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