This is time of year and holiday when gratitude becomes top of mind. Much study has shown that the more we focus on that which we are grateful for the better off we are, but we also know the challenge of that when life gets hectic.
This year, and this growing season in particular, has been challenging – devastating for those that flooded or froze and really hard for those that didn’t but were still over-saturated for weeks and weeks. As our season slows down, here are some things we’ve been grateful for this year:
The resilience of our pastures and soil: We benefited from being a hill farm, high in the watershed, but also from the years of investment soil biology, allowing it to hold more of the water that falls in place and support our plants in times of stress.
Our farming partners: The steadiness, reliable performance and supportive camaraderie from our teammates Amy & Donna and Hannah & Haley from Field Stone Farm can’t be beat. And then there is our Event Elf, cousin Karen; excavator wizard/advisor Gary; Johnny-O the fix-it man & Kathy forever backstopping us.
And the team that rallied to allow us to dig deeper into agritourism and helped us host a series of fall foliage bus tours, giving hundreds of folks a window into the positive potential for regenerative farming.
Acheiving a long-shared goal with Liva to tap her herbal knowledge to make the most of our dried flowers and herbs that we planted together years ago in our orchard understory.
Those that care about how food is raised for yourselves, your community and the world. Yes, you our customers, and also the neighbors, friends, family and colleagues who offer physical and moral support. It is a team effort.
Of course the diligent, funny, resilient & ever productive livestock and plants in our fields and orchard. Farming really is a deep collaboration with them fostering their talents!
That the rain finally stopped and let fields dry and hay be made! And t15hat some of our fruit made it through May’s deep freeze.
That Chandra has baked all us so many delicious pizzas before handing off Field Stone Farm’s pizza to the multi-talented Tyler who is also a farm fixer/supporter. Double thanks here that their pizza is now also available fresh & hot on Sundays. Email fsfpizza@gmail.com to get the weekly update and order info.
And we’d be remiss to not mention our 4 legged farm teammates, who not only perform their own jobs of protection and rodent control, but bring a lot of joy along the way.
May this next season and year bring you joy, peace, learning and lots of good food.
