Five years ago, Seth and I got married. We picked the first day of summer so we could use the longest day every year to celebrate ourselves and the outdoors. (Bee tee dubs, it was one of the few really great decisions we made over the wedding season. Why are US weddings so bloated and expensive? I digress.)
When I tell my coworkers we celebrated this year’s anniversary by working on the farm, they give me a funny look. Don’t judge my people too harshly — they all live and work in Boston and the surrounding area. They are not rugged farmers and volunteers. Very few have pulled fresh vegetables from the ground, let alone recognized that farm food is far superior to restaurant food.
It was a standard day at Stearns. I spent the morning weeding. Neverending, I tell ya. One short row of carrots lasted the entire morning.
Seth fish fertilized every brassica in sight. He and the other assistant grower tag-teamed driving the tractor and spraying the fish. As they worked, they shouted to each other their conversation, and everyone on the farm listened in. Those voices carry! I’ve been teasing Seth about it as much as possible. They were just comparing notes about the latest EMass CRAFT session, nothing gossipy, but I get so few chances to pick on my partner in crime that I take them when I can get them.
After lunch, the volunteers and work-for-shares left. Seth and I began dosing each eggplant with a spoonful of epsom salt — “to sweeten them up,” Seth said. At one point, I stood upright to stretch my sore back and looked around. We were alone in the field. The dog was napping in the shade from the cart that carried our bag of epsom salt.
“This could be ours,” I called to Seth. “This is what it would be like if we were on our own farm.”
Seth looked around too. We grinned at each other like two teenagers in love, and continued with our work.
When it was time to go, Susan the farm manager sent us off with the first bouquet of flowers cut from at the farm, in honor of the first day of summer and our anniversary. I love farm people.
Earth Morning: an ever-growing tiny adventure 