Farm Blog

Thank you again for braving the blizzard to celebrate, connect with great food, and 'planting an orchard'! Just imagine all those future cherry trees (don't forget to squat:-).
I am so uplifted from all the good vibes, intentions, laughter and seeds shared and planted.

We were able to raise $850.00 in funds! This will go a long way, thank you! Additionally, with all the seeds donated today and from what I've gleaned from others, The women growers in the Sine-Saloum region will be able to plant out a couple hundred row feet/farm. In the past we've planted shared 'demonstration beds' ie since many of the farmers share space/land to grow on we've constructed seeds beds to trial different varieties, plant insectory herbs and flowers and share techniques. From there seeds are harvested and shared forward amongst the individual farmers. So in essence your generosity helped plant teaching/learning/eating/

sharing beds of veggie, herb, and flower goodness!
 

I will honor my commitment and extend the immense gratitude, generosity that was shared during the workshop with the women farmers in the following ways:

Work with NCBA CLUSA Farmer to Farmer Program to transfer funds and mail seeds.
I'll also email and share highlights, photos forward later this week in celebration of our workshop success.

I am tentatively set to travel there Nov/Dec. or January in 2016.

I also finally remembered the name of third grower group, JUBO (means widespread). If you're interested in learning more about how they got started, here's a link to an interview I did as part of my last Farmer to Farmer adventure in Senegal.

I Will keep you in the loop as the project evolves and thanks again for sharing your generous spirit!

For the chocolate lovers:
Becky Otte, who made the amazing truffles, has more of her chocolate goodness to share and is selling some of her creations just in time for Valentines. if you're interested send her an email: raonine@gmail.com

Also Here is a link to Roots Chocolate website.

For the Fruit Lovers:

I've enclosed a handout of some of the different fruits we grow at our farm as well as a flyer highlighting this season's events at the farm! We'd love to have you venture out and tour the orchard, come visit us (though not nearly as cool as the orchard poses we did during the workshop).

Thank you again for helping me transition from being a butterfly weed seed (ie wind pollinated, not knowing where or how my intentions, projects might stick) to more of an oak or cashew seeds - wherein I can deepen my awareness, provide support in the same place(s) in Senegal for the growers and in my backyard in Wisconsin:-). Here's to planting the seeds of the as yet to be imagined on and off the yoga mat! Wishing you all much abundance.

Happy Mid-winter!

Yours in hardy kiwi,
Erin


PS If you are into exploring the planting side as well as enjoying more local fruit creations, we'll be hosting a Local Fruit Tasting May 16, details on our website.

 

Solstice Floral Inspirations

At 7:24 pm Tuesday, June 20, Rob and I exhaled into the horizon, celebrated the fullness of life and the potential it holds.

Abundance abounds around the Solstice.

Aerial view of bridal bouquet 6 - 24 - 17. Wedding flowers balance the fruit and flower csa flow and in all cases, I love creating floral feasts. Photo by Erin Schneider

Aerial view of bridal bouquet 6 - 24 - 17. Wedding flowers balance the fruit and flower csa flow and in all cases, I love creating floral feasts. Photo by Erin Schneider

At 7:24 am on Wednesday, making the orchard rounds, calling it 'insect monitoring', I gave myself permission to lay my head down under the elderberry umbels and stare at the sky as petals rained on my face. Overwhelmed by all this being and doing. I took comfort in the refuge of nature's fecundity, if only for a moment.

There are asters and zinnias to transplant and cover. The young rabbits wormed their way under our fence, browsing on lisianthus, sigh. On to delphiniums to cut, lavender and chammomile blossoms to dry and the infinite possibilities of herbal greenery to fill in the spaces between light and shadow.

Elderflower viewpoints, solstice is a perfect time to pause and let the elderflower blossoms rain on you. Photo by Erin Schneider

Elderflower viewpoints, solstice is a perfect time to pause and let the elderflower blossoms rain on you. Photo by Erin Schneider

In this swell of blossom thickness, its important to pause and assess. Am I growing and creating consciously. Am I staying the course?

With flowers I feel like I am honoring my authentic self, striving for balance by creating, recognizing beauty and it's power to build bridges, mediate conflict and give pause. There's so much to tend to, so much demands on our attention. What is it that you seek to tend to? For the moment, I settle on examining the underside of elderflower, the glow of a half-moon, the fullness of a child's laughter heard from a distance.

At just past 7:24 in the evening hours, I will put the finishing touches on this week's CSA bouquets, carrying the sweet fullness of life, bedazzled by lilies unfolding, beckoning hummingbirds to sip its nectar. I attempt to balance this with the deep purple hues of companula and delphinium companions and a few other field surprises born of nature's fecundity since the beginning of time.

Circa de 1550 B.C. The Greeks revered lilies as it was their belief that it sprouted from the milk of Hera, queen of the Gods—devotion born out of creating prosperity.

Post harvest, it's back to practical matters and a few pollen tips lest lilies rain on your parade (or favorite table cloth). Snip the anthers once the petals fully unfurl (botanically speaking, this is emasculating). As you snip and re-purpose flowers, changing out the water daily in the coming week may you ponder and manifest that which seeks to create in you born of Desire. Under the watchful canopy of your favorite flowering tree is a great place to start.

lily unfolding in the field

Enjoy your solstice bouquets and my gratitude for your support and the opportunity to grow for you!