What is summer FOR? 🌞
Friends! It is August and I have been away from this space for so long now! After being diligent about maintaining my online presence for many years, I just kind of needed a break. I suppose we all do sometimes, yes?
And, now it’s full on SUMMER! The tomatoes are building their crescendo; the crickets are singing after dark; and we humans are doing all the warm season things.
While our winters are relatively mild here in Oregon, we do still enjoy very distinct seasons around the year. For us, it’s not just a temperature difference between summer and winter. We receive almost all of our 40+ inches of annual rainfall in the cooler half of the year. And in the summer, we can reliably expect dry weather almost every day, along with warmth (and HEAT! 🔥).
Like in much of the world, that means that summer becomes a busy season for fitting in all kinds of activities that just don’t work in the cool, wet season. For farmers, summer is our main growing season, of course (thanks to irrigation!). We can grow quite a lot in the shoulder seasons and hold things well in greenhouses over the winter, but this is the season of the big growth explosion. We’re seeing it now: field corn towering over my head, winter squash vines covering the ground and hiding the ripening fruit beneath their leaves, the succession of ripe cherries, plums, and the first of the apples. Planting and weeding and irrigating and harvesting means this is the season of WORK for farmers.
But … this is also the best season for outdoor adventures! Days are long and trails are dry! BEFORE farming, summer was when my husband Casey and I would head to the mountains. It’s that love of being outside that led us to farming, but then farming changed the nature of summer so much. Working on the farm all day everyday was okay for awhile, but in time we missed the recreation component of summer — the part where we PLAYED. Farm work can be fun and satisfying, but it is still work. Hoeing a row of carrots is something you just have to DO. Eventually, we found ways to play in summer too — hikes on the weekend, bike rides to the river to go swim. But we had to be intentional about finding that balance. It wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t make it a priority.
Finding balance is one of the many topics I discuss in my forthcoming book about farming and parenting, because when I spoke with other farm families I found that we were NOT alone in finding ourselves so focused on WORK that we forgot how to PLAY. And when you have kids, family play becomes essential! (More about the book below!)
This summer, I’ve been working hard in some new areas for me, but also making time for new experiences and play. Our family visited the southern Oregon coast and Crater Lake for the first time for most of us. I traveled to Minneapolis with my choir for a GIANT chorus festival (7,500 singers!). While in the city, I also got to see an exhibit of Keith Haring’s art — he is one of my artistic heroes! (I’m wearing a mask in the photo above because I wanted to avoid getting Covid on my travels! Thankfully, I stayed healthy!) And now it’s mountain bike season for my family, and I’m joining them on the trails for the first time. Mountain biking is a big challenge for me and may not end up being “my” sport, but I think learning new things after 40 is an important part of feeling ALIVE. I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience new things.
And yes, our garden is growing and we’re trying to keep up with the zucchini (it’s a losing proposition) and already planning our first apple pies of the year.
And, another exciting part of this summer for me? … Receiving my first print copy of my new book! …
Farm-Raised Kids is getting closer & closer!
Look at what I have! A real live physical copy of my forthcoming book from Storey Publishing: Farm-Raised Kids: Parenting Strategies for Balancing Family Life with Running a Small Farm or Homestead.
After so many years of working on this book, finally holding it in my hands feels like a dream come true. I love how it turned out. It’s full of vibrant photos (thank you to photographer Shawn Linehan for providing so many of them), and words of wisdom from 25 different farms. Farm-Raised Kids officially launches into the world on October 29, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you! It’s available for pre-order now wherever books are sold, including:
Bookshop — Ordering from here will support local independent bookstores, and this is an affiliate link so I will get a small extra commission for the sale!
Third Street Books in McMinnville, Oregon — My favorite local book store! If you live local to me, this is a great place to order and I’ll be signing all the pre-ordered copies.
The Book Bin in Salem, Oregon — My other favorite local book store! Also a great choice!
Your local independent bookstore can likely order it for you too!
Amazon — Yep, the big jungle folks also have it!
Yes, I’m still podcasting too!
Check out all these fascinating recent guests on the Growing For Market website or any podcast app …
Thanks for reading my check-in amidst your own busy summer. What are YOU up to? What is summer for you? Do you play? Work? Love the heat? Hide inside with a book or puzzle? I’d love to hear from you!
Either way, I hope you’re enjoying the magic of the season!
With gratitude,