Welcome to our blog. We hope you find it entertaining and at least slightly informative. The title came from the subject line of the first e-mail that my step-mom, Deb, sent us after we arrived at the farm. We thought it was quite fitting. Deb has encouraged me to write a blog for years and so I dedicate the first entry of this blog to her. At this point Marisa and I have been farming hill country Texas for just under 4 months. It's late June and the daily high has been hovering around 100 degrees for the last couple weeks and the daily low has not gone below 75 for at least three weeks. It is discouraging to learn that the peak of summer is close to 8 weeks away... However, I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful this place is and how boldly this experience has re-shaped our bodies and our perception of farming. I now find it very funny that so many people I meet think that our job couldn't be more relaxing. Although the setting out here amongst the live oaks and gentle breezes fits the perception, the work load does not! We are never entirely done with anything because there is always something to do. It would seem that nothing is really ever finished on a farm except for maybe the season. Our muscles are tired and sore and we fall asleep exhausted. Countless insects take nips of our flesh as we labor underneath the blazing sun. The heat causes delirium. Occasionally in the heat of the day it feels as if I step outside of my body and watch it as it continues to hoe and weed. Summer in Texas creates a lot of blank stares on peoples' faces and no matter how much water I drink it is never enough. The weeds never stop and on top of that we have ants from South America whose bite feels like a bee sting. But all and all, I think we can both say that it's the best gig of our lives.
Hi Everyone, it's Marisa. To be quite eloquent, ditto to everything Mark wrote. I never thought that I would be one to have a blog, but we've had enough people asking us if we have one or have ever thought of writing one that it seemed like we probably should. One thing I have learned down here is that Texans and Texas are two very different things. Texans are incredibly friendly and hospitable and all of them say "oil" and "soil" in a way that I love, but have not managed to replicate. Texas, on the other hand, is a beautiful yet cruel place. There are droughts, floods, hail, blazing sun, lightning strikes, fire ants, bull nettle, weeds with thorns that stick in your fingers for days, the kind of wind that makes a person feel crazy.....and yet, I still love it here. It's not the state that we plan on living in forever, but I feel lucky to be spending time here now. Another thing I have learned in the last 3.5 months is the incredible misconception I had about farming. I had this romantic idea that we would spend approximately six hours a day in the fields, 4-5 days a week and then I would have tons of time left over (and an excessive amount of energy) to continue all the hobbies I had in Portland and pick up new ones. This is incredibly false. On average we work 9 hour days, 5-6 and sometimes 7 days a week. And that excessive amount of energy I would have for all those hobbies? Nope. It's all I can do to eat the dinner that Mark makes and then watch a movie or some Office episodes. I did manage to sew my mother an apron for her birthday, so that was quite the accomplishment. I have also signed up to volunteer at the local Domestic Violence shelter and I also attended my first sign language class on Monday, so I'm doing things besides farming. All in all, I wouldn't trade what we're doing now for anything.
Hi Everyone, it's Marisa. To be quite eloquent, ditto to everything Mark wrote. I never thought that I would be one to have a blog, but we've had enough people asking us if we have one or have ever thought of writing one that it seemed like we probably should. One thing I have learned down here is that Texans and Texas are two very different things. Texans are incredibly friendly and hospitable and all of them say "oil" and "soil" in a way that I love, but have not managed to replicate. Texas, on the other hand, is a beautiful yet cruel place. There are droughts, floods, hail, blazing sun, lightning strikes, fire ants, bull nettle, weeds with thorns that stick in your fingers for days, the kind of wind that makes a person feel crazy.....and yet, I still love it here. It's not the state that we plan on living in forever, but I feel lucky to be spending time here now. Another thing I have learned in the last 3.5 months is the incredible misconception I had about farming. I had this romantic idea that we would spend approximately six hours a day in the fields, 4-5 days a week and then I would have tons of time left over (and an excessive amount of energy) to continue all the hobbies I had in Portland and pick up new ones. This is incredibly false. On average we work 9 hour days, 5-6 and sometimes 7 days a week. And that excessive amount of energy I would have for all those hobbies? Nope. It's all I can do to eat the dinner that Mark makes and then watch a movie or some Office episodes. I did manage to sew my mother an apron for her birthday, so that was quite the accomplishment. I have also signed up to volunteer at the local Domestic Violence shelter and I also attended my first sign language class on Monday, so I'm doing things besides farming. All in all, I wouldn't trade what we're doing now for anything.
Your comments remind me of the misconception that I had of working from home with a baby. I thought, no problem I will write emails while she plays with her toys. That doesn't happen! Isn't it funny how someone can tell you something is hard but you don't really know until you are there. What is growing in the picture?
ReplyDeleteIt is funny how you have to actually live something before you believe what people tell you about it. The picture is of a few rows of leeks.
ReplyDeleteHi Martin and Mark, just saying hello and letting you know that I read your blog and enjoyed it. Note the time. I am now accustomed to getting up this early and can't seem to fall back asleep. It is Saturday morning and I don't need to get up.
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