Letters & Comfort: Fall Share #8 – 12/16/20

As the pandemic wears on and the darkness and cold close in, I have been enjoying the surprising number of letters that have arrived at the farm.  When opening renewal check envelopes, it is common to receive little post-it notes of thanks or hellos from members. I always love these. This year, however, we have been receiving full on letters of gratitude. 

What fun to receive them! And what comfort they provide me – to hear these grateful, appreciative, thoughtful voices across the expanse of social loneliness as the winter existence of farming in pandemic times closes in. 

Laurie wrote, “We can not thank you and the entire farm enough! You have been a constant in our lives in this year of uncertainty… I enjoyed pick up days at the farm – the brief but friendly encounters with whoever was working in the shed, loved the music, and gazing at the beautiful fields.” Laurie’s sentiment is echoed again and again in various shapes and forms in the letters folks have sent to the farm. Knowing the fields were still producing and food still needed to be picked up, provided a calming constant to many. 

There are so many deep joys, joys I have difficulty putting words to, that I experience while farming. This is a new one. Knowing that the food we grew and the community-oriented way we connect it to members brought comfort to others during covid, even just a little, feels amazing. 

Honestly, it was a comfort to be a farmer this season. While many things could be said about the social inequities surrounding which workers are deemed ‘essential’ to our work force and therefore had no choice to work from home, I feel very privileged to have been able to keep working in my fields. Yes, my risks were higher than others and this has greatly affected my ability to see family, but I have been and remain grateful to go to work every day.  Having an undisrupted work life has been a huge comfort to me throughout the pandemic. 

Just as we may have brought the comfort of normalcy to many of you, you did so in return and I thank you. 

May you all be well in body, spirit, and mind throughout this covid winter. After 6 months of newsletters and veggie lists, I’m signing off until next season. May we all find ourselves in a much better place come next summer. 

As always, thank you for your support of our farm. 

Sincerely, 
Farmer Cassie