The sun visited us this weekend — a lovely tone for welcoming Winter's official arrival!
How did Christmas sneak up on us like this? I have much to do here in the house before Wednesday — presents to wrap, muffins to bake, a stocking to knit (that last one might not quite happen). Meanwhile, we’ve perhaps over-packed the week for Casey too — holiday harvest today; Full Diet pick-up and restaurant harvests on Friday; other chores in between.
But it is good. We will be busy all week, in contrast to Christmas weeks past. But, with two small kids in the house, time together doesn’t really mean quiet anymore regardless. And we are managing to fit in extra “time together,” in spite of our full lives. We rambled to the river this weekend, to take advantage of the beautifully mellow temperatures (sweater weather! after all that cold! what a treat!). We collected agates, threw rocks, climbed logs, relaxed.
And, as we inevitably use our bits of extra winter time for pondering the farm as a whole (including the Big Changes brought by Animals On The Farm and The Full Diet Experiment in general), we find ourselves feeling grateful for these new experiences, including the harder or more stressful ones. They have brought us growth, compassion, and some amazing food for our families and others. After so many years of producing vegetables year-round, it still feels like a miracle to be eating so much green in the darkest part of winter. No, we don’t get a very long extended break the way some other farms might, but we eat well in every month of the year, and we get to share that good food with our CSA members. What a joy! And, each day, week, month, year that passes gives us broader perspective, allowing us to respond to the work of the farm with less stress. This is a real gift of time, something that can only be gained through experience. It allows us to continue doing this good important fulfilling work while having fun and playing too.
We will see our continuing Full Diet members on Friday for pick-up, and our veggie CSA members starting on January 14 again!!!! In the meantime, we wish you a wonderful (and delicious) Christmas holiday.
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
