After my complaining last week of all the breakdowns and effort it takes to get going, this past week we definitely switched gears from getting going to going strong! The farm has been a flurry of activity. We had two new crew members join us- Corey and Lizz, for a total of ten of us busily buzzing around the farm. Blake got trained up on tractor driving and has been spreading manure and lime like a champ. John has been steadily plugging away at all kinds of field prep. Last week at one point, we had four tractors going all at once! Feels like progress.

Looking out over the fields, we have come a long way in just a week. Gone are most of the boggy over-wintered lakes, as well as with the brassicas going to flower and all manner of spent last year’s crops. Most of the land is in process of getting turned under, revealing the most luscious, promising dark brown earth one could imagine. I predict that by the end of this week, the transformation will be complete.

The crew is busily keeping up with such a myriad of tasks these days. They are harvesting, doing greenhouse work, transplanting, weeding, trellising peas, building hoop houses, installing drip irrigation and moving irrigation pipes. We have entered into the time of year when everything needs to happen. It keeps us all on our toes and very flexible. We are changing hats constantly, tag teaming with each other, responding to the weather as seamlessly as possible.

It seems no accident that all this flurry of activity happens in the beginning of the season, when we generally have lots of energy and our brains can think clearly. As I walk to the barn every morning these days, I almost always find myself thinking, Farming is fun! If you like mental gymnastics, hard work, and deep satisfaction, there is no satisfaction like farming in spring.

~Karyn