Welcome to the Against the Grain Farm Stand where you can pre-order for pick up at either Watauga Country Farmer's Market or at the farm for Saturday, June 20th. If you're reading this in an email, you'll see the items that we have to offer this week below. You can simply click on the yellow button "purchase from the farmstand" to reserve a box, make swaps and add extras to the base box that Harvie will put together for you. If you're reading this in the Harvie platform, navigate over to the "farm stand" to reserve your box.
The ordering period for Saturday pick-up closes at 8pm on Thursday, June 18th.
If you have any questions about your box or the farm stand process, please reach out to Holly directly by email at atgfarm@gmail.com or by phone at 828-406-4439. If you are having any difficulties placing your order or would like to confirm the contents of your box, please reach out to Holly. Her job on the farm is to help trouble shoot and double check orders for Farm Stand Customers. It is part of our mission that the food produced on the farm be easily accessible to members of our community. The Harvie system has proved challenging for many, so please don't feel embarrassed if it's not working well for you. Holly is here to help as best as she can!
This week's newsletter contribution comes to you from M Mueller. M is a Biodynamic practitioner and has been connected to the farm since it's early beginnings. In the spring of 2020, he took up residence on the farm and is contributing in many ways beyond the farm's initial imagination. The following is one of those ways...
As the sun rises higher in the sky each day, we can really feel it on the farm. The day lengthens with earlier sun rises and later settings, until we feel that sunrise and sunset could almost meet! The plants stretch quickly forth into the warm air as all nature reaches upwards in a dreamy exhalation from the earth: the afternoon thunderheads pile high into the sky, the blue sky dome recedes even further away, the scent of flowers escapes upwards, and the bees launch in golden glory into brilliant air.
We're feeling a festival arising in our hearts, and we are not alone! The season around the summer solstice has been celebrated since earliest times--and in places it's still being celebrated--and our farm will do so, too, by composing a special biodynamic stir and spreading of the preparations mixed with other substances which we hope will communicate our recognition and love of the land, plants, animals, people and all the beings seen and unseen which reside or sojourn here on Against the Grain. We will feast and light a bonfire and sing the children home to bed and make merry till the wee hours in fine fashion.
Because of current Safer-At-Home Covid-19 restrictions, we are unable to open our festival to everyone this year, but we encourage everyone to check out Spikenard Farm's newsletter web page with encouraging how-to ideas for making Summer Festival with close friends in smaller groups. Connecting oneself with the season and our closest people is a healthful way to stay strong and connected during these times, and until we can celebrate in large groups again, we must keep our social selves in loving relation to others as much as we can in smaller groups.
All the best and happy eating,
Holly, Andy and the ATG Crew
