This new year, I made time to visit with my garlic beds. As I walked through the rows, I took notice of the fresh coats of snow painted over beds of straw – a time of rest for garlic. Soon when the weather warms and the sun shines for longer, top growth will start to appear, marking the end of dormancy.
As I write to you, I’m thinking of the stream that runs through the grove behind my house, now dry. I’ve been cutting honeysuckle out of that grove, in the hopes of planting native diversified species and watching the understory thrive one day.
Back in 2019, I spent some time traveling to both off-grid and urban farms in the western US in hopes of finding new experiences and passions. During this journey, I learned a lot about the food justice movement, which really expanded my views on the intersectionality of sustainability movements.
Last weekend, I arrived in Nashville, TN to attend the National Farmers Union Women’s Conference. The conference focused on co-operation and interdependence, reflecting the reality that farming is a communal effort and centering the female experience of working in ag.
A few months ago, I was standing in a field in northeast Iowa admiring the corn and soybeans nearing harvest. The cornstalks danced overhead and a friend’s child was admiring the fuzz on the soybeans.
i look outside my window at all there is to see
the clouds, the sky, the buildings, the leaves on every tree
and think of how amazing creation truly is
and just how much there really is for all of us to miss
