ON THE FARM
Veggies have been ripening left and right so we’ve been hard at work harvesting at least four days a week!
The summer sun wilts produce almost immediately so the veggies are picked as quickly as possible and brought into the shade of our wash/pack station. They’re rinsed in freezing water and packed tightly into crates, going right into the cooler until its time to sell them at the farm stand or farmers market. Everything we sell is a day or two old - never more than five - which makes me question grocery store produce with its super long shelf life and pristine looks…
Scapes, radishes & rhubarb are done for the season but lettuce, broccolini & kale are still going strong, now joined by garlic and a massive amount of zucchini and squash. Those are picked every day and yet somehow there’s always more, getting bigger and bigger by the minute.
Our biggest cash crops are corn and sunflowers so those demand lots of attention. Corn is fun on days when you’re having feelings that need to be worked out - their rows are a great place for a little screaming session while ripping out suckers that would otherwise take energy away from the main stalk. Therapy for you and the plant! Sunflowers are reserved for happier moods - perfect for dancing around as you strip leaves off the stem, enjoying the gorgeous flowers.
FORAGING & NATURE
With the rising labor intensity our crew has picked up random ailments that I’m working on fixing up. One coworker got a gnarly cyst on their leg so I mixed plantain (skin repair), oregano (anti-bacterial) and calendula (anti-inflammatory) to ease the pain and drain the bump. These chopped up herbs were heated in honey and castor oil, as both substances are calming and aid in removing gunk from under the skin. Worked pretty damn well!
I myself have been having finger joint stiffness from all the ripping, tugging, washing, and general hand use on the farm. Using the same castor oil and some beeswax, I made an infusion of dried thyme, horsetail, ground elder and ginger in hopes that massaging it into my skin every night will ease the tension. Curious to see how it works as all these plants are known for easing joint issues.
In snacking news - the wild blueberries and raspberries are starting to ripen! We’re eating them right off the bushes as they grow all around our farm perimeter.
IN THE STARS
Saturn has stationed retrograde! This planet has been in Pisces since March of last year with the focus of its themes directed at bringing structure to the abstract. Interpret that as you will but I’ve seen it manifest as people re-thinking their relationships with drugs & alcohol, integrating spiritual practices into their routines, accepting and working on mental health or emotional issues, and integrating wilder fantastical goals into real life. These are just a few examples for a transit that has been pushing us to try grasping and bringing order to things that don’t enjoy being verbalized, seen or manifested in physical reality.
Now that Saturn is moving retrograde 6/29 through 11/14, all the responsibilities we’ve taken on and boundaries we’ve set since March 2023 (in the Pisces area of individual charts) will be tested. I don’t mind a Saturn retrograde because it feels like a break from dealing with new struggles. It brings back stuff from the past which means you already know what you’re in for. It also pushes you to share your inner struggle with the wider world, which only helps source solutions. Saturn rewards discipline, sober thinking and honesty with yourself & others, all of which shouldn’t be hard to do when faced with familiar issues. Now will be our chance to learn what no longer works and leave old problems in the past instead of letting them control us further.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
