Farm-ily,
At the end of this season, I will have completed my 10th year of farming, and it is always this time of year that I sit back and reflect on what kind of personality the season had. Every year is a bit different – some years are gentle, characterized by soft rains, light breezes, and warm sunshine. These are the years every farmer dreams of – where things are easy, enjoyable, and the days roll by without hitch. Other years are less pleasant, featuring drought, torrential rains, pest infestations, or rampant disease pressure. These are the years that often leave farmers feeling downtrodden and defeated.
You see, farmers feel the seasons intimately. I remember as a kid loving to sit on our screened porch and watch the thunderstorms roll in. The heavy rain and wind was thrilling, leaving my child self in awe of the power of nature. Nowadays, when I see a forecast for heavy wind or rain, I think of soil erosion and damage to greenhouses and crops. I still marvel at the power of Mother Nature, but in addition to the awe, there is sometimes a degree of trepidation. If I might be honest with you, this was a challenging year. We faced some unexpected obstacles related to weather and farm infrastructure. We needed to stay flexible and adaptable as the world faced unprecedented public health challenges. We saw our fair share of weeds, pests, and diseases, some of which wiped out weeks or months of hard work with astonishing efficiency.
This may sound like a lot of weight to carry, and it sometimes is, but we farmers are truly fortunate to have such a deep relationship with the natural world and with you, our supporters. We rejoice as we see the ladybeetle come to our rescue after the emergence of the first aphids. We are giddy at the sight of rhizobia bacteria working in concert with our leguminous cover crops to extract nitrogen from the air (magic!) and push it down into the soil. We appreciate deeply the way our hard work and long hours make the first melon of the season taste especially sweet. And perhaps most of all, we feel deep gratitude when we see each of you smile as you pick up your share or wave as it is dropped at your doorstep.
These simple pleasures are what make me excited and grateful that I will have an 11th year to dedicate to this challenging, beautiful, frustrating, rewarding, and diverse work. Thank you all so much for your support through this season. We cannot begin to express how grateful we are that our hard work can result in nourishment for you and yours. We hope to see you again this winter or next season - we will be crossing our fingers for an easy one, but even if it isn’t, we will be here, putting in the work to make sure we all eat well.
Collin, on behalf of Ashley, John, Alexandra, Rory, Gabe, and the hens, hogs, and dogs
