When I go home, I embark upon a journey back to my family farm in Grand Rapids, Ohio.
To many, the first images that they think of when they hear the word farm are cows in pastures of grass, rows of field corn, and maybe a farmer in overalls riding a big green tractor (most likely a John Deere). Every one of these images are familiar to me from my experience growing up and living in rural communities across America---from Ohio to Iowa, but the images that greet me on my family's flower and vegetable farm in early summer are fields of blue and purple bachelor buttons, peonies popping into full-blown puffs of decadent fragrance, and vegetables like lettuce, zucchini and peas. And I must not forget the tender asparagus that is so sweet, you can eat it raw like celery.
Although the farm is a place of much work----planting, weeding, harvesting, selling, and beginning the cycle again almost every week, it is also a place os serenity. A place where one can wonder freely without the slightest ounce of worry and concern, as nature encircles you in the comfort of knowing that everything in life has a purpose. Even though my purpose has yet to come to fruition, by witnessing the seamless coexistence of all elements of nature with one another, I have confidence my skills will somehow work their way into supporting the greater good.
As I straddle universes over the next few months, I plan to write about my experiences home on the farm. I hope to share anecdotes from the customers that are like family and friends on the market, and also to illuminate the unique experiences of returning to the place of my childhood, and the place that has been an integral component of who I have and am becoming. So, I hope you'll enjoy the journey with me!
