Good Soil Is Like A Kitchen

...You can make the most amazing anything!

So an internship is meant to be an educational experience. Since I've been working here it has been heavy on the labor and a little light on the education. But today...

We visited a real organic produce farm some 45 minutes away called Tree and Leaf. The farmer, Zack Lester, sells at a couple of the markets we attend so I've seen him around and trade with him regularly (flowers for food: it's the best!) Through a steady afternoon drizzle, he gave us a thorough tour of his greenhouses and veggie crops. He is a soil genius. I never realized how important and complicated soil balance is. It may seem like a no-brainer, but there are concrete chemical reasons for the appearance and texture of soil. This year is his first year on this land, and he is loving the soil with all of his might. Basically, soil needs an intricate balance of compounds in order to yield healthy, nutrient-rich plants. Growing the same crop year after year, eking out every last bit of a particular resource, will leave soil depleted. It then needs to be nurtured back to a rich balance by introducing purified mineral elements and by planting crops that are complementary to the previous crops. For example, he said that a row of lettuce should not be covered by another shift of lettuce or leafy crop, but perhaps a seed-heavy plant like beans. In some wondrous way I'm only beginning to grasp, strategizing upon the diverse four-fold rhythm of plant growth can renew soil. Wikipedia: on cover cropping.

Zack took a brief digression on the negative repercussions of Roundup, a heavy herbicide used to control weeds in commercial growing (and, in fact, in small doses at Wollam Gardens). On the issue of soil: Roundup used in large commercial quantities, with crops that are "Roundup ready" (genetically modified to withstand the herbicide) yields soil that is stripped and poisoned. And I think this just scratches the surface of the problem.

And now for a soapbox session. I have been quick to condemn non-organic methods, but I have never taken the time to research the facts about their long term negative effects. Now I am only beginning. The issue is deeper and more important than we think, when we stand in the grocery store and try to manage the $2 different between an organic tomato and a conventionally grown tomato, or even a non-food plant like a sunflower. It's deeper than preference or fad. Nourishment of the earth, our food, and our bodies is a virtue we need to promote and defend. End of soapbox. Thank you, Tree and Leaf Farm!

Love (and nutrient-rich food) to all!

The Beginning (Week 6)

Almost everyday, some flower, bug or remarkable moment stirs my desire to document my experience on this flower farm. I have been working as an intern at Wollam Gardens for almost six weeks, with four weeks remaining. I am learning a lot, from propagation (the fancy term for reproducing plants) to extending flowers' vase life. I would like this blog to serve two purposes: a) to share some secrets and practical advice, and hopefully inspire people to grow! And b) to offer updates on my life (I am horrible about keeping in touch, and if I get it all written down here, if you're reading this, then the next time we talk it can be all about you!)

Love to all.
Miranda

The Situation

I live with two other interns in the historic farm house, work on the farm five and a half days a week, and attend two different farmer's markets in D.C. My day begins at 8 o'clock (luxuriously late, I can say!), breaks for a 30 minute lunch, and ends anytime between 4:00 and 6:30. The hardest part is working through the hot, late hours of the day. The best part is the peace of growing flowers and trees and the quiet countryside. Living in the country has been simple and refreshing! Moments of inspiration and blissful wonder are renewing my soul. God is steady, present and loving in solitude, loneliness, wide open nature, delicate beauty, the nitty gritty challenge of toil and community life.

The Farm

The farm is 11 acres of flowering plants. Sprawling rows of sunflowers, bright zinnia beds, hills of multi-colored dahlias, packed patches of fragrant basil, crates of glossy lilies, mint patches buzzing with bees, havens of leaning hydrangea shrubs, clusters of many-varied plants, colors, colors, colors! There are flowers that we cut to be bright eye-catching centers; there are modest stems of small, cute flowers to fill in the spaces. I have been surprised many times, when instructed to cut from a plant that never stood out as a "cut flower" plant. I've really come to appreciate those small, modest, or even gnarly plants, as I have come to see them up close.

Markets and Selling Flowers
The day is set in two parts: 1) cut flowers, 2) prepare flowers for sale. Usually we get all our cutting done before lunch, leaving the afternoon open to assemble 12-16 buckets of bouquets (5 bouquets per bucket). Yes, do the math...60-80 bouquets! Our customers are: florists, several Whole Foods stores, "special orders" (i.e. weddings), and FARMERS' MARKETS. The week has a rhythm, i.e. cut for all florists on Monday, deliver Tuesday. Cut for markets on Saturday, attend market on Sunday. Markets are one of my favorite experiences...for so many reasons...this will get its own post one of these days!

Life Outside the Farm

It has been awesome to have a work-is-over point everyday! Keeping in touch with friends and family has been a challenge, as cell phone reception on the farm is limited to a small nook by the far sunflower field. After a 9 or 10-hour day, my focus is spent and my body tired. Still, there have been many opportunities to make the easy enough 75 minute drive into D.C., either for a market, or in my free time. The Quincy House is a mecca of music and Catholic culture. And the Boynes are going to be sick of flowers and produce by the time I'm done here! I love them and their two kiddos so much!

Pictures are my next priority (contemplating a new camera). So stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Love to all.
Miranda