A Volunteer on a Real Working Farm

I had the opportunity to go see what it's like to be part of a real, working farm. The ladies of Pinewood Farms welcomed me one sunny morning in late spring. Within, oh, about two seconds time I was put to work rinsing and sorting beets that had just been picked that morning.


The beets were covered in dirt from their dark red roots to the bright green tips of their leaves. A perfect job for me! I rinsed them first in a bucket and quickly had them separated by size into several piles. They needed additional cleaning so with sprayer in hand I thoroughly washed each beautiful beet until their red color was beaming and the leaves were sparkling with water drops. I could have eaten them right then and there! But no...


The girls had other plans for those beets. Some were set aside for restaurant sales, some for their farmers market sales while others were separated for their CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) sales. Before long, I was rinsing leeks, onions and radishes. A very organized plan keeps things in this area running smoothly. I was very impressed and had already learned so much in such a short amount of time.


Two very important things I learned right away, everyone is welcome to help and when you show up, you get right to work!! I think that's a very smart business move.


In no time more help arrived and plans were made to get out in the field and set tomato cages. The girls made the cages themselves over the winter months when not much was going on in the garden. These cages aren't your typical, flimsy, store-bought cages. Indeed, these are strong, tall, hardy, home-made cages. I could tell a great deal of time was spent putting them together and I eagerly volunteered to be a "cager."


With a straw hat on my head and leather gloves on my hands, I tromped off into the field with everyone else. Some people were hoeing while others were setting cages. We were all working together with determination and a goal in sight. The end of the rows and rows of tomato plants!


The plants had grown so prolifically that the cages were a bit late going over them. We had so much rain the week the caging needed to be done that no one could get out in that field. As a result, it took two people to set one cage. One person held up the branches of the plants while the other tried to fit the cage over the tender limbs without breaking them.


In due time quite a bit of work was accomplished and I was very impressed with the teamwork. It just didn't feel like work. I guess it's true what they say that if you're doing something you love, you're never at work. The ladies running Pinewood Farms must love their lives!


I worked alongside some of the friendliest people I've met since I moved here and I look forward to volunteering another day sometime soon. There was happy conversation, great organization (which I'm freaky about!), lots of fun and lots of tomato plants! If you know me, you know that this day at Pinewood Farms was a dream come true.


Many thanks go to Crystal, Nicole, Sam and Bree for sharing their knowledge and letting me work side by side with them. While I was only able to be on the farm for about three hours, these ladies made me feel like I was part of a family. Imagine that... 'me' part of a farm family!!! How much better can it get?




"There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling." ~Mirabel Osler