Our big boy Rusty picks himself a plum -- hoorah for dwarf trees!
Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Cucumbers
- Beets
- Carrots
- Chard/kale
- Summer squash
- Sweet onions
A shorter newsletter this week, because we are in major recovery/transition mode after the birth of our daughter last Tuesday.
Dorothy Raven (“Dottie”) was born at home just past noon. The birth was hard, but Dottie came through beautifully — so strong and healthy (and big — 9 lbs 1 oz). But, unfortunately, after the birth, we had to transfer to the hospital (via ambulance) because of a retained placenta. Dottie went on her first car ride when she was less than one hour old! The transfer was as smooth as one could hope for, and all went well at the hospital. I was so grateful for my good health and nourishment, because it was a day that certainly taxed my reserves. Our family was back home before midnight — but it was certainly not what we were hoping for or expecting from Dottie’s birth!
And, of course, having a baby in September is a vastly different experience from December (which is when Rusty was born). Casey was immediately back at work the next morning, milking the cows at 6 am as usual and delivering produce to restaurants (with Rusty in tow) in the afternoon. He’s not working as long of hours as before, but there are still plenty of “on call” moments for Farmer Casey, including dropping everything when our neighbor farmer once again was available with his combine (this time to harvest dry beans on Saturday afternoon).
But there are advantages to a baby born this time of year too — food is easy. We are eating fruit like crazy: apples that we picked last weekend, Asian pears from my parents’ trees, tomatoes … Being in harvest season also takes some pressure off. Yes, we need to harvest and prepare for winter, but we are heartened by the sight of all that food in the fields — winter squash ripening, field corn drying down, grains curing. The crew brought in most of the onions last week too (on some surprisingly hot days), so we’re well on our way as fall approaches.
And, speaking of harvest — today (Sunday), Rusty wanted some more plums and went on his first solo expedition to the orchard near our house to pick some (with Papa watching from the window). He seems to be growing by leaps and bounds since Dottie’s arrival — as much as it is a challenge for all of us to change the family dynamic, he is clearly also growing into a bigger boy in many wonderful ways.
Those of you with kids will appreciate how a new baby can explode life in the most challenging (and delightful) way. That’s the mode we’re in now, still adjusting (and recovering) and trying to get sleep when we can. It’s truly amazing how such a tiny little person can cause such a big ruckus.
Thanks for all your kind words and congrats! We feel blessed by our growing family, growing farm, and for so many wonderful supportive people in our lives.
Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
… and the rest of the farm crew
P.S. If you’re wondering about Dottie’s name, here’s the story — Dorothy was my mother’s mother. She passed away eight years ago this Tuesday, and we miss her very much. “Ravn” is a family surname on the same side that was traditionally given to daughters as a middle name (my mom and her sister didn’t continue the tradition). Casey and I added the “e” to anglicize it and give it a “hippy tone.” Also, this last winter was the first time we had ravens on the farm, and it seemed like a nice tribute to them (and a good fit with “Russell Sprout”).
P.P.S. I mentioned this a while back, but it’s worth noting again: a friend of ours set up a meal registry for our family. I know some people have asked how you can help with the new baby, and this is a great way! You can find the details here: http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/14268525
