This spring I tilled up a garden plot in our backyard for my four-year old daughter. The edge of our farm fields are literally mere feet away and millions of plants are endlessly calling out for tending, and yet planting a garden seemed the thing to do. We are both just loving being gardeners! It’s so relaxing and entertaining. Watching the progress of our little plot, popping in whatever plants we want in all kinds of non-liner patterns, having a place where Delphine can do things her way all make the garden a huge win. Delphine made a path through the middle and lined it with old bubble wands and various other found items. We planted pole beans in a circle wide enough so she can fit inside and plan to train them up bamboo to create a hiding space for her. Growing plants never gets old and is made more magical by sharing it with my daughter. I can’t wait to finish my work day to get out to the garden!

Every year there seems to be a surprise creature I’ve never encountered before on the farm and this year it was a giant water bug! A couple weeks ago I was walking by the greenhouse and out of nowhere a mouse-sized brown insect flew right across my path startling me completely. When it landed I was shocked by the largest insect I’ve ever seen. It was nearly 3” in length. Apparently they are somewhat common and live mostly around fresh water. They eat frog eggs and other aquatic insects. So cool to be kept on my toes constantly in awe of nature weaving in and around the farm.

As spring slides into summer all of us on the farm are being swept up in the unending work and abundance of the season. We’re sprinting to wrap up the greenhouse start production season, pushing starts into the ground which will become the backbone of our summer, fall and winter harvests, trellising tomatoes, dedicating whole days to keeping weeds in check, all while harvesting almost three days weekly. This is the time of year where we do it all and there is never enough time. Actually there is never enough time any season of the year, but the consequences of a missed planting now will be felt for months or even the better part of a year. Luckily the last positions on the crew have been filled and everyone is learning their tasks and working towards refining the flow of their work. In no time at all we will be humming along, a well-oiled machine.

~Karyn