Morning at the Farm

After I discovered that most of the work on the farm got done early in the morning, I resolved to go to the farm when they were starting work -- at 5 a.m.

This required me to get up at 3 in order to get ready and drive for 45 minutes to Mount Petit Jean. I've heard hyperbolic expressions comparing one's morning schedule to that of a farmer before, but those people knew nothing.

Get it? It's a Song of Ice and Fire Reference. (Source)

The first thing we did was harvest cabbage, Napa cabbage, carrots, and broccoli. The various types of cabbage were mostly what I was concerned with, because I had to learn how to feel the cabbage to see if it is ripe enough and how to cut the edible head of the cabbage from the outside leaves.

Interestingly, the outer leaves have tiny thorns on them. To remove the head, one must cut it from the base of the plant with a knife.

The Vegetables of Our Labor

I then brought the harvest to the kitchen with Doug, where we chopped off the remaining spiny outer leaves. We set apart about 4 Napa cabbages to clean to make kimchi, and he put the rest of the vegetables in storage.

While he was doing that, I let the chickens out and fed the outer leaves to them. Who knew they liked cabbage so much?

Feeding Frenzy

Next, we washed the Napa cabbage and started chopping it up. Then, we mixed salt brine to soak it in for a few days. It was important that we press the cut cabbage down tightly in the drink cooler and weigh it down with plates.

Napa Cabbage for the Kimchi

I left with Tristan to hoe the fields some more after cleaning up and witnessing delicious breakfast being made in the kitchens. We got a little help weeding the tomatoes from Chef Adam's adorable sons. That took about two hours, as I remember.

Hoeing the Kale

Little Helpers

Then, of course, we got food waste from the kitchen to put in the compost and chop up. Eating in the kitchen with the others afterwards was very refreshing!

It's satisfying to chop things up with a machete.

I don't think I have any overly interesting facts to tell you, dear reader, but for me, it was interesting just to experience a little of what the others, and farmers everywhere, do on a regular basis. The work was tiring, but it was fulfilling just to be outside surrounded by nature, and to do work with tangible, sure qualities.

I look forward to doing it again on Thursday, when campers will be harvesting honey from the apiaries! My family brews mead, so I'm eager to get my hands on a few bottles!

Raw Honey is the Best for Brewing (Source)