Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Newest Farmer
It's official! I'm going to be farming next year!! I'm still stunned and excited too. So much is happening! I will have to expound later. I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed and when that happens I get sleepy. But I will definitely talk about this again!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
First Sweetcorn of the Year
It's finally here! Sweetcorn! Oh there is nothing like fresh, crisp sweetcorn. The past few days I've been enjoying this very seasonal delicacy. There is very little worse than mushy out of season corn. If only we had more. But like I feared, our sweetcorn crop is quite small. Our first couple plantings did nothing and this last planting has some disease. We won't get much out of it. Sad.
We've also started harvesting our tomatoes out of our hoop house. Our field tomatoes are getting closer. Oh they taste so good. I used to never like tomatoes. Then I only liked them cooked. Now I love them in sandwiches and other things raw or cooked. I still can't eat them like apples. I'm sure that will come some day. When I started working on a farm last summer I was afraid to admit that I didn't like tomatoes. I thought they'd fire me for sure since tomatoes seems to be one of those quintessential organic farm crops. Thankfully I found that I liked them and I didn't have to be run out of town. :)
We're still grinding away at the farm. The days are hot and sometimes long. We all move a little slower. It's late July. I get the feeling that this is typical for this time of the year. Once the days cool we'll regain the spring in our steps. Now we just plod faithfully along, doing what needs to be done. Cooler days will be here before we know it!
We've also started harvesting our tomatoes out of our hoop house. Our field tomatoes are getting closer. Oh they taste so good. I used to never like tomatoes. Then I only liked them cooked. Now I love them in sandwiches and other things raw or cooked. I still can't eat them like apples. I'm sure that will come some day. When I started working on a farm last summer I was afraid to admit that I didn't like tomatoes. I thought they'd fire me for sure since tomatoes seems to be one of those quintessential organic farm crops. Thankfully I found that I liked them and I didn't have to be run out of town. :)
We're still grinding away at the farm. The days are hot and sometimes long. We all move a little slower. It's late July. I get the feeling that this is typical for this time of the year. Once the days cool we'll regain the spring in our steps. Now we just plod faithfully along, doing what needs to be done. Cooler days will be here before we know it!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Song of the Cicada
You know it's deep summer when the cicadas start to sing. I am serenaded constantly during the day. I love the sound. It sounds like summer. The hot, hazy days are not complete without the cicada. Then at night there are the fireflies! oh the fireflies. There are so many here. I am mesmerized by them. Sometimes I miss my bedtime because I just have to stay up and watch them. One night I couldn't resist the urge to go out into the middle of them. I just stood there and every which way I turned I saw their little glowing bodies. It was actually a deep and moving moment. I have to admit that I did a little dance. I had to do something. I wanted to join in and since I am not blessed with bio luminescence and I was afraid singing would startle them, I danced. And to tell you the truth it's has become a cherished moment.
This past week has been the hottest so far. Honestly it wasn't that bad. We were definitely sluggish and we sweated a lot. But, working in the heat is not the worst thing in the world, contrary to what all the d.j.'s and newspeople say. You will not melt if you work in the heat and humidity. You just go slower and drink a lot of water. Oh, a wide brimmed hat is a good idea too.
On the future farm front (like that alliteration?), I have sent in my preliminary business plan to the person in charge of program that rents land and equipment at low cost to beginning farmers. It's called an incubator program. There is one right next to the farm I currently work on. My plan definitely needs work but I'm excited to have a draft done. This farming thing is becoming more and more of a reality. There are days when I'm terribly excited and there are days where I'm so overwhelmed I just want to crawl into bed and sleep. But I keep plodding along with my plans and praying. Oh, there is lots of praying going on. This isn't just about me finding a career that I like. This is more of a calling for me. This is where I think God is calling me to serve him and others; to be Christ to those I meet through farming-my fellow farmers and customers, to share with others my belief in the deep importance of Creation and how we treat it, to be an active part of the change I want to see.
Pray I don't lose sight of these things as I go through the details of business planning and budgeting. This is so much more than a business to me. It's my calling. May God be glorified through all of this.
This past week has been the hottest so far. Honestly it wasn't that bad. We were definitely sluggish and we sweated a lot. But, working in the heat is not the worst thing in the world, contrary to what all the d.j.'s and newspeople say. You will not melt if you work in the heat and humidity. You just go slower and drink a lot of water. Oh, a wide brimmed hat is a good idea too.
On the future farm front (like that alliteration?), I have sent in my preliminary business plan to the person in charge of program that rents land and equipment at low cost to beginning farmers. It's called an incubator program. There is one right next to the farm I currently work on. My plan definitely needs work but I'm excited to have a draft done. This farming thing is becoming more and more of a reality. There are days when I'm terribly excited and there are days where I'm so overwhelmed I just want to crawl into bed and sleep. But I keep plodding along with my plans and praying. Oh, there is lots of praying going on. This isn't just about me finding a career that I like. This is more of a calling for me. This is where I think God is calling me to serve him and others; to be Christ to those I meet through farming-my fellow farmers and customers, to share with others my belief in the deep importance of Creation and how we treat it, to be an active part of the change I want to see.
Pray I don't lose sight of these things as I go through the details of business planning and budgeting. This is so much more than a business to me. It's my calling. May God be glorified through all of this.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
My, how the summer flies! I can't believe it's July. Unfortunately some of our sweet corn has missed the "knee-high by the 4th of July" standard. I'm wondering if we'll even get any this summer. A few weeks ago we were out in the sweet corn fields weeding and discovered that half of our first planting was only 6 inches tall, had tassled, and had baby ears of corn already! This is not a good sign. Perhaps we'll have stir-fry sweet corn instead of the traditional sized delicious ears. Quite sad, really.
Other than that things are going along just swimmingly. We've just harvested the first beets of the season! I am really excited about them. I've always loved beets. I love their deep red, almost purple color. I love the taste of sweet, earthy goodness. They're amazing with a little salt and butter. The broccoli is huge. I am amazed every time we go out to harvest it. It's one of my favorite things to harvest too. We take along large harvest knives that are about the size of half a machete. Then one person hacks at the stem. If you're good and the knife is sharp you can cut through the thick stalk with one swing. Next you toss it to your partner who takes off the excess leaves and puts it into the crate. It's so much better than harvesting zucchini which leaves your arms all scratched up from the prickly plants. Boo hiss.
So that's the update from the farm. Tomatoes and peppers are coming soon. But not soon enough for me. I'm so tempted to start frying the green tomatoes. I might have too soon. But for right now I'm content with my fresh garlic and broccoli pizza. mmmmh.
Other than that things are going along just swimmingly. We've just harvested the first beets of the season! I am really excited about them. I've always loved beets. I love their deep red, almost purple color. I love the taste of sweet, earthy goodness. They're amazing with a little salt and butter. The broccoli is huge. I am amazed every time we go out to harvest it. It's one of my favorite things to harvest too. We take along large harvest knives that are about the size of half a machete. Then one person hacks at the stem. If you're good and the knife is sharp you can cut through the thick stalk with one swing. Next you toss it to your partner who takes off the excess leaves and puts it into the crate. It's so much better than harvesting zucchini which leaves your arms all scratched up from the prickly plants. Boo hiss.
So that's the update from the farm. Tomatoes and peppers are coming soon. But not soon enough for me. I'm so tempted to start frying the green tomatoes. I might have too soon. But for right now I'm content with my fresh garlic and broccoli pizza. mmmmh.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Summer Days
Welcome Summer, Happy Solstice!
Perhaps this sounds a somewhat pagan greeting, but being a farmer I live my life by the seasons. Why not celebrate the seasons of Creation? This past week has been absolutely gorgeous on the farm. The sun has been shining, there have been beautiful breezes and clouds going by. We had a few quite showers yesterday which we enjoyed as well. I can only describe it as delicious. I love being in the rain on a summer day. Today had a gloomy start but has now become so sunny. I went on a walk and found mulberry trees with their berries just starting to ripen! I'm now thinking of muffins and crisps and other wonderful things to make with the coming mulberries. I just made my first batch of strawberry jam! It's a little runny because I refuse to use the amount of sugar the recipes call for (7 cups!). It's still delicious. The next batch will have to be strawberry rhubarb.
Plants are continuing to grow on the farm. This week we harvested broccoli, parsley, and garlic scapes for the first time. I know you're all wondering what the heck are garlic scapes. You are, aren't you? Garlic scapes are the flower stalk that the garlic plant sends up. It naturally does a curly-q and then flowers at the end. Once the stalk curls we snap it off so that the plant will focus it's efforts on the bulb in the ground where the cloves form. The scape can be used like a green onion (scallion) but it tastes like garlic. They're a breeze to harvest and our hands smell of garlic for the rest of the day. Meet the garlic scape.
As the weeks go by i find myself getting more and more excited about having my own farm. I have come a long way! Last year i would freak out when I would think about having a farm of my own. Now I am thinking about it all the time and strategizing. I am even hoping of starting my farm next year! I am looking into programs that help out beginning farmers and offer land and equipment rental for low rates. I don't even have a name yet, but I am hoping that will come in time. Any suggestions are welcome. :)
Perhaps this sounds a somewhat pagan greeting, but being a farmer I live my life by the seasons. Why not celebrate the seasons of Creation? This past week has been absolutely gorgeous on the farm. The sun has been shining, there have been beautiful breezes and clouds going by. We had a few quite showers yesterday which we enjoyed as well. I can only describe it as delicious. I love being in the rain on a summer day. Today had a gloomy start but has now become so sunny. I went on a walk and found mulberry trees with their berries just starting to ripen! I'm now thinking of muffins and crisps and other wonderful things to make with the coming mulberries. I just made my first batch of strawberry jam! It's a little runny because I refuse to use the amount of sugar the recipes call for (7 cups!). It's still delicious. The next batch will have to be strawberry rhubarb.
Plants are continuing to grow on the farm. This week we harvested broccoli, parsley, and garlic scapes for the first time. I know you're all wondering what the heck are garlic scapes. You are, aren't you? Garlic scapes are the flower stalk that the garlic plant sends up. It naturally does a curly-q and then flowers at the end. Once the stalk curls we snap it off so that the plant will focus it's efforts on the bulb in the ground where the cloves form. The scape can be used like a green onion (scallion) but it tastes like garlic. They're a breeze to harvest and our hands smell of garlic for the rest of the day. Meet the garlic scape.
As the weeks go by i find myself getting more and more excited about having my own farm. I have come a long way! Last year i would freak out when I would think about having a farm of my own. Now I am thinking about it all the time and strategizing. I am even hoping of starting my farm next year! I am looking into programs that help out beginning farmers and offer land and equipment rental for low rates. I don't even have a name yet, but I am hoping that will come in time. Any suggestions are welcome. :)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Farmer's Market Update and Even More Storms
I must say the farmers' market was wonderful. I had a great time. I did have trouble sleeping just as I thought I would, but I didn't become zombie-like until after I got home. I really enjoyed the people at the market. It was so much fun talking with them, introducing people to new vegetables, giving ideas of how to prepare different things, and joking around too. The other vendors were great. We were in between an herb vinegar guy and a Wisconsin cheese guy. Oh, the smells were delicious. I could've spent a fortune at the cheese stand. They're curds were amazing. I got to barter for a couple of things too. I loved it. I'm looking forward to the next time I go to the market.
Just to give you a quick update on the farm- we've had a ton of rain. Fields were flooded Monday after two heavy rains on Sunday. Harvesting has been interesting. The aisles have been filled with water in most places. It's been quite disheartening. With all this rain we could lose some crops. The ones in the most danger are the tomatoes and the peppers. It's so sad. I love peppers and I'm starting to really like tomatoes. Plus we're growing so many different colors of tomatoes. On one hand it makes me glad that I'm not farming on my own yet. This potential crop loss doesn't really harm me, but it does hurt my bosses. It's humbling, to the point of frightening, how you can plan well, have healthy crops in the field, have everything looking so promising and then BAM! Disaster strikes.
I guess the reality is that we're really not in control. We like to think we are in control. We act as though we are in control. But the stark truth is that we are not in control. God is. I think farming is one of those few professions where that truth is so blatant. You live daily with the fact that life does not go according to plan. On one level that frightens me to the core. But, it also excites me. It excites me because I see the chance for God to do great things in such a life. Acknowledging that I have very little control over life can bring such humility and faith. Oh, how I hope for such things-that I will learn to give up the illusion of my ability to control my life or that I know what's best for me. And that God may increase my faith. There's a passage in Habakkuk that scares me and yet entices me too.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength:
he makes my feet liek the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19
May that kind of faith grow in us all.
Just to give you a quick update on the farm- we've had a ton of rain. Fields were flooded Monday after two heavy rains on Sunday. Harvesting has been interesting. The aisles have been filled with water in most places. It's been quite disheartening. With all this rain we could lose some crops. The ones in the most danger are the tomatoes and the peppers. It's so sad. I love peppers and I'm starting to really like tomatoes. Plus we're growing so many different colors of tomatoes. On one hand it makes me glad that I'm not farming on my own yet. This potential crop loss doesn't really harm me, but it does hurt my bosses. It's humbling, to the point of frightening, how you can plan well, have healthy crops in the field, have everything looking so promising and then BAM! Disaster strikes.
I guess the reality is that we're really not in control. We like to think we are in control. We act as though we are in control. But the stark truth is that we are not in control. God is. I think farming is one of those few professions where that truth is so blatant. You live daily with the fact that life does not go according to plan. On one level that frightens me to the core. But, it also excites me. It excites me because I see the chance for God to do great things in such a life. Acknowledging that I have very little control over life can bring such humility and faith. Oh, how I hope for such things-that I will learn to give up the illusion of my ability to control my life or that I know what's best for me. And that God may increase my faith. There's a passage in Habakkuk that scares me and yet entices me too.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength:
he makes my feet liek the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19
May that kind of faith grow in us all.
Friday, June 6, 2008
To Market! To Market!
Well, despite all the storms that have blown through we have had a busy week. The spring CSA is going well. People are loving their vegetables. We've also started going to the Oak Park Farmer's Market on Saturday. Tomorrow is my first farmers' market as a farmer! I'm very excited. We spent most of today harvesting. We'll be taking lettuce, spinach (two kinds), arugula, green onions, green garlic, kohlrabi, napa (chinese) cabbage, asparagus, radishes (three kinds), hakurei turnips, and i think there's something else but I can't remember now. That's quite a list! We start loading the truck at 4:30 AM! I'm hoping I'm coherent. Actually, I'm not worried about getting up. I'm worried about falling asleep. I'm so excited I might have a hard time sleeping. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
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