Sunday, March 22, 2009

We're Farmers. We Farm.


I joined a farm. a community garden of sorts. We rented land from this lady here in Utah County... $1.50 an acre- pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.

We're planting peas and lettuce and chard and carrots and beets and corn and pumpkins and tomatoes and a lot of other stuff... I'm not sure about what all we'll be planting- just a lot of stuff.
We meet every Saturday at 8:30 for breakfast and then go to the farm about 9, work til noon or one. This was the third week we've been working, and it was a good week. We made beds, tilled the soil, and built a fence for the goat run, wherein the goats that we will one day milk and learn to make goat cheese will roam. This will be a good day, I can feel it already.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how we effect the world around us. Last year, about this time, I read a book that changed my life, The Unsettling of America, by Wendell Berry. He talks a lot therein about how the way that we treat our agriculture reflects our deepest beliefs and directly influences our culture, and ultimately our individual bodies. Agriculture= Culture = Bodies.

I think that this is a beautiful concept, and I think it might be true.

That being said, I am getting myself ready for my season vegetarianism, round II. I start this when the world gets warm... summer time. There are many reasons for this, first and foremost, that I feel like summertime, of any time, is a good time to be vegetarian, if one feels so inclined. I feel so inclined. If I am growing a garden in the warm weather, I will eat the things I grow- seems utterly sensible.

I am excited about our garden. I love it. I want to go back tomorrow.

5 comments:

Amanda S. said...

you're so cool!

Christine Armbruster said...

this inspires me to make a garden in our house. however, we have little-no backyard. we could do something by the shed?! when it's not 2:36am we should discuss this. although you'd have to take care of it while i'm gone.

Christine Armbruster said...

michelle obama has a testimony of this as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VD0nKNQeBc

Jasie said...

I'm really really sorry I didn't go with you on Saturday. :( Can I come help another time? I wish I had known about this 3 weeks ago!

Unknown said...

I love you farmer. I also wonder why I didn't know this. But still like it, and you. I also like your seasonal vegetarianism. And other summer goals you have made in this and other summers. You are grand.