Alright. So. After much pondering and soul-searching - I am continuing my farming passions: on Vashon Island at Plum Forest Farm.
I went through phases in the past few months … I was working my ass off, making killer dough sometimes thinking “wow, this is niiiiice. Mooooneeeeyyyyy.” But then I had a string of 12-14 hour days and hell no, that’s not what I want. I quit my decent job over a year ago to get myself out from behind the computer.
Then I thought about traveling again after my friends Robert and Danielle started planning a trip to Japan. I thought, damn … with the rate I’m working my ass of now, I’ll have plenty of cash for another year abroad. I seriously considered it for a week or so, and confused a few people in the process. Then decided that no, I don’t actually want to set out traveling again just yet.
It was around the time I was working too much and fretting too much over what to do this year that I went to Florida for my grandma’s funeral. Then I came back to Seattle and worked my ass off for 11 days and then went to Arizona for 8 days to hike the canyon, visit friends and take another break from working. It was a good trip. But, that combined with the Florida trip concreted the feeling that No, I definitely do not feel like traveling extensively again just yet.
Which brings me into February. And, focus back to Vashon Island. Since I had decided I don’t want to travel, of course I had to ask myself the question - well, what DO I want to do with myself this year? And, like so many times before, I came back to my interest in small-scale organic farming. I had visited Plum Forest Farm on Vashon on December 15, having contacted them way back in November about possibly apprenticing on their farm. When I left the farm, we had a good feeling that things could work out and said we should set up a date so I can work on the farm to see how we get along. My trial try-out day was February 14. It went well! But, I had communicated to them a few times in the interim between these two dates and gave them the impression that I was non-commital because I was talking about traveling to Asia and was rather just unsure at the time what I was going to do. This prompted them to advertise for apprentices since, although I sounded good on paper and our initial meeting went well, they really wanted an intern this year and could count on me (I didn’t give them any reason to!).
So anyway, our farm day trial went well. I left think, heck yeah! I could live and work on this place. And it’s on Vashon! But I also though, hmmm, what if they interview some other folks and then decide they don’t want to invite me? I went back to the list and looked for another interesting farm. For some reason, I’m gravitating to island farms. Dunno why. Looking at the list, I saw a farm called Willowwood Farm on Whidbey Island that sounded rather amazing. I contacted Georgie and we talked over the phone within a couple days. Then she invited me up for a night and I went to visit the farm, as it sounded just amazing.
And it is. It is a very nice, old farm smack in the middle of a historic reserve on Whidbey. I think if I write too much people reading this will think I’m crazy for not going. They have tractors and a huge barn and 20 acres and almost 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains and Puget Sound. They wined and dined me - home brewed beer, home made wine, a delicious dinner mostly from the garden. I met the family, met the parents, got a great tour of the area and they even bought me breakfast. The accommodations are first rate. I almost could believe it. I felt really comfortable there and it was easy to see myself there. Maybe some day … but this year it’s not quite the experience I want. I want to be out of my comfort zone, farming like I’d be farming if I were to take the plunge, buy the farm and jump in head first. I wanted to be in a learning environment as close to that as possible.
As it turns out, I’ll be getting even more valuable experience at Plum Forest than I originally thought. It ends up that instead of living in a trailer, they want to build a cabin for me to live in! And, I get to help them build it! I’ve been wanting to do that for a long, long time. Plus, it is going to be coinciding with all the remodeling work I’m doing at Kevin’s house as well. Starting March 10th, I’ll be on Vashon Island at Plum Forest Farm working towards my dream. It is so nice!So that’s where I’m at. I’ve also recently read a great book by Louis Price about her 20,000 mile adventure from Anchorage, Alaska to Ushuaia at the tip of Argentina, the most southerly place in the world that can be reached by road. That’s got me thinking of buying a motorcycle for my primary means of transportation and setting out in November for a trek down south for the winter (south being possibly Florida, but more adventurously Mexico or beyond).