(CSA Newsletter: Late Season Week 4)
Meet this week’s vegetables:
What to write about this week? How can I think of anything besides the election? I can’t.
Even though farm work has continued this week (we moved all the irrigation pipes out of the field, helped out at Memorial Elementary’s Harvest Fair, and more), the election is always on our minds and dominates our conversations. I imagine that you can relate.
But, today is the big day!!!!!!!!!!
Not much to do now and anxiously await the results. We feel as though we’ve been holding our breaths for several weeks now. The presidential election is, of course, as important as ever before — and closer to home, we’re watching Oregon ballot measures and local elections as well. Our family has been more involved than usual thanks to my mom, Kris Bledsoe, running for Yamhill County Commissioner. All in all, it has been an especially consuming (and long!) election season for us.
And, just in case you haven’t yet, we want to remind you to vote today!!!! You can turn in your ballot by hand until 8 pm tonight. There are ballot drops in downtown Mac, including the county clerk’s office and the drop box by the jail.
After you’ve voted and picked up your vegetables, you’re welcome to join us at Red Fox Bakery for my mom’s election night party. There will be food, wine, and friends.
Hard to believe, but it is almost over (and just beginning!). We’re tired of the stress and waiting, but Casey and I are already starting to think about the ‘next things.’ Of course, the next big election isn’t for two more years, but here in Oregon politics continue. We’ve been thinking about the Oregon ‘Big Look’ task force a lot lately, trying to figure out how to get our voice heard in time to make a difference. For those of you who have missed this issue in the craziness of the election, essentially the Oregon State government is trying to respond to the issues raised by Measure 37’s passage a few years back. The premise is that land use laws might need to become more ‘flexible’ as Oregon moves into the future.
Well, we’re not so sure we like their conclusions or approve of the long-term implications for Oregon’s farm economy and culture. Today, we’re too preoccupied with the election to get into the details, but you’ll be seeing more thoughts here in the near future on this topic.
It’s never over, is it? That’s life. We fight for the things we think are important, whether it’s our job security, our families, the world around us, or rights for everyone.
In the meantime, we’re grateful for the harvest routines to keep our bodies busy while our minds keep worrying over the election (‘worry’ in the most neutral sense: running our minds eye over the issues again and again and again). The fall rains appear to have finally arrived, which is rather lovely after enjoying many weeks of beautiful sunny fall weather. Thanks to October’s dry spell, we’re fully caught up on our fall chores and the rain brings no unwelcome urgency or stress. Instead, it just reminds us that we are in fact heading towards winter. The 2008 CSA will end in six short weeks; we’ll gather with our families for many holiday meals; and of course the election has arrived.
Our thoughts are with you all as we await the tidings of our shared future tonight.
Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
