August 11, 2005
Sick bugs
Last week we went to a NOFA-VT sponsored evening workshop at the Wellspring CSA farm in Marshfield. Wellspring is this wonderful CSA run by Mimi Arnstein, and as you can see from their site, they do a great job. We should add them to the friends column on the left. There, I just did that.
Anyway, the event was a field tour with a plant disease specialist and a bug specialist, both from the University of Vermont. Basically it was a group of about 12-15 veggie growers wandering around with two real scientists, talking about various pest and disease problems and strategies, about how the season is going, and generally shooting the breeze. It was great fun, and very informative for us. We always learn a tremendous amount visiting other farms. I guess we should thank Mimi for opening up her farm. I don't think I would have been brave enough to have all these people who know what they are doing wander around our farm and point out all the plant problems we are having! I mean, cough cough, not that we ever have any plant problems here, ahem.
Posted by peter at August 11, 2005 07:45 AMHello! Have been reading your blog for a week now. I'm about to hit 30 and wishing for a less corporate life in VT. I've been tossing the idea around lately of farming with my fiance who loves snowboarding in VT and dreams of moving there as well.
You guys seem like you are doing great. I was just wondering if you had farm experience at all before venturing to Vermont. It seems like there is a lot to learn. Did you have a lot of start up cash? Please feel free to reply to my e-mail address. Thanks! keep up the good work! :)
Posted by: Amy at August 11, 2005 02:17 PMHi Amy,
Well, the quick answers are (1) yes, there is a ton to learn, (2) we both had other growing/farming experience before setting out on our own, (3) we were very naive about start up money, we did not have nearly enough money put aside, and we continue to struggle with how to capitalize this venture as we go, and (4) we both still work off the farm because we haven't been drawing any money from the farm business.
The other thing that you should know is that any kind of farming is a ton of hard, hard, hard work. In my first season working on someone else's farm, I worked for the hardest working person I have ever met, Pete Johnson from Pete's Greens. And it was a great experience for me because it thrust me smack into the 95 (or 35) degree days, the humid, dusty, windy, sometimes rainy, sometimes sunny, sometimes snowy, weed picking/cucumber hauling/remay shoveling/hand planting/back bending work. And I discovered that I love the work.
And despite its stresses and difficulties, we love this life. We really love it. And little Wavo seems to like it so far as well. So we aren't going anywhere. But it is not for everyone.
So if you want to talk more about it, email me, because I can't seem to figure out your email address from your comment post.
Peter
Posted by: peter at August 11, 2005 03:39 PMThe other thing I would add is that about five years ago now, while we were still living in Connecticut, we took this course at the New England Small Farm Institute called Exploring the Small Farm Dream http://www.smallfarm.org/explorer/
It was a really, really useful and sobering and informative workshop, well worth the 1.5 hours drive time to/from each class. It was actually right after that we decided to move to VT and go for it.
I don't know where you are, but if you are at all interested in small farms, I would strongly recommend it!! The NESFI is also just a really cool place for exploring small farms and your various options for getting involved in one. Good luck!
