Full time Farmer, that's me! This season has been full of new information, system organization, mentorship in farming, leadership practice, and field trip hosting
The early season flowers are peaking up through the fuzzy grass spears and the sun is getting stronger each day. I am busy in the Greenhouse, seeding this year's first succession of vegetables. The few crops that hunkered down through the winter are looking elderly, their aphid crusted leaves curled from the sourness of nutrient-hungry soil. The compost piles need turning, and the roads need mulching after a soakingly wet season.
Spring welcomes school group camping trips, when I feel most like myself. The children effortlessly share their wonder about the beautiful and tiny worlds they observe on the Field. This seems to wind up the most effective reminder of gratitude and love I have for places like these; the farm field, the redwoods, the Salmon Creek Watershed, the charismatic pigs, the grape vines greeting us on the long driveway home, the sea birds on their flight path to the estuary nearby, the ocean fog bringing ethereal morning sun rays... It feels like I won the lottery living in this corner of the world.
Summer was mild in temperatures, which was comfortable for us farmers but killed or delayed our crops significantly. After the last of the school groups camp, we transition into full-time field-work mode. Because the Field Crew serves as outdoor educators when children visit, this freed up time to focus on what the field and plants need from us. I trialed being Farm Field lead for a month while my boss was away. In this month, I trained 3 new folks, prepared an acre field for summer crops and 8 row terrace that had both been fallow for 2 years, planted out both areas with summer crops and 30 varieties of annual cut flowers we started from seed, as well continued work on the main farm field, caring for the animals, and harvesting for the CSA weekly. This role felt like a good next step for me, considering my future at this farm. Although I worked long days, the sun kept up with my needs and allowed me the hours I needed of daylight to get the work complete and still have time to enjoy the season outside of work.
After quick cold showers and aloe applications, the Field Crew and Isaac and I got together often for Trivia, jam sessions, game nights, excursions to other farms, night markets, movie nights, and potlucks. So. many. potlucks.
Isaac and I (and Artie) took a mini vacation in June to Mendocino, where we stayed on a flower farm next to the redwoods in Mendocino. We admired Sea Ranch, hiked the Pygmy Forest and Jughandle State Park, meandered through the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, ate some really spectacular food. The coastline is exposed here; pockets of turquoise waters rush into gullies where fern and Monterey Cyprus trees reinforce steep hillsides. There is much whimsy in the geological features here; Bowling Ball Beach, the tide pools, the massive boulders sleeping in sandy shores... we were awarded with smooth abalone fragments, sea glass, and honed stones from the estuaries. Locals thought it was funny we chose there to visit, since it they consider it a short day trip away from west Sonoma County where we live. We found the excursion worthwhile, and the change of scenery needed. It also confirmed how we like the county we live in; for the last few years we had a thought that Mendocino county could be a contender to live in, but we found it expensive, and limiting because of it’s remoteness for living full time.
Days are long, my muscles are tired, and I can't seem to drink enough iced sun tea these days.
Big Takeaways:
• Time off is a MUST. Use it up and enjoy it.
• Seasonality has its own timeline. June doesn't equate tomatoes, summer heat does!
• Last year I experienced the most amount of rainbows I had ever seen; and this year is proving to be the most amount of potlucks I have ever participated in. When you're friends with farmers, the potluck scene is really where it's at.
• Summer always feels like the peak of the year. Such expectation for memory-making, easy-listening, feel-good energy. Realistic? Not quite. But worth the effort.