As we come to the close of one season, we begin the opening of a new one. These past few years of LIVING through a pandemic have been life altering for us all. Personally, it allowed me to make hard choices about what was really important in my life and what not only brings me joy in living but what skill set was most beneficial to my family and those around me.
Seed Time Harvest Farms started out at just something to do between jobs. A simple stop to visit my in laws stimulated an idea to address the need I saw of local farmers to get the food that they labored to grow to a feasible market and at least make back the money they put into the ground. Sweat equity is undervalued UNTIL you decide as a lowly constituent to undertake a backyard garden. You then begin to understand the fight of deciding what to grow when, will it grow in my soil under my trees, and the grass and weed battles are ENDLESS.
The life of a true farmer is hard. Early morning rising to water gardens cause that's when a plant is most receptive to receiving moisture which strengthens it to last though the intense Florida heat. Seeing the little weeds and grass that never go away unless you suppress it with mulch that too can be filled with all kinds of foreign substances unless you've learned to create and build compost yourself. Compost is another whole level in true farming.
The systems of farming is as everything in life, complex. But you don't know that until you knee deep in a pile of "compost" and think what the heck have I gotten myself into. So like all other intense personality folks in this industry, you go deeper. And amid the ebbs and flows of the daily task, you fall in love. You fall in love with the blossoms of a tomato plant which you nurture as you would a newborn baby. You're stoked at the squash blooms and try to determine is that a female or male flower cause the female will turn into squash and the male ones just fall off (which make wonderful dishes on their own if you know how). You fall in love with the evening morning and evening fragrances that fill your yard from the fresh basil, or just watered mint and rosemary. And Oh BOY, when the Florida Citrus trees start to radiate through the breeze, it's just breathtaking - and you stop for a moment just to take it all in.
You realize how blessed you are to be a chosen vessel tasked to till the soil, plant the seeds, fight the grass, weeds and thistles to reap the reward of picking the plumpest tomato, the crisp bell peppers, and the fresh dill that stops you in your tracks - temporarily cause you need to get it packed and ready to go to that customer that will enjoy the fruits of your labor before it wilts.
You get to interact with wonderful people who come to love you and appreciate what you do. They even offer to come out and help you do it. And that's fun and short lived when that heat hits their behind. They start looking for the cool of the shade to rest and return home exhilarated from the 2-3 hours they've spend on your farm. But you're glad to have them there cause that one or two weeds they picked out the garden was one or two that you didn't have to do today - so you smile. You take in the evening sunset, breathe in deep the fresh air and you rest. The next morning you are grateful for the crowing rooster that let's you know it's time to start it all over again. You wouldn't have it any other way.
So for me, this pandemic set me straight. I love what I do in working to promote small to mid sized farmers. I love connecting with people who want to enjoy the bounty of fresh grown food without having to do the work themselves. But will happily share their dollars with us cause they know we're doing our best to bring the BEST we can find from the farmers out there in their fields and backyards sweating it up and working as smartly as they can to grow some of Florida's finest produce. Their families help yours stay on course in maintain good health and well being by eating the produce they grow.
So Seed Time Harvest Farms will continue by launching our 3rd season of the year. For we stand on the foundation of as long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest time will never cease. We love you, we do - customers and farmers alike. We'll keep doing our best to help and bring it to you FRESH........
Happy Eating!
Leave a comment