenie
Founder and resident farmer
1988
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