The circle closes
Over two years had passed since I’d seen Mike. Last weekend was a very cool reunion.
When I volunteered on his organic farm in 2007 there were days I couldn’t believe he did what he did. He worked so hard! He had so much to do and could never stay on top of it all. When I would be sweating half my body weight and feeling like my bent knees were going to explode, Mike was cool as a cucumber in long sleeves, without even a drop of sweat on his brow. I was just helping out a couple of days a week. I could go home and soak myself in a hot bath, and not have to worry about a million little farm details and pleasing 50 CSA customers. I liked farming… on a very part-time basis. Community gardening was more my style.
Or so I thought.
Now I’m back in the home (er, hot) province, with a little farm and a big dream. Mike has to have something to do with it. He must have filled my head with tiny farming propaganda when we were weeding his fields. Whatever he did, I’m glad he did it.
Roddy and I spent at least four hours with Mike last Sunday. We walked his fields, got the lay of the land, dug up Jerusalem Artichoke, visited his hens, and y’know, talked farm talk! Then we went into town together with handy resources in tow, and talked more farm talk over coffee. Roddy and I had endless questions, and Mike is detailed and philosophical so there was an rich exchange between experienced guru and novice wannabes.
Back at Mike’s farm again we poured over organic certification criteria housed in a fat dusty binder, and got the inside scoop on the ins and outs of certification. I remember Mike showing me this binder back in 2007 and thinking to myself: hmmm, great work Mike, but why are you showing me this? I don’t want to be a farmer! Seeing the binder again was a defining moment for me. In a few weeks, I will be filing our first organic certification application. Two days ago, I was staking off 50 x 50 foot plots in the field with Roddy. Yesterday, I was reading Organic Farming: Everything You Need to Know in bed. Today, I was in a New Farmers Symposium. And tomorrow, well, tomorrow I resume work as usual, but this week, Roddy and I will be developing our farm vision.
And I thought I didn’t want to be a farmer…
oh Andrea, I’m so happy that you have the expertise available to you that you can ask questions to.
We’ve been discussing lately getting chickens, how many do we get? do we wanna commit to that much? Since we’re caretaking land, and it’s not ours, we are always trying to have this balance of how much we put in and anchor ourselves? My little nomad inside is earning for some wings.:)
But your last line of your blog really did me in. “And I thougth I didn’t want to be a farmer.” Me Too! But I do! I never did before. They work so hard. But it is So Valuable. I appreciate your planning and your commitment to it. Please write lots about your journey!:) I’m eating it up. and you don’t even have veggies yet!:)
Amanda, I totally understand where you’re coming from. How many roots do you put down on land that isn’t yours? Do you really want your own land and the responsibility that comes with it? And what about those exotic corners of the world yet to be discovered?
So many considerations, eh?! I guess for me, it became a matter of sanity. I was going to go crazy if I didn’t grab hold completely of this dream and run with it. It may not be forever, but it’s for now. And it feels right : )
So cool, those little events put in a bigger context! I really don’t know why I showed you the certification binder back then, must’ve thought you would, uh, LIKE IT!
You’re gonna have fun!
Happy farming!!
Cheers Mike! I’m glad you showed me the binder now. In hindsight, it symbolized to me that you BELIEVED I could be a farmer too! And I’m sure that stayed powerful nudging stayed with me