No farm work got done here today.
Well, maybe just a bit.
I watered the growing greens in the hoophouses a few times because even on this mostly overcast day the soil was still drying out.
My focus today was one of two reasons that I am especially grateful on Thanksgiving.
Sure I love what I do, it will interest me the rest of my life.
But before any of that I am a mom. And Mollie had the day off school. She calls it a PA day. Because I am old as the girls both love to remind me, I call it a PD day. So we did stuff together because the season is slowing down.
When I talk to people about why I do what I do, the first reason is always because I am a mom.
I began growing food for my children pretty much as soon as they could eat solid food. Before I moved to Wellandport I lived in Welland with a nice little backyard garden that fed us and some of my work colleagues too.
Mollie was born when I was in the middle of my biggest CSA season and garden ever.
As soon as she could walk, she began to graze. Every picture of her outside when she was younger shows her with a half eaten veggie in her hand.
A cucumber, an onion, a tomato and often times too, garlic. Raw and pungent.
It feels terrifically good to have your young child develop this kind of close relationship with food.
It feels terrifically good to know she is eating what I grow because I know how I grow it. It makes me feel like I am doing the best possible thing i can do as her parent.
I am happy when she chooses to eat an apple that falls off our tree in all it's unsprayed perfection.
She doesn't turn up her nose because there is scab or a worm hole.
She eats around those. Because the apples are so delicious. Sweet, juicy and perfect in their taste but not their appearance.
I remember when Mollie was in Junior Kindergarden. She came home upset one day because she had drawn pictures of coloured carrots. Purple, red, white. Not just orange.
The teacher, very kindly I will say, told her that carrots were orange, but Mollie insisted that they weren't all orange at all.
I took carrots in to show the teacher when I had my interview and she was surprised. Very surprised.
I am pleased she has this knowledge. It surprises me sometimes what she knows about what I do and how I do it.
Mollie has become a pro...(right Jo?)...at firing small tomatoes 15 feet in the air and then running under them, mouth wide open for the catch.
Pretty amazing. Entertainment on the farm.
I'm very blessed.
I know too that my farming life as a business will conclude sooner rather than later.
But I'll always accept responsibility for growing my own food.
And I bet my girls both will too.
Well, maybe just a bit.
I watered the growing greens in the hoophouses a few times because even on this mostly overcast day the soil was still drying out.
My focus today was one of two reasons that I am especially grateful on Thanksgiving.
Sure I love what I do, it will interest me the rest of my life.
But before any of that I am a mom. And Mollie had the day off school. She calls it a PA day. Because I am old as the girls both love to remind me, I call it a PD day. So we did stuff together because the season is slowing down.
When I talk to people about why I do what I do, the first reason is always because I am a mom.
I began growing food for my children pretty much as soon as they could eat solid food. Before I moved to Wellandport I lived in Welland with a nice little backyard garden that fed us and some of my work colleagues too.
Mollie was born when I was in the middle of my biggest CSA season and garden ever.
As soon as she could walk, she began to graze. Every picture of her outside when she was younger shows her with a half eaten veggie in her hand.
A cucumber, an onion, a tomato and often times too, garlic. Raw and pungent.
It feels terrifically good to have your young child develop this kind of close relationship with food.
It feels terrifically good to know she is eating what I grow because I know how I grow it. It makes me feel like I am doing the best possible thing i can do as her parent.
I am happy when she chooses to eat an apple that falls off our tree in all it's unsprayed perfection.
She doesn't turn up her nose because there is scab or a worm hole.
She eats around those. Because the apples are so delicious. Sweet, juicy and perfect in their taste but not their appearance.
I remember when Mollie was in Junior Kindergarden. She came home upset one day because she had drawn pictures of coloured carrots. Purple, red, white. Not just orange.
The teacher, very kindly I will say, told her that carrots were orange, but Mollie insisted that they weren't all orange at all.
I took carrots in to show the teacher when I had my interview and she was surprised. Very surprised.
I am pleased she has this knowledge. It surprises me sometimes what she knows about what I do and how I do it.
Mollie has become a pro...(right Jo?)...at firing small tomatoes 15 feet in the air and then running under them, mouth wide open for the catch.
Pretty amazing. Entertainment on the farm.
I'm very blessed.
I know too that my farming life as a business will conclude sooner rather than later.
But I'll always accept responsibility for growing my own food.
And I bet my girls both will too.
2 comments:
RIGHT! From the minute she introduced me to (and told me the story of how she adopted) Pedro to her gnawing on whatever non-packaged, non-sugary thing I've seen her with over the months (OMG I was so unlike her as a kid! Where are the Jos Louis???)... I knew she was something special.
For some reason this post brought tears to my eyes. Perhaps because I am a mom also. You are a very wonderful mom and your girls are blessed. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
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