It was Geert Hofstede and other interculturalists have proposed the metaphor of an 'onion' to describe cultural phenomenon. No matter what color an onion is on the outside, we are not sure what is inside. Only by peeling off layer by layer can we discover what is at the core.
The farming experience, like any challenging enterprise, can be well described in this way. You start full of energy and vision, you commit, face a challenge, pivot, commit further, hold your course, face another challege, pivot, commit further yet.
You can't get cocky with success either. It was only last year when I saw an entire acre of tomatoes fall in just four days to a blight. Growing organically, is a little like running nakey. Sometimes you get away with it...woot!! ... and other times ... you are caught in the headlights with no layers to protect....ack!! Success can be found in the truth popularized by the Rolling Stones lyric, "You can't always get what you want but, if you try sometime, well, you might find you get what you need."
The farm is also so fortunate to be staffed with a team of people that share a vision of a successful season. Long hours of weeding, harvesting, grading and packing and all the while putting up with crazy farmer Mike and yet they remain determined.
For myself, I find each year is the agonizing process of stripping yet another layer of hubris. Slowly evolving is a better farmer, a better manager and a better person who is barely recognizable from where he was at when this all began over a decade ago. Correct me if you will, but I believe that when you are only half way through one season, in the dog days of August and you still have enough passion to get excited about plans for 2024 ... well, that is a good thing.
Now, in terms of the season in hand, we are staring to get into what I like to call the 'good stuff'. Tomatoes, Eggplant, Kohlrabi are beginning to make their debut. Kale is back and beets are close. Cabbages are spreading out and beginning to ball up, potato plants look great and onions.... wellll....starting with the White Wings (pictured here) that are available and full of layers waiting for you to strip and savour right down to, and including the core, which I think you will find, when you get to it, to be wonderfully delicious.
Enjoy :-)
~Michael
