| Field Art If you were to walk inside our house, you might notice the lack of artwork and decorations on our walls. The walls themselves are bright colors of yellows, greens, blues, and maroons throughout the house; but the decorations are sparse. The lack of art on the walls isn’t because I don’t love creativity, it’s just that the frugal and practical nature of my personality doesn’t generally lead to my purchasing something expensive just for its beauty. Over the years we have been given some small, gorgeous pieces and I love them so. Each time I look at them, I appreciate their existence. They always remind me of how important creativity and beauty are; and how boring the world if we only ever did things to be practical. Which brings to me flowers. Our farm is strictly a vegetable farm. We don’t grow anything that’s not part of the system of feeding people. Except for a few flats of flowers. We sneak them in beds wherever they can fit. Last night I walked through the fields and admired the flowers. Zinnias. Marigolds. Dahlias. Aegeratum. Scabosia. They were a riot of vivid color. Magentas, yellows, purples, blues. I cut a few scabosia to throw into a tiny vase. My motive was not to collect, however, but to let my eyes soak in their vividness. There’s no monetary purpose to the flowers. We don’t sell them. And we have plenty of other plants for pollinators to enjoy. As I admired their brightness set out against the fields of green, I realized that their purpose on our farm was much like the function of artwork on a wall. The purpose is the color, the beauty, the emotion of just having something solely for its aesthetic. Splashes of color that can’t help but make you feel happy inside. And so, amongst the quilted fields of green, I will continue to plant flowers each season as a sort of field art. They will provide some beauty and flair – something we all need to brighten and lighten our souls. Enjoy your veggies!
Sincerely,
Farmer Cassie | 
