On Saturday, I sold veggies at a Farmer's Market in Louisville...and rediscovered my completely inexplicable love for retail. I really like being nice to strangers and selling people things; it's pretty fun to make money. Not for myself, you know, but just in general, it is pretty darn satisfying.
This week has been so sunny (and HOT) and therefore lovely--what a drastic change from the first three weeks! We've been busy planting LOTS of crops including chard, lettuce, leeks, beans, tomatoes, peppers and melons. Some (slightly crazier) biodynamic farmers believe that holding seeds in your mouth before you plant them gets them in-tune to your specific nutritional needs...so my friend Mai and I tried it out this week! Spitting green bean seeds into dry furrows was definitely one of the highlights of my week, even if I possibly consumed more dirt than food that day ;). Lucy (a new volunteer-- from Scotland!) and I also used shoes as seed receptacles for a little while...trying to be resourceful...you know.
This weekend, Foxhollow with have representation at THREE different Farmer's Markets which meant a ridiculous amount of harvesting this week (over 40 pounds of lettuce, 20 pounds of spinach, tons of green onions, radishes, and other various goodies all in one day). They just installed an old-fashioned washing machine in the veggie shack which we use to dry large amounts of greens all at once after we wash them-- it works incredibly well and saves loads of time!
Yesterday evening, a bunch of us tried out an old-fashioned tobacco planter on our tomatoes. After a few unsuccessful trials, we finally gave up...which meant spending all day today transplanting veggies by hand. We raced each other as we planted down the line to keep ourselves motivated! (I get really excited in that video...don't judge me.) This field was totally empty at 7:30 am this morning.
I'm not sure how to even begin putting into words all that I've learned here: I have so many new skills pertaining to farming, of course, but also to working in groups, dealing with setbacks, and keeping myself grounded and healthy. I'm really hoping to somehow find a way to put my farming skills to use in the future, but I am taking away so much more than just that. The opportunity I was given this month to really challenge myself both mentally and physically was invigorating. I am stronger in both regards. We have met some seriously fabulous people here who have helped me grow so much, and it will be really difficult to say goodbye on Sunday.
Basically...I will miss this.
