In the Newman house, we have spent the last week regrouping and learning what life looks like while social distancing. Like people everywhere we are trying to readjust to a world in a constant state of flux, but the plant and animal life on the farm seems unconcerned. To emphasis this point, today we had our first hatch of new chicks. This remarkable event usually marks the beginning of a very busy growing season for us. This year it feels even more moving, a sign that nature is uninterrupted by covid-19. We are still growing food and signs of spring are everywhere. The birds are still returning from their southern vacations, without a time of isolation. Thank goodness we have been faced with this challenge in spring and not winter.
We are keeping a watchful eye on our toilet paper supply, but in general we consider ourselves quite fortunate to have the whole family healthy, a freezer full of food and a reasonable amount of financial security.
I am very grateful for the diminished disruption to our lives that this affords, especially when compared with what many others are facing. The farm provides space and plenty of work to keep everyone occupied while maintaining some normalcy to daily life.
We have still faced our share challenges this week. It has taken extra patience and organization to ensure that each member of the family needs and concerns were met, so we could all be calm and work as a team, (that is code for not biting each other heads off.) We have made the decision to isolate from the grandparents and we miss them already. We have also tried to assist assist where ever we can with extended family and community.
Of course that support is not one way, we have received some help as well. On that note, I would like to take a moment to introduce my little sister Christine! She is all grown up now and wont appreciate me reminding her how much older and wiser I am, (emphasis on wiser,) but what are sisters for? Christine will be helping with communications while I shift my focus to the tasks that come with the onset of the growing season. Thanks sis!
Christine is a mother, an artist and among other things she is a much better writer then myself so you might notice a change for the better in our Facebook presence. Please welcome Christine to our little local food family when you contact us. Thanks to her you will have faster response to your inquiries while I manage our family work crew.
I will still be here to share photos of what is growing on the farm and to greet you, (from a distance,) when you pick up your orders.
Thank you for your patience as we have regrouped this week. There has been an increased interest in local food and we are working to ensure that our supply chain has minimal interruptions.
A big thank you to our farmers, who are still working hard everyday and our processors who are busier then ever trying to keep thing running while ensuring employ and customer safety. The ingenuity of our local restaurants during this time should be noted as well. They are innovating constantly to keep doing what they love in these strange times.
We don’t know how this will change our lives yet and we all have a lot of work to do to support our friends, neighbours, front line workers and community, but hopefully everyone has a small space of outdoor air so they can take a minute to breath and be reminded that life will go on.
Sincerely Heather Newman
