The farm is looking great. It feels like Mel and I hit our stride a couple weeks ago. We did a ton of planting, set up a fair amount of irrigation, tackled some much needed weeding projects, and had a successful first harvest. We were also able to stake and trellis our raspberries, twine and prune our greenhouse tomatoes, and trellis our peas to help with harvest. As I walk around the fields, I am so excited by how many things are sizing up and almost ready to pick for the shares. Some things to look forward to include peas, summer squash, carrots, beets, spinach, and cucumbers.
I always surprise myself around this time of year. This will be my 7th season farming and yet I am still amazed at how incredible vegetables are. Every year, I am in awe at the bright orange of the first pulled carrot, the deep purple of a sliced beet, and the greenish-blue of a head of broccoli. I love how pea plants climb and grab hold of twine with their tendrils and I could watch water droplets roll off kale leaves in the rain for hours. I still can’t get over how fast squash grows (I look away for a second and it’s ready to pick), how sweet that first cherry tomato tastes, or how happy the smell of basil makes me.
Every season, the first few harvests reminder me that the labor is worth it. A lot of farming involves working against nature and the natural order of things. We fight to pull up as many weeds as we can and create as many barriers as possible to keep pests from eating the entire farm. We irrigate when it hasn’t rained and trellis tomatoes to stand up so they can bear the weight of their own fruit. We grow in greenhouses and cover crops with row covers to extend the season. All for the sake of that perfect and delicious vegetable that we’ve been waiting for all winter long. Whatever it is, it’s totally worth it.
I am so happy to be growing at Stearns for another season! I hope to provide you with a beautiful bounty this year. As we see what nature has in store for us farmers this season, I am ready to do whatever I can to help these wonderful, amazing, incredible vegetables grow.
