From the Farm-Lady

I’m a lover; A plant lover, an animal lover, a tree-hugger. All of those things. However, my love for plants doesn’t exclude the thistle and the poison ivy. My love of insects extends beyond the ladybug and the dragonfly to the wasp and the cabbage worm. Okay, maybe not the cabbage worms, but you get the point here; I am an all-loving, tree-hugging farm lady. And when I decided to tack farm-lady on the end of that simplified definition of myself, I imagined my day would be filled with joyful, nourishing tasks. I dreamed of encouraging plant growth by singing in the field and leading beneficial insects to my farm with beautiful bouquets of flowers in hand.

But you guys and gals know that farming is not at all similar to an outdoor music festival, right? You can sing in the field, but you’d best be swinging a hoe while you’re at it. You can make your bouquet, as long as it goes promptly to the market to be sold and sit nicely on someone else’s dinner table. And those beneficial insects you were attempting to lure, be sure not to wipe out their entire population while trying to keep the bean beetles in check.

I’m Sam, the farm manager at the Harvest Table. Sometimes, they call me the “new” farm manager; and after three seasons, I think I’ll always be “new” at farming. The task is ever challenging, always changing, and never quite absolute; that’s exactly why I love it so much. Over the next few blogs, you can follow along as I recount how I’ve reconciled my no-harm nature and attempting to run a productive farm. I’ll do my best to offer ideas for fellow food growers out there, and I’d love to hear from you!

In addition to my woes of pests and weeds, farm interns and WWOOFers of past and present will contribute to our blog. Look for updates about events and opportunities at the farm, and cutesy little stories of farm animals along the way. You can always shoot me an email at sam@harvesttablerestaurant.com for comments, questions, or information about farm tours.

Happy Growing!