BURR! It’s about 56 Degrees F at my house right now as I settle in to grade my student’s finals and sip some coffee. Somehow in the course of motivating to do my grading and find my slippers (!!) when I’d rather  be outside, I began to reflect on the years of Good Life Valley Farm and all we have become.

Corey and I began our CSA 6 years ago during a time in our lives that was very uncertain. I had a very low-wage job as a florist and Corey worked about 70 hours a week for his family’s farm for little to no wages. We lived in a 15×9 camper with our two dogs in the corner of our very first CSA garden patch. We had a 1/2 acre plot, and it was all me since Corey worked in the fields haying all day. It was tough because everything was done by hand, and weeds were certainly doing their best to maintain their home. We loved what we did, though, and something just told us to keep evolving, learning and observing instead of giving up. Now, we are in a perfect location in Westfield and have since then developed quite the portfolio of tractors and garden implements that were welded and designed by Corey.

Life is SO good and the garden reflects this! We have a gorgeous little homemade greenhouse, an ever-improving planting system, and incredible working members. The folks at Springbrook Farm who have given us the land we use to grow on have done nothing but nurture our farming careers and become family to us both. We are so truly fortunate.

This growing season reminds me of two summers ago when the traumatic Late Blight hit. I lost about 200 tomato plants and about 100 lbs of seed potatoes. There was a time when I couldn’t look at a tomato without feeling the effects of heartburn and anxiety. It shook us both to see so much devastation. We plugged ahead, though, the following season, determined to once again store enough salsas and sauce to last a winter, and plowed three new garden plots to give our seedlings an uncontaminated start. Due to our efforts last year and the best growing season any farmer could ask for, we ended our season with a variety of heirlooms and regular tomatoes to give each member a hearty taste of red, purple, orange, yellow, and green gold!  So, due to that dreadful experience two years ago, we are taking our time  getting certain varieties outside, and are using our past experiences to gauge our decisions. The lettuce is glowing, the beets are poking up, corn is up, squash is flowering, and beans are bending their way above the soil’s surface. So, throughout everything, our garden’s name still emulates it’s owners, and life really is good! We are looking forward to a bountiful season despite the tornado watches, torrential spurts of rain, flooding, and cold and we can’t wait to share this beautiful bounty with you! We’ll see you next Saturday, the 18th for the small but delicious first share offering! Please know that your share will be available for pick-up after 1pm. Stay in touch!

oxox- Natalie