The view from the tractor cab has been pretty stationary lately.
We experience moments out here when hard things happen at exactly the right time. Because, of course, hard things will happen (such as the river flooding), and it is a blessing when we are in some way in a better moment for dealing with it.
Just as the flood waters were rising about two weeks ago, we used the tractor after dark to move some equipment and things to high ground. It got parked (on high ground thankfully), and then the next morning Casey went out to move more hay and … the tractor wouldn’t start.
I should preface this whole story with the sad truth that our tractor not starting is … a fairly common occurrence around these parts. We bought our 58 hp Landini back in late 2006, and it has in many ways been a wonderful tractor. It is ruggedly built, and when it runs, it’s awesome. But, then there are all those days when it doesn’t start easily … or, at all. And we have to make another call to such-and-such mechanic to brainstorm the problem. Last summer, the tractor ended up in the shop for several weeks during our peak season (fortunately not the peak planting season, or else we would have been really hurting). But, for the most part, the problem gets resolved in a few minutes, hours or days. Sometimes all it takes is a jiggle of a wire. Sometimes it’s more. Sometimes, it’s much much more.
Which is clearly the case now. The fix itself may turn out to be quite simple, but as the days goes on with our tractor still parked in our driveway, it’s clear that the solution is not obvious. Something is wrong with the starter (which has been rebuilt within the last few months and tested now several times in the last few days) or an associated system. A CSA member mechanic has been out several times after his own work hours to tinker and help Casey brainstorm. Casey has taken the starter to an electrical repair shop in Salem twice. Still, the tractor sits there.
Neither Casey or I were born mechanics. In fact, when we first started the farm — in spite of training on a tractor-powered farm — we briefly entertained a vision of a tractor-free farm. “We don’t need a tractor, do we?” This daydream vanished as soon as we learned the realities of turning a horse pasture into a vegetable farm. We needed to mow thick grass. We needed to turn it into the ground. We needed to be able to plant vegetables! Soon!!!!
So, a tractor. Not the right one at first (a tiny little itty bitty play tractor that couldn’t carry a disk without tipping backward). Then an ok one for a season (a slightly bigger one that could handle a mower and disc ok). Then the Landini itself (perfect size for our operation, but always having troubles starting).
Although we quickly succumbed to tractor farming and began to learn its reality, that initial aversion was most likely born of fear of our own ignorance. Tractors bring very important power to the farm in a way that we believe to be more efficient than any other option (for those of you counting such things, human power is quite costly in every way). But tractors have, as they say, “a lot of moving parts.” Literally. And they require attention in the form of regular maintenance and repairs. And, to be honest, for us nature-freaks, they’re not particularly aesthetically pleasing. I realize that there are many folks out there who love the sight of trucks, tractors and cars — we are not among that crowd. I’d rather smell dirt than grease.
Nonetheless, this tractor is essential to our farm, even in the winter. At the very least, Casey uses the front loader once per week to help with slaughtering animals — we kill animals in the field and carry them back to another location for cleaning. This is very important to us on many levels (most notably the lack of trauma for the animals), and the tractor helps make it possible. But, of course, come spring, we’ll be using the tractor every dry day to prepare the field for planting (as well as mowing, drilling seeds for pasture, etc etc etc).
And, so, the work continues. The tractor will start again. At which point, we are seriously considering trading it in for a different — hopefully more reliable — tractor. This is A Big Project in terms of time and money that we weren’t planning to do this winter, but in our quest to Tie Up Loose Ends and Create More Sanity on the farm, it may be time to address it.
In the scheme of things, the timing of this recent breakdown has been a blessing. Certainly, our tractor being down always inconveniences us, but this week brought us a reprieve from weather-related crises (the flood waters are now receding from our fields), and overall Casey’s workload allowed him big blocks of time and mental energy to devote to figuring it all out (still in progress, of course). Plus, yesterday our prior mentors from Cedarville Farm in Washington came to visit, and even though they couldn’t help us find the answer, their presence felt supportive and affirming. Mike, Kim, Casey and I sat up late last night (by farmer standards) talking about tractor breakdowns and so much more. Again, the winter gathering of farmers bringing some peace of mind as we realize that we all share some common experiences and challenges. It is heartening to hear how other, more experienced folks have weathered some of those hard things season in and out.
Later this week we actually host our other early farming mentors, Jeff and Josette — a couple we stayed with for only a week back in 2004. They have a truly breathtaking homestead in the Lake Chelan watershed, and we met them through our work at Holden Village long ago. We knew we had the farming bug but knew nothing about growing food — neither Casey or I had ever had a vegetable garden! So, we took some time off from our work in the mountains to help them do some spring work in their gardens and orchards. Even though it was a relatively brief work experience, for Casey and I it was the first experience of its kind. So, for us, this family still stands out as being incredibly influential in our later choices. We are very excited to host them! It is a week of reconnecting with inspirational people in our earlier life! A Very Good Thing for February, a month of dreary weather and tapping toes.
Meanwhile, the preparations for spring do continue. Folks have been sowing like crazy, and our greenhouses are filling with that most welcome sight of fresh green vegetable starts in plug trays. This time of year if I need a lift in spirits, a quick trip to the greenhouse can do the job — so many vegetables reaching for the sky in their little baby forms! Soon to be planted! And then harvested! And then eaten!
For us, that’s still what it’s all about. We know farmers who definitely love the mechanical aspects of their work and enjoy acquiring, using, and maintaining a fleet of vehicles and implements. For us, the tractor and its tools are a necessary means to an end. They work for us, and we respect what they allow us to accomplish. We don’t begrudge the tractor its important place in our farm, but at the end of the day, it’s the plants that excited us. The green things. The grass. The sunshine. The trees. The animals. The life flowing in every direction, sustaining us all.
We will likely spend a few more weeks on the current tractor situation since we may move from fixing it to selling it to buying a new one. At which point, spring will surely be here, and we will happily refocus our attention on all those wonders beyond the driveway. Hoorah!
Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
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Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Corn flour — Another little fun treat from the farm’s diverse crops — flour grown and ground here on the farm! What can you do with it? The first answer is, of course, corn bread! But it’s also great for other forms of quick breads, including pancakes and muffins.
- Kohlrabi
- Sunchokes
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic
