I believe one of the greatest truths in this world is that all is well when in balance. Its truth reveals itself everywhere in nature. The way plants receive the perfect amount of light and dark in order to flourish. The way seasons circle around us year after year. It’s in the way birds know instinctively when to migrate and how our bodies are designed to remain at homeostasis for optimal health. Balance is essential to sustainability. Now, this is not to say that there is not a time and a place for us to tip the scales in order for us to progress or bring forth change. And life is a constant flux- making finding balance a real challenge. But we can’t forget the importance of the lesson, to be in balance, even in this changing world is to live in harmony and in peace.
And the one thing that consistently remains unbalanced is the weather. And I am sure it gets old to hear it but having a profession which is dependent on the weather makes it more than just small talk around here – it makes or breaks us. The season has been rough for both humans and plants alike, but we still try to find that balance and peace, even if for just a moment.
So what is the good to balance the gloom in all of this rain? Due to delayed plantings, we have some over-mature fruiting seedlings in the greenhouse. And they have been producing miniature vegetables for us, like baby delicata winter squash. We like tiny things on the farm, from little fuzzy caterpillars to miniature vegetables. If only there was a market for it! One tiny thing we don’t like on this farm is mosquitoes. But after battling them for the past few weeks, we learned a thing or two about them, such as their secret dwelling place. It turns out that they love tall lambs’ quarter plants because they can get shade inside and have sneak attacks on us humans. One of our employees, Hannah, makes different bug spray repellants for us to test. We try not to freak out when other people complain about the mosquitoes- nobody, except for farmers, know what its like to be attacked for hours straight while harvesting beets in tall grass with mud up to your knees. And the only way to get them off you is to slap your dirty hands all over your face! We look pretty great by the end of the day.
And you may think it sounds miserable, but really, it’s still wonderful. There is just something about pulling a beet out of the ground, wiping it clean, slicing it in half and thinking about how it got all those shades of red, orange and pink from that dark, black soil. And to think of the places it will go, and the meals it will turn into, and families it will feed, is enough to sustain us. It is enough to bring balance and peace on those cold, wet mornings. So we ponder: Beet, where did you get that red?
We hope you enjoy your share this week.