Friday, April 18, 2008
Who are farmers/gardeners?
Farmers and gardeners are people who grow food, flowers, other crops, and animals, cultivating the land for profit and pleasure. My Dad, my grandmothers, my Great Uncle Jim...many of my family members are great gardeners. My Uncle Joe specializes in juicy tomatoes and fragrant basil; my Grandma Kase grew a backyard of beautiful flowers. They have shared the beauty and bounty of the gardens with me, summer after summer. Do you know anyone who farms or gardens? What special things have they shared with you?
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2 comments:
Well, my mother kept me out there digging, weeding, etc. in our very large garden no matter how many times times I contracted Poison Ivy (or where, or how badly.)
I know this might not be the inspiring story you were looking for, but it's mine!! ;~)
Hi Leah,
Looks beautiful, best of luck to you. I thought I would let you know that Nolan and I just came inside after building a little 6’x 6’ plot in our backyard (arid Central Oregon). Although not as large or as lush as the farm you will be working on, I hope that my little plot provides my family with an abundance of food and teaches us some of the same lessons that you learn over the next six months. As to farmers or gardeners, some influential gardeners in my life have been Uncle Louis and Aunt Agnes, Uncle Jim, and of course Grandma Kase. Although, I never had the opportunity to dig in the dirt, or to plant seeds with any of these individuals, I have fond memories of sharing in the fruits of their labor. I remember, the smile on Aunt Agnes’s face as we devoured the cherry tomatoes right outside her back door, I remember Uncle Jim pointing out ripe zucchini as we walked through his garden full of vegetables and random figurines (a particular squirrel and a dog stand out in my mind), I remember walking all the way to the back of Grandma’s yard only to find that a deer had once again found a way into her garden. There was always a smile on the gardeners face. And then sharing their work; at a dinner, there was such a subtle pleasure in sharing the homegrown goodies, whether it was fried zucchini or tomatoes and/or cucumbers in a sweet vinegar; or when leaving their house after a visit, you couldn’t have gotten out without a few ripe tomatoes if you tried. The pleasure of sharing was terrific, I have never seen someone have that much excitement sharing veggies bought from a store. So the special things they have shared… well first of all the food, but even more than that, they have shared the pleasure that comes with contributing, the pleasure that comes with giving, the pleasure that comes with sharing, they have taught me to smile even when the deer eat your ripe veggies.
Take Care and have fun. Greg
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