Payback

May was full of disappointment at the Genuine Faux Farm while the farmers fought Covid and found themselves only able to do basic farm and self-care chores and job-related duties.  June was a transitional month where we borrowed some motivation from our farming friends.   Now that we've reached July, we find ourselves with enough energy in the tank that we can actually pay back some of the kindnesses we received when we were down.

Our "gang" of farmers got together at Scattergood Friends School Farm on Sunday and did what we do when our farms get together during the growing season.  We provide our combined expertise at some much needed tasks and then we converse over a meal.  It's good for those who travel to get off of their respective farms for a bit.  It's good for the farm that receives the help.  And, it's good for the souls of all who participate.

We started by helping transplant sweet corn for a late succession.  One of Mark's perennial challenges at Scattergood is to try to grow crops that mature during the school year when there are more people to feed.  Traditional peak for sweet corn in Iowa starts in late July and ends in late August.  So, he has to get creative if he wants to extend the season of certain vegetables so the students and staff can enjoy a wider range of produce.

The Scattergood Friends School Farm is on rolling land, and they do a good job of rotating the growing areas with animals, cover crops and perennial cover.   It's a beautiful place to walk and it is always pleasant to visit.  I appreciate the hard work that goes into making this a worthwhile place in the world.

In addition to planting sweet corn, we weeded the onion patch.  To give you an idea of scale, I would guess that we had rows that were about 300-400 feet long and there were about ten or twelve rows there, if you included the leeks.  I grabbed a wheel hoe and got my steps in for the day while the rest attacked the in-row weeding.

Once that was done, there was a quick foray to plant some late succession summer squash and zucchini.

It felt good to help someone else get something done.  Sometimes payback is a good thing.