Farm Blog

Thank you again for braving the blizzard to celebrate, connect with great food, and 'planting an orchard'! Just imagine all those future cherry trees (don't forget to squat:-).
I am so uplifted from all the good vibes, intentions, laughter and seeds shared and planted.

We were able to raise $850.00 in funds! This will go a long way, thank you! Additionally, with all the seeds donated today and from what I've gleaned from others, The women growers in the Sine-Saloum region will be able to plant out a couple hundred row feet/farm. In the past we've planted shared 'demonstration beds' ie since many of the farmers share space/land to grow on we've constructed seeds beds to trial different varieties, plant insectory herbs and flowers and share techniques. From there seeds are harvested and shared forward amongst the individual farmers. So in essence your generosity helped plant teaching/learning/eating/

sharing beds of veggie, herb, and flower goodness!
 

I will honor my commitment and extend the immense gratitude, generosity that was shared during the workshop with the women farmers in the following ways:

Work with NCBA CLUSA Farmer to Farmer Program to transfer funds and mail seeds.
I'll also email and share highlights, photos forward later this week in celebration of our workshop success.

I am tentatively set to travel there Nov/Dec. or January in 2016.

I also finally remembered the name of third grower group, JUBO (means widespread). If you're interested in learning more about how they got started, here's a link to an interview I did as part of my last Farmer to Farmer adventure in Senegal.

I Will keep you in the loop as the project evolves and thanks again for sharing your generous spirit!

For the chocolate lovers:
Becky Otte, who made the amazing truffles, has more of her chocolate goodness to share and is selling some of her creations just in time for Valentines. if you're interested send her an email: raonine@gmail.com

Also Here is a link to Roots Chocolate website.

For the Fruit Lovers:

I've enclosed a handout of some of the different fruits we grow at our farm as well as a flyer highlighting this season's events at the farm! We'd love to have you venture out and tour the orchard, come visit us (though not nearly as cool as the orchard poses we did during the workshop).

Thank you again for helping me transition from being a butterfly weed seed (ie wind pollinated, not knowing where or how my intentions, projects might stick) to more of an oak or cashew seeds - wherein I can deepen my awareness, provide support in the same place(s) in Senegal for the growers and in my backyard in Wisconsin:-). Here's to planting the seeds of the as yet to be imagined on and off the yoga mat! Wishing you all much abundance.

Happy Mid-winter!

Yours in hardy kiwi,
Erin


PS If you are into exploring the planting side as well as enjoying more local fruit creations, we'll be hosting a Local Fruit Tasting May 16, details on our website.

 

Toward a Transitional Year of Wonderment

Dear Farm Friends,

I hope this finds you all well and in good health. 2020 continues to be a year of extremes to say the least, though we are grateful that the farm work has given us the opportunity to stay grounded with the Earth, to share the food and fruits of our labors with you, and to soften the edges and tensions with beauty (flowers!), as well as pause and celebrate change and milestones in people's lives. We did our best to share it in as many ways and avenues as possible and for that we are forever grateful for your support along the way!

and well, I am sun-setting with the season, preparing for a farming sabbatical in 2021 and embracing change in the ‘transitional year of wonderment’. You may be wondering where this is coming from as we have enjoyed steadfast, optimal growth over the years. Just as plants give us signs that they need support—an infusion of compost tea, a coating of kaolin clay to keep the curculio at bay—this farmer needs a bit of compost and it’s transformative boost for continued growth and sustenance.

I hope you feel the embrace of my gratitude to you for your support over the year(s). My heart continues to be fed by the relationships we’ve cultivated, the feasts shared, fruit trees planted, and the lessons learned. I hope this letter to you helps you understand why I am putting the brakes on production farming, what this means for the farm, what Rob’s plans are, and well, what’s in store beyond the transitional year of wonderment.

Sunset over asters at the orchard edge. The season means a sunset and pause for your flower farmer too. Photo by Erin Schneider

Sunset over asters at the orchard edge. The season means a sunset and pause for your flower farmer too. Photo by Erin Schneider

When in doubt, turn to wonder.

In all honesty, I have been feeling a nudge for transitioning out of intensive production farming for about two years, though have let the momentum of the seasons hold sway. Winter is just long enough, the seed catalogs come at just the right time, and well, it’s easy to fall in sync with the predictable, rather than step into uncertainty. This year, while just enough as is, was anything but predictable. COVID – 19 is the comfrey to the compost, asking a lot both individually and collectively how to change in support of the best possible outcomes. I am holding onto trust and integrating all the wisdom I continue to learn from farming, from plants, and from each of you.

What does this mean for flowers?

Flowers continue to teach me to trust, be present, and pay attention as the plants that show up are the ones needed at this moment. I know it sounds strange, but over the years, the land continues to show me what I need to work on and to notice that whatever plants, animals, insects, sentient beings etc…show up seem to be the ones that I ended up needing for the CSA box, the flower bouquet, the kitchen herb cabinet, the home medicine chest, or just to pause and daydream with, and for that I am grateful.

The signs are blooming in different ways and this farmer needs a sabbatical to (re) consider and open up to other ways in which flowers and fruit can weave into and support life adventures. Wow! Now that gives me pause to wonder!

I am not managing a flower program next year.

Flowers for First Responders and COVID Care workers was a highlight of the season and the lessons learned here will guide flower decisions and plans in the seasons ahead. Photo by Rob McClure

Flowers for First Responders and COVID Care workers was a highlight of the season and the lessons learned here will guide flower decisions and plans in the seasons ahead. Photo by Rob McClure

 I do have a few weddings on the books that I am committed to. I am keeping things on the down low though, as our flower beds, rest, regroup, and change form too. Our farm’s social media presence will be on sabbatical as well, even our seasonal newsletters, and please pause in sending texts with farm requests.

Please let me know if you would still like to remain on our flower customer/contact list.

Bridal Bouquet for an October wedding. Photo by Rob McClure

Bridal Bouquet for an October wedding. Photo by Rob McClure

But fruit trees don’t take a break from bearing…What does this mean for fruit?

Apples ripening in the orchard. We plan to have fruit available by the pint or pound next season for those interested. Photo by Erin Schneider

Apples ripening in the orchard. We plan to have fruit available by the pint or pound next season for those interested. Photo by Erin Schneider

I wonder about this one too. Since planting the bulk of our orchard in 2010, we’ve witnessed and worked with the fruit trees as they take root and learned the rhythms of fruit set and orchard life as it continues to take shape through droughts, floods, winterkill, and bumper yields. We’ve learned to anticipate orchard milestones and harvest windows and are expecting to continue to share fruit forward with you! Our focus has been on specialty and niche fruit crops that help differentiate us from commodity markets and at the same time, are grower and Earth friendly, high yielding and exceptionally nutritious. We will still have fruit to sell and will either plan on a fruit market share program or selling fruit as available. We will see, where/how future fruit wants to set.

 I am grateful to each of you for your continued interest in currants and saskatoons, to the aronia lovers out there, along with pear and apple peeps.

If you would like to remain on our customer/contact list, please let us know and we will keep you in the fruit loop. If you are interested in trying your hand at planting your own fruit, we will be ‘liberating’ some of our currant, elderberry, and aronia shrubs and are happy to offer up plants. We will know more in late winter/early spring what our orchard status is.

Thank you for your patience and perennial support in the fruit sphere!

O.k. but where does this leave CSA?

Rob covering the pepper crop in anticipation of a frost earlier in September. We will keep you updated on Vegetable CSA plans for 2021. Photo by Erin Schneider

Rob covering the pepper crop in anticipation of a frost earlier in September. We will keep you updated on Vegetable CSA plans for 2021. Photo by Erin Schneider

One of the many things I love about Rob, is his steadfast mutual support, recognizing the needs for autonomy, agency, and interdependence in our marriage and with running a farm business. While the workload is shared, Rob has always taken the lead on the vegetable CSA program since he started farming in 1993.  I have spearheaded the flower sphere, and we come together in the orchard. Rob will be in touch about what to expect with the vegetable flow in 2021. Just as he is 100% supportive of my farm sabbatical, I am 100% in support of what he decides about CSA.

And if you are still wondering why, I am taking a pause from farming—from something I love deeply, am good at—though may or may not return to it…

Every year we report on producing 10 – 50 times the amount of caloric energy/amount of fossil fuel calories as ‘conventional agriculture’—roughly two orders of magnitude better than the 10-to-1 ratio generally-cited for conventional agriculture. Basically we are not being paid for our efficiencies in production and regenerative practices we use to grow (cover cropping, composting, perennial cover, 100% solar energy, just to name a few…). As policies continue to support food subsidies for practices that perpetuate fossil fuel use, pollute water and air, and erode soil—we can only make a fraction of our living expenses. We are making fossil fuel wages for the food we grow even as we produce 10 – 50 times the value of such. What other business environment does this model exist in? If this were flipped, we wouldn’t have to pause. This is not a judgment, this is our reality. I know it is changing across the scale and spectrum of farms and farmers for the better and I am grateful to be part of this shifting narrative in not just what we grow but how we grow, and who/what benefits. At present, the economics of our food system are still out of alignment with our ability to meet basic living expenses and afford health care.

 At the end of the day…

I am exhausted, I sleep well, I try to love deep, extend kindness to strangers, and I know it was and is all worth it. Thank you for the many ways your support has and continues to give me stamina and staying power on this planet! I look forward to staying in touch, re-connecting as the seasons unfold.

 Flower on, farm friends and when in doubt turn to wonder.

below sneak peak of photo highlights from Flower Coutre/Flower Dress Design Project I did this past summer, to be highlighted in 2021 Florist Review Flower Coutre Feature in collaboration with Slow Flowers, and my intrepid design team at the farm! Photos by Treasure People Photography