The Importance of Community

This is a post about community.  Recently I've felt a bit of pressure to move around, to farm all over the country while I am still young, free and not tied to one place.  While this is a good idea, it's not something I'm very interested in and here's why...

I have noticed in the past few months how close-knit the farming community is around here.  I wouldn't go so far as to say that everyone knows each other, but there is a ton of overlap between circles.  This person knows that person who used to work for that other person and the so the chain continues.  I find this useful and fun.  You see the same friendly faces over and over again, whether it's at a North Willamette Women Farmer's Network gathering or the Cannon Beach market.

This closeness allows for networking to be second-nature and through all these friendly farmer folks, I've gotten the chance to see many different models of farming whether it's on farm visits or just in conversation, we have a lot to teach each other.  Having a tight community like the one here in the greater Portland area is surely a boon for farmers.

Speaking of community, yesterday was the last Cannon Beach market and once we were packed up after a long day of "slangin' veg" (as I like to call it), all the vendors went out of some beers and falafel.  I had a great time getting to know the other farmers and chefs who worked at the market, exchanging stories and laughs with them.  And drinking beer of course.

More on the community front...this afternoon we were paid a visit by a local elementary school (the name has slipped my mind, whoops!).  A class of mixed first- and second-graders got to walk around the farm and ask some very intelligent questions about what we do here.  They loved hearing about the bunnies and how they (the rabbits) eat their own poop!  The kids even helped us plant fava beans.