From whence do we gather our inspiration?
As I was coming out of being sick this week, I struggled, as I often do when sick, with “black” feelings, so I was on the lookout for inspiration. Of course, inspiration is around us at all times if we are able to notice it, but here are just a few examples that really warmed my heart in the past 7 days.
Due to a confluence of events, there were no presents under the tree for me last Sunday. Compassion Six-year-old Raffi happily plowed through his big pile of gifts, but later in the kitchen he came to me troubled about my dearth of presents. It was only after I explained that some had come early and others were coming late, that he was mollified. Constancy Clare, out of town for the holiday, texted me Merry Christmas. I wrote back but noted that I was ailing. She immediately got on the phone to see how I was faring, and called in later in the week. Empathy Many times this past week I turned to Jack while in a coughing fit or when my head seemed to be about to burst. He rubbed my back and calmed me down. Thorough Reliability When people walk on the farm these days, they say things like, “Wow, it all seems so organized!” That is Jonathan and this week he led us through a few clean up jobs that continue to improve the feng shui around here. Investment Daughter Ellen helped me with a “clearing session” on Wednesday which really helped me access the power of my heart. During that hour with me she used all of her resources to assist me in reaching a new level of consciousness. Diligence Son Paul stopped through this week. He is always ebullient and positive spirited. I was particularly impressed this visit by his relating of his careful ticking away at organizing old piles of stuff from his family’s last move. Groundedness Holly and Randy showed up with their kids this week. As Jonathan noted more than once, their 4 kids – 8, 5, 3 and not yet 1 – were the most chilled out kids he had ever seen. These two have it well “dialed in.” Thoroughness I hadn’t seen Paula for at least two weeks, but was put immediately at ease on Friday when she jumped in to help with organizing our pork for sale.
As I muse about life and our interconnection with each other, I realize that by finding these outstanding qualities in my associates and emulating them when it is my turn to act or think or feel, I realize what a rich resource bank I have always at my fingertips. And I am well now, by the way!
Farm Videos From Last Week
Sorry! I didn’t take any.
CSA Updates This Week
Join the 2023 Summer and Fall CSA
Friday was an exciting day for us financially. A bunch of folks came in with end of the year share purchases at the old prices. We will now safely make our breakeven budget. Thanks to those of you who invested in us early for 2023!
The prices are in place for 2023 now. In order to keep up with rapidly rising costs of supplies, fertility, machine parts, etc. we did raise our share prices. And we made a couple of changes –
Sliding scale – For those of you who want to support a more affordable share for others, you can pay the top of the range. And for those who are of more limited finances, feel free to choose a lower number.
Delivery/handling fee – Trying to make our PayPal options as manageable as possible, we have decided to fold delivery /handling into the share price.
Here are the rates for 2023
Summer large – $750-$850
Summer medium – $550-$650
Summer small – $425-$525
Fall – $170
SNAP pricing
Summer large – $700
Summer medium – $500
Summer small – $400
Fall – $160
SNAP customers reach out to Julie to set up a payment plan.
Joining the CSA early helps us with cash flow in this heavy spending period for fertility, seeds, animal stock, workers compensation insurance, etc.
Meat for Sale
Pork
We have some cuts for sale. Roasts of all types, regular style ribs, country style ribs, and pork chops. $12/lb. Contact Julie to come and buy while supplies last.
2022 Meat Chickens
We also have 6 or so chickens from our August batch.
Working Shareholders Always Welcome
Though we have always counted on our working shareholders to meet the labor needs around here, they have become more essential to accomplishing our work each week. Joining this team assures you a warm place in the MHOF community while also giving you a weekly excuse to stretch your muscles. Working shareholders in January and February are welcome Monday and Friday mornings from 8-12. Come at 7 for breakfast and stay afterward for lunch.
Other Opportunities
Join daughter Ellen’s 21 Day Food Based Winter Healing Cleanse
January 9th through 29th. Early Bird discounts good through December 31st, 2022
Special features for this Cleanse include:
Heal Your Gut from the Inside Out! There may not be a more important cutting edge in nutrition right now than the fascinating world of the Gut Microbiome. During this Cleanse you will learn brand new information specific to how we can heal, repair, rebalance, and best support our gut microbiome for the long term!
The reasons to focus in this are many. A few key ones are
- Improving Immunity
- Addressing Mental Health/Moods/Depression
- Optimizing Digestion
- Supporting Healthy Weight Loss
- and last but certainly not least, reducing Inflammation, which is the key factor behind every chronic illness, and which, for the vast majority of us, starts in the gut!
All Cleanse details here: https://ellenkittredge.com/cleanse.php
Farm Doin’s
We only worked on Thursday and Friday this week, due to the holiday. In the background, however, Jack and I pored over the budget for 2023. Christy helped us finalize it and we were ready to roll.
Randy and Holly are back for their annual visit to family and our farm. Randy grew up with Chuk and this pair chose our farm for their marriage. Now with 4 children in tow, their short time with us each year is a cherished time. On Thursday, along with Jonathan, we finished an old job that needed doing of taking down the trellis system we had in place for storing drip tape off season.
Randy, Holly and Malvina (the leg you see hanging out the back of Holly) sorting bolts and screws and trash
Then we moved on to taking down some dead or dying peach trees in the pond orchard.
Jonathan took down the trees while we cleaned up behind him
The afternoon was spent organizing the root cellar and sorting a bunch of Jack’s games that some mice had found in the barn attic.
Friday, we had a crew that worked in the annex taking down trees that were encroaching on the east and west side of the blueberry and grape plantation. They were limbing, removing wild grapes and other aggressive vines from trees, and cut and split the firewood that was harvested in the cleanup. The rest of us sorted all of our pork that Clare and I picked up at Adams.
Then Jonathan and Clare and I spent the afternoon cutting fat for lard
We ended the day and the farm year with a walk around the farm to enjoy the fruits of our labor!
Julie
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