Producing food from the land is a labor of love, a celebration of the conversion of sun into nourishment. Working with soil and plants brings an infinite journey into learning and sharing, experiencing the soul of natural cycle.
We continue to edge through the heat of summer; enjoying the blessings while working to stay hydrated and avoid sunstroke. These long days hold much opportunity for accomplishing our work, but also require a level of stamina that can be difficult to maintain.
It is important to take the time necessary for self-care. Personal health suffers when there isn’t space for relaxing and rejuvenating. For me, it can be as simple as a quick dip in the pond during the heat of the day, or carving out time to read. I’m finding that unplugging from all devices an hour before bed and engaging with a book helps me to unwind during this hectic season.
We are full steam ahead with markets, harvest, upkeep and sowing for fall crops. Adding the many meetings and off-farm duties creates a real necessity for good time management and accurate scheduling.
Learning to be an effective farmer has to do with equal parts knowing what to do, and when to do it. As the seasons progress, we have more records and more of an understanding of the ideal rhythm on which the farm operates. Like playing music, distractions or unforseen events can knock us offbeat, making life seem disjointed. That said, when you hit the groove it’s like nothing else in the world.
Being part of a farm operation can be compared to being a member of a jam band. You know how to play your instrument, you have general knowledge of music, but you don’t know exactly what you’re going to play until you really get into it. You might have riffs, chords or beats that are well-agreed upon by the group, but these guidelines can be altered to fit the circumstances of a given session.
Farming is about knowing the rules for engagement with a given place and the available materials; understanding the cycles gives a sense of potential for the music to be played on a given day. It can be discordant ruckus, elegant harmony, or some combination of the two, often both at the same time. Some things go well while others need improvement; keeping track of the happenings provides reference points for winter planning and evaluation. The process continues as we move through the seasons.
The share this week is an excellent collaboration between different farms. Briceland Forest Farm brings us lettuce, carrots and beets, while here at HappyDay we have squash and cukes. Kale comes from Nurturing Seed farm and garlic from Irene’s Garden Produce. We are delighted to partner with local farms to bring produce to you and we appreciate your willingness to participate in local food systems! Much love from Team HappyDay! 🙂
To see the PDF of the Newsletter that includes the CSA recipes go to the following link: