We love our little domestic water well.  It is about 6 feet deep, and has the tastiest, soft water.  It is spring-fed and almost never goes dry.  Or if it goes dry, it doesn’t take long to recharge.  We use it to drink, cook, wash, and also for irrigation in the winter and spring.  We are having a little problem with the pressure switch for the water pump in this well.  After trying to fix it, consulting two plumbers, and replacing some of the parts, it still needs to be reset about 5 times a day to keep the water flowing.  Yes, that is a pain, but the nice thing is, we have these sweet people knocking on our door to reset the pump.  Most of the farm crew lives on the farm, and they want to use the water.

The most important job David and I have every year is hiring this farm crew.  This year, the crew is a collection of very different people.  We’re going to let them write their own stories in future blog posts so they can introduce themselves to you.  Even though each member of the team is very different, they are getting along and working together well.  They are discovering and using their strengths to get challenging jobs done in record time.  I love watching them problem-solve.  They seem to really love teaching and supporting each other. 

COVID-19 has definitely been a challenge as an employer and farmer.  But a few blessings have emerged through the trials.  People seem more interested in supporting local farms.  We feel we can sell everything we grow.  What an excellent feeling!  Farmers seem to be co-operating more and competing less.  Wouldn’t that be a nice new ‘normal’.  Farmers are employing people who need jobs, including family members.  We see this bring new closeness, connections, and experiences during a time of distancing.

The farm share will be starting June 3, only two weeks from the time of writing.  The first few weeks of produce will be very green as we are growing cold-tolerant crops at this time of year.  Things like lettuce, bok choi, spinach, arugula, kale, mustards, cilantro, and sweet turnips will be prominent, along with some storage crops like potatoes and carrots.  We have expanded our Warehouse Market open hours to accommodate the need for social distancing.  We added Wednesdays and expanded the time we’re open on Saturdays.  From now on we’ll be open Wednesday – Friday 11-6 and Saturdays 9-4.  We are so grateful to the brave people who have kept the Warehouse Market open all winter, and through the pandemic!  They have done an amazing job implementing safety measures, and keeping the flow of produce happening through the market and for online sales.