Dishpan hands

Who would have thought I'd get dishpan hands working on the farm?  We wash our used transplant trays in bleach water before we use them again to get rid of anything that might cause the transplants next time to not perform.  Forgot to grab a picture of the pile, but it was quite impressive due to the cracker jack team work of me, Val, Katherine, and Sarah.


I did find out that I will not be having blackberries on my farm.  The canes have thorns that went through my leather gloves and my arms are still itching a bit from them.  We have quite a pile of them and Jeremy says we just burn them in our fire pit.  Should be quite a sight.  I will have to remember to get pictures.


I think I just about have the central leader pruning of apple trees down.  Too bad we will not have many more chances to get some assisted pruning practice.  Not sure about the vertical axe and a couple of the other high production styles yet.


Had the first real CSA distribution experience today.  I forgot to take a snack so I was pretty tired by the end of it.  My experience of being a concession stand worker and manager came back to me and I think that part of the CSA rotation I will be able to handle pretty easily.  Not sure when my turn in the CSA rotation will be yet.


Bought this hat just for being accepted to the OFTP program.  Wonder what it will look like by the end of the program.  This was after the first week on the farm.

This week's check in

This week are check in was lead by Jon and even though I think most everyone was skeptical at making animal noises, I think we all had a lot of fun.  I think I should have won for most creative, a cat throwing up a hair ball.

The previous check in done by Allison was just as good and I think we were all amazed at making it rain in the lecture hall.  

Prior to the animal noises, he asked that we write down 3 things that we do and that if everyone else did them, the world would be a better place and here they are:

FOOD
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Eat with a conscience.
Eat as much local food (and other products) as possible.
Make communal meals.
Grow organic food and gardens.
Buy organic food.




EXERCISE
Go for a walk daily.
Go for a purposeless walk weekly.
Exercise to relieve stress.
Move your body.


SPIRITUAL
Pray.
Meditate.
Yoga.
Appreciate and enjoy silence.
Think good thoughts about life.
Forgive others who have done you wrong.
Stay open minded.
Be comfortable being by yourself.
Spend time outdoors.
Listen to music and appreciate nature.


COMMUNICATION / COMMUNITY
Smile.
Smile real big at random people.
Say hello to people you pass on the street.
Listen carefully to another person.
Share thoughts and feelings on paper with another.
Call friends and family.
Volunteer at socially and environmentally active organizations.
Listen to people, even those you do not tend to initially like.
Treat others as you would like to be treated, with dignity and respect.
Give a stranger a ride when it is cold.


TEACH / LEARN
Read to a child.
Teach.
Work in the food service industry.
Educate yourself so you are not ignorant of what is going on in the world.


ENVIRONMENTAL
Buy unwanted used things.
Reuse glass jars and plastic bags.
Minimize the amount of trash produced.
Conserve energy by not having excessive lights on, etc.
Turn off the water while brushing teeth, washing, etc.


GENERAL AND RANDOM
Do not own a TV.
Quit spending so much time with TV, internet, electronics.
Never be satisfied with 'good enough'.
See every expense as a learning opportunity.
Fish only with a fishing pole, maybe a spear, but no nets.
Vote with your dollars.
Laugh out loud at your mistakes (have a sense of humor).
Tip your servers extra and leave them a nice note.

Create sidewalk love messages - do them at night.

Weird Vibe Today

Today had a very weird vibe going on and felt a little different than most days.  I think it some of it was from the fact that we were not going to be doing much farm/outside work and the day turned out to be a pretty nice day.   Since everyone knew the plan ahead of time, I think that also had something to do with it since you knew you'd be inside all day.  Jeremy stopped the lecture a little early and got us outside so we could enjoy the sun a little bit, so I think that helped.  Also knowing that we have tomorrow off and could enjoy some downtime was good.


I think my sense of humor is being lost.  I am being ragged about always sitting in the same place during lectures.  So I've been acting tough about it.  I am not sure that anyone really wants to sit up front, but I may move to a different place just to throw everyone off.  Then again, maybe not.


I need to make sure to keep to a somewhat normal schedule tomorrow and start working on my personal learning plan, and getting ahead on the reading.  I also want to get some of my papers organized as I feel a little disjointed and messy.


I've started to wonder if trying to farm in the U.P. is a little too ambitious for this stage of my life.  I know Dee is a little worried about having to work really hard up there and if there is enough of a market to pull in enough income for us.  Even if I stayed somewhere around here in the country I am worried about finding a job or a farm.  I am also worried about getting financing since my credit will be toast for quite a while now.  I am working on not letting the practical side of myself to worry about that stuff right now.


 This is my field.  There are others like it, but this one is mine.

I won't be planting anything until June, but there will be a few things to do before that to get it ready.  Right now there is a winter Rye that was sown last fall starting to grow.  

A nagging feeling

I have had this feeling for a while now.  I am not sure what it is all about.  The program is going well, and I am learning and doing a lot of things.


Somehow, I feel like I am not doing enough.  Not learning enough.  Not doing enough work on the farm.  Not doing enough work and planning off the farm.  That is what I get for being an achiever.  Is anything ever enough?


The direction I should take is not clear right now.  There seems to be so much to do, it is a little overwhelming I guess.  I feel a little bit like I am slipping back into the rut of my previous life.  It is scary.


Is it just the natural plateau of things?  Just spring fever?


Much to ponder.


On a lighter note.


Today went by pretty quickly.  Between lecture, farm work, more farm work, and initial rotation work, the day was done before I knew it.  Did many different tasks.  Salad mix harvesting, compost sifting, tool getting and putting away, pricking out, fishing, making soil blocks, sifting dirt, watering plants, seeding, and container washing.  It was a full day.


Before...

After the quake...

Getting back in the habit.

So much for writing a post everyday chronicling my journey at the OFTP.  The long commute was taking its toll on my energy and as such my posting suffered.  But now that I have a place here in Lansing, I am going to be working very hard to start posting more thoughts and pictures.

Day 3

Today was pretty good except for the headache I got towards the end.    I am not sure if it is my cold or that I did not have much to eat today.  Probably some of both.   I really need to figure out how much food to take with me, especially once we really start working.

There was a lot of administrative type things this morning.  It is a little scary with all of the things we will be responsible for and the requirements for graduation are pretty intense.  I would love to graduate with honors.  I wonder if I can graduate with the highest honors.  We will see.

We also had a little blind taste test on a few root veggies.  It will be interesting if my sense of taste changes by being exposed to all the different things we grow.

We played a snowball game to see how well we know everyone's name.  I screwed up a couple.  Sorry Matt & David.  I think I am pretty close to remembering all of them.

During the afternoon we learned how to make a salad mix and package it for the CSA.   Later in the day we saw how the CSA works and met a few of the members.

We also came up with our own community contract.  It took a while to brain storm, but it was pretty good. I was pretty talkative.  I did apologize later if I was usurping the spotlight.  I guess I just feel comfortable around everyone and I am very excited about the program.

Headache says I am done writing.

Day 2

I had a weird dream with some of the staff of OFTP and Dee and an old boss.  Very weird, but I guess that is a good sign.

Today was the official first day of class.  The morning was filled with mostly getting to know you type things.  We have a wide range of background, so we are diverse in that way, but not in the true diversity vein.  A lot of reason for that and not easily solved.

We then received a tour of the farm and learned all the names for things.  I am sure I have forgotten most of them, but it won't take long for them to be burned into my brain.   It was funny how once we got out there were lots of questions that had really long answers and would be covered later.  We are all in that honeymoon period where everything is good and new and exciting.  Definitely in the forming phase.   I am really interested in how the group dynamics will work.

After lunch we went to get our IDs made.  Of course there was an issue getting mine done since I was added last minute, but in the end it all worked out.  I still have the same student number.  I still remember it, even after all these years.

We then went on a tour of E.L. and Lansing.  That part I could have done without, even though I did not know about the co-op and a few places like that, but just a map would have been fine for me.  I think that for those not from that area it was probably useful.

Once we got back, everyone took off.  I asked if I could walk around the fields and in the woods.  It was a very nice day, cold, but sunny.  So I took a walk out to the woods and found a few deer tracks and another type that I could not place.  I was able to see a woodpecker going about trying to find some insects.  I saw a few other birds, but could not tell what kind they were; next time i need to bring my binoculars.  

Even though I was next to 2 highways, it was still peaceful.  I found a dry log to sit on and did my version of meditation.

I just sat and breathed.  Tried empty my mind and focus on the cold crisp air entering my lungs.  Holding it, then releasing it.  Tried to keep good posture.

It was good to just be.

It felt good to walk around the farm.

Checking on the pigs

Watching the chickens eat.

Simple things.

Sitting down and just be.

At least once a week if not every day, I will find a spot on the farm and just be.

Day 1

The first day of the OFTP (organic farmer training program) was optional.  I had some prior commitments so I could not attend the seminar in Ann Arbor that a lot of the other students attended.  It sounded like it was a decent conference.   Luckily there will be many more opportunities like this in the future.

In the evening we were all invited to a dinner provided by the staff.  I arrived really early (just like I always seem to do) and our host was very gracious.   Since I am usually a bit shy around new people, I was a little surprised by myself that I seemed to open up pretty quickly.  The couple of beers may have helped, but I think since people came in slowly was the main reason.  Had I walked into a room with a bunch of strangers it may have been different.

I enjoyed talking to everyone and had lot of laughs.  Probably stayed a little to long but when I get around smart and creative people it is tough to leave.

Got home way too late to write here and went straight to bed.

I think the first day was a success and better than I thought it would be.