Jumping in Feet First.

Things are rolling right along with the new job, new farm, new house, and new roomate. My Director position with Fields to Families has been keeping me happily busy but most of all, it has been great practice in the art of letting go. Since I can only work 20 hours a week, I have to simply embrace that I cannot finish it all and know that it will be waiting for me the following week. Yet even with the time contraints, I am already feeling pretty productive. Beyond the general office work, email checking, and call returning, I have also helped with the Day of Caring event (click the pic below to see all the action)...

as well as working the Farmer's Market pick-ups...

and attended the volunteer appreciation party...

On the days that I am not working with F2F, I am back on the farm... working in McClellandville, SC on Thornhill farms. It is a beautiful organic farm that also serves as a host site for Adaptive Gardens and McCrady's Garden. As part of the Growing New Farmers "Grower's Group" program, we actually ended up on the farm for a lesson and some dinner.

Matt Frye picking some Red Russian Kale

McCrady's Sean Brock working the filets. If only I ate fish. Damn.

In addition to all of this, I spend my nights slowly unpacking boxes and moving myself in. Daniel and I found a place together by Hampton Park that is perfect for us... the apartment is spacious and bright but most importantly it has an epic backyard. I just borrowed a tiller from Lowcountry Community Gardens and in the next week we will have the beginnings our own urban farm! What can I say... I love playing in the dirt :-)

Hurricane of Spice.

“Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor”- William Cowper

The winds of change are so strong these days it is starting to feel like a hurricane (Luckily, not a real one like Earl).

(Winds of Change at Thackery Farm)

The last month I have been juggling so many random jobs and trying to plan for the next few months of my life, that I have a hard time knowing what is next in my world, so I am sure that those of you around me are equally as baffled as to what direction I am heading next.

Here is a picture summary of the last few weeks:

Foxy chillin at the Farmers Market

Sarah and Beach Watering the Bogarden (I was their nanny).

Cloud watching on my way to a gardening job.

Admiring good stickers while walking the doggles.

Chicken coop I built for Joseph Fields, complete with
Kilwins Ice Cream bucket nesting boxes.

Here is the latest and greatest.

As of yesterday, I am now the Director of Fields to Families. What is that? Nikki got a job... in her field... in Charleston?!? Yes, yes I did. But reign in that excitement. While it is uber exciting and full of potential, I will still only be working 20 hours to start off until I can raise some funds for a full-time salary. Bring on the grants. So yes, I will still be working at least two jobs.

What does this mean for my Apprenticeship? Well, I will be shifting to 20 hours a week but still working up in Thornhill Farms in McClellandville. My main role will be harvesting and selling produce for the farm but I will also be working with LLF closely on partnerships between our organizations.

Since most of my time will be spent in Mt. Pleasant and downtown, it doesn't really make sense for me to live on the farm, so Dan and I just got a place on the peninsula. We will be close to Hampton Park and according to Dan, we can try to score a tandem bike so we can bike the bridge together (since he knows that I cannot make it over without walking my bike). I can see it now.

Ahhh... the spice of life.

Stay tuned...