Redlight-Greenlight Farming

Ready, set, farm! Oh wait, stop farming. It's raining again. Or is it getting sunny? Uh-oh, that'd be hail...not sun. Getting started in the spring reminds me of the playground game, red light-green light. Just when it seems like warmer and drier weather is here to stay, it rains more and the temperature drops. With volatile weather patterns such as these, accomplishing anything on the farm requires a lot of anticipation, planning, and the ability to change our plans on a dime. If the weather is nice enough, we have to pick up the pace and go crazy preparing beds and planting. But if it happens to be a rainy day, or a series of rainy days, then we just have to wait for suitable work weather to return. You might be thinking to yourself, "Geez, they're kind of wimpy. They won't work in the rain? Are they afraid of getting wet and muddy or something?" That is not the case! I personally enjoy being outside in the rain and, if it made sense, we would probably work regardless of the weather. Many times we do work in the rain; we pick in the rain, care for chickens in the rain, sell at markets in the rain, even weed in the rain. The problem with wet weather is that it makes the soil unworkable. It's hard to make wet and muddy soil the ideal consistency for planting and plants don't really like being planted into flooded conditions. Fortunately, a couple days of thunder showers doesn't set us back at all; it just changes the focus temporarily. Instead of digging and shoveling and planting, we tend the greenhouse, plant seeds, pay bills, run those errands we've been avoiding, and even use spare moments to catch up with family and friends. I imagine that some people would go crazy having a life dictated by the weather...but I like it. I feel like the weather gives me a structure and a flow to my days and weeks and years.

These days dotted with rain showers, quickly passing clouds, and a quick wind remind me of Hawaii. The soil is warmer, so the rain feels warmer too. The showers, followed by brilliant blue sky, feel cleansing and purifying more than depressing and restricting. So, with the feeling of Hawaii, I wish you Aloha 'Aina, which means love of the land. I hope you can find a way to feel connected to the season we're in right now. Maybe the next time there's a rain shower, go walk around the block or get your kids to dance in the rain. Then, when the sun follows and the heat eventually comes, enjoy that too...and eat lots and lots of juicy, ripe, Redwood Empire Farm tomatoes.