A backtrack into the life of an intern farmer. Part 4

And ahh, we're now to Thursday.

This begins chaos. haha

Tess and I only had time to move the squash to the barn before Kate, James, the kids, and the photographer came to the farm. We then scrambled around looking for a small table and tablecloth, but ended up just using a stump from Jen's workshop.

Soon after we got everything set up, though, it started pouring. And I do mean literally pouring. I was outside for about 2 seconds and I was drenched. Within 5 minutes a small creek had formed in the yard, and I ran around trying to make sure everything was okay including the high tunnels, which were beginning to fill with water and tug at the plastic. It's a good thing I checked them!

By the way, everything we planted is coming up! It's astonishing, really, to think that just a tiny seed pod could produce such amazing plants. Nothing's big yet, but the peas came up very quickly. Sooner than it said they would on the package. So I'm very very proud. Kinda like a proud mamma. hah
Recently, though, we've noticed that something has begun eating our peas!! It may be a vole, but we're unsure. I really hope some of them survive.

Anyway, after a long while a break came in the rain, so everyone ran out to the set and the photoshoot began. It turned out splendidly. It wasn't sunny, but I honestly thought it was better that way, with the clouds just off in the distance, rising from the mountains. Here's a few pictures:

The awesome set. Notice the cupcakes. Best cupcakes, ever.

My favorite shot!

So the rest of my week was balancing work with having my sister and her family up at the farm. It was fun! But tiring.

Friday night was really awesome though! We made perogies from scratch! I made the dough (apparently I'm pretty okay at making dough) and we all helped make the fillings, there was a green tomato filling, a regular tomato filling, and a sauerkraut filling. And then we actually fashioned them. That was really fun. Jen showed us a trick–use your elbow to made a perfect little pocket for the filling. Tess and James were skeptical, but it worked for me!

Kate took pictures, but I don't have them yet, so I'll post them when I get them.

And then we feasted, and they were amazing! We ate them with caramelized onions which are just… heavenly. It was a great night.

The kids seemed to like the farm. By the end of their visit they even liked the mud! And Cadence and Sebastian really hit it off. I'm proud of Cadence, learning to stand up for herself and say "no, I don't want to wrestle" or even, "no, I don't want to hold your hand right now."
Oh how young it starts….
I let her and Hazel feed the chickens and gather eggs, which they loved. And I showed them good ol' Sophie. I think they really enjoyed it. I certainly hope they did at least.

On Sat Jen took them to a bus station and she went help a friend with a theatre gig, so Tess and I babysat Sebastian. I was kind of sad, though, because I had planned to go to Yale then–but it ended up working out well because Kate could leave a bunch of stuff in my car so they had a lighter load, and Tess and I went to the city the next day.

The funny thing was that an hour or so after they left the farm, James called and said he had my car keys! So we all panicked for a few moments and then began figuring out possible ways to get the keys back. I looked up Kai's number and they called him and sure enough, he was in the city and was planning on taking the train back to the farm that night! So they set a rendezvous point and gave him my keys.

And that is how my car keys went on a roundtrip from farm to NYC twice.

I'll start with Tess's first trip to NYC on the next post!

A backtrack into the life of an intern farmer. Part 3

I am now on Wed. I believe, so here we go:

In the morning we did our regular CSA pick and process activities, but in the evening we had a special visit from Jimmy and Amanda!

Jimmy and Sebastian seem to be made for each other. It's truly incredible how well they get along. I simply can't compete. :p

So while we waited for Jen to make dinner, we all helped cut broccoli and entertain Sebastian. And of course we conversed a lot as well, meaning, that night was the night I got to know Amanda a little bit better and she's really really cool! She even made a cake… I believe she said it was apple and shoot… something else. I can't remember now. But I think it was one of the first cakes she's ever made, and it was delicious! She seems to have a baking gene.

Oh! And one of the most shocking things: I could see Jimmy's face! When he worked at the farm he had shaggy hair and a big full beard, however, that night he was clean shaven with really short hair. It was like I was meeting someone completely different! oh… bizarre.

But the dinner was great! Unfortunately, they only stayed for that dinner and then had to go back to work on schoolwork. belgh!

And by the way, my plans to become the Jimmy replacement, eating wise, are totally working. Some of the main dish was left over and Jen told Jimmy to just finish it but before he could take it I said I would help (i'd been eyeing it since i finished my first helping) and ended up finishing the majority of it. Jimmy himself said I was the new him. So I'd say it's a success.

Though it's come with some consequences.

That week I had a gaining weight cries when i got on the scale and realized I went from being 102 lbs to 116 lbs. yeah yeah-It's mostly just muscle and I was too skinny in the first place.

I GET IT! Something I'm irritated by is that I can't talk about my actual feelings in the weight area. People always yell at me when I attempt. But seriously, I get it! I'm not fat and I shouldn't be worried.

But hey! I'm not used to my body changing like this. I've never gained weight.. really, so when I'm looking for some sort of support don't yell at me and tell me I'm skinny. I'm going through a post-puberty puberty. :p And I get it. I really do. I'm small and i'm not going to go on any crazy diets or anything. rah rah rah! okay. I'm done.

So yes, i've definitely gained some weight while i've been here and it shows. But it's nothing too bad… just different and i'll have to get used to my new, and I'm sure now, ever-changing body.

that's all for now. Stay tuned though! I still hope to write at least one post a day till I get caught up.

A backtrack into the life of an intern farmer. Part 2

Continuing on with my busy week…

After a good rest from the plowing, Monday morning we began picking tomatoes.

As Tess and I raised high tunnel 1 it became apparent that this was to be no ordinary picking. There were more ripe tomatoes than I had ever seen! It was beautiful, but daunting. After spending 2 hours picking the tunnel tomatoes, we still had to harvest from the greenhouse and we had already run out of room for the tomatoes in the house.


And to think, the first day I worked here–the first time I ever picked tomatoes–all of those that we harvested fit in the windowsill in the kitchen.

So after about 3 hours of picking and repeatedly hauling 25 lb baskets to the house from the field, we had 257 lbs of ripe tomatoes!


After some rejoicing and some lunch, Tess and I went out to plant the newly tilled Hortense with Kale, Spinach, and Broccoli. I love planting things, because it gives me something to look forward to. And if the plants actually sprout and grow I can take pride in their success. This was our second day of planting together since we planted peas in high tunnel 3 that previous Thursday. However, it didn't make it much easier.

We started by making a walkway in the middle, which consisted of Tess and I walking with tiny steps down the middle of the bed. It was an amusing job, and I joked that this would look really good on my resume'.
The actual planting took a lot longer than we thought it would, as all things seem to. The seeder didn't really work so we had to ditch that contraption and plant by hand. Hoeing a trench, dropping the seeds, and using a rake to cover. It took a long time, but it wasn't too difficult. And we learned as we went along. I feel as though I know a lot more about seedlings now. For instance I understand what the germination rate means and why it's helpful to know that info.

That was all the sun allowed that day, but two tasks checked off the list–still an accomplishment.

Can't wait to see those little seeds grow!

A backtrack into the life of an intern farmer. Part 1

With October a KY winter has come!

I say KY winter because, really now, Kentucky doesn't experience "real" winters. But it is no longer pleasant going outside and it's impossible to brave the weather without a jacket. The sun is barely ever seen and the days keep getting shorter and shorter. The cows even went home!

I've never really experienced the winter blues, however, this year, I get it. Everything shuts down and the earth takes a long, deep breath to refresh and recharge. How else would spring be so brilliant?

Everything needs a break. Even mother nature.

I think more people need to realize that. Slowing down and really breathing is not a luxury, it truly is a necessity.

Unfortunately I can't start slowing down yet…nor can I start breathing with my allergies at the farm! I've had an extremely busy week since I got back from West Point, which now seems like a far distant memory. I'm now on day 45 of working here.

So let's backtrack and see if I can take this day by day.

The Sunday I got back from West Point, Tess and I finished our lower bed weeding, which is now already coming back with full force. Luckily, we've already dug all those potatoes, which are hard to find in those weeds when they get too tall.
We were then instructed by Kai to roll out the black compostable plastic in, our recently re-put up, high tunnel 2 and secure it with staples. And something else about the wind blowing uphill so make sure the plastic doesn't blow… but he had to go to Sebastian's soccer game.
okay. We were confused when we actually walked up there and began the task. But we got the hang of it and once we were done we knew we had done it right. And I was so proud I even took pictures! It looked pretty awesome.


But then, I found hell. Rotary Plowing. I've never done anything quite so physically difficult for me. And as much as I wanted to help Kai out (since he made it clear that he'd be willing to take as many breaks as possible) by the time I plowed just one row, I was nearing my exhaustion limit. Tess plowed two rows and later told me that she felt ready to pass out–so I think it was actually better that I stopped with just one. Sometimes, though, I wish I were a better intern. Like this instance. Ready to just jump in and give it my absolutely everything… but I've often found myself backing out of doing certain things, like putting the tractor in the garage or rotary plowing.

I guess I'll have to work on that.

Anyway, when I wasn't plowing (98% of the time), I was removing rocks from the ground Kai just plowed and moving them to the edge of the lower lower field. This was one of those greek myth type tasks. There's a never-ending amount of rocks and for three hours I picked them up, walked to the edge of the field, dropped them, walked back, picked up more rocks…repeat. It was draining in a very different way than the actual plowing. But I'd still choose moving rocks over plowing any day.

When Kai finally said it was time to go in I was almost ready to just fall over in the dirt. I slept well that night.

Oh yes, I believe this was also the day I saved the chickens and saw a bobcat! And by saw a bobcat, I mean, it was standing about 15 ft or less away from me (to anyone who's been to the farm, I walked out of the back door and was on the welcoming sidewalk, and the bobcat was basically at the steps of the front porch. So not far at all). It was pretty incredible, honestly. I don't say that around Kai, though. Since we've lost about 7 chickens to those beautiful cats.

Here's what happened:
I heard the chickens making a fuss outside, so I headed towards the door and on my way there I saw a chicken essentially fly past and I knew something was wrong so I quickened my pace and raced out the door. Sure enough, there was the bobcat. As soon as it saw me it turned and ran. The chickens were saved.

West Point

I'm sorry the updates have been so scant, I've just been so busy!

So, let's see if I can recall what's happened…

West Point! that's where I left off, I believe.

Can you believe I, Kelly Zenn, was at a military base?! It's a little crazy and I never expected to ever stand on a base in my whole life. But it happened, and it was pretty cool.

I now understand the "love" of military men. haha! There is something very… appealing about them. And life as an army wife seems a little more clarified now, you're treated with a weird extra amount of respect…being a citizen and also always being mistaken as Duncan's girlfriend. :p

So I guess…here's what basically happened:
I met him at a little resteraunt in Highland Falls, the town outside of West Point, and we caught up as much as we could and then he showed me around the campus. It was beautiful! I fell in love with it immediately–a beautiful view of the hudson river and an incredible library…I was set.

And Duncan was awesome! He was just as sweet as I had remembered, but seemed more handsome and even more gentlemanly. It was super awesome seeing him. And I had such a good time, I really didn't wanna leave…but alas–I had to. :p

The structure of West Point was insane! I'll let him explain it, but basically…what all my other college friends are saying, "freedom!" It's completely opposite for him.

That night we saw Gabriel Iglesias, a stand up comedian, and it was AMAZING!! It was that type of funny where you want to laugh more than you are physically able…. Such a good show. Such a good day. Such a good visit.

I can't wait to go back.

Time is flying!

Monday the 19.

As of tomorrow, I will have worked here a full month. ISN'T THAT RIDICULOUS!? Today is my 31st day working here. I still feel like "the new intern." I mean, that's how I would always introduce myself to people who came up to the farm! I don't know how I'm supposed to introduce myself now. :-p

Today was my first day working with…the new intern, Tess. She's really cool, and has a super junk/sweet tooth just like me! So we're going to share snacks. Her mom packed her with double chocolate ores, so ya know, I HAVE to befriend her! haha. It's really cool teaching her how to do all these things, and being someone that she can go to for questions. It makes me feel like I really know what I'm doing (often, I still don't though)! It's nice having someone to talk to while working though, makes it go by a little faster.

I've had to adjust to something new about every week I've been here:

1st week: Adjust to being at the farm
2nd week: Adjust to Jimmy and Kai leaving
3rd week: Adjust to Katie not working here anymore
4th week: Adjust to new intern coming in

It's crazy.

And the timing of all of this stuff is perfect, of course. For instance, Tess came right when I started enjoying being the only intern. But it's okay. I like her, so it'll be pretty easy adjusting to having her work with me!

Today we picked tomatoes, and I helped her figure out which ones were actually at first blush and which ones weren't. It was a little weird, since I still feel like it was literally just yesterday that I was trying to figure the same thing out for myself.
There are so many things that she asks that I remember wondering, and I don't remember when I actually got the answers…it was probably around the same time that this became my "home."

We also had to water Candice. This was the first time we've ever had to water anything in the field since I've been here. And it is a pain in the ass. We use firehouses attached to a fire-hydrant that uses water from our pond up the hill.
But the hoses are very finicky and there can't be any bends and it's extremely long! Both hoses together are, I think, 700 ft. And apparently watering was Jimmy's job, so anytime something would go wrong with the hose, Jen would blame it on him and say that she was going to have to smack him in the back of the head when she next saw him, which is probably never since there are no signs that he will visit. Anyway, that was just real funny.

Also, because we make references to Jimmy so often, Tess now believes he's the god of all interns, basically. haha

And then we did a bunch of work in the barn, moving stuff out of the barn, mainly, since there's just SO MUCH in there currently, and SO MUCH that has to be moved in there soon.

…I stopped writing there and have completely forgotten everything else that happened that day…

SO!

Here's the letdown of what's happened:
I continued working with Tess all week, and it's been fun getting to know her more. We get along quite well and spent most of the week weeding the lower potatoes. Now you can actually tell that there are beds in the lower fields! It's amazing!

On Friday, Sebastian had a play date after school and Tess, Kai and I put up high tunnel 2 again. However, before we could finish tying down the plastic, it began POURING! We got absolutely soaked and we couldn't even see the twine we were tying because it was flooding the rebar! So we finally ran inside and Jen gave us some towels and even made some hot chocolate. It was pretty awesome. So Tess and I sat down and picked Huckleberries and chatted, which is always a good way to end a day.
Which reminds me, on Thursday after we were done with chores Tess and I sat down and picked huckleberries while watching "Being John Malkovich." That movie is BIZARRE, though not quite as insane as "Enter The Void." Unfortunately, I was really distracted by Jen and Sebastian getting home, so I kind of lost track of the end of the movie.

Saturday was garlic fest, but unfortunately I had to miss it since I was going to West Point, which, I'd say was worth it. I got to see Duncan and it was a really awesome trip!
And I'll start with that on my next post.

Tractor Drivin'!