Cleaning up broken glass
March 31, 2025
Cleaning up broken glass
Our dear friend Jack Mastrianni sent this article last week – Be like a farmer.
I was particularly drawn to his discussion about how to clean up a broken glass. What a great morality tale, very simple. Things are always breaking and needing to be cleaned up or fixed. According to the author, farmers just see this as a part of life and get on with the repairs/cleanup. I guess maybe it has to do with our often proximity to lots of shit, which generally needs to be cleaned up, which makes our perspective on priorities very here and now. Living in the moment, as they say, taking one task and one day at a time, and sometimes slogging through, but usually doing it with a light heart. I don’t think this is a farmer thing per se, but is true for anyone who feels clarity about daily purpose. It is easier for farmers, and those who work close to living things, perhaps. Next time one of our peanut-butter-jars-converted-to-drinking-glasses shatters on our slate kitchen floor, I will clean it up with matter-of-factness and move on. After all, once things have happened there really is no going back, but only forward, into the next glorious moment.
Expressing Gratitude This Week
It is to my dad this week, DW Rawson, or Doc, as all the farmers in Milledgeville knew him. Although he was a doctor of Veterinary medicine (which carried some cred), he did, as he often pointed out to us, spend at least half of his career with his arm up a cow’s anus (all the way to the shoulder), with which he did pregnancy checks. He could feel the ovaries from that vantage point. I still remember watching him put on the big plastic sleeve and see all of the manure tumble out of the cow as he inserted his arm. All the while he would be keeping up a patter with the farmer, telling dirty jokes or generally entertaining his audience.
Thanks, dad, for teaching me all of my swear words, keeping it light, working hard all hours of the day and night, and staying close to reality. I can’t imagine a more wholesome upbringing.
Many Hands Sustainability Center – Supporting Food Sovereignty
We are down to just $700 needed for our 16 summer and fall shares for the Worcester Woo Fridges. Thanks, this week to Katja and Vijay – Katja being an off and on-again working shareholder. You can donate here.
As of December 1, 2024, the state of Mass drastically reduced the amount of SNAP/HIP benefits offered to Mass residents in need and this year we have lost a few of our longer-term SNAP/HIP shareholders. So, we hope to add to our donated food profile. Dave Petrovick, our crack farm mechanic and president of the Barre Food Pantry, is supporting us in making that connection — we want to raise a total of $2,000 in 2025 to provide organic vegetables to the Barre Food Pantry on two separate pick-up days per month.
Your donations that will enable this direct-to-consumer food distribution will be very much appreciated.
Spotlighted CSA Crops this week: Tulsi and Basil
Tulsi is another name for Holy Basil.
Holy basil has gained recognition as a “superfood” due to its array of health benefits and bioactive compounds. Originating from Ayurvedic medicine, which has utilized this plant for centuries, holy basil is revered for its adaptogenic properties, helping the body adapt to stress and promoting overall well-being. The phytochemical profile of holy basil includes diverse compounds, such as phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids, which contribute significantly to its antioxidant activity. These bioactive compounds are responsible for scavenging free radicals, which are implicated in oxidative stress – a precursor to various chronic diseases.
The versatility of holy basil is further exemplified by its antimicrobial properties. Research has documented its efficacy against a range of bacterial pathogens. Recent studies have highlighted the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of tulsi, positioning it as a supportive agent for managing health conditions such as diabetes, respiratory diseases, and infections.
Additionally, the nutritional value of holy basil is noteworthy. The leaves are rich in vitamins and essential minerals, which can enhance overall health when incorporated into the diet. Its anti-stress properties, attributed to compounds like eugenol and rosmarinic acid, contribute to its classification as a superfood. I like it in tea and dry enough each year to have tulsi tea daily – I love its calming effect. We also include it in our bitters tincture.
But you can branch out from tea and add it to salads and soups for those who might be herb tea averse! Shareholders received a bunch of tulsi 12 times last year.
Although many shareholders look askance at tulsi, I don’t think I have met a single person who wouldn’t kill for fresh Genovese basil! This one is a bit temperamental and we sometimes lose our crop to various mildews. And it is also quite frost sensitive so can’t be planted too early, nor will it survive the first light frost.
Last year shareholders received basil over the course of 6 weeks in mid-summer. If we can get our growing culture dialed in, we might be able to raise the number to 10 weeks.
It has a distinctive flavor profile, rich aromatic qualities, and diverse applications in food preparation, particularly in Italian cuisine. The intense, sweet aroma, characterized by its notes of linalool and eugenol, enhances the taste of dishes, particularly the iconic pesto sauce.
In addition to its sensory attributes, Genovese basil is also rich in bioactive compounds, such as rosmarinic acid and other phenolic compounds, which have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.
For us farmers, an hour or two of weeding and tending the basil bed brings on a peaceful sense of calm and that all is right with the world. Its essential oils are indeed “happy compounds.”
We are taking shares right now. Here is the form.
Plant a Radish
Thanks to Frank Phelan – this is a hoot, especially for those of us who have raised children!
Good You Tube with Ari Whitten
Julie Matthews regarding diet and autism – How diet can help kids with autism, ADHD, anxiety and more… with researcher. Practical tips for parents.
Egg Carton Crisis Looming
What with all of the recent egg sales at the farm, we are about to run dry on egg cartons. Long term customers will know how cheap I am about buying new ones. The molded cardboard ones we like are over 40¢ each! If you have stacks of them at home and want to drop them by, we would be very appreciative – might even part with a dozen eggs for your efforts. Thanks in advance.
Volunteering at MHOF
This week we move to M, T, W, F from 8-12 (come at 7:30 for breakfast and stay for lunch at noon.) Also, we are working on Saturdays with breakfast at 7 and work from 7:30 – 9:30. All of a sudden, we have to tarp, start seedlings, continue with pruning (now small fruits), finish up our wood for the season, start our foliar feeding for real, and get all of our perennials ready for the season. And the chickens move out onto the field on March 31, so there is bird moving each day. Lots of fun things planned. And you get lots of good food in return for your efforts.
This Week’s Recipe from Jennifer: Golden Root & Chickpea Bowl
This warm, gently spiced stew is a deeply nourishing dish designed to soothe vata and support digestion, especially during cooler seasons or times of fatigue and imbalance. Bone broth builds ojas—our vital essence—while chickpeas offer grounding plant protein, made more digestible with ghee and spices like ginger, garlic, and turmeric. These herbs kindle agni (digestive fire) and help reduce ama (toxins) without overheating the system. Soft-cooked basmati rice brings a sweet, stabilizing energy, while a fresh squeeze of lime adds a touch of sourness to awaken digestion and balance the richness of the stew. Carrots and onions add natural sweetness and depth, while optional toppings like nutritional yeast and moringa powder provide subtle bitter and umami notes. This dish is ideal during autumn and winter, for times of healing, or whenever you need a bowl of comfort that nourishes body, mind, and spirit.
Get the recipe at Jen Zen Living
Join Ellen for her 7 Day Spring Cleanse beginning April 7th!
Last call – Spring Cleanse!
Here’s the call replay on Spring Detox Strategies.
I learned and relearned a lot of good tips. Worth the listen.
Gut Health
From Kiran Krishnan’s course “Build Your Resilient Gut Biome and Beyond with Rebel Health. Check out Rebel Health for lots of good info and you can always google Kiran on the internet if you want to go deeper faster.
What is happening to our Microbiome? Some background
Here are some factors of modern living that we need to consider:
- Lack of fiber
- Lack of diversity in the diet
- Overuse of antibiotics
- Over sterilization/excessive hygiene
- C-sections and formula feeding of babies
- Acute and chronic stress
- Disrupted circadian rhythms
- Sedentary lifestyle
The loss of microbial diversity of 30-40% of our microbiome has serious impacts
- Auto-immunity
- Chronic infections
- Metabolic disorders
- Neuro-degeneration
- Hormone imbalance
- Mental health disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
I know, I know, it is a bit of a downer, just setting the stage for a bit here. . . . . .
Farm Doin’s
Sunday, Gary Shepherd dropped by with 24 large bales (these are worth 17 each of the older style hay bales), met Maria here for a little conviviality, and we are in business for our mulch supply for 2025. We will add to it some leftover hay from Tyson down the road, and our own hay from the field. Mulch heaven.
Monday was another nasty day, with ice pellets, wind, and eventually rain. But we had the time of our lives. Stu and Danny and later Justin finished and painted the picnic table restoration project – just in time for our spring, summer and fall lunches on the lawn. Danny is off on a long-postponed trip with Paula for the next month, but we are looking forward to Stu stepping down from the exalted role of carpenter to ordinary farm staff like the rest of us chumps.
Matt and Justin and I started the day trying out Matt’s fancy electric pole saw on one of our very old apple trees.
We decided to hold off on the final one until we get our chainsaw back, as that one has some seriously sized limbs. Lily, Christian, Gary, Matt, Justin and I moved 3 bird houses to the top of the home orchard after clipping and mowing that area. Free range “lockdown” starts for the girls on March 31. Luckily for them, we will move their houses 5 times per week, giving them new range and us good fertility coverage.
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We finished the morning by getting 3 of the tarps back down after last Friday’s wind fiasco.
On Tuesday we started the grapes. This is the year that I need to put on my big girl pants and learn how to prune grapes, so Jack and I are on a 1-2 vines per day diet. He figures it all out, tells me what to do, and I slowly pick it up. The chickens were all right there cheering us on.
On Wednesday we knocked off a couple more grapes.
Friday was a fun day with perfect weather. Justin and Marissa ran around and administered our spring soil primer of rejuvenate and seashield to the base around all of the fruit trees while Leslie and I set up our underground water system which allows us to get water out to all of our fields and to the hoophouses so that we can provide irrigation to our houses.
Then we all finished up tarping the front of the north field, after using our nice new pile of sand to fill some sand bags. We are hereby retiring all of our skanky sand bags.
In the afternoon Jack trained Leslie, Marissa and Justin on grape pruning (two more vines accomplished)
We called all of the 2024 CSA shareholders who have not renewed.
Leslie came back in person on Friday after 2 months away, but she was working the entire time, keeping the website updated, fixing our CSA gallery, updating produce files, doing the taxes and payroll calculators, and managing the egg subscriptions. Thanks, Leslie.
And Amanda is mid-stream on a vacation, but keeps up with the newsletter publication each week. And then there is Jennifer, not presently on staff, but helping out way in the background with tech support for Leslie and Amanda. Thanks, girls!
Julie
Nice bok choi in the hoophouse
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