HELLO FALL!

Fall is finally upon us, marked with the season’s first frost, the mowing over of the cornfield, Labor Day, and the start of school for all the kids around here. We also started the squash and apple harvest and the pigs went off to slaughter – mmmmm, bacon!

Monday morning we were greeted with darkness and cold during our 6 AM harvest and everyone kept warm by bundling up and carrying steaming cups of coffee through the fields. And while we didn’t have the whole day off, Labor Day was celebrated with some down time and festivities.

First thing in the morning we got word of a cow giving birth in the barn and made it there in time to see the calf emerging and the cow being a good mama, licking her baby and encouraging him to stand up. (Sorry, I didn’t have my camera with me.) Right now the barn is over-run with calves, with two born on Saturday, and another five in the past two weeks or so, which means I get to add bottle feeding to my list of barn chores.

We got the afternoon off and celebrated with a Labor Day potluck at the community center, the highlights being copious amounts of watermelon and an attempt at making grape juice with some of the kids. I say attempt because ¾ths of the way through the grape pressing Sam, an adorable two-year-old, stepped on the juice bowl, tipping all the contents. Luckily, most everyone found this funny and there was still enough juice left for everyone to have a sampling.

Besides that, not a whole lot is new around here. I’ve finally gotten over my constant exhaustion and slipped into the rhythm of things. Oh, and, I never thought I’d say it again, but here it comes, AmeriCorps Round TWO! I’ve asked and been accepted as an AmeriCorps intern on the farm for the year. Technically, this changes nothing, as my role is still the same. But I’ll be here longer, earn a small stipend and get an education award to put toward grad school at the end of my term. It also means that I’ll have more time to participate in other activities in the community, such as baking bread and working in the wood shop and integrate myself more completely into community life.

WISH ME LUCK!