Just as the season's beginning to wind down, and I started thinking that my work load was easing up a bit-- it's time to start preparing for next year! I have surprised myself with how much food can be produced on 2.5 acres by one person-- and the waiting list for next season grows. I will be doubling the CSA membership. Thus, we'll need more land to farm! After talking with the landowner, Bob, about it, I decided to open up the fields near the railroad track, and down by the creek. That field below is pretty huge, 3 acres-- 600' long!
After we spent 2 days bush-hogging, measuring, and staking out the fields, I taught Luke how to plow.
The soil is lush with life: earthworms, field mice, snakes, beetles, toads-- I bear the responsibility for taking care of this ground. I feel a bit guilty for clearing the goldenrod that the honeybees were feeding on, and disturbing the whole universe for thousands of little creatures.
But so it goes with farming. Wrestling food for human consumption from the rich black soil is a constant battle. Although it offers up generous eggplants, shiny peppers, and sweet corn, seemingly benevolently, it really wants to become a forest. And so I plow under the sprouts of trees & perennial wildflowers, in the ancient agreement that humans have with the land-- I take, and so I also must give.
I hope to spend the rest of my life learning how to give back to the land in exchange for all that it gives me every day.
After we spent 2 days bush-hogging, measuring, and staking out the fields, I taught Luke how to plow. 
The soil is lush with life: earthworms, field mice, snakes, beetles, toads-- I bear the responsibility for taking care of this ground. I feel a bit guilty for clearing the goldenrod that the honeybees were feeding on, and disturbing the whole universe for thousands of little creatures.
But so it goes with farming. Wrestling food for human consumption from the rich black soil is a constant battle. Although it offers up generous eggplants, shiny peppers, and sweet corn, seemingly benevolently, it really wants to become a forest. And so I plow under the sprouts of trees & perennial wildflowers, in the ancient agreement that humans have with the land-- I take, and so I also must give.
I hope to spend the rest of my life learning how to give back to the land in exchange for all that it gives me every day.
1 comment:
Hi Erin
I am loving your spirit and your blog. We miss you at SHF, too.
Peace, Annie
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