The Creed, the Bees, and a Reader's Favorite
Part 1 for looking back on April.
Spring hit differently this year. I think it was our anticipation of the arrival of so many firsts. From the bluebells, to morels, the first toad chorus, and spotting the first bluebird - it was magical.
Some photos of new and different “firsts”:
The Creed and your voice
I do think the work we are doing for A Common Life has helped us be more aware of the seasons. And rightfully so. It’s what we preach. I wonder how often people preach about things they don’t believe. At first you believe. Then, at some point, the creed becomes more important than the truth, and you lose your voice. It becomes a performance. Somebody else’s voice. I know this happens, because I’ve been guilty. Morgan and I are intent on not losing our voices while we are on this journey. We desire to speak what we believe to be true, even if that means admitting we are wrong and changing course.
Speaking of creeds - I’m anti-till. It’s bad. Period. Right?
Out of necessity, many small farms cultivate their soil by tilling. Once you reach a certain scale, it becomes difficult to avoid it. Mountain Sun Farm is a local organic farm run by farmers Morgan and I know and respect. A lot. And they till. It is out of necessity due to their scale, but they also firmly believe its beneficial and are proponents of tilling. I’m not convinced. But… I’m trying to understand where/if tilling fits into the gardening/farming picture. I don’t want my creed to get in the way of the truth.
*It could also be that no-till is becoming more mainstream and I tend towards contrariness.
Bee Humbling.
I’ve previously written about our bees here. You might sense some pride in my writing about our bees. I stand by all that I’ve written. I was proud of them and how they persevered with minimal interference from myself. But, the truth is, I was afraid of this day. I was a bit too sure of myself and I knew if the bees left after having written so much about how successful I had been with them, I would feel like a fraud. Well, the day is here, and I don’t really know why they left. I was in a hurry the day I found the empty hive and didn’t have my tools so I wasn’t able to open it up. I did see from the top that it looked like there was no honey left in the hive. It could have been robbed after the bees left, but I bet they simply ran out of food. I don’t know.
Once we move back to the farm we will get bees again. I like having them around. I will likely manage them the same way. Only time will tell if the hand’s off approach I employ is a proper management method or if I just got lucky.
A Reader’s Favorite
After sharing some of our favorite plants that we grow here, Maggie, a subscriber to The Common, reached out with one of her favorites. This is what she shared:
“One super fun recommendation I have is "De 18 Jours" radishes. This is the first year I've tried them and I am hooked! Under ideal conditions, they produce roots in 18 days and they can be thinned and added to dishes even before then. The roots are adorably small, but so beautiful and have a deliciously mild bite.”
Maggie is a talented writer herself and enjoys sharing her passions here: inmysmallcorner.com
I split this edition of “Looking Back” into two letters with this being Part 1. In our next letter we look back on our garden, strawberries, and the orchard. A lot to share!
But wait!
💚 If you love this newsletter, tell us by sharing it with all of your friends and family!
✎ Are you passionate about gardening or seasonal living? Share it with the community and write for The Common! Email taylor@acommonlife.co for more information
🎧 Listen to the pod here: A Common Life Podcast
📜 Missed last week’s newsletter? See it here: May '24: Farmer's Markets, Fresh Berries and Fire Flies
