As part of my learning journey, I’ve been advised by several people in the industry (Regenerative Agriculture) to work on a farm. So, that’s what I’m doing every week for a few hours. From time to time, midweek, I’m going to post about it. My food & nutrition posts will still be on Saturdays. Want to join me one day or ask any questions? You are welcome to do so!

Now, I’m not going to fool myself into believing a few hours a week on an organic farm is going to teach me everything there is to know about being a farmer. In fact, this farm I’ve started on is a non-profit farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor. So it’s a few hours a week and on a farm who’s aim is not earning a living for a family. But I HAVE learned quite a bit each day. I work with extremely kind, passionate and knowledgeable people here. I ask a lot of questions and we get into fun debates. I’m learning a tremendous amount and am grateful. By writing about it, I hope to create a window into food production. We are far too removed from our food’s origins. Not that I’m prepared to slaughter my own chicken dinner – I’m not there. But I think this is helpful… and for this girl raised in suburban America, it makes me feel a little bit like a bad-ass.

So for this post, I’ll give you a brief overview of my first several experiences on the farm. (Playing catch up!)

The first day I forgot to take photos. But we worked in one of the two hoop houses and harvested spinach. Then we triple-washed* the spinach (I now know what that means!), bagged it, and crated it to be brought to the farmstand made available to hospital workers. I learned that some of the food from the farm goes to the hospital workers so they have convenient access to healthy food to take home, and to local food banks. The farm is for education, as well. Many groups, corporations and schools, have opportunities to volunteer and learn on this farm. *Triple-wash is when you have 3 sterile sinks that are regularly refreshed with new water and the spinach is soaked and dunked. Then, it is spun. Before bagging, it’s inspected for straggling weeds or bugs.

The second day we prepped beds in the hoop houses. That included using wheel-, and stirrup-hoes to pull up the weeds, raking out the weeds, broadforking (which is a fun workout and aerateds the soil) the beds and covering it with compost and feather meal (non-synthetic nitrogen fertilizer). In the left photo above, Chris is using the blue broadfork. We transplanted some leafy veggies that had been started from seed in a hot house. Doing that gives the plants a bit of a head start so they can grow ahead of the weeds but also start growing before the weather is just right. We also seeded some carrots. Carrots you have to direct seed because if you try to transplant them, they grow all wonky.

My third day, we prepped more beds in the second hoop house. LOTS of weeding of those little guys. Down on hands and knees this time. Controlling weeds, I’ve learned, is a major activity on a farm.

My fourth day, we had to shovel snow away from the hoop houses. A motor had burnt out that raises the hoop house walls when it’s warm enough outside. After a big snow, it got warm. But the roller mechanized to raise the walls was buried under heavy and hardened snow piles that had slid off the roofs. So when the motor ran to pull up roller, it got no where and burnt out. Farm work is diverse and challenging. And problem solving is a regular practice on a farm. Shoveling snow was not on the original agenda for the day. Then we cut down and wheel-barrowed buckthorn to a compost pile. My toes froze before I could finish my shift. I did not dress correctly for that day!

My fifth day, we prepped this outdoor plot (above). Lots of hoeing, raking and composting. That was a workout, but it was in the beautiful sunshine. What a great tired that was. I’m excited to see what we plant there. Last year it was carrots so we were pulling up a few stragglers. This year, since they rotate, it won’t be carrots. Will tells me there will be 4 crops planted and harvested on just this plot this season.

Each week, we arrive and Will or J give us our marching orders. They of course work along side us. So I’m meeting fascinating people with lots of knowledge and passion for this work. J grew up on a farm and grows food on her family’s land. Will also has a farm and is passionate about organic farming and farmer prosperity. We have lots of great debates, and they help me on my learning journey. Will, J and the regular volunteers come with their own interesting journeys. I’m really grateful to those wise folks who directed me to the farm.