Being a farmer means working with the seasons. It means the weather becomes the sole dictator of your work. Winter is a time for rest and planning. Spring welcomes a time for seeding and early spring crops. Summer is go time. A time to try to keep up with a bountiful harvest, new plantings, weeding, and in the midst of it all, making time to take care of ourselves. Fall means that in just a few short months, work will be sparse. Mother Earth’s way of telling us to rest our weary bodies and souls. But I’m getting ahead of myself. There’s still much work to be done!
Being a newbie at River Run and farming in general (this is just my 2nd season of farming), I’m grateful to have so many amazing mentors to learn from. It has been quite a challenge to wrap my head around all the tasks that happen on a day-to-day, week-to-week, and even month-to-month basis. Like when did we get 10+ beds of carrots in the cabin field? Oh! A bed of zucchini is gone. And wow, we planted a whole lot of kale, and brussel sprouts, and cabbage. And we’re still seeding and planting lettuce? Whew. It definitely keeps me on my toes but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Back in 2015 when I decided to leave my cushy office job to pursue a more meaningful career, I found my way to farming. It provides the type of work and lifestyle that pushes me to do more. To do better. To find the joy in it that motivates you to keep going. To find your place in a community of people who share your passion. With that said, I’m happy to announce that I’ll be continuing my farming journey with River Run next season!
Here’s a quick update on the farm! Yesterday we commenced the potato harvest. With two whole acres of multiple varieties of potatoes planted, we have a long way to go. But you’ll be enjoying delicious, round, scarlet nuggets of spuds at market this weekend. These potatoes are extra special because we use our horses, Bill, Linda, Duke and Red to do almost all of the field prep, cultivating and harvesting. We broke ground on a new field for next year. This allows us to apply cover crop to build fertility in our soil. The crew has also been doing some serious planning for Saturday’s Open Farm Day. We hope everyone can come for an afternoon at our beautiful farm. You get to meet your farmers, enjoy a breathtaking view of the Olympics, and eat farm fresh snacks. Jordan and I will be putting on a cooking demo to teach tips and tricks on how to prep and assemble your favorite veggies. There could even be some pickling and fermenting demos involved? Well, you’ll just have to come and find out for yourself! We hope to meet those who make it out and personally thank you for your role in being an essential part of River Run Farm.
Farmingly yours, Theresa