On belonging + news for your ears

Happy (almost officially) summer everyone! The solstice arrives next week, on June 21, but life feels like it is in full summer mode here already …

June started with two big milestones here on the farm: the kids and I finished our homeschool year (yay!), and I submitted the first complete draft manuscript of my farming and parenting book (yay again!). Completing those two BIG tasks felt like a wonderful way to turn into the new season. We’ve spent the last two weeks easing into new rhythms and fitting in as much outside time as possible: farming, hiking, running, biking!

Also, as a true harbinger of the season: we now have our “dunk tub” set up in our yard. Our “tub” is a plastic agricultural pallet tote that we fill with cold water — it’s the perfect size for one person to get in and dunk their whole body and then sit and look out at the fields. For me, these cold water dunks feel like the epitome of summer and the perfect way to end a day spent working hard outside. I rinse off the dirt and sweat and come out feeling fresh and relaxed.

We’re also approaching the start of the kids’ mountain bike racing season. Our oldest child joined this team last year, and now the youngest one is old enough to join too. I have loved watching them grow in their enthusiasm for everything related to this experience: the bike riding, yes of course, but also the feeling of being on a team. They wear their team shirts with pride regularly.

Feeling like we belong is such a fundamental human need. It’s a feeling that took me a long time to find in my own life. I grew up in a time and particular place that was cynical about group identity. My high school friends and I were especially against the idea of team spirit, perhaps because we were all people who chose to attend a small, academic oriented magnet school that didn’t have school sports. While someone might wear a band shirt (in fact, we all wore lots of band shirts), we would never ever wear a school shirt — I’m not sure we even had them!

… so it took me a long time to understand the joys of actively embracing team pursuits and that sense of belonging. As an adult, I’m happy to report that I’ve found so many wonderful communities where I’ve learned all the positive, truly humanity-affirming ways that we can belong to each other — communities and groups joined around shared positive values and shared pursuits. I’ve learned that belonging is bigger than just wearing a team shirt (although that can be fun!) — it’s also about having a group where you feel like you contribute something valuable to other people as well as receiving something valuable from others. Groups where there can be collaboration and people can, together, create something so much more amazing that what is possible when we just work on our own. Groups where the team helps us become better versions of ourselves. I’ve had these experiences through work, on the farm, in a choir, and more.

My kids are now having that experience on their bike team, as well as in a youth orchestra. And those experiences are especially important because they’re some of their very own. But they’ve also grown up with that sense of belonging here on the farm too. In my book about parenting and farming I explore how children raised on a farm can grow up with a shared sense of family identity and purpose. By being an active participant in the farming activity, they learn early what it means to cooperate and contribute to something bigger than themselves. I heard so many farmers talk about the pride their very young children take in helping to harvest for dinner, and I heard from parents of older children about the ways their teens have become integral and critical parts of their farm teams. I see it in our children too, in the ways they show the farm to visitors with pride and let me know when they see the first ripe raspberries (this week!). They know they contribute to this work; they belong to this team.

One of the hardest parts about being a writer and illustrator is that most of my work is done alone. I do work well alone, but I always welcome opportunities when my work brings me into collaboration with others — whether that’s with an editor or other writers and artists. Which brings me to my big news of the month …

I just joined the Growing for Market podcast team as a new cohost! You may remember that I was on the podcast a few months back as a guest — now I’m going to be the one doing the interviewing, getting to talk with so many interesting people.

This has been in the works for a couple of months now, but last week it became official with an introductory episode where I shared my farming life story with Andrew Mefferd, the other cohost and GFM’s editor/publisher. It was fun to reflect on my almost two decades of farming experience and current projects (including writing for the GFM magazine) and consider how all that has led me to helping host this awesome new podcast for farmers.

You can listen to the new episode anywhere you get podcasts or on the GFM website here. The episodes where I am a host will start dropping later this month or early July.

Also, we’re always looking for folks to interview! The goal with this new podcast arm of GFM is to feature people who might not have time or inclination to write articles for the magazine but who have an interesting story or useful knowledge to share with our audience of market farmers and growers. That includes farmers of course, but also seed breeders, extension agents, farm mechanics, market managers, authors … you name it! The podcast format allows us to talk in depth about YOUR area of expertise and find the elements that might be helpful to other growers elsewhere. If you somehow work with the market farm world and have something cool to share, please reach out to Andrew or me and share how your story would be relevant to our audience. We’d love to chat with you on the podcast!

Also, I love writing that word: “we”! Once again, I’ve found a way to contribute to a team, and I’m so excited about the ways this podcast will keep me reaching out and communicating with farmers and people all over the country.

Plus, I do have a Growing for Market t-shirt. And, yes, I wear it.

I hope that you have lots of summer activities in the works, whether this is the busy season in your fields or the time for play (or both!).

With gratitude,

Katie

Interviewing Growing for Market editor/publisher and fellow podcast cohost, Andrew Mefferd!