Fresh Faces

Hey y’all, it’s Caroline and Megan, the new Rocklands Farm interns. Thanks to the rainy weather, we’ve finally got a chance to sit down and update the blog. Here’s what’s been going on in our lives lately:

I’ve been here for two weeks and as the diversity of the daily farm tasks keep me occupied and stimulated, the “why’s” of farming are always wandering around in my head. When I go places and meet people here, revealing what I do, the conversation that follows usually includes the question “why?”, and I attempt to give an answer that does farming justice, but I end up bumbling out something mediocre addressing only a fraction of the reason why I’m here. Sitting down and trying to flesh out some fundamental reasons addressing the appeal of farming is difficult because each day produces a new reason and unveils new insight into what I’m doing and why. I’m learning that farming is so complex and is constantly a catalyst for lesson-learning of every kind. The simplest thing as having to resort to an indoor day because of the rain reminds me that my human control is quite limited and I rely on a Creator to supply my needs. That is humbling. Then there are all the obvious good things that farming has to offer like fresh air, exercise, hard work which produces a visible end result and sleeping and eating well. One thought I’ve had about farming lately is that it excites and demands a reverence for the land. Not only does the land provide our basic needs, but it’s the intimacy that comes from knowing the land–the welcoming of and participating in and working with-not against-its unique climate, terrain, landscape and vegetation–that creates a distinct culture. From dust we are and to dust we will return.

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