First Week at the Farm

WOW!

Really- what more can I say?

I suppose I can give you some details and descriptives of that 'WOW' in question....

It has been an exciting week. A week jam packed with information, adventures, excitement, new faces turned familiar friends, dirt, sun, strawberries, wonderful meals, cool nights and basically much anticipation for what lies in wait for the next 6 months.

A week ago I was still slightly anxious thinking of what would be, who I would meet and what my days would consist of. A mere 7 days later, I feel solidly assured that I am in the right place at the right time. Groovin' with 40 other kids (of every age & genre you can imagine) from around the globe- the one common thread linking us all together... pure and simple: garden geeks! I am in heaven!

I walk across the farm on my way to the Farm Center with a grin plastered across my face. The views from my tent, rolling fields of fertile soil awaiting the seeds that will soon be sown, leading to views of the ocean that I constantly forget exists only minutes from where I walk. I can make out small sails gliding across the bay after the fog has lifted. Can this really be my home for the next 6 months? My thoughts go to the many friends who would love to experience this and be here at this very moment. I myself feel jealous of the experience I am currently experiencing. I only hope that I remember to pay attention and absorb every moment of every day and don't lose that magical feeling that surrounds me. May these things not become second nature, normal or mundane.

So- that being said... I've been sharpening tools, cutting rows of bell beans, oats and vetch used as cover crops- preparing the soil for planting. I've been creating compost piles, shoveling manure, digging in dirt, prepping for our upcoming plant sale, learning my way around the farm and UC campus. I've been sharing meals and stories with fellow apprentices, catching charlas on bee keeping and have been thinking about how wonderfully intertwined our ecosystem is and how everything really IS connected.

My days consist of usually getting up around 6:15am and biking up to the farm in time for breakfast. We have to be at our work sites by 8am and finish the day with dinner around 6:30pm at the farm. I then bike back home, usually arriving between 8-9pm. Long days and tired muscles, but a very, very happy heart.

I will attach pictures as I have them and write when I can. There quite possibly will be too many to take in, but check out what you can. And by all mean, consider coming to visit this amazing place.

Sunny California

I've been on the road for the last few weeks. I left Jackson a week ago after much inner tribulation wondering if all my STUFF would fit in the back of my car. With the help of Betsy & Christina the magic wand was waved and I could even see out the back! Amazing...

I decided to head to California via Helena, MT, Boise ID and Napa Valley, CA (...naturally). I had a great time visiting friends and seeing kids and learning of babies coming etc. So- I counted... since landing in the states some odd- March 26th ago- I've spent 10 out of 14 days with kids/babies. Thus it seems natural I ended my trip sipping wine with Keller in the Napa/Sonoma area of "my new home state". We visited a few wineries, did some tastings and ate plenty of good food before I dropped her in Santa Rosa Seattle-bound and cruised my way south over the Golden Gate Bridge sun shining and boats sailing and continued down the 1 to finally... finally... end up on Locust St. with Stephen and Chrissi. What a joy it is to be able to unload the car and actually unpack the clothes I'm going to wear.

I've got a week to kick around and explore this town before my program starts on April 21st. I'm planning on keeping this site updated as much as possible, but if I end up being MIA for the next 6 mths or so please forgive me and know that my head is in the books and my hands are digging deep into that fertile California soil.

Hugs all around,

jen


ps- **UPDATE** to the previous post... those pretty pink ladies ended up WINNING their division. GO TEAM!

Pretty in Pink at the PPP

I had a few great days back in the hole. I was lucky enough to see the sun for a minute, and amidst the chaos of chillin' with good friends and Packing uP too much STUFF was even able to be roPed into ParticiPating in the nordic leg of the annual PPP or Pole, Peddle, Paddle race. For those of you unfamiliar, it's a ski, bike and boat race at the end of the winter season. It's always a toss uP if the sun will be shining and the snow will be gone, or if the snow will be flying and the boaters will come in covered in ice. This year it was the latter. The Pretty Pink Ladies ended up making the most of it and had a great time none the less. Pictured at left are Nordic Flame shooter Jen Jacobsen, Speed Biker Elise Cheney and Paddle Pusher Betsy Moyer. Lisa Wyatts helped us with the downhill leg but decided to stay and enjoy the snow on the sloPes. We thank her kindly for getting us off to a great start. We'd also like to thank our sPonsors Prevacid for the Pretty Pink stomach that helped Push us along and to the Bunnery for their waterProof O.S.M. bread bag that quite Possibly saved Betsy's hands (and thus her life) in that cold, cold river. All in all it was a day to remember... fun times, fun times.

The next day I hit the road to Helena, MT to experience the other side of cowboy country (and because it's on the way to California... right??). I am spending a few days with my dear friend Liv and her family. I feel like I'm finally relaxing a bit.

The journey westward continues... stay tuned..

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Greetings from Jackson.
I arrived back in the hood on Tuesday and have been kept very busy- scrambling to see friends, hang out, eat out, grab beers, shop at the Browse, see speakers etc. The usual stuff that takes place in this town. I've seen the sun shine down from the bright blue sky, only minutes later to be caught in the blowing, blustery snow fall. You know- it's Jackson!

Last night I was lucky enough to be able to see Greg Mortenson speak about his book Three Cups of Tea and his work in Afghanistan. I know many of you reading this are familiar with his book and his mission, but I have to use a bit of my blog space to promote his ideals anyway. He is truly promoting peace throughout the world the best and most successful way possible. For the past 15 years he's been working in Central Asia building schools, mostly for girls, to help get to the root of the problem that in the US we call "The War on Terror". For those of you who don't know- if a boy wants to join the Jihad, Islam requires that he gets his mother's permission or blessing before he's allowed to join. If women are educated they rarely give their consent for their children to join in an effort of violence and war that doesn't support their religious values. In the year 2000 there were some 800,000 kids going to school in Afghanistan. Now there are over 5 million. With education these kids can learn to think for themselves, support themselves and through a natural cycle bring an end to extremist violence in that area. It sounds a lot more sustainable than investing in guns, bombs and fear.
In any case- I won't stay on the soapbox for too long. But the bottom line is that the book is amazing and very inspirational. It's one of the only books that has been on the NY Times bestseller list with very little promotion or funding. It's been promoted through friends, book clubs, church groups etc. And incidentally (or not) the US military intelligence has bought and handed out books to their troops so they could better understand the area and what is actually going on. Says something eh?
Check out the link on my website and even donate a few bucks. You'll be doing a lot more to help make this world a little safer than by locking your door at night and tuning into FOX news.

When we educate a boy, we educate an individual,

When we educate a girl, we educate a community.

African Proverb