Market prep, diggin holes, The Cleanse

Lovely, if chilly, day on the farm today. Over lunch more then one of us asked if this kind of cold is typical for so late into June (it is).

Tonight was the Livingston Farmers Market so it was pick, wash and pack. Sara, Kelsey and Laurie got a huge head start on Monday picking most of what we needed so while they washed what was ready, Dave and I hit up the greenhouse for head lettuce and mustard greens.

Our big heads of romaine lettuce

The head lettuce are immaculate. And we get to slice them at the root with super sharp knives! Good times.

Then it was wash time. No matter how brightly the sun shines, rinses the greens in frigid water is not pleasant. Meanwhile, Dave dug. His task was to dig the rest of the holes we need in garden 1 to transplant more tomatoes. He dug 30 holes.

Transplanting tomatoes

Then alas, we finished and packed the truck up for Laurie and Kelsey to take to market by early afternoon. Dave and I went for a walk to see the donkeys Ruth and Rachel and all the horses and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon to ourselves.


And in other news: The Crazy View Farm crew has taken on The Cleanse.


We can't pinpoint exactly how it came about (or maybe I can't recall), but one of us picked up Laurie's book If The Buddha Came to Dinner, engaged us all in a discussion about food (it's hard not to talk about our work), how we eat, our digestion, and we were inspired. So starting Monday (June 13th) our crew is on a cleanse.

The concept is simple: If the Buddha (or for that matter, any honored guest) came to dinner at your home, chances are you'd prepare and serve a healthy delicious meal with the best foods. But would you do the same for yourself? The author writes,

"We need to feed ourselves with a sense of purpose, self-respect, love, and passion for lives. We need to nourish our spirits."

For all of us, learning to nourish ourselves better and more diversely (not just eat) was a big reason we came to WWOOF on the farm.

The first step in that direction is a three week cleanse intended to help us figure out to feed ourselves, listen to what our body needs, and get out all the junk we've been putting in there. The first week (this week) we only eat fruits and veggies (though not together), and drink water or decaf tea. Next week we can add seeds and grains like rice and the following add proteins.

Our fruit cache

This would be a daunting task for anybody on their own so we're attacking it as a team.  It takes creativity to figure out what to make - and we have the best advantage by having Laurie's amazing cooking skills on tap.  Like this incredible hearty veggie soup she made:

It could be a rough but we've got each other to commiserate together about all the things we miss eating and drinking.