Greetings Urban Eaters,
I’d say you are about due for an update of sorts. I vowed to keep you in the loop, and I have fallen behind on this duty. But I assure it is for a good reason. And though I wish that reason was because the farm had rebounded so completely from the flooding that it now requires lots of attention to it’s harvest and maitenance, it is something else entirely.
Many of you have met my trusty “assistant” Joel at market, and those of you who are vendors have probably come to know him as the one that does our weekly grocery shopping each Saturday around the market. Joel and I have been each other’s sidekicks for years, supporting each other through higher education, farm apprenticeships, various career choices and through our ever-changing creative endeavors. Joel, without too much prodding, and with little to no complaint has gotten up at 4:30 each Saturday morning these past two years and helped me load and unload, set up and tear down for almost every market that I have attended. And even though his interests lie more in the field of music rather than in a field of winter squash, he has supported this farm and my vision of growing sustainably and organically in an urban environment wholly. He really is an outstanding guy, jazz musician and educator, and “farm assistant”. And, in two weeks we will be married in a small ceremony in Maine.
So, in actuality, this year we have been juggling more than usual with our day jobs, the farm and planning a wedding that is across the country. And while we hoped and worked tirelessly to do each of these things flawlessly, some things can just not be controlled. As predicted in my last newsletter, many things did rot, others took on disease, and our pest population grew. And so it goes this year. Other things have recovered, though not enough to make a market table look appetizing. I guess this week the farmer will get first dibs at what is harvestable, which is not always a bad thing. And next weekend we leave for Maine, taking some of our produce and treats from our farmer friends with us. And though it has been kind of a down year for the farm, our hearts are full and excited for this event, for each other, and for the ability to continue along a shared future.
We would like to thank you for all of your emails regarding the state of the farm this year, and we, as always appreciate your support for the farm and for us as individuals. We feel lucky to be a part of this community. We will be gone tomorrow, as well as the two weeks following due to travel and our ceremony, but we hope to see you when we return if the farm allows it. :)
All my gushy, foodie love,
Farmer Kim
Scrap Yard Urban Farm