The end...and the beginning

"For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction." 

-Cynthia Occelli

The Farmer Training Program concluded the last week of October. It was a jam-packed week of final presentations, Farmer Olympics, our graduation ceremony, parties, and farewells to friends. Throughout the final weeks of the program, I was overwhelmed with a sense of how much I had learned and changed over the past six months. I came to Vermont to learn how to farm and grow food, and understand food systems, and see examples of how sustainable agriculture is working in America. But I came away with so much more. I've learned how much I love being outside everyday--even when it's hot and rainy and swarming with mosquitos--nurturing plants that will one day provide me with delicious vegetables and fruits. I've learned about different models of small-scale farming, and the creative ways farmers are finding success and fulfillment in a notoriously difficult and often looked-down-upon profession. I've learned about issues related to farmer livelihood, food distribution and access, government regulation, and the ecological impacts of agriculture. I've met and worked with some of the most respected farmers in Vermont, who willingly shared their time and knowledge to support the next generation of farmers. And most importantly, I've come away with an incredible circle of farmer friends who are going to plant roots across the country and help shape sustainable systems for growing, distributing, and purchasing food.

Our last week together kicked off with two days of presenting on our final projects. Each student picked a topic to present on, such as developing a farm business plan, or a research project on a farm-related issue (I presented on urban agriculture). It was a nice capstone to the program, and a fun way for everyone to share their particular interests with the group. Our final day on the farm was spent competing in the Farmer Olympics. Events included a pitch fork toss, spelling bee, garlic peeling race, and a relay race through various farm tasks. (My team took the gold!) The festivities concluded, of course, with a massive dance party. Afterwards, we had a ceremonial planting of the garlic. Garlic is the one crop we overwinter on the farm; it has to be planted in the fall in order to be harvested in the summer. It gives a nice sense of continuity to each glass of students: we harvested the garlic last year's class planted, next year's class will harvest our garlic, etc.

Farmer Olympics

Before leaving the farm for the day, we all gathered in the hoop house. Our farm manager Rachel gave each of us a bean/ seed (a Vermont Cranberry bean to be exact) and told us of her mantra each winter, when the farm is frozen and it feels like nothing will ever grow again: faith in a seed. (Thoreau said it first, but it definitely resonates with any grower of plants). She read us a poem with the same sentiment--that you have to trust that a little seed will one day grow into a beautiful plant. S'ra, our program coordinator, read us an adorable children's book called Miss Maple's Seeds, about Miss Maple who takes care of the seeds throughout the seasons until they are ready to go out into the world. Obviously, all this seed metaphor was in reference to us, the students, ready to plant our farmer roots after six months of training. Sentimental farming bunch we are, there were a few sniffles and tears that chilly afternoon in the hoop house. And of course, a group hug or two.

Graduation took place the next day. We had a nice ceremony on UVM campus with friends, family, and fellow farmers in attendance. There were speeches and poems, a slideshow of photos from the season, and a personal haiku recited for each student as they received their certificate. It was a lovely way to close out the program and recognize our accomplishments. (You can read a nice summary of the ceremony here.) The rest of the weekend was filled with graduation and Halloween parties, packing, and sad goodbyes to friends who I've only known for six months but I hope will have for a lifetime. I couldn't have asked for a better experience in the Farmer Training Program: I learned so much about farming, and Vermont, and myself. And, obviously, had a ton of fun while I was at it (I once heard one of our rotation farmers fondly refer to FTP as "camp," which feels fairly accurate). I'm going to miss my crazy rag-tag group of farmers and can't wait to see what they'll all do next.

Farmer Training Program Class of 2015

And now...I've returned to DC, which still feels like home after six months away. I'm slowly picking up the pieces of my old life, reconnecting with friends, and settling back into my house. I'm still looking for a full-time job, but luckily the food systems advocacy scene is growing in DC, so I'm hopeful I'll find something that will be a good fit for me. I've already made some promising connections and am excited for whatever the future holds. I'm still on a total high from what was maybe the funnest summer of my adult life, and I feel like I've truly found my calling, which is a really nice feeling for someone who's never really known what I wanted to be when I grew up. Even though winter is nearly upon us, it feels a bit like spring to me: I'm just a little baby seed planted into a new home, eager to grow my roots and shoots.

Certified Sustainable Farmer!

New England October

Ah, October in Vermont. It's the month that makes the state legendary, when the Green Mountains make their amazing transformation into the orange-yellow-red-golden-brown mountains. After dreaming of a New England fall for about two decades, I finally got to experience one. And it did not disappoint! The entire month of October was an ongoing parade of color.

Apple picking on the farm

October kicked off with my 28th birthday, which I spent at Bread and Butter Farm for the first day of my final rotation. Bread and Butter is run by Corie Pierce, an amazing farmer and incredibly down-to-earth lady. Her farm specializes in grass-fed beef and vegetables grown in her hoop houses. A big part of her production is winter greens, and we learned all about how she manages to produce fresh veggies in the dead of a Vermont winter. We did a little work in the hoop houses but spent most of the day talking about organic farming, Big Ag, cattle farming, and other various technical and philosophical aspects of agriculture. Throw in the bucolic farm setting, and it made for a pretty spectacular way to spend my birthday. That night, I celebrated with my farm friends and felt so grateful to welcome my next year of life with such incredible people.

Bread and Butter Farm

October was tinged with sadness at the imminent end of the program, but also excitement for the things to come. Early in the month my class hosted the FTP alumni reunion party, and it was wonderful to hear what students from past classes are up to now. It was also great to see how so many of them have kept in touch with each other, and I hope my class will do the same! Our final field trip of the program was to Butterworks Farm, which produces diary and grain. We spent the day with Santa Claus lookalike Jack Lazor, who has run the farm for nearly 40 years. He waxed poetic about his life as a farmer, the importance of community, and the challenges of surviving as a small farmer in a globalized food system. We were all totally enamored with him, gathering around his feet like a brood of eager grandchildren to listen to his stories. After lunch, he brought out tubs of his delicious maple yogurt and bottles of kefir, which we all devoured. In the afternoon we had fun stacking a giant wood pile in the barn for the winter. Although it was a dreary day, we were blown away by the beautiful foliage of the Northeast Kingdom, where the farm is located, and the entire day felt like a perfect cap to all that we'd learned during our time in Vermont.

An amazing day at Butterworks Farm

My dad came to visit in mid-October, and, knowing that my last couple weeks would be extremely busy, I took it as a final opportunity to play tourist around Vermont. We had a great time exploring Burlington and nearby Stowe. We shopped the farmers market (on a sadly very dreary and cold day), purchased some authentic Vermont flannel, and visited the Trapp Family Lodge. We got our fill of Vermont deliciousness, sampling local brews, cider, cheese, and concluded with a tour of the Ben & Jerry's Factory. At that point in the season, there wasn't much to show at the farm, but we enjoyed driving around admiring the changing leaves. Plus, we witnessed the first snow of the season! It was a great visit, and I'm glad all my family got a chance to come to Vermont while I was there.

Building our new toolshed

Our final week on the farm focused on a building project. A local carpenter came to guide us in the building of a new toolshed, and it was a fun project to conclude our time on the farm. For my last day at my Bread and Butter rotation, Corie made us breakfast, and we discussed more in-depth her pasture-raised cattle operation. Given her heavy clay soils, it's nearly impossible for her to grow crops on her land; because of that, cows are actually the best way for her to make the land productive. The herd migrates from pasture to pasture every few days, giving them access to fresh new grass and allowing them to roam. Their manure fertilizes and adds organic matter to the land, and their hooves aerate the soil, creating a perfect system where the cows and the land both support one another. I've always thought of large-scale beef as a cruel, dirty, unsustainable industry, but after seeing these cows, I'm convinced that you can raise cattle in a way that isn't totally destructive to the environment. In fact, Corie says that cattle are the most sustainable part of her farm. The herd is small enough to be managed effectively on the available land without polluting the air, ground, and water with their waste. They don't eat grain, so no feed is imported from large, monoculture farms. And I don't think I've ever seen a happier herd of cows. A couple of times during our rotation, we got to help move the cows to lush new pasture, and you could tell that those cows were in heaven. That is beef that I can feel good about eating.

Happy cows, happy famers

While it may be the natural progression of things, it was pretty sad to see the farm so empty and desolate at the conclusion of the season. By the end, all that remained were some Brussels sprouts, kale, and salad greens, and a cooler full of storage vegetables. If I were staying Vermont, I would have made more of an effort to save food for the winter. There's something so beautiful about preserving the bounty of summer to nourish yourself for the long, cold months. One of my biggest takeaways from this program is how good it feels to feed yourself, and I would love to get to a point where I can do so through every season. After six months of eating a hyper-local diet--the vast majority of my food I either grew myself, or was produced within the state--I am fully convinced of the joy of growing your own food, knowing your farmers, and eating local.

Transitions

Fall absolutely flew by on the farm. As soon as Labor Day hit, there was a sense of everything winding down: one by one, the crops in the fields were pulled up and the beds tilled under, and one by one, days until the end of the program marched onward. It was around this time that our collective sense of urgency regarding what we would all do after the program ended seemed to get more pronounced. My job hunt became a bit more serious, and as I researched different opportunities, I came to realize that I really wanted to get back to DC. As much as I love Vermont, DC still feels like home, at least for now.

Harvest continued throughout September, as the pace on the farm slowed down a bit. We were still bringing an overwhelming bounty to the weekly farm stand at UVM, and I had fun hawking our wares to the passing students. As farm work became less intense, our class work ramped up, with assignments focusing on crop planning and business planning--both extremely important skills for a farmer to have! I finally got a part-time job, which ate up a lot of the free time I enjoyed throughout the summer (but the paycheck sure was nice). Perhaps the overwhelming feeling of September was that of fluctuation: the farm's slow death accelerating, even as it continued to feed us; the program curriculum intensifying, even as we started considering our next steps in earnest.

Our chickens went to slaughter in mid-September. Initially, the hope was that we would be able to slaughter the chickens ourselves (an experience that I certainly wasn't looking forward to, but felt that it would be important to take part in). But with a lot of red tape and liability issues involved with slaughtering animals on UVM property, we ended up outsourcing the task to Maple Wind Farm, a local operation that processes hundreds of chickens a week and one of the only smaller-scale chicken processors in the state. We went on a field trip to Maple Wind earlier in the summer and saw their processing facility, so we had a good sense of what our chickens were in for.

The morning of chicken processing day, a group of us gathered at the farm in the early pre-dawn hours. We took a moment to thank the chickens for the work that they did improving our farms throughout their lives, and the meat they would soon give us. After spending over two months raising these chickens and spending so much time with them, it only felt right to take some time to honor their lives. Then we rounded them up in a process almost identical to the chicken wrangling I did at the beginning of the summer--only at a much smaller scale. There was something slightly magical about gathering chickens on a dark, chilly fall morning; the stars were out, all was quiet, and I enjoyed the methodical, steady nature of the work. It was one of those farm moments that I experienced numerous times this season, where I had an overwhelming sense of appreciation for being so in touch with my food, and working with a community to accomplish a task. The whole process was over fairly quickly, and the chickens were on their way. A week later, Isabella made a beautiful chicken lunch for us, complete with farm veggies. With nearly all chicken in this country produced on factory farms, it was wonderful to know that our birds were able to live natural lives of foraging, pecking, scratching, and roosting.

Chickens on their last day on the farm

At the end of the month, we student farmers got to spend a week running the farm ourselves. Honestly, the most challenging part was figuring out how to divide the work between 21 people. It felt great to know that we could prioritize farm tasks, identify issues, and manage nearly everything that needed to be done on our own, and it demonstrated to us just how much we had learned over the past five months. We also took a field trip to Pete's Greens, a large-scale organic farm, and High Mowing Seed Company, which produces organic, non-GMO seed. I was really impressed with both companies. Despite their large scale (they grow on about 90 acres) Pete's Greens takes sustainability very seriously, and has managed to scale up low-impact practices that are generally associated with much smaller farms. They also work to support smaller, local farms by incorporating them into their CSA distribution. We learned all about plant breeding and seed production at High Mowing, touching a little bit on the technology of plant genetics and issues surrounding GMOs. I never realized I was so interested in plant genetics, but I was fascinated by this complex, scientific world!

One of many spectacular Vermont sunsets

CSA, Farm Stand, and Fall

Each week, a different FTP student writes the newsletter that goes out to our CSA members. A couple weeks ago it was my turn, and I thought it would be fun to share what I wrote.

***

Hello CSA members!

One of the most satisfying things about being a grower is getting to feed our community healthy, delicious fruits and vegetables. Here at the Cat Farm, that means feeding you, our CSA members; UVM students returning to campus, who will enjoy our produce in dining halls or straight from our farm stand; and, of course, ourselves! This time of year, there’s nothing better than a dinner of sweet corn, tomato salad, and watermelon—especially when you grew it all yourself.

As FTP students, we’re passionate about getting food to those who want and need it, and we’re deeply aware of the problems of food access and food insecurity in this country. We try to extend our impact in the local community by making regular deliveries to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf with our surplus produce, sharing our incredible summer harvest with those in need.

We hope you’re enjoying the abundance as much as we are!

Meet Your Farmers!

Where are you from?

Born in Nebraska (and still a Midwesterner at heart), but grew up in Georgia. I spent the past several years in Washington, DC, which is where I currently consider home.

What is your favorite vegetable?

I adore all vegetables. I love to eat vegetables all day, every day (seriously, even for breakfast). Ironically, my favorite thing I’ve grown on the farm isn’t even edible—it’s ornamental gourds. They may be funky looking, but they’re going to make my front stoop look awesome come October.

Why are you an FTPer?

I’ve always been passionate about healthy food and sustainable agriculture. After working in environ-
mental advocacy for the past several years, I decided that I wanted to transition my career to focus more on issues around food and farming. I figured there was no better way to understand our food system than by actually getting out and growing my own food, so here I am! FTP has not only given me real-life farm experience, but also a solid understanding of everything from business planning and marketing to food insecurity and land access. Plus, it’s a ton of fun, and I couldn’t be happier to be here!

***

Last week I started the farm stand rotation. We sell on the UVM campus every Tuesday afternoon, and we have a fancy new mobile farm stand that debuted a couple weeks ago. I've really enjoyed the CSA and farm stand rotations because I get to interact with our customers. The farm stand is especially fun now that students are back in school. We got so many questions about the program and the farm, and it was fun to see the students get excited about the produce we grow!

The farm-mobile on UVM campus

Last weekend a few of us took a trip up to Montreal to visit the Quebec farmer training program (which is pretty different from ours, in that it's a three-year program, and students earn university credit). We toured a nonprofit farm outside the city that employs troubled young adults to give them job skills, while using farming as therapy. That night we were invited to a corn roast hosted by one of the Quebec farmer training students. They were a very friendly bunch, and had as many questions about our program as we had about theirs. The night ended with a dance party in the barn with everyone singing to French-Canadian hip-hop, and camping in the fields. It was a pretty great weekend!

The temperatures are still scorching here, but September has definitely brought some back-to-school energy and the anticipation of fall. I'm nervous about figuring out what I'm going to do when the program ends, but mostly I feel really excited for the future. I'm hopeful that this program will open a lot of doors for me in the food and agriculture world, and I think this has been a big step toward figuring out where my career will take me. Being in the farmer training program has solidified my passion for improving food systems, and I can't wait to see what comes next. Plus, it's been such a treat to grow nearly all my own food, or buy from other local producers. That's a habit I definitely hope to continue!

Golden Days of Summer

"August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time."

- Sylvia Plath

August is a strange time for a Vermont farm. It's still high summer, and peak production time. We've moved on from planting and prepping to harvesting and selling. We're churning out pounds and pounds of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, and summer squash. The abandoned plum and peach trees on the farm have been producing more than we can harvest, and I've loved taking any excuse to walk by and munch a piece of fruit. The melons are ripe, and last week we harvested the first ears of sweet corn and sliced into the first glorious watermelon--two of my favorite summer indulgences.

The first watermelon of summer

Yet...you can already sense things winding down in preparation for the cold months to come. We're beginning to till some of our beds, and the mornings and evenings are getting the tiniest bit chillier every day. A few weeks ago we turned under our snow and snap peas, which we had been harvesting since the earliest days of summer. And even our precious sungold cherry tomatoes--quite possibly the most delicious tomatoes ever--have seen better days (although we're still overwhelmed by our weekly tomato harvest).

I love this paradox: the land is giving and producing in full abundance, even as we begin to prepare for hibernation mode. I love the transition of the seasons, enjoying these last golden days of summer while eagerly anticipating brisk fall air, apple cider, and the legendary New England autumn colors. And I love feeling so in tune with the changing seasons, knowing that every change in the weather, every change in the day's length, is impacting how our crops will produce.

But fall is not here yet! This week has been a scorcher, with temperatures and humidity that make me think I'm back in DC or Georgia, not balmy Vermont. It's pretty rough being in the fields when it's this hot (and one of the big reasons I think I couldn't be a full-time professional farmer--I don't do well in heat!). But some little piece of me kind of likes it...harvesting beans in the midday sun may make me want melt into a puddle, or go hide in the walk-in cooler, but it still feels good to be outside and feel the sun on my arms, instead of in an unnaturally climate-controlled building.

I'm on CSA rotation this month, my first rotation on our home farm. The CSA and farmstand rotations comprise the harvest crew, since we're the two groups that distribute our produce to customers. I love being on harvest crew and having a real sense of just how much the farm is producing right now. The cooler is filled an insane amount of food, and it's so fun to pack up the CSA boxes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and imagine how excited our members will be to see this week's goodies. After all, growing food for other people is why we do what we do! I love getting to see all our hard work pay off in feeding our community.

Peppers galore

Yes, it's sad to see the summer go--not least because we've now crossed the halfway point in the program. Everyone seems acutely aware that we're on the downhill slide of our time here, making the last days of summer all the more precious. I'm starting to think more seriously about what I want to do after I complete the program and will start researching and reflecting more intensely in the coming weeks. 

But there's still more fun to be had, and I'm taking advantage of all the sun, swimming, and lazy warm days I can before they're gone. Some farm friends and I participated in the Farmer Olympics last week, which was a fun opportunity to hang out with some other local growers. We tried our hardest, but sadly didn't place; what we lacked in skill we definitely made up for in enthusiasm. My sister was here this past weekend, and we spent a few perfect summer days enjoying the farm, farmers market, and Vermont's natural beauty and delicious food. I'm looking forward to basking in a few more warm sunsets on the shores of Lake Champlain, farm-fresh watermelon in tow.

Summer in Vermont can't be beat

Harvest!

The farm really came alive in July. All the planning, planting, cultivating, tending, and patiently waiting has paid off in more lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, peppers, radishes, beets, basil, cilantro, onions, garlic, kale, chard, peas, carrots, and flowers than we know what to do with. Farm tasks the past several weeks have consisted mostly of weeding and harvesting, and not much else. We're in full-blown production mode!

A truck full of freshly harvested garlic, ready for curing

The abundance of summer is visible everywhere. I spent my July rotation at Half Pint Farm, owned and operated by Mara and Spencer Welton. As the name implies, it's a tiny farm (2 1/2 acres) specializing in tiny vegetables. They may be small, but they are mighty! During my four weeks there, we harvested carrots, onions, scallions, hot peppers, baby cucumbers, summer squash, potatoes, string beans, and more. I really love Mara and Spencer's farm philosophy: their guiding principle is grow what you love, and sell what you grow. They only plant what they enjoy growing, and they're excited to sell it. They work hard but love what they do, and it shows in their finished product. It was really inspiring to see how they've turned their little farm into such a productive and satisfying business.

Our farm is now home to 200 chickens! The day-old chicks arrived on the farm in early July and got nestled in the brooder coops that we built for them. Now a month old, they're fully feathered, gangly teenagers. We took them out to pasture last week, where they'll live their lives roaming one of our fields not currently in production, scratching up the soil, eating grubs and weed seeds, fertilizing the land with their droppings, and living happy little chicken lives--while simultaneously improving the field for future planting. At night, they get herded back into their mobile coop, which is moved to a new patch of field every three to five days. They are true free-range chickens.

Wee little chicken babes

Our chickens are meat birds, and I know meat is a fraught issue that elicits strongly-held opinions in many people. I truly believe that meat animals can be raised in a way that is both environmentally sustainable and honors the lives of the animals. In a small-scale operation like ours, we can use the chickens' natural instincts and habits to improve our land for future vegetable production. On some farms, where the soil may be too problematic to be used to raise crops, animal grazing is the best way to make the land effective at producing food for humans. Large-scale meat production is a big, dirty, inhumane, and unnatural operation. Animals are kept in confinement, pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, and live in filthy conditions. Why? Because it allows consumers to have cheap, easily available meat--three times a day, every day. If customers continue to demand meat in the quantities that they currently do, we'll continue to rely on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to meet the demand, regardless of the ethical, environmental, or health implications.

Honestly, I think meat should be a luxury, to be enjoyed only occasionally, or in small quantities. It should be raised in a way that requires care and attention to the animals' needs, and that level of attention should be reflected in the price. We can't continue consuming meat at the rate that we do, unless we want to continue degrading the environment and subjecting animals to horrific conditions. If we viewed meat as an indulgence, to be eaten only once or twice a week (or less); committed to purchasing only high-quality grass-fed beef, or pasture-raised chicken or pork; and paid a price that takes into account the care that went into raising these animals--it could go a long way in minimizing the meat industry's impact on the planet, and would vastly improve the health and happiness of the animals whose lives we take for our sustenance.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. :)

Summertime off the farm has been just as delightful as on the farm. The past weeks have ben full of swimming, watching the sunset over the mountains and Lake Champlain (or, in the case of Fourth of July, watching fireworks over the lake), and potlucks with friends. My mom came to visit, and I had a wonderful time showing her the farm, shopping at the farmers' market, exploring Burlington, and--my favorite--eating creemees. And just a couple weeks later, three of my dearest friends from DC came to visit! The last week of July was my mid-program vacation week, so Lauren, Alix, and Jay came up to spend the week traveling in Canada and New England with me. After a weekend in Burlington, we spent a wonderful day and evening in Montreal, then drove to Acadia National Park in Maine, where we spent three days camping and hiking. We returned to Vermont, spending one night in the northern part of the state, then came back to Burlington to close out the week. It was a wonderful vacation, and so great to spend it with friends. And my sister is coming to visit this week! I'm really liking having a new round of visitors every couple of weeks, and getting to show off Burlington.

Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park

A closing thought: what good is the bounty of a farm if you don't get to enjoy the abundance? There's a real beauty about eating a meal made entirely of produce that you grew yourself. It feeds the body and the soul. My roommate Isabella has all but turned our kitchen into a commercial kitchen, turning out tomato sauce, ratatouille, kimchi, jam, pesto, more pickled veggies than I ever thought you could pickle, and delicious dinners on a regular basis. Yeah, it's good to be a farmer.

Farmer friend Corinne and our overflowing farm stand

An ode to farming

I love farming. I love seeing dirt under my nails, mud patches on the knees of my jeans, and grass on my boots. I love feeling the sun and the rain and the soil, and noticing changes in each throughout the day. I love seeing a little baby transplant that I patted into the ground turn into a beautiful head of lettuce or bunch of kale, spilling out of its basket on the farmstand table or CSA box. I love driving tractors, turning the soil and making cozy beds for our baby vegetables. And I love, love, love feeling so inspired every single day that I am a part of this movement and taking ownership of my food.

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this consistently, joyfully, bone-deep happy. Every day I wake up excited to go to the farm. Every day I come home, covered in dirt and smiles. Even on the days that it’s hot or rainy and all we do is weed carrots (probably my least favorite task on the farm) I am happy. I’m learning so much, and I’m particularly grateful for the stellar group of people I get to work with. People who will nerd out with me about everything from seeing the cilantro germinate to discussing the deeply entrenched problems with our nation's food system. Classmates who make me laugh, and instructors who challenge and inspire. Wednesdays and Thursdays are our class days and rotation days, respectively, so we're often away from our home farm; by the time Friday rolls around, I find myself missing the farm and eager to get back.

I love that farmers--at least sustainably-minded farmers in Vermont--often refer to themselves as "growers." I love being part of a farming culture that prides itself on a commitment to nurturing crops, nurturing the environment, and nurturing the local community.

I love that it's so easy to eat locally and seasonally here. It seems like every restaurant can rattle off the local farms that supply their produce, and the farmers market and is brimming with seasonal delights from across the state. Burlington is so devoted to the local food scene that our primary grocery store in town is a member-owned cooperative, which not only sources most of its products from nearby growers, but also supports myriad organizations in the area that are working to increase access to healthy, local food. Walk into the store and you can see the seasons change, as the front produce display rotates from asparagus and wild ramps to rhubarb and strawberries, all grown within a few dozen miles.

And even though it's not all that urban (after all, the entire state of Vermont has fewer people than the city of DC), I love Burlington, too. Aside from the amazing food scene, there's tons of live music, art, bike trails, and plenty other activities to keep this city girl happy. And when I'm surrounded by scenery as beautiful as Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains, I don't feel like I'm missing out that much on city life. There's really nothing better than jumping in the lake after a day of farming (which is exactly what I did last Monday)!

I don't know what life holds after I finish the program--if I'll keep farming, move back to DC, both, or neither--but for now, I'm happy and in love.

PS: We had a rainy day last Tuesday, so spent part of the day watching the documentary film A Place at the Table. It addresses issues of hunger, access, and food justice in the US, and I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in learning more about problems in the food system in this country.

Beautiful brassicas: kale, cabbage, and broccoli

Strawberry Season

Strawberries are out in full force in Vermont, marking what feels like the true start of summer. Those beautiful little fruits are a lovely lesson in seasonality: there's nothing like seeing the first ruby red jewel peek out from the leaves, just asking to be picked, after months of waiting. As the berries ripen, they have to be harvested every day. Pick them a day early and they're not quite at their peak (referred to as "Annie berries"...because you need to wait until tomorrow, tomorrow), but wait too long and they turn to moldy mush. I've gone crazy on strawberries the past couple weeks, eating them straight out of the strawberry patch, still warm from the sun. I've stuffed myself full of them until I think I can't eat anymore...but then I pick just one last one...and maybe another...

We may be in strawberry heaven right now, but the season for the fruits only lasts about a month. By the time our melons and other summer fruits start ripening, the only strawberries around will be the boxed-up, trucked-in grocery store variety. I do buy grocery store strawberries, and I know I will in the future, but they really can't compare. There's really something a bit poetic and lovely about having such a fleeting time to totally indulge in these beauties until you're sick of them...and then they're gone until next year. Reflecting on strawberries also got me thinking about my time here in Vermont: it feels beautiful and indulgent to get to partake in such an awesome experience, and I'm overwhelmed every day by the abundance of all I'm learning and experiencing. I know my time here is short, so I'm trying to make the most of it.

Strawberry fields forever

***

Last week, the FTP got to participate in the UVM Food Systems Summit. In its fourth year, this year's theme was "The Right to Food: Power, Policy, and Politics in the 21st Century." We heard from some incredible speakers--particularly human rights lawyer and advocate Smita Narula and food systems activist Raj Patel--who outlined the injustices in our national and global food system and the links between food sovereignty, chronic hunger, and food insecurity. It was an overwhelming two days and spawned lots of discussion among our group. Creating an equitable and just food system is, I think, going to require a complete overhaul of our social, economic, and political systems, and it's very easy to feel like I'm not doing enough. However, I came to this program precisely so I would have the tools to advocate for a better food system--for farmers and consumers. In the days since the food summit, I continue to feel so inspired (and, yes, overwhelmed) by the conversations I've had with my classmates and instructors. It's given me a lot to think about, and reaffirmed for me that this is a cause I could happily devote my life to.

I had an opportunity to practice what I preach just days after the summit: last Saturday, I joined local advocacy organization Migrant Justice for a march for the Milk with Dignity campaign, which is fighting for fair working and living conditions for migrant dairy farmers in Vermont. We marched to Ben & Jerry's to encourage them, as a socially conscious company and major buyer of Vermont dairy, to put pressure on their suppliers to improve working conditions for their laborers. It felt good to take action after getting fired up at the summit--plus I can't resist a good protest. :)

***

Farm life is in full summer swing, with planting, weeding (lots of weeding), and harvesting. We students are slowly taking on more management of the farm, leading our weekly farm walks and reporting back to our instructors with our priority list. On my rotation last week at Intervale Community Farm, we harvested arugula and zucchini for their CSA members. Plus, I got to use my new favorite farm tool: the waterwheel transplanter. Basically, it's a tractor implement that consists of two chairs on the back of the tractor, trays to hold flats of transplants, and a waterwheel that punches rows of holes and fills them with water. The two people sitting behind the tractor drop the transplants into the resulting mud puddle. It's so much faster than transplanting everything by hand (which is what we do on the UVM farm), but it is a wee bit stressful when you're trying to get transplants in the ground as fast as you can. When I took my turn, I felt exactly like I Love Lucy wrapping candies on the chocolate conveyer belt. Even so, it was a blast!

A demo of the waterwheel tractor

This weekend really felt like summer. After the Migrant Justice march on Saturday, I spent the day at the lake with some farmer friends, and closed out the weekend with a summer solstice celebration. I'm so grateful to get to spend this summer in Vermont--and equally grateful to be missing the soul-crushing, face-melting DC heat and humidity (sorry, DC friends!). It feels good to be a farmer.

Lake Champlain sunset

Farm Life Ramps Up

With three weeks of orientation behind us, work on the farm picked up quickly. Monday mornings we all do a farm walk together, determining what needs to be planted and weeded, what fields need plowing and prepping, what needs pest management or irrigation, and other miscellaneous farm tasks for the week. Then we break into teams (typically based on that month's rotation group) to work on the day's projects. Our farm is a bit unique in that it's an educational farm and has a huge labor crew (i.e. us students). Any other farm our size might have a crew of maybe four to six or so, and it's pretty amazing the amount of work we get done in a given week with a team of our size. On the flip side, though, we're often off the farm for field trips and rotations, so it seems to all balance out.

Monday after my weekend in DC was rainy, so we didn't do too much field work. Instead, I got to work on constructing chicken coops for the chickens that will soon be joining us on the farm! Later in the week, for our Wednesday class day, we headed down to the Intervale for a class on tractors and farm equipment with Andy Jones (manager of the Intervale Community Farm) and a farmers market philosophy class with Mara and Spencer Welton, owners of Half Pint Farm. As rotation hosts, Andy, Mara, and Spencer are all pretty involved with the farmer training program--and are pretty amazing farmers, as well. We also had a class on farm business planning, which really opened my eyes to all the planning and strategizing that goes into running a successful farm. It's a lot of work, even when you're not in the fields.

A little bit about rotations: each rotation lasts four weeks and has four students in each. Three of the rotations are on other farms: Bread and Butter Farm, which produces grass-raised beef, bread, and vegetables; Intervale Community Farm (ICF), a mid-sized member-owned/CSA farm; and Half Pint Farm, a 2 1/2 acre farm that produces baby and specialty vegetables. The two rotations on our home farm (the UVM horticulture farm) are managing the weekly farm stand, and managing the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture--members buy shares at the beginning of the season, and we provide a box of produce each week throughout the summer and fall). In addition to these five rotations, we also have specific duties on the hort farm that correspond with whichever rotation we're on. This month my rotation is ICF, and my hort farm duty is tractors. My first task on the tractors was mowing around the fields. I was a bit nervous at first, but once I got the hang of it, the tractors are a lot of fun! It's also really empowering to feel confident operating such a big machine.

Thursday was my first rotation day at ICF. We showed up bright and early, met the staff, and took a field walk with Andy, the farm manager, who gave us an overview of the farm and the different tasks that take place throughout the week. We spent most of the rest of the day weeding onions with the rest of the crew. I loved spending the day working on a full-time production farm as a part of the crew. It really gave me a sense of what it would be like to be on staff at a farm, and made me think that might actually be something I want to do when I complete the program...I also feel incredibly lucky that FTP gives me access to so many amazing farmers and teachers. Andy is a wealth of knowledge on organic farming, and is more than willing to share everything he knows with us. He's also incredibly admired and respected in the Vermont farming community. The same can be said for our other rotation hosts, visiting professors, and farmers we visit on field trips. We get to work with some of the best farmers and food advocates in the area, and it's really amazing to have the chance to learn from them. It's also really fun to recognize so many faces and farm names when I visit the farmers markets on the weekends! 

Back at the hort farm on Friday, we all shared what we did and learned during our rotations the day before. I got to spend some time in my personal garden plot, where I'm planting ornamental gourds. Everyone has a different crop in their personal plot, and I'm pretty excited to have some gourds to decorate with this fall. Fridays are a half day, so after farming a few of us headed out to visit Tim, a 2012 FTP grad and novice beekeeper. He was doing a hive inspection that afternoon and invited us to come observe. He told us all about the bees and how he built the hives, and it was magical watching as he lifted each frame out of the hive, crawling with hundreds of little bees. 

Honeybees

The following week (last week) was pretty rainy, so we ended up having some extra indoor classroom time (although I did get a chance to do some rototilling and field prep on the tractor). Wednesday the sun came out again, just in time for our visit to Adam's Berry Farm. We learned about the farm's strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry production and got to help a bit with the strawberry harvest (and, of course, take some strawberries home!). On rotation at ICF on Thursday, we harvested arugula and discussed crop planning and farm management with Andy, along with more weeding--it's definitely that time of year!

As I mentioned, one of the highlights of FTP are all the opportunities to connect with farmers in the area. I've been trying to take advantage of those opportunities, so I was pretty excited to have a chance to work at the weekly burger night at Bread and Butter Farm last Sunday night. It was a beautiful night on the farm, and fun to feel like part of the local farming community.

My not-so-expertly tilled field, ready for planting

Germinating

I promised myself when I started this blog that I wouldn't let myself fall behind in my writing...and here it is, a month since my last post. I'm going to try to play a bit of catch-up, and hopefully be better about posting more frequently moving forward. I've already learned so much in the month and a half that I've been here, and it's fun to document the progress on the farm!

Our second and third weeks were devoted to more orientation. The farmer training program's curriculum is broken into two-week blocks, with the first three weeks for orientation--dubbed the "germinate" block. With one week of orientation under our belts, we jumped right into farm work in week two. And it was HARD. That Monday was particularly hot, and we did a lot of field work. I was still getting used to being outside working all day, and it really wore me out. So what do you do after a sweaty, dirty day of farming? Go jump in the lake, of course. After our day was done, a few of us headed down to Lake Champlain to cool off. I was too worn out to even get in the water (it was also way too cold for my taste, but not for my friends'), but it felt good to just get my toes in the sand and rest after a long day.

Later that week, a few students from the FTP 2013 class came in to discuss what they're doing now, as graduates of the program. Most of them are farmers or aspiring farmers, but one works for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) in what sounded like my dream job, with a perfect blend of advocacy work and farmer engagement. I really appreciated his perspective on the value of the education we're getting. As he put it, Burlington is the center of the future of sustainable food systems, and as graduates of this program, we're going to be on the cutting edge of this movement--and maybe a bit radical to boot. He reminded us that farming is a respectable profession, that this work is important, and we shouldn't feel the need to defend our choice to be here. As someone who has gotten one or two sideways glances when I tell people I'm learning to be a farmer, those were encouraging words to hear!

To close out the week, we had a tour and orientation of Bread and Butter Farm, one of the farms we work on as part of our rotations. Corie Pierce, the owner, helped create the FTP and seems to know everything there is to know about small-scale sustainable farming. She is so down to earth and willing to share her knowledge, and is in general just a badass lady. I'm excited to work with her later in the year--and her pasture-raised cows sure seemed happy, too!

We had Friday off that week, as well as the following Monday, for Memorial Day. One of the FTP graduates who had come to talk to us is now running a small one-ish acre farm on his own, so a few of us volunteered to do some work with him Friday afternoon. It was fun to see a new farm in action and hear about his experience getting started--and I think he really appreciated the extra help! Afterwards, after a quick trip to the Cabot Cheese Annex Store (seriously, there is delicious food around every corner in this state), we headed out to Bread and Butter Farm for their famed weekly burger night, which was as delicious and delightful as expected despite the unseasonably cold weather.

My roommate and fellow farmer Isabella and I spent the rest of the long weekend enjoying some local fun. We hit up the Burlington farmers market, hiked nearby Mount Philo, and ate creemees (New England's version of soft serve ice cream) on Saturday, and took a little day trip to Montreal on Sunday. A little under two hours away, the jaunt into Canada was the perfect day trip, and it was actually really nice to be in a big city for the day. We wandered through the charming neighborhoods and beautiful Mount Royal Park and, since it was a Sunday, got to experience "tam tams"--the most massive drum circle/outdoor summer party I have ever seen. Hundreds (thousands?) of people were sprawled though the park, dancing in the drum circles, picnicking, doing yoga, hula hooping--we even saw what looked like some modern-day medieval jousting. You couldn't help but have fun with so much craziness going on around you. And it happens every single Sunday in the summer! Before heading back across the border, we closed out the day with a couple plates of delicious poutine--obviously.

View from Mount Philo. There are seriously no bad views in Vermont.

The next week, we had orientation at our other two rotation farms, the Intervale Community Farm and Half Pint Farm. Both are located in the Intervale, 350 acres of land in Burlington that is the home of a number of independent farms, as well as the Intervale Center, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening local farms and food systems in Burlington. Later in the week we visited City Market Co-op, the only major grocery store within Burlington and the highest grossing member-owned cooperative in the US (and I'm a proud member!). I was really inspired by their commitment to supporting local farmers, increasing access to and affordability of organic and locally produced foods, and their involvement with programs that give back to the community. It was helpful to discuss marketing to a co-op, as well. After all, what's the point of growing food if you have no one to sell it to? We finished the day with a discussion on access and hunger in Vermont and a trip to the Chittenden County food shelf, which will be the recipient of our excess produce on the farm.

I took Friday off to head back to DC for my 5-year (eek!) Georgetown reunion. Even though I had only been gone for four weeks, as my departure neared, I got increasingly homesick for DC. It was so lovely to be back in the city, and even lovelier to spend the weekend catching up with friends--some of whom I hadn't seen in five years! It was a wonderful weekend spent frolicking on campus, marveling at the fancy new buildings that have been built, participating in reunion activities, reminiscing about college fun, and feeling grateful that I got to spend four years of my life in such a special place. And, to top it off, the 50-year reunion class generously sponsored the 5-year reunion class, so everything was free for us young folk!

I must admit, as I mingled with classmates at our two class parties, I really loved answering the question, "what are you up to now?" I'm fairly certain I'm the only one who answered, "I'm a farmer!" I mentioned to my farmer friends afterwards, it's a little odd how in DC I feel like the hippie farmer girl, but in Burlington I feel like the buttoned-up DC policy wonk. It's funny how where you live can influence your sense of self! Overall, it was a beautiful weekend with beautiful people in a beautiful place. And in a way it felt very pivotal, too: as I said goodbye to old friends and the city I consider home, I found myself--after just a short weekend away--feeling eager to get back to my new home, my new friends, and my new farming life. I'm taking that as a sign that I'm exactly where I'm meant to be...at least for now.

May Georgetown live forever

PS: If you're interested in supporting my organic farming education, please visit my Indiegogo campaign. Thank you for your support!

All Aboard the Farm Train

I've completed my first week of the Farmer Training Program (affectionately nicknamed the "Farm Train," although I still tend to call it farm school) and I think I can safely say that I'm in love. Everything about the past week has made me so happy: farming and digging around in the fields, the bucolic Vermont countryside, my amazing fellow future farmers...it was a jam-packed week of learning and growing (literally and figuratively) and a wonderful taste of what's to come.

We spent the week getting to know each other and our home farm, the University of Vermont Horticulture Farm. I felt like a sponge all week: as someone who hasn't grown more than a few backyard tomatoes, peppers, and herbs, nearly everything is new to me, and I'm soaking it all in. Our first morning we planted a field of potatoes right of the bat (and got to take some home for dinner--yum!) and went through orientation. Throughout the week, some of our tasks included working in the greenhouse, planting in the fields, prepping our garden beds, and transplanting baby brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and three varieties of kale) to the fields. Wednesdays are class days, and this week we had class with a UVM botanist, who gave us an overview of botany for farmers, and a soil specialist who led us in taking soil samples from the fields to analyze the kinds of soil we're working with. I really enjoyed both classes, and it was fun to be in a more academic setting for the day. After five years of being out of school, I kind of forgot how much I enjoy being a student!

Farm life is a total transformation for this urban girl, and I'm loving it so far. I know the work will get more challenging as we move into the summer and start doing more physical labor on the farm, but I've been enjoying these days of crawling around in the fields and getting dirt under my nails. And Vermont is BEAUTIFUL. Indescribably beautiful. Even on our little farm, which is located smack-dab in the middle of suburban South Burlington, right off the interstate, we're surrounded by flowering crab apple trees, huge blue skies, and the rolling mountains in the distance.

Flowering crab apples at the UVM Hort Farm

One of the highlights this week was volunteering at a "chicken wrangling." Maple Wind Farm, one of the farms we'll visit later in the year on a field trip, needed some help gathering more than a thousand pasture-raised laying hens to transfer them from their winter field to their summer field several miles away. About a dozen of us signed up to volunteer. After an evening of enjoying chili and cornbread, touring the farm, meeting some baby pigs and cows, and watching the sun set over the mountains, the chicken wrangling began. Once it was completely dark, maybe 40 or so farm staff, volunteers, and kids crept into the coop where the chickens were sleeping, and the wrangling began. I was pretty nervous about catching chickens, since the only ones I've ever held were fluffy little chicks, but it was actually pretty easy! Granted, I was grabbing chickens one at a time, while others were collecting four to six in each go...eventually I took on the duty of cage monitor instead, helping get the chickens in their cages while others ran around the coop. We were done in about 30 minutes, and it was amazing to feel the sense of community in that dark barn and see so many people come together to get the job done. I was also really impressed with the care that the farm owners showed their chickens. They were very conscientious of making sure we didn't stress the hens too much or overcrowd them in their cages. After the truck was loaded up, they drove them to their new roost so they could settle in for the night.

Chickens enjoying their pasture (pre-wrangling)

On Friday we had our first lesson in tractor driving, which was lots of fun. There's nothing like driving a tractor to make you really feel like a farmer! At the end of the day, we all shared our highlights from the previous week, and one of the common threads was the people. I'm so thrilled to have a great group of supportive, interesting, like-minded classmates who already feel like friends. (In fact, my roommates--who are also in the program--and I hosted a little gathering last night, which I'm sure is just the first of many!) In a program so small, the people can really make or break the experience, so I'm excited to have such a great group to work with. And to top it all off, our teachers sent us home with freshly harvested lettuce and bok choy for the weekend. Yay vegetables!

Tractor time!

So that was week one! I know there's a lot more learning and fun in store, and I feel so happy and grateful to be here. If you're interested in supporting organic agriculture and food advocacy education, or just want to support this little adventure of mine, click over to my Indiegogo campaign. The Farmer Training Program is a full-time, tuition-based program, so I'm raising funds to help offset the costs of tuition and living expenses. Your support is greatly appreciated!

City Mouse, Country Mouse

Years ago, I decided that one day I wanted to work on a farm. Not a big farm--with silos and huge machinery and amber waves of pesticide-ridden, monoculture grain--but a small farm. A farm where I could eat tomatoes right off the vine, and learn what Brussels sprouts look like growing out of the ground. A farm where I could feel in touch with nature, and learn where my food comes from, and maybe even help feed my community.

For a long time, my farming life was just a dream. It was something I would do someday in the future, maybe some summer before starting grad school. I imagined it being just a short-term adventure, a little detour in the path of my "real life."

But the more I thought about it, the more farm life appealed to me. I've had a passion for food issues ever since childhood, when the ingredient lists and nutrition information on food labels fascinated me. I try to be mindful of the environmental impact of my food choices and am deeply concerned about the consequences of America's packaged, processed, sanitized, fossil fuel-based food culture (if food so far removed from its source can count as a food culture). I decided that if I really wanted to help shift this tide, and be a part of the growing movement for more local, seasonal, fresh-from-the-farm food, then I actually needed to make my farm dream a reality.

And so I moved to Vermont.

A few days ago, I packed up my life in Washington, DC, loaded up a rented minivan with my bike and far too many suitcases, and made the 10-hour drive to Burlington, Vermont. On Monday, I'll begin the Farmer Training Program, a certificate program at the University of Vermont. The six-month program will give me and my 24 fellow students a hands-on experience in organic farming, a deep understanding of small-scale farm management, and opportunities to explore regional food systems. This program really appealed to me because--unlike work exchange programs where I might just help with planting, weeding, and harvesting--I'll be learning not only how to grow food but also how to manage and market a farm successfully. It might be an a bit of an understatement to say that I can't wait to get my hands dirty. :)

At this point, my dream would be to return to DC after completing the program to work on food policy and advocacy, and get involved in the local urban agriculture scene. Although, my DC friends keep referring to my return home as an "if," rather than a "when"...because if anyplace could turn this city girl into a full-time country girl, it's definitely Vermont. I'm already in love with Burlington: with beautiful Lake Champlain, the mountains surrounding the city, the delicious local food scene, and the hip, youthful, artsy vibe of a college town. And happily, I'm missing Vermont's infamous winter and DC's equally infamous summer!

If you'd like to follow along on my little adventure, I'll be posting updates and photos here on what I learn on the farm, Vermont living, and my occasional musings on food and agriculture issues. And if you're interested in supporting me, please check out my Indiegogo campaign.

Time to get planting!

The first of many Lake Champlain sunsets