Boots On The Ground
Every so often, we are reminded of just what it takes for a small farm to grow, harvest, pack and distribute fresh produce for 80 CSA members. While at the front you might see two farmers and their right-hand woman getting it done, the commitment of many volunteers is what actually puts the food on the table. Quite literally! We would like to start highlighting some of our volunteers who commit to being on the farm every week to help us.
This Friday was Angie’s last day for the season because she is a school teacher and coach starting her “real” job. Even more important, her birthday is this week! We share so much when we work together and get to know people fairly well. This is one aspect of having worker shares on the farm that we love. Each week we catch up with friends while picking and packing. Some people come to the farm as friends, and others become friends after they come to the farm.
Tomatillos
Jalapeno Pepper
Cilantro
Bell Peppers
Sweet Corn
Lettuce
Dark Red Beets
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Garlic Bulb
Onions
Mixed Beans (larges)
Angie arrives every Friday bright and early for her four hour shift. She heads out into the field with our myriad of workers and volunteers. We gather up the produce that can’t handle heat first and has to be harvested in the cooler morning air. We take that first big load up to the pack shed for rinsing, sorting and bagging. Then we head out to a second field to get the next load while a few might stay back to finish up round one. This cycle continues until all the items are packed into crates, labeled and put into cool storage.
As we near midday, it’s time pack shares and online/wholesale orders are organized. If there is a big harvesting task that is dreadful to do alone but tolerable with more people, we make sure to squeeze that in before Angie leaves because a positive attitude is one of her greatest assets. If the heat turns on, we try to finish up the day with shaded tasks like running beets and carrots through the brush washer, weighing out portions or cleaning dried garlic.
Angie is a farmer at heart from her upbringing and we think she loves having a tiny piece of farming in her life through her work at We Grow. Whatever the reason, we are grateful for her time here in exchange for a weekly share of produce.
Until next time,
