Friday, May 28, 2010
chop wood, carry water
Some days, like today, it feels like my life has become so simple, clear, uncomplicated. I love it! It's a big difference from the confusion I felt at other points in my life, even not so long ago.
I think farming, being outside, close to the land, really seeps into you and little by little brings this clarity.
This morning, Sena said unprompted, "I don't want a lot of money, I want to be happy". It's amazing how clearly kids see before we burden them with too much unnecessary stuff.
I also feel that when I'm farming, in a way I'm doing a lot, and giving it all I've got, but in another way, I'm not really doing that much. I feel like I'm just enabling things to be done through me. If I just place myself in a position to do what needs to be done, then it will be done. This is a great relief. I used to worry about my plants so much, and I still do of course. But now I'm also beginning to see that I'm not really in a position to have that much control anyway. I can be there to plant and weed and do what needs to be done. But that's just a small part. Everything else that happens, all the biology in the soil and the interaction of soil, plant, weather, universe, is just beyond me, and I find it comforting to release and trust in the awesome life force that makes it all run. So I make myself available as an instrument to that life force and then trust it and get out of the way.
Well, it's a beautiful day today and I should be outside (I'm glad that the crazy heat from a couple of days ago is gone. And btw, my plants are fine).
peace
I think farming, being outside, close to the land, really seeps into you and little by little brings this clarity.
This morning, Sena said unprompted, "I don't want a lot of money, I want to be happy". It's amazing how clearly kids see before we burden them with too much unnecessary stuff.
I also feel that when I'm farming, in a way I'm doing a lot, and giving it all I've got, but in another way, I'm not really doing that much. I feel like I'm just enabling things to be done through me. If I just place myself in a position to do what needs to be done, then it will be done. This is a great relief. I used to worry about my plants so much, and I still do of course. But now I'm also beginning to see that I'm not really in a position to have that much control anyway. I can be there to plant and weed and do what needs to be done. But that's just a small part. Everything else that happens, all the biology in the soil and the interaction of soil, plant, weather, universe, is just beyond me, and I find it comforting to release and trust in the awesome life force that makes it all run. So I make myself available as an instrument to that life force and then trust it and get out of the way.
Well, it's a beautiful day today and I should be outside (I'm glad that the crazy heat from a couple of days ago is gone. And btw, my plants are fine).
peace
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
hot
it is so hot!!!
my plants look so sad, and i am worried. i can't help it, when i see them like that. all limp and stuff. but i can't think that way...but i can't help it!! what's up with 94F in may?
i feel a little crazy right now, as you can tell.
anyway, i think it's supposed to get cooler.
also...
thank you to my family and friends for your comments. it's really nice to read them, and it makes the whole blog experience less one way. thank you!
peace
my plants look so sad, and i am worried. i can't help it, when i see them like that. all limp and stuff. but i can't think that way...but i can't help it!! what's up with 94F in may?
i feel a little crazy right now, as you can tell.
anyway, i think it's supposed to get cooler.
also...
thank you to my family and friends for your comments. it's really nice to read them, and it makes the whole blog experience less one way. thank you!
peace
Monday, May 17, 2010
we've been taking the goats our of their pen every day, putting them on fresh grass. they love it, and the girls have been so happy playing with them (especially the babies - vushka and coffee)
our field is coming along. that's ed and the tiller in the background. glad they're both ok again (ed had some shoulder pain after shoveling untold loads of compost one day...)
that's me, setting out the summer squashes
peace
our field is coming along. that's ed and the tiller in the background. glad they're both ok again (ed had some shoulder pain after shoveling untold loads of compost one day...)
that's me, setting out the summer squashes
peace
Sunday, May 16, 2010
record
yesterday we set a new record at the market: it was our best day since we started farming. we had mounds of greens, spinach, radishes, turnips, as well as eggs and shiitakes, and they all sold out. i am so excited, and can hardly believe it. things are going so well - the vegetables are growing, the weather is beautiful, and the people are appreciating it all. it's really inspiring, and i am so grateful.
ed and i have been working so hard, and this is such nice encouragement... we already have over 70 beds planted, which is more than we had at any time last season (our max was 52). i can hardly believe that just the two of us managed to plant all this, especially since we're working in our brand new field, breaking new ground, and our tiller was broken for 3 weeks. but we've caught up and now we're almost on schedule, as far as what we had planned. our friend Jennifer has been a great help too, coming over once a week to help us weed. she's a great worker, and she loves the land. she's inspiring to work with, and i love having her around.
this week we're planting about 30 new beds - summer squashes, cucumbers, celeriac, etc. they're all in the greenhouse right now, getting big, too big, so we have to get them in the ground. i think we can do it - we have the land almost ready. i picked out most of the stones on friday, and ed spread soil amenities. today he's spreading compost and tilling, and then we'll be getting the squashes in.
the kids left this morning. they're going on a whale watch in Provincetown with grandma and grandpa. they were really excited, and i am too, for them. sena asked if she should set up her booth on the boat... it was a little funny. we told her to just bring her pamphlets and share them with whoever may be interested. she was at the market with her whale stuff again yesterday, and got more donations. she only lasted one hour this time though, before she packed up her booth and went playing with her friends. i can't blame her, it was a gorgeous day.
that's all for now, got to go out to the field...
peace
ed and i have been working so hard, and this is such nice encouragement... we already have over 70 beds planted, which is more than we had at any time last season (our max was 52). i can hardly believe that just the two of us managed to plant all this, especially since we're working in our brand new field, breaking new ground, and our tiller was broken for 3 weeks. but we've caught up and now we're almost on schedule, as far as what we had planned. our friend Jennifer has been a great help too, coming over once a week to help us weed. she's a great worker, and she loves the land. she's inspiring to work with, and i love having her around.
this week we're planting about 30 new beds - summer squashes, cucumbers, celeriac, etc. they're all in the greenhouse right now, getting big, too big, so we have to get them in the ground. i think we can do it - we have the land almost ready. i picked out most of the stones on friday, and ed spread soil amenities. today he's spreading compost and tilling, and then we'll be getting the squashes in.
the kids left this morning. they're going on a whale watch in Provincetown with grandma and grandpa. they were really excited, and i am too, for them. sena asked if she should set up her booth on the boat... it was a little funny. we told her to just bring her pamphlets and share them with whoever may be interested. she was at the market with her whale stuff again yesterday, and got more donations. she only lasted one hour this time though, before she packed up her booth and went playing with her friends. i can't blame her, it was a gorgeous day.
that's all for now, got to go out to the field...
peace
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
our CSA is filled
we have 40 people signed up and that's our limit this season. i'm sad to have to turn other people down, but with just ed and i working, it's a huge commitment to even do 40 people.
we've already met most of the people who signed up, and have given them tours of our farm. it's a great interaction - most people are genuinely interested in finding out more about where their food is coming from, how it's being grown, etc. it's very exciting, i think, both for us and for them to be involved this way.
here are some pictures from our last market:
sena had her own booth, where she distributed her whale pamphlet (i hope to post it soon), which she put together with Ed's help and Bill Rossiter's assistance, from CSI. her pamphlet came out great. it's beautiful and very informative on whale issues and what people in this area can do to help. she had a great day, spoke to lots of people, and actually got some donations. she never planned to do anything money wise, but people kept offering to donate money. she told them to just send a check to CSI, at first, but then she also got some cash:$13.50, which she will send to CSI. she did such a good job putting this together - ed and i are really impressed!
it rained really hard about half-way through the market. our booths are 1st on the left in this picture.
stewart and his bees, in the rain (btw, we just got our bees this week. they're in our new field, getting aquainted with their new environment).
at the beginning of the market, the sun was still out...
check out our radishes. they do taste as good as they look. i'm really happy with them.
peace
we've already met most of the people who signed up, and have given them tours of our farm. it's a great interaction - most people are genuinely interested in finding out more about where their food is coming from, how it's being grown, etc. it's very exciting, i think, both for us and for them to be involved this way.
here are some pictures from our last market:
sena had her own booth, where she distributed her whale pamphlet (i hope to post it soon), which she put together with Ed's help and Bill Rossiter's assistance, from CSI. her pamphlet came out great. it's beautiful and very informative on whale issues and what people in this area can do to help. she had a great day, spoke to lots of people, and actually got some donations. she never planned to do anything money wise, but people kept offering to donate money. she told them to just send a check to CSI, at first, but then she also got some cash:$13.50, which she will send to CSI. she did such a good job putting this together - ed and i are really impressed!
it rained really hard about half-way through the market. our booths are 1st on the left in this picture.
stewart and his bees, in the rain (btw, we just got our bees this week. they're in our new field, getting aquainted with their new environment).
at the beginning of the market, the sun was still out...
check out our radishes. they do taste as good as they look. i'm really happy with them.
peace
kids
it's raining today. i'm happy about that. the plants need it, and i need it too. it's been 10 days since i had some rest, we've just been so busy... i'm looking forward to rain days just for that reason.
so i'm taking advantage of this time go do stuff i don't normally have time for, like, post these cute pics:
4 cousins playing at our house last friday: sena, aiyana, julia and jacob.
and this is sena and aiyana in their new room. they love it.
so i'm taking advantage of this time go do stuff i don't normally have time for, like, post these cute pics:
4 cousins playing at our house last friday: sena, aiyana, julia and jacob.
and this is sena and aiyana in their new room. they love it.
peace
Sunday, May 09, 2010
1st outdoor market of the season
yesterday we had our first outdoor farmers' market of the season, in Storrs, at town hall (same location as last year). even though it rained hard in the morning, by the time the market started at 3, the sun was out, and the people came. it was so much fun to see everybody again! we didn't know how much to pick in the morning, because the weather seemed so uncertain and we weren't sure how many people would come, but we picked a lot anyway, and sold most of it. it was really great to be there again, and i felt inspired by people's response to us.
our vegetables are doing really well. we had a lot of growth in the past two weeks, with all the sun and rain. it's been nice for the plants, and for the weeds as well, of course. i'm still overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have to do. we're behind in planting, weeding, transplanting, basically everything. but it's nice to have the reward of vegetables coming in bountiful and beautiful to balance that a little bit.
i've realized in speaking to others, that being behind is a way of life when you farm. so i'm working on adjusting my thinking, and just being grateful for all i do accomplish in a day, as opposed to being weighed down by all there is left to do... i've been able to do this some nights this past week, and it's a really nice feeling going to bed satisfied with the day's work done...
thank you so much to everyone who's come to the market for us, and everyone who's encouraged us to keep doing what we're doing. we're very excited and we're giving it everything we have. i feel blessed and priviledged to be able to live my life this way!
peace
our vegetables are doing really well. we had a lot of growth in the past two weeks, with all the sun and rain. it's been nice for the plants, and for the weeds as well, of course. i'm still overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have to do. we're behind in planting, weeding, transplanting, basically everything. but it's nice to have the reward of vegetables coming in bountiful and beautiful to balance that a little bit.
i've realized in speaking to others, that being behind is a way of life when you farm. so i'm working on adjusting my thinking, and just being grateful for all i do accomplish in a day, as opposed to being weighed down by all there is left to do... i've been able to do this some nights this past week, and it's a really nice feeling going to bed satisfied with the day's work done...
thank you so much to everyone who's come to the market for us, and everyone who's encouraged us to keep doing what we're doing. we're very excited and we're giving it everything we have. i feel blessed and priviledged to be able to live my life this way!
peace
Sunday, May 02, 2010
feeling so ....
... embarassed. i hurt my wrist and hand because i acted really dumb. we went to the maypole celebration last night, as we do every year, and i got a little too caught up in not letting the men put the pole in the ground. and that's how i hurt my wrist. it was all really fun while it was happening, and i was so focused on what was going on, that i didn't notice either my hand, or aiyana, who was really crying hard, thinking that i was getting hurt. anyway, it was an interesting incident, because it woke me up to being much more aware of my body. if i want to do the work of farming i am doing, i need my body. i need it to be functioning well, and i can't allow myself to be injured doing silly things. on the positive side, i guess, i realized how grateful i am for my body being as strong and healthy as it is, allowing me to do work that i love, and lead my life the way i want.
other than that, we've been crazy. moving in to our new house over the past two days, and trying to keep the fields going at the same time. really intense. but the house is beautiful, and it feels so good to be finally in there. i can't believe that ed and jonnie built it all from scratch. our hand-made house is really cool!
got to finish moving everything out of the old house today - hopefully my hand won't give me any trouble...
peace
other than that, we've been crazy. moving in to our new house over the past two days, and trying to keep the fields going at the same time. really intense. but the house is beautiful, and it feels so good to be finally in there. i can't believe that ed and jonnie built it all from scratch. our hand-made house is really cool!
got to finish moving everything out of the old house today - hopefully my hand won't give me any trouble...
peace
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