Let the Sun Shine!

I haven't written anything this week because I didn't want to complain about the weather. When I woke up at dawn on Thursday morning to the loudest thunder and brightest lightning I've experienced in years and then when the sky opened and rain and hail came pouring down, I honestly thought it might be a bad dream. I like rain, really I do, but this May has been something else. Farmers have a schedule that we need to stick to in order to get our crops off in a timely fashion. Usually, April 15th (the last frost date) marks the beginning of a planting bonanza. April and May are the busiest planting months of the year and set the stage for the entire Summer. This year, however, we have had cold temperatures (both at night and during the day) and rain throughout April and May, which has made planting nearly impossible. Every other local farmer that I have talked to has said that they are behind because they simply haven't been able to get into their fields because of the wet weather. The reason wet weather prevents us from planting is because we can't drive tractors in the mud and even if we could work the ground enough to plant, plants planted in too wet of conditions are prone to fungus, disease, don't grow very well. There's a reason why Summer crops don't grow in the Winter - they need seasonal Summer weather in order to grow! Seasonal produce requires seasonal weather, which we really haven't had this Spring.

I'm not complaining, though, because today the weather is beautiful. Hopefully the sun and heat will last and all of us local farmers will be able to get back on schedule.

Enough about the weather! Now that it's almost June, we've started planning the opening of our Farm Stand. Hopefully we will open sometime in June with days and hours to be determined. The exciting news is that last year's rustic and weather exposed parking lot Roadside Stand will be a bit more weather proof and permanent this year. We will be moving our produce stand into the space formerly occupied by Carter's Feeds, which means we'll have electricity (lights!) and shelter from the weather. Initially, we'll be selling our produce, fruit, and eggs, but in time, we hope to expand to create a hub for those involved in local agriculture (both growers and eaters). We have so many ideas and plans - I guarantee it will be exciting to watch how our farm and business evolve over the next year.

It's important to acknowledge that our positive evolution is due in large part to the support of our community and customers and to the green-friendly atmosphere of our society. I was just in Copperfields Book Store and whole displays are dedicated to organic farming, seasonal eating and cooking, and the appreciation of nature. Right now, farming is cool. Because of people's attitudes about the environment and interest in getting back to basics, Jeff and I get to pursue our greatest dreams, live the best lives we're able, and try to help change the world for the better. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true. We are living our dream, thanks to people's genuine interest in what we're doing. So, to make a long story short- We're not content to just stay the same farm year after year; we always want to grow more, grow better, and feed more people. Last year, we grew more than ever before and opened a Road Side Stand. This year, we have more acreage, are expanding our Stand, and started a CSA. And next year? We will most likely be doing (or trying to do) something even more spectacular than all that has come before. I don't mean to sound arrogant at all. It's just that Jeff and I have really high expectations for ourselves and will work as hard as we can to accomplish our goals. What can I say? We're kind of crazy.