a dirty life on essex farm

today seemed like a good winter's day to pore over the colorful seed catalogue in anticipation of spring.  i realized that no matter how excellent my seeds might be, they won't grow as well without giving my dirt some much-needed ammenities. like my body, it comes down to good and simple nutrients.

the dundee land here in the willamette valley is wonderful jory for vineyards, and my small corner of the world is wonderful albeit on the clay side.  what my dirt needs is a good dose of sand, fertilizer and peat moss to strike a balance between acidic and alkaline. (i really did learn all about what nourishes us on a molecular level:  nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in just the right mix, like a compost cocktail).

it also seemed like a good day to cozy in and finish reading kristin kimball's "a dirty life" about their 600 acre essex farm in new york that supplies the full range of not just organic produce, but grains, dairy, meats and even their own maple syrup!

i paused my reading  to collect our own eggs for the day (8!) before finishing her epilogue and asked myself some honest questions, such as "would i be able to do what she does?" answer:  not if i want to do any other things at all ever (which i do), because you don't ever truly own a farm, it owns you.  

kimball by no means sugar-coats the harsh realities of farming. for those of us like me who would like to think of ourselves as "homesteaders" because we drink out of canning jars or have a compost bin, her book is a reminder about what separates the women from the girls.  i can imagine our acres here, but not 600!  they battle weeds, livestock diseases, escaped pigs, frost, rats and a host of other real-life arch enemies of the farm on a grand scale but persevere through it all to provide weekly food to well over 200 members.  for more about essex farm, visit www.kristinkimball.com