We are transitioning over here at HPF. It's challenging. I so like a good, reliable routine. Creating a new one challenges me very much. Creating a new one for myself and my two-year-old challenges me very, very much. So we're muddling along, doing the best we can, and mama is trying to be present in each moment. We're spending a lot of time outside, walking around, going to the greenhouse, washing our boots, digging holes, etc. This week we made a snowman. We're getting spring things done like first haircuts and car washes and transplanting. It's sweet time. We had loads of snow this week. Nine or so inches. It was awesome and the earth said, "Gulp, ahhhh!" The chickens were like, "What?" 

We love our new chickens. Ten Gold Star 6-month-olds, and five Australorp 2-year-olds. They're beautiful, healthy and laying like rock stars. 

The flowers are growing, growing, growing. It's so fun. We'll be in the field within the month if this keeps up. Yeehaw!

Happy Spring, y'all!

J,M+E

I go down to the shore in the morning
and depending on the hour the waves
are rolling in or moving out,
and I say, oh, I am miserable,
what shall—
what should I do? And the sea says

in its lovely voice:

Excuse me, I have work to do.” 

Yesterday morning I got up early and went to seed some celosia. While seeding I listened to a rare Mary Oliver interview on On Being. I listened to her reading the above poem and cried into my little seed cells in the chilly greenhouse shed at 6 am. Her beautiful, hard-won words bring healing for so many people. And she is so very charming. Listen to it if you have a chance.

And now when you admire a stem of celosia in a bouquet, you can think of her, and me, and yourself, and how we're all connected in this wide wide world in beauty and grace and ugly and sorrow. 

We all have work to do.

Speaking of work, we're rockin' in the greenhouse. It feels a little overwhelming but also exciting and so fun! Farmer Mike is getting busy with GOE now too, and these beautiful warm spring days make us all feel the pull of the alive soil. It's really dry, folks. It's so dry. But if things progress like this, we'll be working up the ground in no time. 

Are you tiring of photos of these little baby plants that hold so much promise? Me neither. It's so gratifying to walk out to the greenhouse and see these plants getting bigger and stronger. 

We're getting new chickens on Saturday. Swoon! So excited. Gold Star 6-month-olds, and a few older Black Australorp ladies. I love chickens, and can't wait to welcome these girls to our home. Also, to not have to pay for eggs. 

We've reopened our hiring process as we had a former great candidate with a change of plans. It's been a little harrowing as this is our first employee, and really key to our success this season, but we have some great new applicants this week. We're excited to interview next week.

And the Flower Children's Garden is in the works. We have quite a few committed big and little friends to our flower, veggie and herb garden planting day on May 16th! Woohoo! Planting, lemonade and snacks. And happy chickens. I love children, and have taught formerly. It is my heart: growing things and children. It's such a natural partnership, and adding this component to our farm is a fulfilled dream for me. And my little flower child can eat tomatoes off the vine as he loves to do.

Be well this beautiful week!

J,M+E

We attended the MOSES Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse this weekend. It was wonderful as usual. So much inspiration. So many like-minded people doing meaningful, super cool work to feed and beautify and make things better. Prairie Garden Farm presented a workshop on flower farming that was inspiring and informative. It made me feel more sure that we really can make this our successful family business. We connected with our awesome buyers, including the Co-ops, Birchwood Cafe, and Whole Foods. We connected with many old friends, and made some new ones too. AND, many of our farmer friends now have children too, and we had a swimming morning at the hotel pool. It was great. We have a wonderful farm community, and now Earl does too.

And then there was our MOSES Mentor Program meeting. Oh to be in this room with so many AMAZING farmers! As a benefit of the Land Stewardship Project Journeyperson Program, we're also a part of the MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentor Program.

Please meet our amazing flower farmer mentor, Martha Smart. She has a flower farm in Conrath, Wisconsin. She brings twenty years of flower farming experience to share with us. So excited. We've had a few phone conversations, talking flowers, flowers, flowers, and now were able to meet in person and of course, talk flowers. So fun! And informative, and helpful. Looking forward to a long and productive relationship with this wise woman.

Meanwhile on the home front...just look at these craspedia babies. They are growing like the rock stars they are. Linda, GOE farm manager, took good care of all the little seedlings while we traveled. It's so astonishing to see how much they grow in a few days. 

And there's the lisianthus. Look closely, it's up. These teeny tiny sweet babies take so long to grow (6 months) and they're so picky. Most flower farmers buy plugs. We haven't wised up yet and this is our third year trying to germinate and grow our own from seed. I keep saying, "Earl, this is your college education!" :) We'll see but each year our germination and survival rates are better. 

We had a busy, fabulous weekend. Our two-year-old weathered it all like a pro, and put on purt near five miles on Friday just running around checking stuff out and riding the escalator. We all slept well last night, at home, snug in our beds. Thanks to the MOSES staff for all their hard work!

xo

J,M&E