Farm Journal
In subtle and blatant ways, farmers are professionally discounted and personally discouraged. I adamantly believe agriculture can be a rewarding, and healthy full time career. By writing about my work and sharing my progress, I hope to show how organic farms and farmers enrich and strengthen the communities they serve. ~April
Joyful Farming is:
aligning life, land, and community
believing in power and possibility
restoring health and home
nurturing relationships
honoring abundance and vocation
celebrating creativity and change
“I love your newsletter. The produce is so delicious, but the spirit of the farm lives in how you both communicate with us. So grateful for you all.”
— April Joy Farm CSA Member
Seeding for Our Soil
All spring and summer, we seed a variety of plants to feed our families. But now is the time of year Brad and I begin to focus on seeding cover crops –plants that will feed our soil.
Wild Lives, Wildlife
To us and an untold number of non-human friends, our farm is a place of refuge. For sure, this has been a summer of wildlife; we’ve had more critter sightings than I can remember from all past years.
Deep Underground Magic
A common way many growers expedite the labor intensive process of raising their own transplants is by using seedling trays. Typically, these are black plastic that has been molded into a set number of individual pots.
Inherently Laborious
As I explained in last week’s essay, there are many advantages to transplanting crops. However, don’t think it’s all roses and sunshine! Transplanting as a practice is inherently laborious.
Ctenucha Moth
Surprise Visitor: The Red Shouldered Ctenucha Moth (pronounced "ten-OOCH-ah") is only found in Washington and only in the Puget Sound trough, i.e. west of the Cascades and south of Chehalis.
Lettuce Be Real About the Facts
Lettuce is second only to potatoes in terms of U.S. per capita consumption. According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, California and Arizona produce over 98 percent of the leaf lettuce in the U.S.
Community Voices
“Your writing is superb, April! Profound, insightful, clear, honest and generous - like you. I always find some wisdom to share with the kids or illumination of my own journey. Thank you.”