Eight weeks already? Routine farm life sure does go by fast. Although I have some duties that never change, such as direct seeding on Mondays and harvesting certain produce on Thursdays and Fridays, I am able to predict what needs to be done each day. This is completely different from my first week, when I was insanely lost and confused and couldn’t figure out how the others kept it all straight. I must mention some things about the “spirit” of the farm. When the owner is present or within close proximity the farm is a very serious place and good vibes are lacking. However, when he is away from the fields we feel a sense of relief and are comfortable laughing and joking with one another. If we are caught having fun he automatically assumes that we aren’t working as efficiently or as swiftly as we could be and subsequently feels inclined to make some remark or criticize whatever we are doing – sometimes he will even split us up! So I am learning that I must act a certain way when he is around so that I can continue to be in good spirits once he leaves. Yes, it is that intense – every task and duty is about speed and efficiency. Time is money! I don’t agree with this line of thinking, per say, but I understand it, which is why they are so successful. I am happy to say that I LOVE working with the M. family. They are some of the happiest people I’ve ever been around. They never complain, their work is steady and thorough and, most importantly, they have fun while they are working. The M's help me to keep a light spirit and put things in perspective. For instance, one of them takes every opportunity to practice his English, and is constantly saying “don’t worry, be happy”. “Don’t worry, be happy”? Of course! It is so easy to get caught up in our emotions and forget about the simple things. It is so interesting that this family is so happy – could we imagine a traditional American family being happy doing physical labor on a farm, making $10/hr at most? I think not! But here they are, whistling and laughing throughout the day, even when they have to take on a task that is uncomfortable or unpleasant.
Two weeks ago I had one of the coolest experiences. It was a Friday morning and somewhat cool (by cool I mean maybe 63 degrees). The sky was vivid with the shiny Florida sun and there were light gusts of wind. My task was to strip the leaves off sunflower stems before chopping them into bundles. I drove to the first bed of sunflowers, perhaps a few hundred individual flowers. We’ve probably all seen pictures of sunflower fields, but until you’re up close with them you won’t understand how cool it is. All these sunflowers were perky, all facing the same direction – can you guess which direction? I didn’t think anything of it at first really, but after about half a row of sunflowers I began to notice a definite change in my energy and spirit. The sunflowers were being so goofy. The wind was making them all sway together and bounce into me, hitting me in the face and falling back in a whimsical manner, as if they were playing with me. It’s rare that I’ve been in a setting with that much positive energy, so much energy that it forced its way through me. I felt actual surges down my limbs and into my core, and for the next couple of hours I was in a state of bliss. Now I know that if I ever need a boost all I need to do is go play with the sunflowers.
My favorite day of the week is Saturday, market day. I requested to stay at the St. P. market. This market is huge; we have 14 tents, 5 cashiers, and elaborate displays of vegetables. Yesterday, the market before Thanksgiving, was insane! Our line was probably 50 people long for several hours. The other three apprentices go to the N. market, along with several from the M. family– all of whom work on the farm. At St. P. I am the only one who comes from the farm, so it is my market =). Until yesterday I hadn’t fully realized that the employees at the market expect me to be their “boss” - the owners didn’t tell me that either. But for the last five markets everyone keeps asking me what to do, and I haven’t been comfortable taking on this leadership role. I’m becoming more comfortable, however, and now I’m excited to be the market manager. I’ve noticed some things that don’t seem to flow very well, and it will be great training to smooth them out. So I am the “face” of the farm at the market. Yesterday I enjoyed several conversations with some of our customers. One conversation was with three students from Eckerd College (a super hippie college that focuses on the environment). They were asking me my opinions on local and organic food systems, and which I believe to be more important. It was fun having this conversation with young students who are just now learning about the global food system and how messed up it is, and they were surprised with some of the things I had to say. Another conversation was with an old man, who was telling me how important women empowerment is and how women rule from the heart, and that we have the power to make important global changes. The other involved conversation was with a fellow vendor who grows sprouts (sprout growing is something that I have recently started), and we got into talking about the superior nutritional quality of sprouted foods. Not only am I in my element because I am able to talk to all these people, it’s also because I get to talk about an array of cool things.
No comments:
Post a Comment