A weeks-end reflection

Another week has come and gone. I’ve haven’t posted on the blog yet, but feel now would be as good of time as ever. Though I could list all the highlights of the day and post corresponding pictures, I choose rather to share a bit of how it feels to finish a week on the farm. A solemn mood settles in, like last night’s fog; mystically forming but not quite settling. Just as it came though, it will pass, yielding the splendor of the backdrop it only temporarily veils.
The intricate grains of my hands are stained with dirt and grease, calloused ridges cycle through healing and new openings, mysterious bruises and cuts are found where heavy objects were lifted against the body and left their marks, sore joints and tight backs lead me a welcoming bed. Coming in from the field as the sun sets, after rising to welcome it thirteen hours ago, bible in hand and eagerness to conquer the day, one is almost too exhausted to think. The day’s tasks took a quick tempo that carried me till four without a bite, revealing how long you can actually go when so focused (probably till sun down unless Nick offered to pick up a burrito).
Once some scraps are put down, I wash up and sit down at the desk to catch up on some past emails and letters strewn across the desk. I’ll often pick up my guitar to figure out a song I’m listening to, or get carried away reading up on today’s world news and online journal articles, but by then it’s already past time to go to sleep. All my well intentioned desires to make it through my stack of books and journals, or rework our business plan, or tediously go through our stack of receipts, has once again yielded to tired eyes and limited mental capacity at this hour.
My exhaustion causes a cloud of mediocrity to fall over what we’ve set out to do. Our grueling hours, burdensome tasks, and ever-so-slowly unfolding change and growth has deflated our past enthusiasm and thrown us into a pace of just getting by. Our initial days of planning and record keeping have quickly been over taken by 11+ hours of planting, cultivating, and patching up loose ends of our every growing project list. As time lines re-shift and priority projects pile up, there’s just too much to do, too many things to not forget, and too many people to keep up with.
Yet amidst all the grime of work and mediocrity onset by exhaustion, I’m constantly reminded by what’s around me, like recognizing the emerging greenery from the cracks of an abandoned urban lot. Our days are filled with constant beauty; the smell of the rich soil just after the afternoon rain, the rough pass of the cows tongue, the squawk of the chicken announcing a freshly laid egg, the rising of the mist pierced by streams of the new day sun, a gut-wrenching laugh shared with a dear friend, the joy on the face of an urbanite getting their hands dirty and skin burnt. These small joys build, like a mosaic, yielding a much more intricate and ever grandiose picture of what Rocklands really is.
It’s a farm full of so much and filling so many things; a deep sigh of peace, restoration from the daily grind, refreshment for the soul like the cool spring in the main pasture, escape from the confusion of today’s intangibleness world. Countless cars roll up to unload eager visitors and friends, whom upon leaving have a new bounce in their step; a shift from innocent ignorance to a deep understanding of the rawness of nature and human life realized by actually “doing”.
The occupation of farming is far from the romantic picture painted by the populous. Pictures of rolling hills, vine ripe crop and rusted equipment capture the imagination, especially of those safe from the elements; suburbia folk. There is nothing wrong with being of this understanding, and it usually transforms rather quickly when one picks up the rake and heads out to the field with one of us. After a few hours, caked in dust and burnt from the sun, you soon realize how a fresh breeze actually cools you, how water can actually taste so good, articulate the smell of the evening air, and hopefully soon enough, how many hours are actually put in just to have a taste of vine ripe produce; fresh, local, and naturally grown produce.
How incredibly tangible this wondrous life is; so practical and simple yet incredibly “wonderful” as the word implies, full of wonder. Someone can pick up a seed, water it, care for it, watch it grow, and enjoy the fruit of it’s yield. We’re actually a part of something that is way beyond our person, way more complicated than we can reduce into a series of encyclopedias, way more fulfilling than what modern culture has conjured up, and way more intimate than what many of us have come to know.
I love to work the land and hope you can come join us in our adventure to share the bounty of the land,
Greg,gb

Our first shot at a website

Our Website is up and running!

Not to mention a facebook page. Take a look when you get the chance.

a glimpse of the farm

On the restful and rainy Saturday I had a chance to stroll around in my flip flops in the mud and wet grass. At first I thought, "why am I not wearing shoes this is really annoying." Then, I stopped myself and remembered how good it really felt to feel that creation, especially when I could just wash off when I got inside. Thank You for this day.

-Shawn

perfect splashing puddle

future market garden...shooting for 2 acres of produce

new rain gauge thanks to our good friend Zander, it currently reads "1.05inches"

future asparagus bed...messy now

ready for the berries

paws (cat) is pregnant...bonedog in his usual spot

our homemade seed germination station

a closer look

Things are getting busy. . .

change

I just did one of the most exciting things I've done in a long time...put on a pair of shorts. Yes! Springtime! We should be sowing our first seeds tomorrow. Pictures to come...

Shawn

gettin' some data

Whether you live in the DC area or not, please take a few minutes to fill out this little questionnaire.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CSN2MCH

victory and defeat

With two feet of snow still on the ground, we are up and going and getting ready for the season. At the moment, most of what we have been doing is administrative work like, registering with the bank, getting a website up (rocklandsfarmMD.com), preparing budgets, making contacts, doing a lot of reading, etc, etc. It's been really cool so far to see what goes into getting a small business off the ground. I know I'm learning things that will help me down the road whether I'm involved with agriculture or not.

There are definitely some frustrations that come along when three inexperienced guys try to start a business, but also a lot of small victories that get us really excited. So let's be positive and look at something that really put a smile on our faces.

One of our biggest thrills this week was our visit to the Montgomery County Agriculture Extension Agent. In case you don't know, this state funded office is in place for the main purpose of helping people just like us, and it's completely free of charge. So off we went to meet with our newest friend Chuck, the extension agent. What a plethora of knowledge this guy is. It was a good thing I had my notepad with me, because he rambled off a new person to contact in the area it seemed about every thirty seconds. Chuck also introduced us to several others in the office, all of whom were very nice and excited about what we are trying to start. We took note of the excitement, but were really blown away by the time we met one of the last guys we talked to and he says, "HEY aren't you those guys who are starting that holistic agriculture thing down in poolesville??" Needless to say, word travels fast. Apparently the excitement is due to the fact that the majority of farmers in the area are sixty years old or more and when some fresh-faced recent college grads come in and say they want to start farming, it's almost as if it gives them hope for the future. So overall, the visit was great and put us well on our way to becoming more established in the area.

Be on the lookout for a survey on the blog next week, mainly pertaining to our proposed CSA (community supported agriculture) food boxes. Would be very helpful if anyone reading would fill it out.

Hope everyone is eating and drinking well.

Shawn