Believe me when I say that I feel extremely guilty when I neglect my blog. I’m quite proud of this written record of the life we are living and building and I really don’t want too many gaps and omissions in my account. I have a really good excuse for not writing recently, though, I promise. I have been fighting with technology – my computer’s been on the fritz, my internet connection has been extremely shaky, and my printer is completely out of ink and I haven’t had time to drive down the dreaded Santa Rosa Avenue to get more. Contrary to what you might imagine, I don’t have a fancy, high-speed computer control room where I coordinate our business and write my emails and blogs. I have a hand-me-down Blackberry and a laptop that chugs along well enough, but no real internet connection or phone lines. It’s a rustic and improvised technological infrastructure I deal with, to say the least.
It’s not so bad though, because when technology gets the best of me, I seek solace in the outdoors and throw myself into work on the farm. Not that I really have a choice about how much work I do on the farm – we have so much to do that Jeff and I are both busy from the moment we wake up until well after dark. Today, for instance, has been jam packed with planting tomatoes, preparing beds for planting peppers and basil, picking squash, broccoli, kale, and arugula, and taking care of a slew of other farm chores
We are busy, busy bees these days. It’s hard to imagine that not that long ago I still thought I could pursue a career as a teacher while farming. I was 95% sure that my decision to dedicate myself to farming was right, but now that I have put all of myself into the farm and the farm has given back so much more than I ever hoped, I know that my decision was perfect.
I have always wanted to make a difference in the world, my community, and the lives of those around me. I am sure that Jeff and I, in all of our efforts and strides to grow our farm and ourselves, are making a bigger difference than I could make any other way. I get to grow beautiful food that brings people happiness and health, I get to meet and work with people who share my vision, and I’m even finding a way to be a source of knowledge, experience, and support for young people who want to learn to be farmers too. Our farm is organic in so many senses of the word – it grows naturally, sustainably, and adapts to the world in which it is firmly seated. The farm’s ability to transition and adapt to the changing world and our community’s needs is what will make it long-lasting, successful, and is what makes Jeff and I so excited every day to do our work.
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