Dear readers,
As you may know if you follow us on instagram and facebook we’ve been dealing with more encounters with natures creations. As ecological farmers we understand that all life is connected and you can’t interfere with one part of an ecosystem or one organism without there being a knock-on effect somewhere else. We want our farm to be as healthy as possible so that our crops can be resistant to pests and diseases. We want to use as few external inputs and oil related products (plastics, fuels, chemicals etc) as possible. It should be possible to grow as much as we need for our members while allowing a certain amount to be lost to weather or pests.
But we also acknowledge that farming is a business. We have to pay wages and bills and we have to buy tools, seed and equipment. if we lose too much of our main product (vegetables) we wont survive. Choosing how to deal with pests and diseases, especially on a new piece of land with new systems is a constant puzzle and there will be lots of mistakes and new discoveries along the way.
It’s also helpful to remember what a privilege it is to be the stewards of any piece of land no matter how small or big. Working with the soil, having an intimate knowledge of how our food is produced, watching crops develop and providing food for the community are precious gifts. It’s a privilege to see buzzards circling overhead and watch green woodpeckers search for ants in our field. It’s a privilege to be part of such an enthusiastic community of people and see the evolution of that connection to each other and to the land. We welcome more involvement from our members and non-members. As well as the taste, the lack of packaging, the lack of chemicals, the hyper localness of our farm, the connection that Norwich Farmshare provides with the land and between people is one of the aspects that makes it unique from any other source of food. Thanks for being part of it.
Joel