Grow where you’re planted.

I’m writing this the Friday leading into Labor Day weekend, surrounded by stacks and stacks of music to hand out next week when I put my band director hat back on.

My schedule is about to drastically change next week. I teach band 3 days per week during the school year as part of my second business, Encore Ensembles. (Surprise! Yes, I own a second business!)

Over the course of this summer, I enjoyed many cups of coffee outside. One of my favorite spots overlooks my new raspberry bed that we moved last summer.

For 6 seasons, I struggled to keep the old raspberry patch watered, weeded, and manageable. I found without a total overhaul, it wasn’t possible.

For 6 seasons I found myself weeding the patch thoroughly once or twice a season. Then, life would catch up to me and I’d let the weeds go, and within a few weeks, it looked the same.

There is a beautiful space where we had taken down our ash trees in 2024. I put down tarps after the trees and stumps were gone to kill off the sod. I had the idea to move my raspberries and blueberries there.

When I dug up my berry plants, most of them were barely a foot tall. They were in an environment where they couldn’t thrive.

One year later in their new home, and they are thriving. Most plants are 3-4 feet tall. They’re not choked out by weeds, and they’re in a spot where I remember to water them. In 6 seasons I have never seen these plants so vibrant.

In 2020, I started this farm business with boundless energy and endless dreams. The idea was one that started small, and then I kept adding to that.

In 2021, I started my second business, Encore Ensembles, one that allows me to still teach band part time. We serve small private k-8 schools and homeschool families in the Twin Cities metro.

In 2021, Encore Ensembles started humbly. Since that first year we have more than doubled our student numbers, and including myself there are 7 teachers in our program. We serve 3 homeschool bands and 15 private schools in the greater Twin Cities.

Anyone who knows me even remotely will tell you I’m not afraid of a little hard work. I love a project, and owning a business is literally one gigantic project.

For 5 years, I’ve kept myself planted in both businesses. I’ve invested quite a bit of time in the farm, but also growing Encore Ensembles. I will always be grateful to have a chance to live out two passions of mine at one time.

I have reached a point where I realized I couldn’t sustain both the farm and Encore to the extent that I’ve been sustaining them.

We aren’t going away! But, this new balance I’ve found this summer has been a much better fit for me.

To all our customers, thank you. Whether you visited our farm with our markets a few years ago, purchased our famous cinnamon and caramel rolls, bought plants, bought Christmas cookies… it truly means the world.

I am not the same woman coming out of this than I was in 2020. As our farm landscape has evolved through the years, so have I.  I won’t ever be afraid of a little hard work, rather, I am focusing my energies where they need to go.

Like with my raspberries, I am growing where I am planting myself.

I have spent much of this summer balancing the farm work - weeding, watering, harvesting, preserving - with my admin work for Encore Ensembles. It has been a rewarding summer in many ways. Seeing our band programs grow and thrive has been absolutely amazing. Meeting so many amazing music educators across the Twin Cities to fill our new positions has been a joy.