This is the earliest first share I've ever harvested. While June 8th was my goal for the start of the share season, I didn't believe it was really possible... And I suppose it wasn't, but June 9th was.
The first share of vegetables are the hardy spring crops: radishes, spinach, rhubarb -- an intergenerational patch & one we love deeply, and even the first heads of lettuce!
We've been lucky -- despite the pandemic and physical distancing still at play -- to have a few shareholders, neighbors, and other friends stop by to spend their time generously with us in the
garden. Fine weeding in the onion patches, clearing cover crop, composting, and more... Every little bit counts and to me, it means so much to share the work with others.
Of course this work is not possible without the partnership and true devotion of my family. While the lockdown/stay-at-home phase has been hard for some, my family was quick to embrace this chance to invest in growing what we have and hope to have in the future: a successful small family farm. My parents, since working at home, have been spending countless hours in the garden, orchestrating a local food buying club, around the property on building projects, planting trees, and more...
My sister Annie -- the youngest of the four Lively daughters -- is home this summer due to covid, though her plans had been to be in Tanzania studying Swahili and furthering her connection to that place, which she's discovered a deep love for. Annie's unexpected presence here this summer is such a huge bonus. She's been so amazingly helpful in the garden -- compost hauling extraordinaire -- with building projects, keeping morale high, and as is her style... she keeps us laughing and thinking.
Lastly (but not leastly), we must make ourselves clear when it comes to the current state of our country: we stand in solidarity with the black lives matter movement. We acknowledge this due to the outpouring of rage surrounding recent deaths of unarmed black men and women, but we truly believe that the rage is, was, and will be justified. "We Root For You" is a slogan of our farm, and that's because we do. We truly believe that black lives matter in pursuit of all lives mattering.
Thank you for reading and keeping up to date with what's up with us Lively farmers over here on Bow rd! Thank you for supporting your local community farmers and living in love. #werootforyou