Putting down roots.

When weeding my gardens I have a lot of time to think, and recently I have been thinking a lot of putting down roots.

We have a gigantic maple tree in our front yard that shades the entire space in front of our house. It provides us with much needed shade, especially in the heat of summer. It is a beautiful tree that each fall provides us with beautiful yellow leaves. As I type this, I can see this gorgeous tree right outside my window.

To say the least, this maple tree’s roots run deep.

This farmstead has been home to me for my entire life. Though the maple tree in our front yard has been here for years before my own family, our roots continue to expand and deepen as we carve our own path.

As a kid, home was always my favorite place. I loved when friends visited because I was so proud of what our family had. As a kid in the 1990’s, people were shying away from growing their own food, food preservation, and living on land. It has been amazing to see the interest grow again in recent years, especially since the pandemic. I vividly remember as a kid feeling a joy of knowing I was the exception, not the norm.

I have been thinking to the ways the farm has changed through the years. Since we’ve lived here, we added the greenhouse, we’ve planted numerous trees, and of course, we started this business - but the more that changes, the more that has stayed the same.

I find myself proud to continue to build this life on this land that has meant so much to my family for almost 40 years. It’s powerful to think of the people who originally built our barn in 1898 - though the people are long gone, the foundation is here to stay. The land is so much more than land - it is a dream, a passion, and a place for me to stay firmly rooted.

I am incredibly grateful fo the opportunity to live here, and to grow those roots even deeper.