We didn’t get into farming only because we wanted to take direct action of our impact on the soil. It isn’t just that we love producing food to share with our community. Learning to be more self reliant wasn’t the only perk to being a farmer. Farming is not a job, not a hobby. Farming is a lifestyle, and a philosophy.

You can’t just put some seeds in the ground and grow a crop. You have to put seeds in the ground knowing you are growing a crop. To be a farmer by nature, is to live by faith. It is impossible to be out in the soil around diverse colors of plants, toiling insects, warm sunshine, or cool rain without feeling part of something bigger.

This is the feeling of gratitude. I am grateful of literally everything as a farmer. When it’s a nice day, when we get some much needed rain, the CSA members and markets goers that sustain us, the rest during winter, even the pests for they will in turn be food for a friend. As a farmer we, like the insects, do in fact toil, but it is with the great attitude of gratitude. The insect may not be able to elaborate on a blog post about the philosophy behind their purpose of breaking down organic matter to build soil, but I can try.

Sure it isn’t always easy. It isn’t always glamorous. And I’m not always in the moment like the isopods, millipedes, and worms or my blogs might let you believe. But for the most part, it is very easy to look around at the wonders of the natural cycle that is life and death and put it all back into perspective.

Every moment is like a seed. We ought to treat it gently, respectfully and with good faith that tending well to that seed of the now we might have a good bounty of fruit. Everyday we should be weeding out the negative thoughts we are having, the thoughts stemming from a lack of gratitude. We must be grateful for our skills and not shame ourselves if we feel like we haven’t achieved perfection. Thoughts of judgement about ourselves, others, or things out of our control will ultimately flower and set seed producing more unwanted thoughts. I can tell you, the more often you weed the easier it is.

When every week you are doing a field walk and taking stock of the chores that need done, we can’t forget to appreciate the chores we have checked off. Even the smallest of tasks, or that short moment of peace and rest can be just what was needed to motivate us toward positive momentum. Like a snowball our positive attitudes reward us and grow in size and speed, and just as quickly a thought stemming from frustration can melt that snowball to a puddle. The trick is to know this puddle will water in seeds and you can begin gardening again for it is spring.

As the months go on, your seed is now a plant. You enjoy giving the plant the light of your positive thoughts and tendings and the beautiful flowers are much to be grateful for. Through the pollination of all the plants of thoughts in your mind come the fruits of all your laboring. It was tough weeding through all the thorny negative self defeating thoughts, and it has been a long patient wait but we can’t forget to enjoy our fruits. For every farmer knows, the fruits hold seeds… and the seasons come and go, but with the right attitude you can find the same beauty in moving barrows compost as in the faces of the happy people at the farmers market. Happy growing, friends.

Full Circle CSA

Great Attitude