The last two weeks on the farm have been a gentle settling in, creating a daily practice. Put our boots on, uncover the beds hosting the baby plants that the rabbits would otherwise eat, and then comes the weeding. Planting. Digging. Harvesting. Each day is different. One afternoon we layered dirt, and weeds, sprinkled with lime and water into a lasagna that will work its way into a thick compost. Last week we spent much of our time in the lower fields, planting nearly a hundred tomato plants of various kinds.
The tomatoes names hint at their rich flavors- Sungold, Sweet Million, Oregon Spring, and more. It’s a practice in faith and patience to plant such small, scraggly green things, hardly able to hold themselves up and only a few inches tall, and know that in a few weeks they will fill their cages to the brim with giant juicy fruits that will be the foundation of our pasta dishes, sauces, pizzas, bruschetta’s, and salads. I am already preparing myself for the self-control it will take to harvest sweet golden cherry tomatoes without popping every other one into my mouth!
On a sunny Tuesday, we took our lunch break at Sweet Frog, getting frozen yogurt with Jackie. She told us the story of her and Joe meeting. She spoke of how she saw him at a party, told her friend that was the man she was going to marry, and 6 weeks later they were. That was over 50 years ago. Listening to stories of Jackie and Joe’s lives are fascinating and could go on all day, but weeding and planting always pulls us pack to the gardens. It’s important that we make time for both work and conversation.
One of the most special things about Dreamcatcher Farm is that it is more than just a job of manual labor. It’s community, education, meditation, and growth. Every day there are moments of clarity that peek through- whether it be words of wisdom from Joe and Jackie that stays in my head all day, or looking up from weeding and realizing hours have passed in a peaceful meditation of yanking and pulling plants. There is always something good in the day, at the farm.
We have recently put ourselves out there on social media. We are on Facebook at: Dreamcatcher Farm and on Instagram at: dreamcatcherfarmpa. Feel free to “like” or follow us to learn more about what we do on the farm! Thank you.
