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Christmas Eve? How did we get here? Time goes by so fast, it seems as though we were picking corn and pumpkins two weeks ago. I remember sitting in Mrs. Norton’s fourth grade class waiting for Christmas vacation. It seemed a span of two years between thanksgiving and Chrstmas back then. Now it seems we barely get the Thanksgiving turkey soup cleaned up before we have to deal with Christmas cookies.(translation: eat)
It has been a very busy fall here. We have a huge farmstand renovation underway,as of now framing is completed and we have two new buildings with roofs flashed and papered, ready for the shingles. After the new year windows,electrical and plumbing will start as well as trim and siding on the outside. Our friends Leo Maslan,Eric and Mary Skovsted have guided Mike and Ray through the process thusfar, acting as the brains of the outfit. When not developing their skills as carpenters,Mike and Ray have been renovating the gable ends of some of the older greenhouses. Thankfully the snow has held off, allowing us to proceed without the encumberances of snow or ice. Anne and Sarah have been at the books since the middle of October. There is pretax work,greenhouse inventory to go through,seed and plant orders as well as the crap loads of reports and documents to be filed to with the various government and and insurance bureaucracies. I am sure that if someone told us forty years ago that a farm of this size would generate this much desk work Anne would have remained a career teacher and I would still be driving a dump truck or working for someone else. She puts in an inordinate amount of time at the desk for the privlege of getting to work her butt off in the greenhouses and farm the rest of the year. And she still gets a boat load of desk work to do at that time of the year as well. Everybody is pretty beat and I expect there will be some people who work here who will fall asleep at some point on Christmas Day, besides myself.
As I sit here a jazzy version of Silver Bells wafts from the radio in the other room. It brings to memory Christamas past. I tend to be fairly unsentimental about things, but I cant help but reflect back on how far we have come since we started in 1974. As my friend Scott Macleay would say, we were farming “with stone knives and bear skins” back then. I sort of fantasize about giving some of the elders who went befo us re a tour of the place now. My Dad(who farmed and loved the outdoors) Stan Colby (who grew up here) My Grandad (a Tennesse farmboy and beekeeper) my Ma (from whom I got my love of gardening and plants) and my father in law who loved all things about animals and farming. I know that hey would get such a kick out of how far things actually come. I also a aware that Edgewater Farm would not be what it is today without the cooperative family efforts joined with the committed, hardworking efforts of many of those who passed through as laborers and part of the greater farm family. We cant help but be greatful,and feel more than a bit lucky.
So have a peceful and restful holiday season. The 2011 CSA Programs have been formulated and the information will be going out soon and will be posted on the website. Sarah has pictures on our Facebook site for those that are interested. We will be back at it on the 26th,rest assured. But not before I get some eggnog and quality time in my recliner…..
