Busted Knee & the Team Shines: Veggie Share Week #3 – Wed. 6/25/25

Busted Knee & the Team Shines

The longer I do this job, the more I consider myself a person who puts out fires. Aka problem solving. Farming is full of the unexpected and constantly requires us to change plans.  Usually we are pivoting based on environmental conditions, but sometimes injuries become the unexpected. 

Seth Jake has been working on staff for many years now, and volunteered many years before that. He is incredibly loyal and incredibly skilled, and has repoonsibility in many areas of our farm operation. Last Wednesday morning he texted me, “bad news. My knee is swollen.”  While the doctor seems to think his knee has no long term damage, it is slowly healing. Seth Jake has missed 5 days of work so far. 

One of the things Seth does, in addition to helping lead crews in the field, is he drives our delivery routes. He delivers member shares and he also delivers to our wholesale customers. Having him out meansnot only being down labor in the field, but it means finding  and training substitutes on the fly.

Our other Seth also runs routes, but he is on his annual vacation. Michael and I certainly couldn’t fill all the gaps left by “the Seths” being gone and still get done all of our duties. 

Begin problem-solving mode. 

My mind has been on logistics over drive as I have tried to pull in labor and fill gaps. So many people have stepped up to make everything happen during this last week. My daughters have helped work. One dad/grandpa has been driving transplant tractors. Another is doing delivery routes with my daughter. Michael and I have been pulling long extra hours. And our team has stepped up BEAUTIFULLY. 

I just want to brag about our team. This group of folks working here, a mix of returning crew and new, is an amazing team.  With both Seths out, many staff members have stepped up into new responsibilities. Many crew members worked extra hours on their days off to help. And overall they have been so supportive of each other. ALL this incredibly rainy, muddy or HOT conditions. I could not be more pleased with our staff. 

The sign of a strong operation isn’t how well it runs when everything is going perfectly. In my opinion, it’s how well the system functions when the unexpected happens. Like 2.5 inches of rain that prevents our harvest vehicles from getting in the field. Like busted knees, or a tractor that suddenly needs a repair. Like being down two of your most experienced staff members. If our system still functions well under stress, we are looking at a strong team. 

So thanks to our team that is stepping up and supporting on another through a beast of June. I am so incredibly grateful!

And course, here’s hoping for Seth’s knee to heal soon!

Sincerely, 
Farmer Cassie