We have finally made it to what I can officially say feels like the transition from Summer into Autumn, especially in the chillier mornings with the low light. Fall is always the time of transitions, when all of that energy of Summer is reminded that now it has to find someplace to go. It has to shift, like it or not. I love this time of year, when it’s easier to see the Sunrise every morning. The farm is at peak abundance, all of that summer energy stored up in its fruits, ready to nourish us.

I’d say I’m not alone when I notice that this time of year has me more in my contemplative brain and my sentimental heart. It’s that time in the season when I start to remember all the reasons I became a farmer.

First, you might call it fate. Plain and simple. One thing led to another, led me here. I can trace back every step and every person I have met, and that would be the first reason I’m a farmer. Because life chose it for me.

Another major reason I chose to become a farmer for myself, is because of my love of nourishing real food. In hand with that is my aversion to the centralized industrialized food system. There’s not much that tops my list of important things in life more than good, local food, and finding ways to put power back in the hands of our communities through food. It’s so fundamental to our lives. We should all have access to good food. That’s why I farm.

What else? The sun! Being a farmer means we live by the sun and the seasons. We do what nature decides and try our best to work with her. But she’s the boss. In a grander sense, that’s how I want to live my life, not just via my occupation but in every way.

There are a lot of other reasons to be a farmer for me. It’s very personal, but also very community oriented. It’s the best of so many worlds. I could go on and on. The flowers, the toads, the fresh fruit right off the vine, the dirt all over our faces at the end of a crazy day, the tired body, the stimulated mind. I think I can speak for farmers in general that we are really grateful for the people who support us by showing up at Farmers Markets on cold mornings, by signing up for our CSA, by stopping by the farmstand and gushing over how much you love our tomatoes. Thank you!

~Natalie