Apples are blooming in the orchards!
Friends, on beautiful days like today, anything seems possible.
I’m so glad that spring is spring! I’m so grateful that when our work begins to pick up in earnest, the world provides the spirit of wonder and energy of the returning sun to help carry us into the season. Which of course attributes some kind of causation in the wrong direction — the season itself brings the work! But, I remain thankful that it all comes together, in this seasonal package of effort and inspiration.
This year has been a topsy-turvy one for us in some ways — perhaps no more so than any other year, but by being this year it feels more intense and close-up. The last 14 months or so have brought a lot of unknowns into our life. Last year, we spent most of the year not knowing what the outcome of the fall election would be and how that would affect all aspects of our life. Casey is now four months into his new role as County Commissioner, and we’re just now seeing the pieces of everything fit back into place. I imagine that at the end of the season, we’ll have an even better idea of what it means to shift our purposes and loads to make room for this job, but right now it is 99% clearer that it was even at the New Year!
We’ve done a lot of “thought experiments” in this time. For example, what would it have looked like for our family if we dramatically changed how we farm? Even, for example, ending the CSA? We really dug into that idea, embodying it and trying our best to “feel” the difference in our life, and we decided that the CSA remains an integral part of our life and who we are and probably will for many more years to come! But, thirteen years into any business, I think it’s valuable to take those pause moments to really truly consider how the changes in all areas of life might possibly change other areas. We are filled with gratitude to continue doing this work.
In 2006, we decided to put down roots here, and in doing so we have been nourished by this place, literally as well as metaphorically. It has been a source of inspiration, comfort, challenge, learning. It has been a place where we can build community. There are many other wonderful ways to live, but this is the way we’ve chosen, for our efforts to start here and work outward toward the rest of the world, always tethered in a profound way to the experiences of working and living in this ever-changing spot.
Now, as we go into the glory that is late Spring, it feels as though our life is re-rooting — like we are finding our sure footing again and finding ourselves on familiar ground. Gratefully so.
I think it is useful (and a wonderful blessing) to always remember that we have options in life. That we can truly change our course and find a new path. This can be healthy and life-giving! (Or, necessary and life-saving in other cases!) But what a blessing it also is to be here for another unfolding spring, watching the pink apple buds burst forth and the Goldfinches return to the bird feeder. The beauty of the season is confidence-building. Really, when the sky is blue, how can we not soar with anticipation for all the good things to come?
Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
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We’re on Instagram and Facebook! … kind of
Do you enjoy social media? If so, you can follow the farm on Instagram and Facebook. When we started the farm back in 2006, such things didn’t yet exist, and I committed myself then to using our farm’s blog (which was cutting edge, by the way) to keep people connected to the farm online. I still love this long-form writing style and love writing our weekly newsletter, but since I finally got a smart phone last summer (thanks to the campaign) I also now post random photos mid-week too on IG and FB. Not always, but sometimes! So, follow us and you might see the first of the sugar snap peas in your feed very soon!
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Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Goldrush apples
- Radishes
- Arugula
- Salad mix
- Mustard greens — A new green this week! BIG bunches of mustard greens (leaves and rapini). Be warned: mustards are hot when raw (do not juice these!). But, they mellow out delightfully when cooked. We prepare these the same way we do kale or chard — sautéed in butter or olive oil until wilted. For the meat eaters in the crowd, they pair well with pork (think bacon or ham). But they’re also great as the base for a simple breakfast: cook some mustards and then top them with a fried egg for a powerfully nourishing start to your day!
- Kale — This is especially tender kale, suitable for eating raw as well as cooked.
- Spinach
- Kale rapini
- Chard
- Potatoes
