Down on the Farm

Michael Pollan

The Omnivore's Dilemma is really an excellent book. Customers at market last summer had been recommending it so much that I found myself a little resistant to it, like to the tune of "Marsha Marsha Marsha" I would hear in my head "Michael Pollan Michael Pollan Michael Pollan.'' Anyway, I got the book for Christmas, and it is as good as they said. I already lent it to my friend Dana (though I promised to lend it to Corny -- I will Corny!!) or I'd quote you from it, but you can get a good sense of what he's about from his articles in the NY Times like this one.

I've been procrastinating working on the CSA materials -- the flyers etc. -- for this year, but I've been mulling. And anyway it's always a struggle to decide how to explain the CSA in the flyers and posters in a way people will understand. For one thing, people sign up for the CSA for lots of diverse reasons -- great tasting veggies, super fresh, good for your health, know your farmer, local, support for small farms, organic, good for the environment, community building, and more. Which one to emphasize?

Anyway, reading the Michael Pollan book helped me grasp to me that all those things aren't really separate at all. They're all different perspectives on the same thing. Your taste buds are designed to be a guide to telling you what you should eat, so the fact that our veggies taste so good is correctly connected to the fact that they are grown in healthy soil and are super fresh and are, in fact, very good for you.

Sledding on the driveway

Digging out

It took us from 7am to 9am to dig out, but now Maryel and kids go to town for provisions!

The only storm totals I could find online this morning were for the western side of the Green Mountains, and the totals ran from about 30 inches to 36 inches. We usually get a little more snow on the eastern side of the Greens, so I am going to guess we were in the 36+ inch range.

Snow

It snowed really hard today. All day long. And it continues tonight. We must have gotten between 1 and 2 feet of snow today, and they are predicting another 10 to 15 inches tonight. I have spent close to 20 years living in Vermont and Minnesota, and I have never really seen anything quite like it for such a sustained period. These pictures were taken at 3:30pm and it looks like it is almost night time. More on our flickr page.

Moon

This is from Monday. It's cloudy and flurrying tonight.

Henry

Seasonal agricultural disorder

A typical afflication for this time of year -- tractor implement lust disorder (TILD). Not to be confused with the equally infectious things that would make the wash room more efficient lust disorder (TTWMTWRMELD).