The rooster crowed around 7 in the AM, waking Karah and I for a morning stroll. Walking out toward the barnyard, we made a quick detour onto the feild of the neighboring farm. But, the heavy stench of manure pervaded our noses, and we made a U-turn towards the Elaine’s Everblossom Farmhouse. Before we made it to the entrance, Elaine and her chickens crossed our path. She greeted us with a cheery “Good Morning” as she continued to give the birds their seed. Ironically, for breakfast those same chicken’s eggs were frying on the stovetop. The hearty meal served as an energy booster for the early-morning garden work we had in front of us. The 2 acre garden was little but fruitful, with garlic, varieties of greens, vegetables, berries, and herbs. Elaine farms this space biointensively which means: grow as much as you can in the smallest space possible. We learned first-hand about the effort that goes into it. The greenhouse needed to be moved two lots over, and we were all the farming help she ever wanted. Together, team tour-de-farm peeled off the plastic, undid the nuts and bolts, and carried the structure piece by piece to the new plot. Thanks to Elaine and Eric’s direction, we assembled the base to our first hoop house!! It was quite the expeience.
We were off after one more bite to eat and a quick planning session in front of the antique wood stove. East Berlin was but a delightful memory as we hit the road back to Grantham. Grantham was our choice destination because the weather ahead was debatable with possible snow/rain showers for the next couple days. Biking has it’s physical and mental challenges, but the outside world also brings a whole new dynamic too.
As of this morning, we are on our way to the next adventure: Shared Earth Farm of Mechanicsburg, PA.
