When I wake up in the morning, the very first thought in my mind is whether I’ll be planting, weeding or harvesting today (or all three!).Though if it’s a market day, I’ll be up at 3:30 am and am unlikely to have formulated any thoughts yet.
And after that – I wonder what kind of breakfast I’ll find on the farm at that time of year…farm-fresh eggs, wild blackberries, August apples, or a sweet and creamy winter squash.
My heart glows when I pull a perfect, long, straight carrot out of the ground. My heart breaks when an entire bed of sweet Hakurei salad turnips are unsaleable due to insect damage (insects need to eat too, I guess).
My customers are my seasonal-eating inspiration. More than anything else, I care about sharing with them the most delicious, nutritious, and delightful vegetables I can grow so they can prepare and relish their own local, organic gourmet meals (with a beautiful flower bouquet cut from our farm as their centrepiece!).
In my world of small-scale organic farming, tired muscles, dirty fingernails, and abundant earthworms are an absolute necessity.
Pausing in the midst of a hot day to consume a fresh watermelon is always a fabulous idea.
Growing bigger is overrated and mono-cropping is a definite NO.
Fantasizing about lounging in front of our wood-stove in the winter with a pile of seed catalogues is totally reasonable.
Striving to improve our soil’s health each year is a must.
But at the end of the day, watching the sun set with my partner and co-farmer, listening to the sounds of the birds and the bees who happily co-exist on our farm and knowing we did our best for our community of eaters is all that really matters.
When I die, I want to be remembered as a person who left her farm better than she found it. And who inspired others to nourish themselves with beautiful, unique vegetables too.
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