I set out with the intention that this blog would be much more informational .... but those intentions have been swept away by mother time. Unfortunately, I just don't have the hours in the day to post and talk more in depth about growing food. Real human conversation and real human interaction are so much better anyway, so, let's talk about all these great little goodies face to face instead. :)
For now, I'll use this blog for quick little updates, and (coming soon) photos! I don't like spending too much time on the computer, so this is a much better situation all around. On that note, this last week I was really challenged by a conversation about awareness of the tools we use (like cars or computers for example) and how they shape our lives. For example, if I'm driving a car a significant portion of my life, perhaps in high-speed traffic, how does that frequent interaction with driving shape my behavior otherwise? Another example that came up in the conversation was instant gratification and its relationship with technology. With one click of a button I can do a lot and receive a lot, which makes me wonder how that might change the way I interact with the world... I might forget all the work, labor, and time it takes to actually create something, that sometimes things are destroyed or take longer than you expect. This mystery and unpredictability is part of my interest in being closely tied and connected with the land. For me personally the connection with nature bleeds into my consciousness of other aspects of life, most profoundly in my human relationships. I start to see more clearly that things just happen, despite my ideas or illusions. All these thoughts are interesting to explore... and I appreciate the woman who spoke about these things so I could ponder too.
Now for some news about Clementine's ...
This morning I want to take a moment to say thank-YOU for all the support so far. Marcia & Brandon especially are on top of the list for helping me get to the farm each week, many of my family members and friends are supporting the farm through seasonal subscriptions (yesss thank you!!), and every time I work I get a huge dose of confidence and energy from Anna, who reminds me I can do what I love every day. (Yes, it's true folks) I'm also feel very encouraged by our subscribers and supporters who donated money for Clementine's to buy seed & grow veggies for other people. We'll deliver fresh produce to the Heart Ministry Center every Friday where people can come and free shop for food. Thank you for sharing your cash money resources people!
Last week we put the hoop houses up and moved some of our seedlings outside. It seems as though our greens are doing really well, but we lost some of the cauliflower seedlings. Now there is a beautiful (but unexpected) blanket of snow on the ground, so I'm not quite sure what I'll encounter when I'm back on the farm on Tuesday, but I have a feeling everything is just fine. Things just grow...
In other news, I spent a few days in St. Louis last week visiting my best friend Kristin and connecting with her community of friends, who were so hospitable and just down-right amazing. We spent a brief second in North St. Louis at the Catholic Worker community, which is such a source of inspiration for me. I was amazed to see how much work they've done in only one year. Their chicken coop is twice the size, they are growing all kinds of fruit and nut trees now, and really making use of all the spaces they have for growing food (and for living -- there are some sweet home-building projects going on too). I also found out they love John Jeavon's book and follow it like a sacred text on their urban farm (of course!). I should have known because they are really smart people. Now I have the pleasure of being introduced to John Jeavons via the Midwest Permaculture conference last month.
On the city gardening front, I am excited that Tim, Brandon, & Julia are starting a home food garden this season. We'll hopefully have fun in that dirt next week, if the snow lets us.
Now a quote from a St. Louian...
"Why should we farm in the city? Number one, food security. Number two, sustainability of the land. Number three, community."
thanks for all the love my people my people,
c.
Upcoming Goodies:
Crop Mob/Work Day @ Clementine's (April 9th and April 10th -- Lunch provided!)
Cooking Classes with Elle from the Daily Grub & Clementine's
You can check them out here...
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