Growth is near. The days smell like spring, the snow is melting at a steady pace, and green things are starting to appear. Perhaps this is partially the reason for my recent obsession with the prospect of farming. It's been occupying a healthy portion of my head space lately, and I've caught myself daydreaming of fresh veggies and dirty fingernails, and I've even starting writing notes about the farm I want to have someday. The ache I have for my own land might start taking over the rest of my life, and I'm not sure just how long I can fight it off...
Until I settle myself somewhere, though, I'll have to feed my addiction with experimentation and small scale projects within the limited space of a big city. The learning part of growing food is big and daunting, and so I'm fortunate to have others around willing to try new things, share their experiences, and let me take chances in the dirt.
Within a couple of days of moving to Toronto I had found a community garden to which I could devote some Saturdays. I'm not sure I would have survived the transition to this giant world of skyscrapers, starless skies, and public transit had I not had opportunity to dig and plant and harvest and love a piece of earth with people who needed to do the same.
And now begins the season for growing. Seeing tiny plants starting to grow inside, watching rhubarb poke up from the still mostly frozen soil, and being careful not to step on the garlic sprouts while sweeping the leafy mulch we covered the beds with in November. It was absolutely incredible to lift up the cold frames over plots of spinach and arugula and find small plants still growing - nature is powerful, and if I didn't know it before (I did), I certainly know now.
More than just discovery though, I'm glad to have opportunities to learn from other gardeners, and luckily we're all pretty open to trying new things. There are few rigid rules, and we've been talking about changes and improvements we can make to the garden, and new tactics we'd like to try. For one, how to figure out how to grow greens up a wall, and another, where on earth to put the raspberries! There are few easy answers, but that's part of the fun!
All of these new ideas and opportunities are having a swirling-around effect in my head, and underneath my rational and safe life plan I've half-established for myself, I'm starting to be fettered by a deep desire to drop it all and start working the land full time. I know this isn't something I'm ready to do right now - commitments, hovering student loan burdens, and a sincere need for quality practical learning opportunities are all standing in the way. But until these things are no longer obstacles, I'll have to settle, and learn and, continue to be excited about spring and the renewing of life.
And really, that's the easy part.
No comments:
Post a Comment