NOW IN SEASON AT KUCEK FAMILY FARMS

(Lavender, rosemary,sage, parsley, lettuces, kale, swiss chard, peas, artichokes, beets, onions, CHERRIES) and soon on their way….Everything else. Yah

This is the calm before the storm in the good ole moth of May for several reasons. First comes the heat. We have been lucky this month that the heat has been delayed a bit, but I believe it is officially here with 90 degree temps starting this week. I for one am super NOT excited about this.

Second, it is a time for organization and sort of a count down to the the ultimate work time, HARVEST. We have to get all of our eggs in a row..so to speak; Time things out just right. Soon the garden will be overflowing with produce, enough to feed over 5 large families. The fruit trees will be sagging from heavy limbs of peaches, plums, figs and everything else that exists here on this bountiful farm. And yet, work still needs to be done. Barn repair continues, equipment repair is ongoing, and prep for fall plantings of blueberries are in process. Yet in May, there is not quite the urgency to make it happen, and there is still breathing room.  It is July that my heart will begin to beat faster and I have more sleepless nights because of heat and my todo list.

For us, we will use May to complete personal farm projects and enjoy the outdoors a bit more on the scant weekends that exist. Taking time to enjoy the animals roaming around the farm….

Taking time to climb the local hills…

And spending time under cherry trees or near the garden enjoying what is already in season and brainstorming new ways to craft this produce before it enters our bodies.

 

It is lovely to literally sit and watch these veggies grow. One day my daughter and son are pressing the dirt around each flower after having transferred it into the ground, and the next the sunflowers are taller than they are. All from seed, and all growing like weeds, including my 2 and 4 year old. Rio, my daughter was surprised to see that the flowers where actually taller than she was. I am surprised to see that every flower she planted is growing strong and healthy. Some already with new flowers starting. When I take those few moments to sit down in that chair outside the garden, it is this I ponder: the growth of all that surrounds us whether by size and shape, or by wisdom. This world can be incredibly harsh, but is balanced by it’s beauty. All this I see in my garden, our farm and our family. All this I have seen when I left these things behind to go out in the world and learn.

 

I will do my best to enjoy May even though the work NEVER stops and neither does growth. And these are the things that add life to us. Life without challenges and learning and growth….is no life. These are the things that shape our own personal lives, why each one of us has a story to tell that comes from just these things. A life that is built off of challenges and celebrations and growth. A life that we are constantly learning from. And if we are lucky we experience more joy than sorrow from this process. If we are wise we will choose the path of happiness. But as there is a balance in nature…life and death, rebirth, growth, so this exists within each one of us. In this month of May I will watch this happen within my garden, within my family and within myself.