First Harvest of the Season

A pound of snap peas, the first of this year’s harvest

One of the things that keeps farming interesting, is how the work changes throughout the year. Each part of the year has a focus, where one area of work takes center stage and though the other areas don’t end, they take a step or two back out of the way. In January, the focus is on paperwork: planning and preparation for the coming year. The first shift comes in February, with a move away from paper, to dirt and seeds and outdoor tasks: starting seeds, preparing ground and planting for annuals; pruning and maintenance for perennials. This week brought the next shift to a new focus: harvesting.

Lacinato and Red Russian kale from today’s harvest

We had the first harvest and delivery of the season this week. It is one of the major milestones of each year, and my work takes a significant turn. I do as little paperwork as I can get away with: keeping records for crops and for the business side of things, sending the weekly order e-mails and posting on the blog. The planting, though it continues into the fall, eases off, with the majority of the plants in the ground. Weeding always needs to be done, but soon, with summer heat and less rain (we can hope), the weeds won’t grow so fast. The pressure to weed eventually eases, too.

Green onions, standing at the ready

In the beginning of the harvest season, there isn’t as much produce ready to pick and I spend maybe two days worth of time each week on harvest and delivery, but by the peak of the season, from late August to early October, I spend a lot more time, as many crops need to be picked on a regular basis; with some being picked everyday, like zucchini and cucumbers. But this is what all the work is for; the crunch of snap peas eaten out of hand, the buttery sweetness of lettuce that hardly needs any dressing at all, the burst of juice from a cherry tomato in your mouth; good fresh fruits and vegetables, in our refrigerators, on our plates and in our bodies. I love it when the refrigerator is full of bunches of kale and chard and bags of peas. And if I need a green onion, I can run out to the garden and get one.

This week was the first harvest of the season and I couldn’t be happier.