On Saving Lives: Meet Miss Ellie

Meet Miss Ellie. She's affectionately been nicknamed "little dog" around here and she is so quiet and relaxed that you'd hardly know she was here if I didn't introduce you. I saved her life.

Quiet

She has been here almost three months which has given me plenty of time to get to know her so that I can tell you about her.

Observant

When I picked her up, just before her "deadline," literally, I took her straight to the vet. She was tested for heartworm (negative), internal parasites (negative), and given her vaccinations (she will need her 3-year Rabies vax in June of 2015). The only thing she was treated for was what looked to be a long-term issue with ear-infections in both ears with the left ear being the most severe. This might need attention from time to time. Anti-inflammatory medications were administered and while she needs a re-check of this currently, it has not caused a significant problem. She is due to be spayed in the next week or so and her ear will be looked at also.

Calm

There are so many great things about Ellie that I think I need to use bullet points. Seriously. I cannot put them all into complete sentences or we'd be here for a solid 16 paragraphs.

I know what you might be thinking at this point: "Why is she up for adoption if she is so wonderful?"

Good question. My answer to that is this: Because at first, I desperately wanted to keep Ellie for my own. I told my mentor with the rescue that I wanted to adopt her. And then......I realized that Ellie was not 100% happy. I wanted to keep her for selfish reasons. But I knew in my heart of hearts that Ellie was meant for one special person and as difficult as it was to admit, I knew it wasn't me. So, after about 6 weeks, I told my mentor that Ellie was officially on the market and that finding her special person would be the focus. And that of course, she was welcome to stay here at Hope Farms as long  as it took.

Sweet and Kind

• Calm - on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being as calm as they come & 5 being super energetic - Ellie is a .75
• Sweet - Ellie is sweet to everyone: dogs, cats, children, adults - you name it. She has this thing she does when she comes up to you - she'll put her paw on you if you don't pay attention to her. So cute. 
• Potty-trained - the only time Ellie ever had an accident was when she was not feeling well.
• Easy to bathe - no shenanigans from this girl, she actually likes it!
• Easy to groom and medicate - she's easy-peasy to get along with. Seriously, she's a dream.
• Leash friendly - we are on almost four fenced acres, so a leash is rarely used here, however, it would take no time at all for her to be trained to "heel, sit, stay, etc." if someone were to spend just a few minutes a day with her on these basic commands.
• Obedient - she knows what "no" means.
• Content - Ellie is content to lay at your feet, inside, all day long. She LOVES to be inside, with you, all the time. A true companion dog, Ellie thrives by being with her person. My recommendations are that she be homed with a retired or home-based person that is home the majority of the time. While Ellie would be fine on her own for hours on end, even with other dogs, (here is where my heart of hearts comes in...) she is happiest when she is with someone for the majority of the day/evening. *Disclaimer: when Ellie first arrived here, she had some separation-anxiety issues. She barked and whined when we first had to leave her in her crate for the few times that we would leave the farm. She likes her crate but it is not necessary to have one for her. After about a week, she had no incidents of barking or whining. She knew that she was safe and settled down, even when we would leave the farm.
• A healthy eater - Ellie has a good appetite but is not an over-eater. She is tickled at dinner-time and shows her excitement by a wagging tail, a happy smile and occasionally the "circle of happiness" where she turns in a few circles on her way to her food dish. I have never observed any food aggression in Ellie. I let my 9-year old son feed her and I have actually put my hand in her bowl with her food while she is eating. She's a carefree gal.
• The perfect size: She is just over 30 pounds - give or take. She is at her mature size.
• Young, but not too young: Ellie has been estimated by the veterinarian to be between 2 and 3 years - again, give or take. 
• Car-Rider Extraordinaire - she LOVES to go for car rides and behaves very nicely. In fact, she loves to go for rides so much that she will just about jump into anyone's vehicle. Watch that. ;-)
• What IS she? We think Miss Ellie is mostly Border Collie but we're not entirely sure. Her energy level and other physical and conformational characteristics tell us otherwise. She's perfect just the way she is, though, don't you agree?

If you are, or know someone who might be, interested in Miss Ellie and think that you might be a good match for her, please send an email to Friendsofstanlycountyanimals@gmail.com and request an application. 

Also, go to to their Facebook page and "Like" it. Also, invite your friends. The more folks know about rescues and how to help, the more we can bring light to the needs of the animals around us. It start with just one. After Ellie, I will probably save another life. I cannot save them all. I do get overwhelmed when I see the massive need. But it starts with one and what a difference it makes in the life of THAT ONE, yes?

If you are interested in fostering or donating, please contact Friends of Stanly County Animals via either their Facebook page or the email listed above. They could really use the help. Even if just ONE of you does ONE thing, it will help. 

Here is what this rescue organization does and how you can help:

"Friends of Stanly County Animals Rescue is looking for individuals/families who want to make a difference by being a part of rescue. We welcome you in any capacity but we are in need of fosters. We save dogs from Animal Control but we also save them from other circumstances. We take owner surrenders and very often we intervene to keep animals from going to AC. We provide the vetting, food, leash, collar, toys, and crate. We prefer our dogs are inside dogs so you would help with the potty/crate training (some come to us trained). Basically fosters are getting them ready for their forever family. You would simply give the love and attention that every animal (even humans) needs. We will work with you and find out what fits your need best...short term and/or long term. Fosters for pups, young dogs, and older dogs. Fosters for small and big dogs. Fosters are how we save lives. If you are interested please contact us at Friendsofstanlycountyanimals@gmail.com"

Day 13: Reflect

Reflect

Day 5: Comfort

Comfort

Day 3: Words

Words

Day Two: Gratitude

Gratitude

Join us for the Click-A-Day Challenge: Our Little Coop 

Day One: Red

My friend Emily, at Our Little Coop has put together a photo challenge for the month of December - #clickadaychallenge - and you can find more information here.

I'll be posting my photos here on the blog and on the Hope Farms' Facebook page as well, with the hash-tag of #clickadaychallenge.

The first day of December's inspiration is Red.

Hope you'll join us!

Early Morning in August

Crickets. Frogs and toads. Birdsong. Hens 'talking' to one another. The hum of the ceiling fan. The gurgling of the last bit of water through the coffee pot.

These are the sounds of the early morning here at Hope Farms. Coupled with a temperature of just 60* Fahrenheit this fine sixteenth day of August makes the day ahead feel like a picnic even though there is much to be done.

Rain is coming in the forecast today, and about a month ago I would have shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, but this time it's welcome. The band on the radar shows a pretty heavy rainfall - even if it doesn't amount to much in inches - it looks like many short downpours are headed our way here at the foot of the Uwharrie Mountains.

There are seeds in the raised beds coming up - the germination rate is so very quick in this warm weather as compared to February or March - and I'm so looking forward to this next round of growing.

Renewed. Refreshed. Energized. That's how it feels to have the very welcome break in the heat this week.

The last six weeks have been difficult to say the least. At the farmers' market yesterday I was talking with a woman who has been coming to the market faithfully, just about every single week for the entire three seasons we've been there, and she was telling me that everyone she knows that had a garden this year did pitifully.

Tomatoes are hard to come by. Okra is offered by the handful instead of the bushel. Squash? HAHA! When usually one is sneaking on to neighbors porches with zucchini in 20+ pound packages, there is nary a one to be found right now. Well, maybe one. Like the one lone yellow crookneck squash I took to the market yesterday and gave to a fellow vendor when she came over to get some Swiss chard (what's left of it after the army worms destroyed 1/2 of the crop) and an eggplant (which are doing fairly well considering their latest attack by aphids).

Today, I'm going to plant more seeds than necessary. I'm going out on a limb - so to speak - because that's where the fruit is. The fall garden here at Hope Farms is going to ROCK! And as ever, with NO SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS. Ever.

I Made Cheese Today

Actually, it was yesterday, but I let it hang all night in a cozy bed of cheesecloth and gleaned a total of 34 ounces of beautiful goat milk cheese from 2 gallons of milk. This morning I put it into containers. I haven't yet decided on what to do with the whey, but have it stored in quart jars in the refrigerator for a day or so until I figure out where it's going to go. Got any ideas?

The cheese is wonderful. I think the second recipe that I tried was better than the first, so I'll post the link below. There's something about making cheese from the milk that comes from my goat that is so completely satisfying. I can't describe it.

It tastes really, really good.

http://healthylivingawaits.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/how-to-make-homemade-raw-goat-cheese/

Independence Day

John Adams letter to Abigail:

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Happy Fourth of July, y'all!

Interview with a Homesteader

Being a homesteader was never on my list of top five things to accomplish when I was 25 years old. It really wasn't even in the top 10 until my son was born in 2005. When I look back and think about the transformation that is my life, I'm pleased and honored that I have been given the gift of looking after my family, the land, the animals and able to grow food.

Another gift has been my connection with the gals over at Farm Chit Chat - we're doing a Homesteader Highlight each week - in life I'm assured there is a main purpose: to help other individuals.

There's a kind of childish smile that begins when I contemplate the connection between myself and the term homesteader. Me? Really?  Yes, really.

Here is part of an interview that I completed last week:

Farm Chit Chat: Sheila Menendez started her blog, Hope Farm, as a means to connect with others and make known what her life on a small -timey farm is like.  She posts the good, the bad, and the ugly, not necessarily in that order.  Sometimes, she doesn't post as often as she would like to - this often means that they are busy working the farm, pulling weeds, or visiting with friends and family.  The blog and the ever-growing pile of laundry often come last  in a long line of priorities.  

Interviewing Sheila for the homesteader highlight, I was reminded of my grandparents.  Not that Sheila and her husband Ed are old.  Not by any means.  But their strengths and values remind me of a generation that had to live purposefully, with grateful hearts and enduring spirits.   Read on to learn more about this beautiful spirit.

 Farm Chit Chat: How did you get started in farming/homesteading?

 Sheila - I suppose I've always been connected animals my entire life – having always had horses and later, chickens. My husband grew up in upstate New York and he was involved in the FFA (President in his senior year of High School) and 4H as a youngster. In fact, his mom, Marie, started a 4H group and kept it organized for a good while. So, all that to say, there has always been some level of farming or homesteading in my blood – while I could certainly be considered a city-girl, growing up in the Inland Empire of Southern California – it’s something that can’t leak out; that desire to grow your own food, be a good steward of the land, and to excel at animal husbandry. We got started in 2005 – back in California – but really gained momentum in 2008, here in North Carolina.

Farm Chit Chat: When did you begin? How?

Sheila- I always say there’s a story that leads to every story so let me start in the beginning. Prior to living in North Carolina, my husband and my then-toddler and myself lived in the mountains just south of Banning, California in an area called Twin Pines. We had a mini-homestead then with some Barbados sheep, chickens, and a couple of goats. But in October of 2006 the Esperanza fire ripped through the area taking over 30% of the homes and while ours did not burn, we lost our business and decided to make a major life change. We needed to live in a location where we could afford to live within our means, grow our own food, and raise our son to know what that was like. We prayed for guidance and I have often said that “God rolled out the red carpet right to this old farmhouse on a few acres.”

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the interview.

Dirty Lettuce

Lettuce is one of my favorite things to grow, besides Swiss chard, and it can be relatively easy to start from seed. What isn't easy is keeping it clean. And then we have the bolting lettuce that wants to produce seed instead of leaves when the heat gets turned up.

This spring we've had an unusually high amount of rainfall and whether in raised beds or not, the lettuce seems to be a magnet for the dirt that splashes up from the splat of the raindrops into the soil.

Food safety is high on our list of priorities here at Hope Farms and we take it seriously. We use a hand-washing station and sanitize our harvesting utensils and containers with a sanitizing solution as necessary. Of course, we're not preparing for surgery, so there will be no masks or scrubs donned while picking lettuce but we do follow a basic procedure. Although we are not "certified" by any institution or organization we do follow the basic outline of the GAP's, or Good Agricultural Practices.

Often, at the market, you might hear me say "wash the produce really well," and I mean that not because there are unpronounceable chemicals on them but that the produce is probably dirty. As in dirt. Actual tiny grains of dirt and sand, in which it grows and gleans the nutrients it provides to us.

In the research that I've done, it has become fairly clear that sometimes the potential contamination of a product can occur during washing it. So that pre-washed lettuce that we've all come to see in the grocery stores? Not-so-much on the safe side. In fact there have been many recalls on bagged lettuces and spinach. Here's a list: (a list? we need a list? is this normal?)

• Listeria
• Salmonella
• 3,265 cases of bagged salad recalled
• E-Coli
• All recalls - FDA site

Scary, yes?

No, I'm not trying to scare anyone, but just bring the level of awareness up to the playing field. Think about all the times that we eat each and every day - feeding our children, parents, friends, neighbors, and more - do we actually stop to contemplate where the food has come from? No? Why not? If yes, then how did you get to that point of awareness?

Not all farmers work hard to put safety at the forefront of their operations. Not all farmers are transparent and allow you to come to their farms. Not all farmers care about their customers. I encourage you, the consumer, to start asking questions about how the farm operates, whether or not you can visit (and no, you can't just 'show up' that would be rude!) and about food safety practices. There are, just like in other types of businesses out there, individuals who are in business for financial gain only. Don't get me wrong, authentic farmers should make a fair living wage, too. Get to know your farmer. 

A little dirt on your lettuce might be a good thing. We are, above all, a family here at Hope Farms - we're just like you. We welcome questions, inquiries, and visits by appointment. We aren't perfect, but we hold to the standard that if we wouldn't put it on our table, we won't ask you to put it on yours. 

Have a great day y'all!

Small-Timey

There are days when I wonder, “What is the point?” and as I contemplate the question I toss around mathematical figures without any real answer.

I began harvesting at 7 am, packaged Swiss chard, kale, salad lettuces, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and fresh-cut herbs by 8:40 am. Loaded cooler, readied vehicle and changed clothes – by 9 am I’m turning the key in the ignition of the old mini-van and am rolling west-bound toward the farmers’ market. Arrive and set up by 9:50 am. At 11:30 am I have counted the dollars that have come across my quilt-covered table and I can’t deny being a bit disappointed. Sixteen dollars and fifty cents grace the bottom of my change box.

With just over two hours to go, I chat with fellow vendors on either side and across from my table. There is abundance of squash, tomatoes, lettuce, blackberries, green beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and some specialty items such as sprouted grain whole wheat breads baked in a wood fired brick-oven and pasture raised poultry and fresh-from-the-farm free-range eggs. It’s a delightful scene..

Everyone who’s ever grown a market-garden and attended farmers’ markets knows that they take time to grow. As this market is brand-new as of this past May, it would be wrong to have high expectations in regards to sales, but it would also be wrong to believe that it is sustainable to spend, by the time I arrive back home and unload the van, just over eight hours and have brought home (hopefully) twenty dollars. That breaks down to two dollars and fifty cents per hour, folks. Hardly a wage to behold – keeping in mind this does not take into account the fuel used to travel the 56 mile round-trip and the time, seeds, water and other tools used in preparation for the growth and harvest of the produce. And we all know that when beginning a business, especially in the agriculture world, one cannot even begin to look at recovering the cost of their time. Out the window it flies, whether we’re having fun or not.

My kale and Swiss chard seems to silently scream out, “Pick me – I’m GOOD and I’m NUTRITIOUS – I haven’t traveled 2000 miles nor have I been sprayed or dusted with any kind of chemical, EVER!” the passersby head to the tomatoes and jellies on the table next to me. Or, they stop at the table two stalls over for the great looking red and green cabbages. I don’t begrudge them their choices, nor do I feel ill will toward the fellow farmers. I want everyone to succeed.

Second in nutrition only to spinach, my Swiss chard is a sleeper, with few knowing the power of the vitamins, minerals, and protein wielded within (yes, protein). Although not one ounce of anything is ever wasted on our farm, even if the greens did go on a 56 mile round-trip, for if we can’t eat it right away, it goes to the pigs, chickens, cow, horse, goat, rabbit and the guinea pig. Sometimes my dogs look at me with forlorn eyes as though they think I might believe they could become vegetarians. Although Sam, my border collie, will dig an avocado skin out of the compost pile every single time I put one in there. The symbiosis is almost enough to make up for the lack of revenue. Almost.

“This area won’t support a farmers’ market,” they’d say. I refused to listen for almost three seasons. As stubborn as a mule, and able to argue with a post, I have been determined to direct market my fresh, local food to the very people with whom I share zip codes with. The first season, 2011, I sold my eggs. I quickly learned that Joel Salatin nailed the mindset when he talked about customers coming to the market with a $1.49 bottle of soda in their hand while complaining that three dollars per dozen for farm-fresh free-range eggs was “too darn much money!” The second season, my husband, in charge of going to market as my AmeriCorps VISTA duties required that I adhere to a strict “no moonlighting” policy, lasted only until the end of June. He became thoroughly disgusted when he could not give a tomato away let alone sell one. He quit. And my heart ached.  This year I resolved to farm full-time. I told my husband, “It’ll be different; I’ll grow other things that we won’t have to try to give away.” Here I sit with my Swiss chard. It’s the end of June. I’m a wee bit worried.

If I weren't in the midst of reading Forrest Pritchard’s book, Gaining Ground, I’d be even more than a wee bit worried. I’d probably cry. Never mind that I had to take a deep breath when 1:15 pm came and went while my cash box increased by just eleven dollars. This brings my grand total to $27.50 today. In the book, on page 188, the paragraph that resounded with me most began,

“Just like a farm, markets had to be tight and good enough, too. Each tent was like a little garden unto itself, with a farmer tending to its needs. Collectively, these gardens created a landscape, a market unto itself. But no matter how excellent the presentation, no matter how fresh the produce, regardless of how well these farmers watered and weeded, tilled, and toiled, the work was all meaningless if there were no customers to buy the food.” 

Sigh.

Don’t get me wrong, I've had good days. Days when I've sold out and left the market early because I had nothing left to sell except for a sprig of basil and two bunches of orange and chocolate mint and maybe a dozen eggs. I LOVE growing food and I LOVE going to market. There is something special about meeting the people who are going to take home MY food and turn it into a part of a meal that will nourish their bodies. Developing relationships with individuals and families is extremely important to me. I've come to know many market-goers by name and if I saw them somewhere else, I would stop to ask them how they are doing, and walk away smiling because it was food and a farmers’ market that allowed me to know them. I’m honored to grow food for those who want it.

As I drove home today after a debauched errand my heart sank lower than it has felt in weeks. Between the end of the market, which yielded not one additional penny, and driving home I had a chance to read more of Forrest’s book. I’m still a dreamer. This paragraph resounded with me heavily:

“All farms require a resident dreamer, someone to thumb through seed catalogs in the cold days of late January, imagining summer fields of squash and cucumbers, tomatoes and sunflowers. Fall harvests are the reward of winter dreams. Someone must decide where the next fence should be placed, or conceive of a clever new way to organize the market stand. On a farm, there’s no shortage of little dreams needing to be dreamed.”

I must credit my husband with being the dreamer-in-chief. There have been countless conversations – early morning, late night, and in between – about keeping our feet on the ground. I've been called a pessimist when I was simply being what I thought was a realist. “But what a about ‘you-fill-in-the-blank?’ I would ask. His answers would vary, but always firmly root in the fundamental soil of ‘If we don’t try it we’ll never know.’ He has stretched us, as a family, and caused me to question everything I have been taught and told. I suppose that is one of the driving motivations for turning to farming in the quest for making a living – question everything. Often I tell people that everything is an experiment – learning the hard way teaches me the best lessons. And sometimes the most financially stressful ones, too.

It is good that the farm has been officially and affectionately dubbed "small-timey" because I'm feeling rather small and vulnerable right now - like a seedling just transplanted before a big downpour. I'm either going to make it, or I'm not. My vote is for the former.

Notes From The Farmers' Market

It occurred to me when her blue eyes smiled at me. Scratch that, they twinkled! She did not stop to talk but just smiled as she passed by.


Visiting a farmers’ market is healthy. Not just because of the food, but because of the interpersonal connection. Something magical happens when you make eye contact with others.  Suddenly you are one. Or not. Some folks like to talk, some do not.

For some reason, I dislike the phrase, “How are you?” It feels contrived. I find myself telling passersby “Let me know if I can answer any questions.” And that seems to be a neutral invitation for conversation that doesn't immediately obligate one for extensive personal reveal.


Then, the connection either grows or is broken. It is unlike reading a Facebook post or receiving an email. It is a two-way interaction that rests light responsibility on both pairs of shoulders. I've learned it is okay to always be myself – foot-in-the-mouth and all – regardless. I can’t help but be myself. Besides, I hear everyone else is already taken.

Interestingly, repeat customers know what they want and typically don’t read your signs anymore after about the second visit. This is, again, an opportunity for conversation. If an individual chooses just one or two items, I always say, “What else?” instead of “Is that all?” – and open ended question is better than a closed-end question and the reason for this is not to make another sale, but to expound upon an opportunity to learn about your customer. “ I've got lettuce growing at home,” they might say to which I always smile and encourage anyone that attempts to grow their own food. It seems contradictory but really, it’s to everyone’s benefit to grow one’s own food, and creates a ripple effect that cultivates all of our roots – we all have this in common: the necessity to eat. Not one of us is immune to that need.

One of the greatest things about the interaction of the farmers’ and their customers is the invaluable feedback that returns from week to week. “Your lettuce keeps so well, I still have some left!” This is valuable to us, and to consumers, and we growers will remember this as our experience grows. Feedback, negative or positive, is essential to good customer service. I've come to offer the vulnerability of telling the truth – the heat makes lettuce bitter, and that if they experience anything that makes them unhappy, to come back and tell me, and I will replace it. So far, everyone that has come back has told me that they have loved the fresh food. This makes me happy.


What also makes me happy is that people seem to smile more at the market. There must be something in the air. Maybe it’s the fresh morning breeze.


Getting to know your fellow vendors is important, too. Most often, if they don’t smile – smile at them first. It’s free and they can’t help but smile back – it would make them look like a jerk if they didn't  yes? It can be like an awkward dance, at first, especially if you and another vendor are producing like items. The produce world can be brutal. Dealing with perishable crops and being at the mercy of the weather and persistent pests can cause stress. Stress can help us become better farmers and better customer service providers. Competition, on a healthy level, is usually a good thing. Sometimes, when a farmers wears too much of a frown, especially when he or she looks my way, it might be a sign that they are having a bad day. Or, it could mean that they’re just jealous. Wait, that’s what I just said! Or, it means that it has nothing to do with me and that comparison is the thief of all joy. Be like a duck and let it roll off.  Better yet, extend your hand and smile in grace and mercy and open that door to conversation. You might be surprised.

On another note, kids (of ALL ages) like to touch. It’s always good if you can have something out front for people to squeeze, pinch, smell and feel. I learned this from a gentleman who genuinely loves to grow plants and is a very talented grower and is very much a people person. The senses are very much a part of the farmers’ market experience. Put a bouquet of herbs out there – lemon balm is always nice to touch and smell. Interactivity is the basis for our relationships. It starts with the twinkle in the eyes which starts with the smile.

See you at the market!

Winning Friends, Influencing People and Cheap Spinach

Today I learned a lesson over again. You can't please everyone all the time. You can only please one person at a time. Today was not my day.

I learned something else, too. Slugs will eat holes in your Wong Bok. They will also eat holes in your Romaine lettuce. Fire ants will take up residence in your raised beds, laughing at you because they know you refuse to use poison (diatomaceous earth slows them down and even makes them move, but then they come back and with a vengeance.) I hate slugs. I'm thinking of inviting them to an all-you-can-drink beer-fest. "Leave your keys at the door, boys and girls!" Heh heh heh.

When I price my spinach, Romaine lettuce, radishes (let's not forget the voles that take tiny, teeny little bites out of the radish JUST as it becomes ripe, the little twirps), turnip and mustard greens for market, sometimes I have to remind myself that here in America, we pay less for our food than most other developed countries. It seems bizarre that I would labor for hours, days and weeks over a few ounces of spinach only to practically give it away. Especially poignant is when people say, "oh, it must be nice to stay home and garden. I wish I could do that." But they forget that there are no acrylic nails here, the hair salon visits are years apart, and that hands are not Palmolive soft - they're more like #50 sandpaper and catch on any nice clothing you may have, but not wear, as it is too muddy, dusty, or you-name-it out there.

Today I learned that I really appreciate all of the things that Captain Strong Arms does to make our lives just that wee bit easier. Like the automatic chicken waterer. And the goat milking stanchion. And the list goes on. He was out there with me in the greenhouse tonight, until just a little while ago, holding the flashlight. Yes, you read that right, flashlight. An 8 am farmers' market in a county 30 minutes from here dictates an evening harvest. We'll see how everything holds up.

I'll try to remember to take pictures tomorrow.

Happy Farmers' Marketing everyone, 'tis the season! Support your local farmers, don't haggle them down on price, and ALWAYS WASH YOUR PRODUCE before you prepare it.

Cheers!

Holding My Own Pen

When it is silent in the greenhouse, there is a lot of time for thinking. No noise pollution - just the singing of the birds - it is quiet. Often it takes some adjustment to hearing your own thoughts - we are so used to being conditioned to always be doing something; listening, watching, reading. I welcome the quiet of the greenhouse. It forces me to think about what I'm doing at that very moment. Being present takes getting used to.

What I thought about yesterday while starting lettuce seeds was, "Who are we?" Instead of the age-old adage, "We are what we eat," which is mostly true, I wondered, "What story are we writing with our lives?"

No answer came quickly, but as I painstakingly prepared the soil-less mix and counted each seed one by one, I began to realize that we are writing our stories as we go along.

Who (or what) is holding your pen?

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Dear Farmer

Dear Farmer,

Thank you for getting up early, going to bed late, and always having dirt underneath your nails. Thank you for  starting seeds in January, February and March, knowing that there might be some cold nights that slow down the growth of, or even kill, the tender seedlings and you will have to do it all over again. And sometimes twice.

Thank you for planning your market garden, while everyone else is playing Farmville.

Thanks for hardly ever taking a day off, and for not having a negative attitude when someone asks, "what do you do for a living?" and then assumes that if you aren't at the farmers' market or on a tractor then you aren't "working."

Thank you for wearing out a pair of boots in one season, only to realize that you get what you pay for and finally break down to buy the more expensive but better-made boot that will last many seasons.

Thank you for buying the seeds that have not been treated, and for not using chemical and synthetic fertilizers on the plants to make them grow faster. Thank you for thinking of so many things months and years in advance to facilitate what you are doing now, early spring of 2013.

Thank you for having the courage to put yourself out there, to learn something you've never done before, to be vulnerable in a world that appreciates a 401(k) more than it might appreciate a crop of vegetables.

Thank you.

Where My Seedlings Get Their Start

There is always a sense of urgency during this time of year. I call it the "hurry up and wait" session. There is so much to be done in the garden area, and if you're anything like us, you've been inundated with the deluge of water from the clouds lately, making a lovely mud soup out of the area that needs to be tilled.

Looks like a bunch of junk, huh!?

No entry. Unless you want to lose your muck boots in the 12" deep mud. I survey the untouchable landscape with some anxiousness. I NEED to get in there and plant the cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower seedlings that are getting far too big for their infant carriers and either need to be transplanted or potted up.

Digging, welding, and more. Captain Strong Arms had his work cut out for him.

But I digress. I may be getting ahead of myself, because after all, this greenhouse has only been up since late fall of 2011. We came by the 1938 Lord & Burnham beauty just in time. She was going to be torn down. Can you imagine? In order for her to fit in the space which we needed her to reside, she had to be shortened a bit. This meant that the supporting beams and cross-braces had to endure some fabrication. I just make the sandwiches, folks, let that be clear. Captain Strong Arms is to blame for all the hard work here.

It looks like.......a ?

See that look? That means, "put the camera down and bring me a sandwich," to which I happily oblige. If it means I don't have to hammer here, "hold this" there, and stand with my arms over my head for what feels like hours, I'm all about the sandwich. 

Suddenly, there she is.

 I digress. Again. Hardening off will have to occur before transplanting, but potting up requires a step up container-size wise and more potting soil or soil-less mix. Then, they'll begin to need fertilizer as they won't be getting the nutrients they need to get to the next size.

What I'm trying to embrace, here, is that all good things come in due time. "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." Lau Tzu

I'm grateful that Captain Strong Arms has the vision, tenacity, and know-how when it comes to tearing down and re-building something like this. I've watched him time and again repair something, restore a part of the house, all with little investment (use what you've got mentality) and the results are always shining.

Thank you, dear husband, for working so hard around this small-timey farm, making our lives that wee-bit easier.

I'm really glad my seedlings have a nice place to wait.

So, this is where my seedlings get their start. And I am so grateful. Even if I have to wait for the rain to stop and the mud to dry up. All good things come to those who wait. I'm going to hurry up and wait. Meanwhile, I'll be starting more seeds.....and watching over the seedlings, assuring them of their future.

How are YOUR seedlings waiting?

Snapshots & Memories

A beautiful brisk day in the southern Piedmont of North Carolina yesterday - I got out of the house in the early afternoon and enjoyed some barn chores. Sometimes spending time with the animals is the most therapeutic form there is for a grieving heart.

Just over a week ago, just two days after Christmas, we laid to rest my childhood pony mare April. She was 38 years old. She had been in the family for 31 years.

April

Egg Count: 13

Hattie supervises feeding time

Roll in the mud much?

Gaston, the Rhode Island Red Rooster

Mr. Bunny

Sam Speaks

A lady to the end.