The past three months have flown by. And with that being said, I only have one more week here at Frisky Girl Farm. I have truly grown to love life on the farm and all that comes with it. I have learned so much, not only about farming, but about life too (and from some of the best people!) To celebrate my last week here on the farm, here are ten things that I am going to miss the most when I leave next week.
- The way Mount Si looks in the morning before the sun comes up and, in the evening, when the sun goes down
My bladder has been the result of some of the best views of Mount Si (Read about one here!). Early in the morning before the sun comes up is absolutely beautiful. It’s just starting to become light and there is fog everywhere. You can’t really see the mountain, except for the silhouette in purple and gray hues. And in the evening, it’s my absolute favorite, because the sun hits it just perfectly creating hues of pinks and purples reflected on the mountain. Another thing I love is the fact that I’ve never seen the mountain in the same light twice.
- My yurt/Intern Village
The fact that I can say that I’ve camped more consecutive days outside than my brother, a boy scout, is an accomplishment to me. Not only is it the cutest little house you’ve ever seen, but it’s become my place of refuge. I hide from the cold here, write, read and listen to podcasts. I also really love our little intern area, which we refer to as Intern Village. It’s the center of our activity when we aren’t working. It has been the perfect home within the past three months.
- The way that the soil feels when it’s just been tilled
One of my roles on the farm is transplanting new crops into beds. We rotate the crops, so we have to mow down the original crop in that particular bed. Then we fertilize it and till it. In certain blocks of the field, there is the perfect soil, which means that there is little of the previous crop leftover and the soil is so soft. It is my absolute favorite thing when the soil is like this.
- Free Vegetables
In the next week or so, one will probably here me ask “You mean, I actually have to BUY vegetables? From the STORE?” (I will probably ask this at least once a day. And friends in PA, be prepared for me to complain every time I am in the grocery store). I am very upset about the loss of being able to go pick vegetables from my literal backyard. Need some lettuce for dinner? No problem, pick some extra during harvest! Need an onion for your pasta? No problem, just go harvest it right out of the bed. There are very few things we don’t have in abundance here. Additionally, no vegetable will even come close to tasting as good as the ones here do. And for that, I am sad. But I am thankful to have been able to taste the difference.
- Wearing my overalls around the farm
When I first got this internship, upon seeing the pictures of previous interns, I knew I wanted to get overalls. But it was such a challenge. First, they are extremely expensive if you try order online. And there isn’t much of a selection. Overalls are coming back into the fashion trends, so finding ones that were meant for farm and industrial work was difficult. Secondly, there is a limited market for work overalls for women. Not only did I have a difficult time online, but also in stores. My mom took me to tractor supply and the only overalls we could find were men’s. So, I gave up. However, my first visit to Boomerang, I found the perfect capri length overalls complete with a million different pockets. They were perfect for holding harvest ties, crawling through paths in between green bean plants, and for cold mornings. Best of all, I felt like Meryl Streep/Lily James in Mamma Mia.
- Herbie and Lolo
It has been several years since our last dog, Gracie died. I missed having a dog around, I just didn’t know how much. Our dogs, growing up were gross (and I’m sure that all dog owners can understand what I mean by this). Our dogs, during the summer, would dig in the yard for grubs and then bring them back to us, roll in disgusting things of who knows what and even eat their own poop. Here at the farm, we have a two-year-old dog named Herbie, and Lolo, who is a cat. Despite the fact that both animals do just as gross of things as my dogs did, like killing birds and tossing half dead voles through the air like a toy, they are the most loyal and loveable animals. And now I want a puppy (Watch out Mom and Dad, you never know!) (Just kidding, kind of).
- Harvesting green onions (and fennel, I guess), trellising tomatoes and doing the paper pot transplanter
I am the queen of green onions. I love harvesting them (despite the fact that they make me cry every time I cut them for market. I have a crying towel for this reason. Also, it’s only me that cries during green onions. I must have weak tear ducts). I have a love hate relationship with fennel. It is the hardest to harvest with its deep roots and wispy bits that usually poke me in the eye. I also love trellising tomatoes, because there is something extremely satisfying about plucking suckers off the armpits of the tomato branches. Lastly, I love the paper pot transplanter, because it is also satisfying when you go in a straight line and everything looks nice (it’s also really great exercise). Though I have many things I love about farming, these are some of my absolute favorites.
- Riding my bike into town every weekend
Because I don’t own a car, I bought a bike for this summer. My mom was the one who found it, a Huffy Beach Cruiser. It was light blue, had a basket and I loved it. So, I ordered it. Throughout my summer, it has taken me to Snoqualmie and all-over North Bend. I have used it to go wash my clothes, go to the library and go thrift shopping. I have also learned that a beach cruiser does not like speed or hills, so that was a challenge (but my leg muscles look great because of it). Luckily, North Bend is mostly flat. Despite that, I have thoroughly enjoyed my rides and will miss them when I leave.
- The Flowers
If you know me, you know I love flowers. You can find tons of pictures of flowers on my Instagram and Facebook. Plus, at home, I am always tempted to buy a bouquet from the farmer’s market, wherever I happen to be at the time. Being able to live right next to a bed of dahlias as well as waking up to a meadow of poppies, marigolds, zinnias and sunflowers is always a recipe for happiness. I also have learned to make bouquets, even though they are a lot harder than they look (the key to success is to ask whether the bouquet you are currently making brings you joy. If it doesn’t, you fix it until it does!).
- My Farm Family
Most of all, I will miss the people that I work with every day. We all live together, work together, eat together, and laugh together. Some of my favorite moments this summer have been eating dinner on the front porch of our kitchen, watching the sun go down and laughing about our days or biking to get ice cream on Mondays. I have learned so much from each of them and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be in this beautiful place together doing something we all have a passion for. They will be the hardest thing of all to say goodbye to.
So here’s to my last week in North Bend, the things I have learned this summer, and the people I have met. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and to have grown in a million different ways.
Sweet Tea & Suitcases 