When we started this farm adventure, I said “We could always try something for 5 years right?” Well, our 5th summer should start just after this weekend. Funny enough, I am very conflicted about this season. After putting aside personal projects for a few years, I feel like I really need to tackle other projects this year. I mean, when your kid says “Can we just put some sheetrock up”, you’ve gotta re-evaluate the condition of your living quarters a little right? After your husband gets quizzed on his internet connectivity on weekends, you’ve gotta wonder is this hobby hurting his earning potential? When you are the running from the farm to home to the 5am farmstand setup to the 7am train to work, you’ve gotta wonder isn’t it easier to go to Wholefoods? When your kid is growing up without weekend friends, you’ve gotta ask is it time to quit?
But first let me tell you about a recent small diversion.
Each May, I get tomato and pepper plants to transplant due to the late frost date in this region. Usually I pick up $150 worth of seedlings and our farmer friends send their extra plants. This year, I decided to start seedlings myself, using the commercial fridge as rack space, and some LED grow lights. As I learned quickly, once the seeds sprout, you have to buy a lot of seed starting soil to transfer the seedlings to successively larger pots in order to accomodate the multiplying roots.
Several weeks later, I was on the internet clicking a button that says “Sure, send me $20 worth of red wiggler worms”. My thinking was of course I can try my hand at vermicomposting so that I have good seed starting soil. My son laughed for a good 20 minutes when I told him, and another 20 minutes when the package of live worms arrived. All this so I can start more seeds to grow more plants to transplant to the farm when the nighttime temperatures stabilize above 40.

I love the farm, I love planting, I love the people who stop to say hi, I love that my kid has a true connection to nature. Maybe I should slow down, but who am I kidding?