Happy Tuesday,

Another week is here and passing on the farm; and as I sit here this Monday evening and think of what to write, all I can think about is how tumultuous the days can be here, in every way. Each day is a flurry of all kinds of activity, from work, to cooking, after-work projects, socializing; there’s never a dull moment (unless we are thinning beets or carrots or something). Today, instead of farming, I helped dig a trench to find a big leak in our irrigation system. Last week I chased a deer through a bunch of stinging nettle to corral it out of our main field. A couple of us are making some “home-brew” with apple and pear juice we made from the leftover fruit we didn’t sell. I don’t think my life has ever been so engaging.

Growing food for people can be hard, and all of the challenges we face to get the food from seed to CSA box are well worth it to see it all packed up. Every crop on the list this week—every week, really—has had its challenges. With the gems getting munched by deer, beetles eating holes in the kale, onions bolting, worms in everything, cabbage (along with everything else) annihilated by gophers, you learn to stay on your toes, and take the experience with you to do it a little differently down the road.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn so many different things and feed so many people, including myself and my friends around me. As the season winds down, we hope you savor every last bit of the harvest and preserve whatever’s left, to enjoy sometime in the winter! We certainly are.

Thanks for reading,

Jacob, Farm Apprentice