Life on an Organic Farm
In late June of 2016, we dove headfirst into farm life at Dancing the Land Farm. We had some gardening experience, but had never been a part of a working farm. For the first few days, we shadowed Liz and Curtis to see how and what they did around the farm; but within the first week, we were used to the rhythm of things.
Everyone would wake up at different times in the morning, so we would fend for ourselves for breakfast (usually I would make something with farm fresh eggs). Next we would go out and milk the dairy goats. Andrea would milk the dairies while I prepared their pasture and fed and watered the other animals. After that process was finished, we would check in with Liz or Curtis to see what needed doing that day. Toward the beginning of our apprenticeship, the most common task was weeding. Lots and lots of weeding. At around one o’clock we would break for lunch, which was prepared by whoever made dinner the night before.
After lunch and a short rest, we would keep working until the sun was low. Before sunset we would bring the dairy goats back to their pens, get all the animals their dinner, and hunt for freshly laid eggs. After the chores were done, it was time for us to chow down. Having access to fresh organic ingredients meant that each meal we had was super delicious and wholesome.
Farmers’ Market days were a whole other beast. On Tuesdays and Fridays, we had to be ready to leave the farm before 1:00pm with the van loaded up with freshly harvested and cleaned produce. It was a mad rush, but it was also a lot of fun. Morning chores still needed to be done, but Curtis would usually cover that on market days. After breakfast, we’d hit the ground running. Each market day had a unique list of produce to harvest. Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, salad mixes, tomatoes, basil, flowers for bouquets, etc. We eventually had it down to a science. Someone would stay at the outdoor kitchen and wash things while the others would go out to the field and gardens to harvest. Eventually, we would all reconvene at the kitchen to finish washing and packing. Lastly we would assemble bouquets, which I didn’t expect to develop a fondness for, but when a market customer walks up to a bouquet you made and goes, “Oh, that’s so pretty,” you can’t help but feel a little proud.
Once everything was prepped, we would drive off to the market. We’d pull into our spot and immediately start unpacking/setting up. Setting up the booth became an art form. I often thought to myself, “How can I arrange these zucchinis so that customers can’t help but marvel at their inherent majesty?” and other such things. With everything in place, it was time to play the waiting game. Some markets were bustling while others were busts. Even on a slow day, it was still fun to talk to customers and answer their questions: “Why, yes that is a purple cauliflower,” or, “No, they’re not GMO, they’re heirloom varieties.”
After the market ended, we would pack what was left into the van and drive back to the farm. On Fridays there was always a lot of energy after the market. When we would sit down to dinner, the whole farm would be buzzing from the excitement of finishing another week.
Living and working on a farm wasn’t easy, but it was always rewarding. We accomplished something every day, and felt like we made a difference in some way. We look forward to visiting and working on new farms all over the country, and we can’t wait to learn more new skills.
If you would like to know more about what we learned and did on the farm, please ask in the comments!
