As the season progresses towards solstice we are adjusting to the ever-fluctuating year. We are finding holes in the crop plan and sowing seeds to rapidly fill gaps, pushing plants to grow quickly under the wet conditions, and relishing the time I spend away from the farm.
Watching Ari grow has been, and continues to be, the greatest acts I have witnessed. The sheer joy emanating from him, and the pleasure interacting with him surpasses, well, just about everything. As pleasurable as he is, it is much more energetically taxing than I had imagined possible.
When he was first born I made one of the biggest mistakes a new dad can make. After spending the first week after he was born at home, I started to return to work. First, it was garlic planting. I “had” to be there, making sure varieties were organized, that the planting was correct. Then, I “had” to get greenhouse ground posts in before the soil froze. Building the greenhouse turned into a consistent supply of work throughout the entire winter.
It is complicated. I told myself that building infrastructure would alleviate time later. On one hand I realize I took those first few months of Ari’s life for granted. On the other hand, we have been harvesting cucumbers for weeks and will have cherry tomatoes by the solstice.
There is regret in my body when I reflect back. I think about the extra burden I placed on my partner, how distracted I was from our family relationship. While I was around in body, my mind easily slipped to work. Without clear boundaries I fell away and now feel like I missed a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Now, he is able to be at the farm. Mom has been managing our updated Farm Store with Ari in tow. He even joined us on a planting session, having a blast getting pulled down a bed of dye flowers. He loves being outside. He loves sampling all the goods, and the weeds. I strive to provide a positive example for him to continue loving being in the garden.
Little writing has been happening, at least publicly. Being with family has become more important, and energetically more demanding. My time is either focused on work, or home and family. I am making up for lost time. Those newborn months are gone, but the baby is still here.
The work life balance has extended beyond my personal life, it now encompasses a family. A family who needs me to be present, consistent, and engaged. It is changing how I think about work and helped me focus to be more productive during those hours and present at home.
We have still hit many of our crop deadlines, even nailed a few, and added new crops. Since scaling down on acreage and farms, getting beds prepared has been more manageable. The time saved in traveling between properties has opened up room for more creative farming. Relay cropping, no-till trials, and consistent weed control are adding up to build a generous supply of produce.
The pea beds are especially glowing right now. Sugar snaps will be available next week along with turnips and lettuce from the same beds. In fact, over 6 plant families are growing together (with another slated to be interplanted next week) in these beds as we flip them for summer.
I am fortunate to have a fully staffed farm crew readily available. This, and the relentless rain, has allowed me to have two full weekends in a row. The farm has never looked better and life has never been fuller.
Keep growing better Folks.