On the Farm

All the rain lately has made hand weeding very satisfying. A gentle pull and out it comes - roots and all! I feel a little like I'm banishing our perceived evil archenemies. (I know, I know - they will be back with a vengence!)

Last week Emily, a new workshare member, come out from Madison for her first workday of the season. (Of course, it was the hottest day of the year so far.)

She joined Bill, my sister Nicole, my niece Cecelia and me harvesting, washing, and packing radishes, pac choi, green onions, and greens -stopping only for a lunch break and to visit the goats and kittens with Marlee. We also transplanted eggplant into the recently emptied seed-starting greenhouse. And there was plenty of time to weed the peas too. It was a very productive day!

Emily's visit gives me a chance to acknowledge those that help Bill and I throughout the busy summer season and throughout the year. Both sides of our family are very supportive. They come to help at different times of the year - spreading compost, seeding, planting, weeding. Nicole, Cecelia, my mother, Deniece, and my dear friend Jennifer are weekly contributors. And our children help in more ways than I can list - many times willingly, sometimes begrudgingly. And now we have Emily also. It's a rockstar team!

We can't image growing all this food without them. In fact, we probably couldn't. We think of My Fine Homestead as a community and our workshare contributors, both continuing and new, are a valuable and necessary part of that community. Thank you Nicole, Cecelia, Jennifer, Deniece, Emily, Liam, Aidan, Marlee as well as the rest of our families. We are grateful for your contributions.

So . . . if you have a hankering to spend time on the farm, we always have tasks available and encourage you to come out even if it's only for a couple hours! Our place is not fancy and certainly not perfect.But it is real.

There are real animals, real people, and real tasks that need to get done. (Some will - some will wait for a different day.) Along the way will be some dirt, maybe a few insects, and lots of sweat but also stories, laughs, an experience with a kitten (or a goat, horse, chicken, rabbit, duck, or cow - you pick!) the satisfaction of a job well-done, and often something tasty to eat.

We personally feel enriched by this shared work. And let's face it, sometimes Bill and I get a little sick of each other!

Please consider yourself invited to come out and spend some time with us - on your farm.