Week 12, Spring 2023

Hi all! Claire here, can you believe that spring season has already come to an end? It feels like just yesterday we were introducing ourselves to each other, nervously laughing, and asking “what kind of egg do you think you are?” at the dinner table as an icebreaker. Now we have said our teary eyed goodbyes, really just to Felix because the rest of us are staying here, but nonetheless wishing him a joyful and abundant summer in Brooklyn. 

Our last week consisted of a lot of work and prep for the coming summer season. Monday we focused on mulching our three sisters bed, transplanting tomatoes, and fixing our poor greenhouse door which was stuck shut (our plants were very unhappy with the heat). On Tuesday we welcomed researchers from UIUC to take some samples to corn and soybean plants, put up some trellises for our growing beans, and finished up transplanting the last of our tomatoes into larger pots. On Wednesday we were up to a lot of different things; we chopped up some straw and put it in our soak to let it pasteurize overnight, transplanted lovage into the soil, planted grapes (yay!), brought a few pounds of mushrooms, radishes, and greens to market, seeded some more peas and cucumbers, mulched our strawberry bed, and got some sweet potatoes prepped to be planted! By the end of the day we were beat. On Thursday we Lexi and I started the day with some soil sampling and finally got a site done that has just been disagreeing with us at every turn, we inoculated some golden oyster mushrooms (can’t wait to see what these look like), we transplanted eggplant into the soil, and did a whole lot of weeding. Then Friday finally came, our very last day of the season, which we called space bun friday (we all had to wear space buns and it was adorable). We put boundaries of plastic sheeting around some of the beds to kill weeds, and harvested a ton of radishes, greens, and mushrooms. We ended the week with another lovely themed shabbat dinner, this time around we picked names out of a hat and dressed up as each other which was SO successful and funny.

Ending a season is a bittersweet feeling. The pride you feel in all the work you and your team has accomplished over the last three months and reaching the goals you set for yourself, but also letting go, saying goodbye, and transitioning into something new. Spring is really a time of renewal and rebirth, a time to rest and reflect. You start the season while nature is still in her wintery slumber, and slowly things start to wake up and grow around you, until one day you look around and everything is green and lush and you can’t help but feel like it happened overnight and all at once. Spring ushers in newfound energy that we carry into summer with us for those months where we will need it most, the weather will be hot and sticky, our bodies will protest from heavy labor under the beating sun, cold water and some ice cream will be all we crave, yet that energy will still be with us. We will remember the quiet days of bare trees and grass that grew so slowly, and be thankful for the abundance of summer with its lush trees and grass that seems never ending.

Thank you spring, we really do love you.

This season we could not have thrived without our dedicated team. Remi, as always, our fearless leader who takes on so much work and wears so many hats, doing all the work the spring requires while also applying to medical school and keeping everyone's needs met in the house.

Acacia, who is always there to step up and do the things people don’t want to, and keep us going even when our bodies groan and protest, and with a whole collection of amazing earrings that keeps us on our toes.

Felix, who always has a playlist ready at all times and keeps the mood fun and light despite a heavy workload, who always works so hard and is ready to jump into anything and learn along the way.

Lexi, who is down to soil sample at the drop of a hat, cares for the mushrooms and builds them whatever they need, and is our own personal foraging expert, drum player, salve maker, and meditation instructor.

Allison, who we get so excited for on the days she gets to be here, who is ready to get her hands dirty is whatever we are doing, and an amazing jewelry maker and artist.

Grace, always brings us snacks from the city and cracking jokes to keep a smile on everyone's faces, and digging deep for weeds that no one else can seem to get.

And yes, myself as well, who will always ask the infamous egg question at dinners (because sometimes people change their minds and you have to ask again), loves getting out there and soil sampling, and a great cat mom if I do say so myself.

This season has been so fun and such an amazing experience, we can’t wait to see what summer brings us.

With love,

Claire