When I was growing up, corn always signified summer. Even though my family did not always eat an entirely seasonal diet, we saved corn for summer, knowing that’s when it would be the sweetest and the juiciest. During my time farming, my understanding of summer sweet corn has deepened as I learned the ins and outs of the crop. When I arrived in Washington in June, I...
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The past couple of weeks have really started to feel like fall here on the farm. Mornings are a little chillier and days are becoming shorter. Here on the farm we have started harvesting fall crops which is very exciting. This week we are planning on harvesting the remainder of our potato crop for storage and our crop of onions were already harvested a week ago and...
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Fall is certainly in the air with the brisk morning and cool wind. Today’s rain made it feel official- fall is just around the corner. Farmers love fall as it means we are one step closer to winter, which means we get to rest! Not yet though, still lots more work to do before the resting time. Fall is also when we get to see the fruits of our labor. Literally....
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When you’re in the heat of it, the summer feels like it’s going to last forever. The crops (and pigs) grow fast, the fruits are unlimited, and the days get so hot that it’s easy to forget that each day was slightly shorter than the last. Suddenly, it feels like we are passing the threshold between seasons. Our tomatoes, green beans, strawberries, sweet onions,...
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Most people think that I was created in the seed factory, where I popped out of a machine and then was tucked neatly into my packet, alongside around 100 identical seeds ready to be delivered to the farm’s mailbox. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, although I have nothing but respect for my fellow seed packet-mates. Their company and entertainment made the...
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When I began my time at Red Dog, only a couple of months ago, I knew that I was joining one of the longest, if not the longest, unbroken lines in history: the line of the agriculturalist. For as long as human civilization has existed, and probably for even longer, agriculture has also existed in its various forms. It is, in fact, one of the standards by which we...
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