The truth is, I struggle writing this post each week. By nature, I’m a pragmatist. I try really hard to see things as they are – not as I wish or as I plan but as I see them. When the carrots crop is kicking, I try to let people know that it’s a great season for carrots. When we lose our pepper crop, I try to tell folks how much work we invested in that crop and how tough that is for the farm. Believe it or not, I do try to balance the negative and positive aspects of farming in an effort to provide a fuller picture of what we do.
I want to let people know how chemicals and poisons are ruining our planet and our lives. I want to talk about how we (at least the adults) are trashing not only our world but that of our children and grandchildren (and make no mistake, we are poisoning our world). I want folks to know that farming is very hard work for not much pay and that our farm struggles financially. I want to write about the business of farming and how we need many more families to make our farm last. I want people to know that local is not always good and that, sometimes, organic is not what it appears to be. I want to write about how your food choices make a difference – for better or for worse. I want people to act consciously. I want folks (and me too!) to make, quite honestly, better choices. I want folks to know what is wrong with our world so we can make things better.
I also want to encourage people to choose organic and local farms for their food. I want to shout from the rooftops that this is a farm that grows good food in a good way. I want to write about how we encourage beneficial insects and how we restore lost biodiversity and how we rest and rejuvenate our land. I want to write, and often do, about how we’re getting kids to eat more vegetables. I love writing about the colors and the shapes and the flavors of our farm. I love talking about how we’re helping families rehabilitate their bodies and minds with healthy food. I want to write about what is good in this world so we can find more of it. Finally, I want to celebrate all of us who make good food choices and prioritize healthy choices.
So there you go. With just a few weeks remaining in the season, we’re looking to end the season with great harvests. This wonderful Autumn weather is really giving us a boost in that direction.