READSTOWN, WI
My cheeks and nose are red, stained by the sun in spite of my hat and sunscreen. There is dirt under my fingernails, and a half-dozen or so small scratches on my arms from blackberry brambles. It's been nearly a week since I arrived here in central Wisconsin to help a friend start his organic farm.
I am sitting under the shade of a neighbor's maple tree, enjoying the cool breeze blowing across the ridge. It's nice to sit in the cool and relax after another morning of solid work in the sun. This morning I planted the seeds of half a dozen different types of beans, which made up two rows, each about 40 feet long. Earlier this week, I put in about 650 small seedlings, including peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos.
I enjoy the work, but I must say, dreaming of fresh tomatoes while staring down a bare patch of earth makes me terribly impatient. What a tough time of year, to be working the earth each day, drooling over seed packet pictures of speckled purple beans and golden beets, and knowing that the bounty is weeks away.
Fortunately, the local farmer's markets have started for the season, and I have snagged asparagus and rhubarb. These early season delicacies with their short harvest seasons are real treats and help to quell my cravings for fresh produce. Still, I look forward to the satisfaction of eating what I have planted with my own hands, something I have not done for quite some time.
Though there are to be other adventures mixed in, this summer will be dominated by dirt and weeds and beans and tomatoes, and I expect my writing here will reflect that. Stay tuned for more on the trials and tribulations of getting a small organic farm off the ground. (Or out of the ground....).
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