a note to our csa members ….
i’ll never forget that saturday in november — elizabeth and i were sitting in the front row, as we always did, in our farm beginnings class.
a woman, activist, farmer who we both admired….the mother of local organics, atina diffley stood in front of us, taking a moment to guide us through one of our exercises on holistic management goals, needs, and dreams.
i’ll admit ….. we were having a moment of feeling like we’ll never get our hands on a farm and land that we could call our own. many in the class around us had inherited land, had equipment and the infrastructure to really make things happen. we, on the other hand, had a 1.25 acre piece of rented land that had never been tilled, 30 miles outside of the cities. no equipment. no infrastructure. no real farm transportation. all we had was each other, a vw beetle, one hoe, a couple of rakes, and a burning desire to get bossy.
(photo credit: lavender magazine)
so it was in that moment…..of feeling down and a million miles away from our dream, that atina kneeled down in front of us, lowered her voice, and started sharing with us some of her struggles, pains, and heartache of just starting out and feeling like they didn’t have enough. not having everything, be it money, land, all the right equipment…turned out to be a blessing. while others around her were just throwing money and bigger tractors at their problems, she got intimate with the farm, the land, weeds, bugs…..she gained a knowledge and an understanding that the others would never obtain.
i remember listening to her so intently. in many ways, she seemed like a mother, a super-hero, a mentor, and a friend….all in one.
and in a stern, determined voice she told us …..
never let money, land access, lack of equipment, or even bigger farms get in the way of your dream. your passion.
there will always be enough to make it happen.
if you truly want it, then there will always be enough.
—–
i couldn’t help but think of that over and over again this morning as i was out in the fields harvesting for this week’s csa.
we still don’t have that dream farm. no equipment. no infrastructure. it’s just e and i …. with a pair of hands, old crunchy knees, and a passion to make this work.
we can’t give you tomatoes and cucumbers out of season.
we can’t offer you farm fresh eggs or fruits and berries that come from being able to have animals and long-standing perennial trees and plants.
but we can give you an honest day’s work of doing everything we can to grow healthy, chemical-free food for you and your family.
we know that there will be some deliveries where you wonder why there isn’t more.
we also know that there will be days when you think we gave you way too much.
but in the end … and overall ….. we hope that you will enjoy being a part of this adventure with us and that you, too, will have faith that there will always be enough.
June 9th, 2012 at 11:43 am
That is a beautiful bouquet of radishes and a lovely post. we rarely take time to really define Need. Once we do, there is always enough.