Monthly Archives: April 2011

Like so many in various parts of the country, we’ve been battered recently by gale-force winds and deluged by torrential rain.  Unlike many, we’ve been fortunate to get through pretty much unscathed on our farm, although of course much of … Continue reading →

This year saw the rare confluence of Good Friday and Earth Day.  As I talked about earlier this week in an interview on the Nick and Josh Podcast, this confluence offered a great reminder of the necessary marriage between spirituality … Continue reading →

When they learn that my family and I run an organic farm, one of the first things strangers ask us is whether we are “certified” organic.  The answer has always been, and will likely always be, “no.”  We have several … Continue reading →

 I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the … Continue reading →

Although I love farming, I can’t say I’m particularly enamored with farm animals.  Our farm property lacked fencing when I bought it, and the expense and labor of installing fence has given me a great excuse throughout the years to … Continue reading →

“The antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest; it’s whole-heartedness.” – Br. David Steindl-Rast  What does Sabbath look like on a small, part-time farm?  The Christian and Jewish traditions call for a day of rest each week, and as a … Continue reading →

 “Rural people understand that life is basically a dangerous, unmanageable mess, so that when things go wrong, their suspicions are confirmed and it’s just a blessing no one was killed.”   –  John Gierach If I’m learning anything from farming, it’s … Continue reading →

This is the time of year when “farming on the side” roughly translates into “work like a crazy person.” On our farm I’m busy getting trees, berry bushes, and early garden crops in the ground, spreading mulch and organic fertilizers, … Continue reading →