The Beauty of Springtime
Another winter has gone by and here we are at the beginning of a brand new season. The world sure looks a lot different than it did before, but the farm and its cycles have a certainty that can be relied on. The sun always rises, the birds undoubtedly begin their morning chorus, the rain and clouds come, sometimes hail and snow too, but then it passes. Everything alive knows spring and behaves accordingly. The soil warms, grass greens up, crops sprout, animals give birth, bulbs bloom. As farmers we also know what to do- order seeds, hire...
read moreGratitude for Your Support
As 2019 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on this momentous year with so much gratitude, appreciation and love. In May of this year, my daughter was born and life as I know it changed forever! The farm has always been “my baby” but being a mom to a real baby was a new adventure, and one in which I found I loved. The farm took a serious backseat in my life this year and the crew stepped up in every way imaginable to take on the load of filling in for me. They did a wonderful job! Everyone who has worked here more than a year will tell...
read moreEveryone Eats
Today’s farmers are more societally important than ever, as we navigate food production in a changing climate. Vegetable varieties must be bred for greater resiliency to drought, pests, and extremes of temperature. Farming techniques must grow more nuanced to prepare for these changes. Fortunately, today’s farmers are more educated and sophisticated than ever, as we develop more nuanced farming techniques to prepare for these changes. And consumers have an important, possibly the most important, role to play too. After all, everyone eats!...
read morePreserving and Sharing the Harvest
As I packed for my annual trip to celebrate Thanksgiving with far-flung urban friends (this year’s week in sleepy Chicago was a welcome change from last year’s hectic visit to Brooklyn), I found myself with extra carry-on space, and wondered what produce to bring. The availability of slightly irregular food in staggering quantities is one of my favorite perks of farming, and it makes it easier to plan both dinner and thoughtful holiday gifts for food-lovers. At the last minute before leaving for the airport, I stuffed a pair of five-pound...
read moreLooking Forward to Winter Plans
I’m sure y’all are thinking about holiday food. But we’re over here thinking about WINTER PLANS! And Projects! During “The Season,” one of our classic topics of conversation is “What Projects We Hope To Do When We Have Time and Energy.” For us, this happens when the farm work decreases and we have more extracurricular time – meaning, Winter! Darker hours mean less time outside and more rest, resulting in more mental and physical capacity to try new things or return to beloved hobbies. Right now, those dreamed-of projects are...
read moreSquash is the Star of Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’d like to talk about one of the shining stars of Thanksgiving: squash. Squash, in my opinion, is one of the most fun and communal crops here at Red Dog. This year we planted something like 20 beds of squash of 8 different varieties. That’s A LOT of squash. And when it’s harvest time, it’s all hands on deck. The entire crew works together to clip the stems off the vines, and then we play a frantic game of catch as some people throw squash to others who place them in macro bins. (Read more...
read moreLooking Forward to Planning Next Season
Somehow it’s November already, which means we have about one more month on the farm before we begin transitioning to yet another season. In the midst of bringing in the last of the winter storage crops, our focus will begin shifting toward the successes and failures of 2019 and planning for 2020. This is a process that I always look forward to, because we finally have the time to make sense of what in the moment can seem like such a blur. Although I myself may be ready to sit down and figure out how to finally grow weed-free carrots, perfect...
read moreVeggies and Conversation Flow from the Fields
November! Another month has been taken from us yet again. Swept away in a sea of harvesting, delivering, cleanup, washing, packing, planning, and navigating the frost that descends on us some mornings. Our crew is shrinking now that some of our summer-season crew have left for new adventures. But we still head to the field equipped with knives and crates and stories of what we had for dinner or that unnerving dream we had the night before. It seems as though we flow with more non-verbal communication these days, feeling comfortable with our...
read moreReturn of the Trumpeter Swans
Here at the farm, some of us would consider ourselves birdwatchers. (Maggie, the farm dog is more into chasing them down as they rest and feed in open fields, however.) This time of year, many of us are excited about the return of trumpeter swans. To classify this swan, look for an entirely white body with a black bill and black legs. These swans are the largest swans in the world and one of the heaviest flying birds. They can measure up to 62 inches in length, have a wingspan up to 79.9 inches, and often weight more than 25 pounds. So as...
read moreLoving Our Farmers Markets, Rain or Shine
I was originally only committed to work at Red Dog until the end of October, so this could have been a sappy end of (my) farming season reflection, but I’ve recently taken on the role of farmers market lead. This extends my work contract, and my reflection on this whole farming thing, through the middle of December. When I was interviewed and first expressed interest in working the farmer’s markets, I had visions of sunny, blue sky days, friendly faced customers wearing sun hats and skirts, and trading produce for ice cream and lemonade....
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