First post: What We're Up To and Waxing Poetic

Hi all! Ailsa here.

Wow. It took me a while to find a time to write this. We have lots of irons in the fire around this time.

It seems like ages ago now, but we only decided to start the CSA around Christmas. January 31 was our deadline to ditch it, but by then we had a website.

Right now we have much more to do than you would imagine for farmers in February. Actually, it hit me again today that we have to really get in gear. Aside from setting up a business legally and financially, we still have equipment and supplies to find/purchase, storage/work spaces to prep, etc!

And then there's the quest for new CSA members! Over the past month or so I've met a lot of folks who don't know what a CSA is, and the bubble I've lived in for the past couple years has popped. I'm figuring out how to explain the importance of good food and sustainable agriculture to people (while essentially trying to sell this food and lifestyle). 

As a critic of capitalism and a general skeptic, this partial transformation into a salesperson has been pretty weird for me. I have to keep reminding myself that farming is an honest and modest living; I'm not asking people to pay $695 for a share so that I can buy a new...well, anything. Basically I'd like to keep my '92 Ford Ranger running, pay for a place to live, and soon save some money for the time when my body gives out after many years in the field. Those are the short-term goals.

The long-term, over-arching goals are comforting because  this work that we undertake goes beyond us. It does not exploit people or places for unnecessary gain. We want to treat the land well so that we can be well and make it easier for others to be well also. That's not to say that I find it otherwise thankless; I love planting, weeding, harvesting, and EATING.

So, I'm going to stop musing for now and join Brad, who is working on field plans! Yes!