One More Week

 Friday I weeded for eight hours. I did not think I’d encounter another day of non-stop weeding quite so soon. Little did I know, Monday would bring more of the same. Weeding could be a non-stop activity on an organic farm.

Friday I weeded leeks and peas before lunch; some work on my hands and knees, some with the stir-up hoe. In the afternoon I weeded turnips – again on both my hands and knees and with the stir-up hoe.

After lunch I hoed the new strawberries. And pulled weeds in the old strawberry rows. This was followed by quickly putting the row cover back over the weeded turnips and (believe it or not) picking up rocks in an empty, recently plowed bed. After 5:00. On a Friday. We filled the bucket on the tractor with rocks from one bed in the field. After this thirty minute bending and lifting exercise I did not feel that it was necessary to go on my walk. Nor was it any longer desirable.

Monday, after planting what the rabbit or gopher or groundhog had left of the lettuces, which had been sitting in the cold frame, I finally finished weeding the pea beds. Just in time for the rains that will begin falling tonight. This afternoon I got to weed with the flamethrower that greatly intimidated me, but I moved past it quickly nonetheless. There is no time for fear on the farm. Just do as your told and trust all will turn out for the best.

Upon completion of weeding with fire, it was back to the old stir-up hoe and down the garlic rows. Row after row. The garlic is also weeded with the flex-tine attachment on the back of the tractor, so I sort of sped along, getting the big gnarly weeds but was still nowhere near finished when Chris called for help with some transplanting at 4:15.

From 4:30- 5:30 we put scallions and beets in the ground. This was by far the most rewarding, desirable activity of the day, and somehow it got crammed in the very last few minutes. This is why I’m here. This is what makes it worth it, to me and what keeps me going and yet, 80% of my time today was blah, blah, blah…

I also stumbled into some stinging nettle near the donkey barn after work. I was trying to capture a good photo of the duck, Terry, who is back momentarily. Terry (short for Tarragon) is (was??) a pet duck, which seems to spend most of his time elsewhere and comes and goes as he pleases. He’s the oddest-looking duck I’ve ever seen.

Here, the sun is up by 6:00am and stays up past 8:00pm. The days are long and filled with activity and work. I can’t even imagine what it will be like in only a month when we are harvesting and washing and packaging vegetables to deliver and sale across these counties. Insanity.

I look forward to talking to people. To answering questions. To dealing with the public and sharing information regarding food preparation and storage. Chris, on the other hand, is not looking forward to this aspect of farming. And I think many, if not most, farmers really would like to remain unseen. Inconspicuous. Home on the farm, in the field plowing or fertilizing or something besides being the prime candidate for 101 questions.

In addition to this blog, and my own personal journal, I’ve been telling this story through letters sent via USPS to many of you. Thanks for being a part of this journey. Your words, pictures, candies and prayers are what have brought me this far.