Fall on the Farm

The blueberry bushes are far less demanding now. It's as if they grew weary of the spotlight and are taking space to be alone. We're doing the same. We stowed buckets and signage, packed up twist ties and scales, without much conversation. We eased back into our professional lives, moved kids to apartments and if not for the photographic evidence (and view from the porch), it is hard to believe we ever ran a blueberry farm.

Fall energy is much different than summer energy at the farm. The projects are limitless but there is no sense of urgency. We've torn down collapsing storage sheds and weed-whacked our way into overgrown greenhouses. We're surveying our asparagus patch. We're making lists and notes for next year as the ideas come to us. We're eating the last of the summer's honey sticks.

One afternoon we labelled the rows, confirming at long last exactly where each variety is located. This is essential information, to be sure, but we'd never had time to gather it until now. From there we were able to map out a plan for strategically removing some bushes that are overcrowded and blocking tractors and foot traffic. Removals and relocation will be an ongoing project this fall and next spring. We're hoping to re-home some of the bushes that will be retired - with friends, family, and the wider BGF community all invited to adopt a bush.

Our priorities have moved from what must be done to what could be done, from what demands our attention to what draws our attention. It's such a nice and necessary shift, taking this space to collect our energy. New blades for the Dewalt pruners arrived this week... a friendly reminder that pruning that will start again in just a few months.