So where did all the time go? Looks like my last entry was June. Whoops. Well, it's been a crazy ride but I survived my first year of farming! I have to admit I was ready for it to end. I've earned my winter's nap! Only it doesn't look like I'll get a long one. By the time October rolled around I was looking forward to spending Saturdays at home or doing things I wanted to do rather than getting up early for market. Though the markets have been done for over a month I still feel like I'm playing hookie when I wake up at 8 on a Saturday. I grin like a fool, make a hot drink and enjoy the morning. Ahh, bliss.
That's not to say that I disliked going to markets. I loved it. I've made some good friends with my fellow vendors. There's something of a brotherhood/sisterhood in it. There were a few vendors that were at both of my markets and I definitely had people take me under their wing a little since I was the "newbie". I had a lot of great customers too. I developed quite a following over the summer. At the end people wanted to make sure that I'd be there again. It was very affirming. Yet, I was ready to let that go for a few months to rest, recover, and regenerate.
Today was the first day of snow. It was so beautiful out. It was windy and the air was full of large flakes, the kind that get caught in your hair and eyelashes. The air smelled of snow too. I love that smell. I love snowflakes that catch in your hair and clothing. It's also a much needed affirmation that my field days are done for the year and I can move on to other things, such as planning for next year and getting some winter employment! What a mess planning can be and I think the hard work of planning is just as difficult as the field work! Farming is a huge, complicated word problem. It takes weeks to untangle the snarl of field notes and market numbers from the previous season even if you do keep good records (which I did, at times). Then you have to assign hard numbers to your hopes and plans for next year. Next you take your untangled numbers from the previous season, use them to inform your lofty plans for next season, and somewhere make calculations that define how much land, seed, and when you need that land and seed.
I'm sorry, am I boring you? Is your brain numb yet? Mine is. That means it's time to do something else. Til next time!
