Freshies!

A gorgeous day last week!

We could not have asked for better weather over the holiday weekend!  We had a productive and busy week here.  The sun was a welcome sight this week and the temps were above average. More plastic was laid, 2nd and 3rd plantings of corn were planted and lots of planning for events and new adventures.  We will be launching a new website very soon and I have been spending my free time learning how it works and taking photos.  I seem to have less and less time to write!  I did have a request for my homemade laundry detergent so I will pass that along as soon as I make my next batch.

Salad Mix tossed with olive oil and vinegar. Simple and delicious!

Over the last couple of weeks I was beginning to crave  roughage.   The stuff at the grocery store wasn’t satisfying this self proclaimed produce snob.  Thankfully fresh produce is starting to trickle in, we have asparagus, lettuce, baby spinach (new this year), salad mix and arugula.  Eating the first fresh salad of the year is a great moment.  It makes you appreciate just how wonderful fresh produce is and how much better it tastes.  I love going out to the greenhouse and picking my lunch into a bowl.  Eating healthy “freshies” (as we call them) makes you feel great, it’s good for the soul.  It’s so fun to walk through the greenhouses and see the changes that are happening over night.  We have cucumbers in blossom, fruit on the tomatoes, corn popping up through the soil, peas starting   to blossom…so much happening!

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost June.  Before you know it school will be out, we’ll be working day and night, strawberries will be in, we’ll be begging for a day off, peas will be ready, we’ll be perpetually dirty and summer will be underway!  Summer is a labor of love for us…so much work yet so much satisfaction to watch our customers enjoy the fruits of our labor.

 

Asparagus grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper is a favorite around here!

 

I did a radio show on Thursday with the Granite State Dairy Promotion.  Amy and GSDP are incredible advocates for the dairy industry and farmers across New Hampshire.  The host asked me what it was about farming, why we do it…I got all choked up explaining it! You’ve heard me before so I won’t go into it.  Having the opportunity to promote our business on air was great and speaking with people who understand the industry was even better.  A big thank you to 107.7 The Pulse and GSDP for the air time!

Like The Granite State Dairy Promotion on Facebook to keep up with them and get updates on events around the state.

Perspective

On my way to the farm Monday morning I stopped and snapped this.  The sky was sapphire blue and Jeff had just plowed the field over the weekend.  This is one view that I will never get sick of!  We have a little piece of Heaven right here East Conway.

I am home with the girls today. They are napping and I am sitting on my couch with a cup of coffee.   This was a rough week!  I have a few big projects at work and at home.  Big was gone for a night for work. The girls are at tough ages and we are potty training with Miss K.  The balance of motherhood and work is so tough!  I can not imagine my life without my kids and I can not imagine it without the farm.   I am constantly wondering if I am doing enough to satisfy both home and work needs.   Are my kids getting enough from me? Did I do everything I needed to at work?  Is my house clean? The laundry done?  I feel so guilty sometimes!  The girls don’t go to dance class.  They don’t take Spanish lessons.  We don’t always get to the park each week.  I knew from day one at home with Miss D that I couldn’t be a stay at home mom.   Farming is in my blood!  At the time I was working part time at the farm and managing a small medical practice.  When my grandfather passed I felt an overwhelming need to farm  full time and devote my life to the family business.  Little did I know that being a working mom was so hard!  Being a mom is hard enough but then you throw in the job, the house, the laundry…Whoa!

My girls are not lacking in the love department…I can feel good about that right?  They are growing up just the way I did and I think my childhood was pretty great.  Perspective!  A long talk with a good friend helped me gain some.  She reminded me that kids don’t need things, they need love.  They need a safe place to play and learn.  Just one look at that picture and you can see that they don’t need dance lessons or Spanish classes.  They have plenty of room to run and 3 guys from Mexico to teach them Spanish every summer.   I see a light in each of the girls eyes when they are at the farm. They are at home here. They are welcomed with open arms by everyone.  They are happy.

Perspective!

 

 

National Ag Day

It’s a gorgeous day! Spring is coming and there is a renewed energy around this place.  The pungent aroma of manure is in the air, the dogs are basking in the sun and the snow is melting.   There couldn’t be a better day to celebrate National Agriculture Day.  We farmers are a proud bunch, we are proud of what we produce, we are proud of how we produce it, we are proud of the respectful way in which we treat the land and animals.  Everyday should celebrate farmers and the industry in which produces our food!  Today we should celebrate farmers who use management practices that respect the land, the animals and consumers they produce for.    Agriculture is an industry that has been surrounded in controversy. Poor management practices in a small percentage of farms have put a red flag on an industry that is an integral part of this country.  For every one farm that uses poor management practices there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other farms that respectfully produce food, plants and animals. Farmers who believe in what they are doing and put their heart and soul into their products make up a majority of this industry.

Farming is a lifestyle, plain and simple.  It is not a job that you go home from at night.  It is not a job that provides benefits and a retirement plan.  Farming is in your blood, there is no denying the desire to work with animals or grow crops.  There is a passion that you feel from the soles of your feet to the top of your head that can’t be explained. Everyday is an adventure, nothing is ever boring and there is always something new around the corner.  You can wake up to a favorite old cow passing and go to bed with a new baby calf laying next her mama.  You can go to bed with the sound of raindrops on your window and wake up to a flood the next morning.  We adapt, we change with the times, we persevere, it’s what we do to survive in this industry.

Sherman Farm and this family are here to make a difference in the agriculture industry and to educate the public on where food comes from and how it gets from farm to table.  So today remember that your local farmer works hard to produce products that are wholesome and that you feel safe to offer your family.  Make it a point to know where your food comes from and to educate yourself on the practices of food safety.  Make it a point to maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes your local farmer and their products.

Today give thanks for the food that you put on your table and give thanks to the people who help to put there. Happy Ag Day!