Photo by Scott David Gordon

Over the weekend, I had an epiphany.  Where it happened is no surprise - I was on a tractor in the field.  What was atypical was the time of day as it was after midnight on the past Friday.  Who plows their fields so late at night?   Not me, usually, but that night turned out to be far from usual.

The thing is, I had the tractor over at Hergotz Lane for the weekend, and come Monday, I knew I would have to send it back to the Garfield farm. I was already up late on Friday, so I thought, why not do it now? That way, I figured wouldn’t have to worry about getting it done over the weekend.

So, around midnight, I set out to till our cover crop back into the soil.   It was simply beautiful out there in those fields, and the night air was pleasantly cool.  And it was quiet – that is until I turned the tractor on.  Once it started running, I put on my headphones to listen to String Cheese Incident.  I was working into the wee hours, but I couldn’t have been happier – a lone farmer on his tractor listening to music.

It turns out, I wasn’t as alone as I thought.  As the night wore on, I began to encounter other creatures.  First, I saw a family of deer. I turned my tractor off and took off my head phones and just looked at them until they moved on.  About an hour later, I saw something that took my breath away.  It was a lone male coyote.  With its white fur, large stature, and big tail, at first I thought it was a wolf.  I couldn’t believe how pretty he was, and, again, I stopped my tractor to watch him.

When the coyote was gone, I got back to tilling the fields, but I kept the image of him in my mind. He was so striking.  I was hoping he would reappear and kept my eyes open for any movement.  That’s when I saw the third animal from a distance, but I wasn’t sure what it was.  I got a little closer and saw that it was a wild boar.  Let me tell you, this was no skinny little hog – it looked like it weighed over 300 lbs, and its head appeared to be about two feet long!  I stared in amazement.

There’s so much we don’t see once nightfall comes.  This is especially true for people who live closer to the city center.  We go about our days oblivious to most of the nature around us.  I suspect this is the way the animals want it, given all the harm we humans can cause. Often, we don’t consider how our actions will affect the other living things around us.  That night, though, I had the very real feeling of being part of something larger than myself.  As I looked at those beautiful animals, I thought, this is their home, too - it isn’t just my land.

When I was back in college and super idealistic, I used to think a lot about the interconnectedness of animals and people.  I remember stating that I didn’t think I was any better than other species.  A true Dead Head, I used to say that we are all one – the people, the animals, the environment.  Now, as an organic farmer, I know that I cannot live in complete harmony with nature - the very act of planting a field creates a man-made division.  And, we do have to do things like manage unwanted pests – remember those cucumber beetles I was talking about last week that we used our bug vacuum on? Clearly, we are faced everyday with issues in the natural world that we try our best to manage.  Perfect harmony is an ideal, not a reality.  The question for me now is, how do we get closer to this ideal?

As those of you who read the blog know, I've recently developed a new understanding of the value of teamwork.  I have been wondering, why not seek out people who can help me make this vision of being in closer harmony with nature possible?  Why not find people who are experts in things like biodynamic growing and true sustainability?  Now, this is exactly what we are doing.  I want to make this the best organic farm that I can, and I know I need to reach out to others to make this a reality.

Remember last week when I said we were crafting a new mission and vision statements for the farm?  I’ve already written mine, and it is something we are already doing - growing organically with love and passion.  Anyone who has ever seen me talk about farming knows I do not lack for passion. I truly love what I do, and it has made me happier than I thought possible. Farming organically for this community gives me a real sense of purpose, and my happiness comes from working hard for something I believe in - I feel like an incredibly lucky man.

And do you want to know what my long-term vision is for JBG - to be the best organic farm in the world!  I’m not aiming high, am I?  I know that sometimes practicality gets in the way of our ideals, but I also know the power of high expectations.  Our farm has improved so much over the last several years, and I see no reason to stop now.  Just over the past few weeks, we’ve made some big strides in creating a system of production that works in concert with nature.  For example, we are now in the process of establishing five bee colonies and three bat colonies. We’ve also planted an acre of grapes and an acre of flowers, which are sure to bring in even more beneficial insects.

A grape plant gets its start. Photo by Scott David Gordon

So, I may be aiming high by wanting to be the best organic farm in the world, but it is for a good reason.  I know my sense of purpose comes from serving this community and the environment we share – including all of its animal inhabitants. I feel so grateful to get to grow your vegetables that I want to celebrate.  Seriously – I do!  Come this Saturday, I will be doing just that at our CSA Member Potluck!  If you have a current CSA membership, I really hope you will join us. I want to thank you in person and show you what a beautiful farm we are creating together.  Below are the details on the CSA Member potluck this Saturday, May 9th!

All CSA members - join us for a potluck on May 9th! Photo by Scott David Gordon

CSA Members!  Mark your calendars for the CSA Potluck this Saturday, May 9th, from 6pm to 8pm at 4008 River Road!  This event is free and is exclusively for current CSA members and their families.  The CSA has always been at the heart of our farm, and we hope all members will come out on May 9th to celebrate being part of this amazing community.  We will have live music - and the food is certain to be out of this world since we have some really good cooks in this fine group of people!  In keeping with tradition, please bring a dish to share with fellow members and a blanket or chairs to sit on.

For more info and to RSVP, please click here.  Hope to see you there!