Farm Week 3 Recap & Rethinking Time

Although this week has seemed to pass quickly, it began on Monday with the most physically demanding day on the farm yet. The farm has tunnels that are made with a metal half circle frame, and is covered by large plastic sheets. I'm not sure exactly what the advantage of these tunnels are, but they are used to grow things like various types of tomatoes and strawberries. My guess would be that it has something to do with the tunnel's ability to increase the humidity inside it, or maybe it has to do with the tunnel's ability to shelter the plants from damaging weather like strong wind and rain. The strawberries planted in the tunnels were harvested before I began working on the farm, but farm work is so time consuming and demanding that it wasn't until this week that we c began to clear out the old plants and weeds. The main objective when clearing a field is to remove the plastic covers that protect the crops from intruders such as pests and weeds (a technique used to ensure that all produce will grow organically). However, this is never an easy task when the field has been untended for weeks, and the plants grow stronger and thicker in openings of the covers, and this makes it more difficult to pull the covers up. Add to the fact that these rows are long and numerous, and you have a full day's work load of just pulling up the covers in increasingly hot and humid weather.

On that day I learned that sunscreen needs to be reapplied about every two hours. It seems obvious, but that fact never registered with me until I came home with a blister on my forehead and a pretty painful sunburn. On top of that, I was soaked in sweat the entire day. It was a very challenging and uncomfortable day, and coming home to relax after work was more satisfying than any other day. A job like this really emphasizes the importance of rest - of Sabbath. Providing for a basic need of people (the need to eat) is physically demanding, and it would be impossible to continue without periods of rest. Luckily, the other two days on the farm were less exhausting. These days consisted of picking berries, picking tomatoes, and filling CSA boxes. Nevertheless, these days are twelve hours long and still require a lot of physical labor. 

Participating in a rhythm set by the patterns of nature has allowed me to interact with time differently. Any of the necessary tasks on the farm take a long time to complete. Even picking blackberries can take about half a dozen workers three or four hours to pick all of the ripe blackberries from the bushes. Yesterday we picked tomatoes from the time we arrived until it started getting dark, and we prepared to go home. While this sounds tedious and unpleasant, the truth is that time often seems to pass quickly. I am not quite sure about the reason for this, but I think it is important to take note of this fact so that I don't take the time I have for granted.

Photo taken by me of cherry tomatoes grown in the tunnels

On the other hand, the physicality of farm work also causes me to appreciate the small moments of rest during the day. The classic exemplar of the slow farm truck cruising unnecessarily slow down a country road and annoying fast drivers makes sense to me now. I appreciate those few minutes where I can finally relax, whether it is in the truck or just in the shade for a short water break. I took particular note of this appreciation of the slower pace on Monday when I went to the water pump to refill my water jug. My body seemed to delight in the simple act of driving to the water pump with a cool breeze flowing in from the window. At that moment I felt a bit of peace, and had no desire to rush back to the exhausting work of pulling the covers  in the tunnels. I, of course, did not take more time than was necessary to return to work, but I have a greater appreciation for those moments in time that offer rest. Unfortunately, I must confess that this appreciation has not completely overtaken me when I am on my way home, and I still feel agitated when people are making it difficult to get home sooner. Hopefully my demeanor will improve over time.

Despite the sunburns, muscle soreness, and heat, I am greatly enjoying my time working on the farm. Moments exist when it tests my breaking point, but the opportunity to understand how God can provide and teach through the patterns of nature are always worth the effort. Working on a farm is physically demanding, but it also helps remove me from the distractions of modern life. There is a lot of time for reflection, and there are always news things to see and experience in more natural settings. It is not surprising that authors like Henry David Thoreau and Wendell Berry (among many others) have written profoundly about life based on their experiences in more natural settings.