Reminiscent Times at Red Dog

As I’ve returned to farming, my time so far has felt serendipitous. Although today marks just the two week anniversary of my beginnings at Red Dog, I’ve been quick to remember why farming is such a holistic practice. 

Each day I arrive at the farm with my comfy clothes and rain gear, ready to indulge in nature for the next eight hours. I’ll be harvesting produce in the fields, getting dirty with mud, and it feels like a healing of my inner child, not caring about being encased in mud. As I plant tomatoes in the greenhouse, I can only be reminded of digging on the beaches, making moats around sandcastles decorated with seashell doors and windows. My imagination becomes reinvigorated while I’m harvesting fava beans, envisioning myself in a lush green forest. I feel excitement at seeing creatures around the farm: a butterfly fanning their wings on a clover flower, a lime-green frog in the field, or even mysterious baby birds nesting in the warmth of the greenhouse. 

My time at Red Dog has been reminiscent of simpler times, being a kid and getting to enjoy nature while also having the rewarding experience of quite literally being able to see the fruits of your labor. However, for me, nature is always more fun with good people, which is never lacking at Red Dog. Through the hard work, there are laughs, storytellings, and just plain ole good times. Being far away from my Minnesotan home, I’m lucky to be surrounded by such a welcoming and cool community of folks. I feel sandwiched between reminiscent times and being in the midst of making new, pivotal memories. As it says on one of my sweatshirts: “The good ole days are now in progress.”

~Molly