Andrew started his Monday morning by revving up the 29 horses! He and the orange Kubota circled out to various fields with various implements, clipping the grasses and weeds on the edge of gardens… all have kept fast growth through August, coaxed on by nice rains and plenty of sunshine. Later it was the potato plow as he harvested the first few rows of potatoes in no time by harnessing the machine advantage. Charlotte meanwhile communed again with the beans… yellow, purple and green and made her way around to the rest of the long harvest list. Ed harvested elderberries, more calendula flowers and helped Charlotte on tomatoes. Jaska dilli-ed the beans. Laura set up Sow Jemima Puddle Duck’s farrowing spot and Kathy reports she ate
Jenga warming up with a local bloody mary, artwork by Anna Svagzdys
pasture grasses all day. This observation combined with other signs lead us to think she won’t deliver tonight. Erica is up and running with chore rounds, keeping the dispersed flocks and herds fed. Jenga started to show some great initiative taking the goats out to pasture, saving the farmers a few steps…And Penelope set a mile of goat fence and washed all the harvest her mates brought in through the week. AND she roped her visiting grandparents to weave in some work during their farmstay, just as Laura and Mari had last week with dear friends Don, Todd, Brent, Liz and Grace – this team by the way invented our new product…. Green Mountain Marys!
The intention had been to bring this new heirloom Mary Mix along with others of our farm fresh treats to Boston’s upcoming Local Food Festival, Sunday the 14th. However just when we thought we already needed all hands on deck, the call came from Ruth that Mari’s dad Erling wasn’t feeling well. With this strong farm team in place and John, Kathy and Donna backing up Laura in countless ways Mari has been able to support Erling in the Rutland hospital where she, Ruth and her brothers are helping the professionals keep him comfortable.
Erling with Omlands and Pico his favorite Mountain and thus goat.
Huge thanks from Mari and Laura to our great team who give it their all throughout the season and are pouring out more as the harvest crescendos and Erling, at 97 and ½ years gracefully moves through the end of his (full and purposeful) life.
With gratitude for the efforts from all and in celebration of Erling and the harvest we say, quoting Erling’s mantra of today “I (we) love you, Amen”.