Joeija; vavf vfv;
I didn't want to have a blog full of 'fluff' about what farming is like for me. I want someone to read it and actually get a feel for what a day/season is like for me. So this post will be some of the worries that are going through my mind right now.
One-the strawberries-we have had an unbelievably warm winter so far and the berry plants already have flowers and some have berries. For them to be rpoducing now means there will be less produced during the spring. So I am worried about how much product we will have and for how long. If they are producing now even in miniscule amounts that is quicker that they will go to running (plant reproduction) and stop producing fruit. This could lead to a much shorter season with less product.
Two-having so many irons in the fire. I am planning a festival in the spring to help draw customers in and show them that we have so much more to offer than just strawberries. Hopefully I can get people to stop that normally wouldn't stop and then we will have them hooked. I have all the pre-festival foot work done but it will be during our busiest strawberry time (hopefully) and there's still a ton of work left to do to get ready for it. At the same time this festival is happening we are also expecting our first grandchild.
Three-during all of that listed in 2 I will also have the off property farmers markets to attend, deliveries to the Fresh Market and the restaurants. Plus having to go buy produce they we just don't have the land to produce with. AND I will have to do the baking for the market and manage a staff of 6 to 10 people on a daily basis.
Four-again DURING all of this will be the seed starting, planting, and nurturing the massive new growing list we have ahead of us.
Right now just thinking about all of it is overwhelming and I at times feel panic stricken. I am not one who likes to settle for less and always do the absolute best I can at whatever I am doing. But with all of this going on I just don't know if I will be able to give the amount of focus needed for each area to be done for me to feel comfortable about the results. I am hoping that Jeffrey will be able to help out more but I also have to prepare myself for the possibility that he's not going to be able to.
It makes me tired just thinking about it. I have also offered to be the daycare for our new grandson when he arrives. Of course, my daugher in law is taking a 10 week maternity leave which will help out tremendously. I won't be taking over caring for the baby til after strawberry season is over. But it will also be right in the middle of the season for all the things the Fresh Market is wanting. But I will think/worry about all of that once I get through strawberry season and the festival.
So farming is not all playing the dirt and eating good stuff. It's a lot of hard work, long days, and tons of worry. I do this to myself each year and I somehow make it through and survive but this year our scale has grown so much. I just hope I survive haha.
