Folks, we’ve had a weird, wild month out here at the farm as I’m sure everyone has. We’ve dealt with some of the more typical adversites like crop disease, abnormal weather patterns, injuries and exhaustion, etc. My good friend Will Rucker reminded me recently that farming is more or less perseverance and that’s true now more than ever. Whether my perseverance comes from stubbornness or stupidity, I’m not sure but its probably some combination of the two. Being isolated on a small family farm in a single story home certainly hasn’t made the rigors of farming any easier. We’ve definitely became agitated with one another at times. After the initial acclamation period I think we’ve adjusted to our new reality quite well. I feel closer to my new family than I have before, particularly my two step children, Lillian and Jonathan. I like to joke that we’re living in a modern Little House on the Prairie. The good news is our one-year-old daughter Edie has been happier than ever with her big brother and sister at home all the time. I’m not sure how Sarah and I would have been able to operate our business and take care of her without their help. Edie herself has been a great source of joy and laughter during an otherwise tense and unnerving time.
Outside in the garden, we’ve also found some new and unexpected help from some old friends. My good friend from high school, Nate Tinsley, has been pulling some long hours in the field as our newest farm hand. Nate’s career as a Nashville musician is on hold for the moment but before the lockdown he was set to go on tour with the rising country music star Ashland Craft. He’s a pretty awesome singer and guitar player but these days he’s honing his skills with a rake and a hoe. Hopefully the country music scene will be back in full force soon enough and he can write a bunch of songs about growing vegetables with us. Here he is with our friend Drew planting tomatoes in the greenhouse.
I’ve also had a ton of help from my good friend Jack Nunnery. Early this year we built several new peaces of infrastructure for the farm including a new post-harvest station and a pump house for our new well. Jack’s been driving tractors since he could ride a bike so its been especially helpful having him around to help run the big machinery out here. We also get help from our friend Sam Beasley who was an intern two years ago and comes back to help when he’s not studying at Furman and making beautiful artwork. These are just a few of the people who make this whole mess work. We’re so lucky to have the friends, family, and neighbors who help out and support our little farm.
As for the vegetable selection, our first CSA is shaping up to be a nice box of produce. The first round of cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower seem to be falling victim to a soil born disease, but the kale, spinach, collard, iceberg lettuce, and pea shoots are performing beautifully. My friend Nathan from Growing Green Family farm is going to be contributing some delicious radishes and Turnips as well. Our featured item is of course our Strawberries. This is the first season I’ve grown them for our farm and I can barely contain my excitement. Watching Edie pick and eat these things straight out of the ground has been the most gratifying and affirming moments moments of my life. I never imagined that I would be raising such a healthy and beautiful child in this setting. Even amidst the hysteria of the moment and the struggles of being a parent and a farmer, I look at her and it’s pretty damn hard to complain.
All best, get ready for your first CSA share coming next week!
George