Rhythm and Routine

June starts tomorrow, which means so do One Step at a Time Gardens' CSA deliveries.  All the number crunching and planning that Tim and Jan did over the winter and all the prep work the 4 of us have done since the beginning of April begin to culminate now.  It is the beginning of a 18 weekly deliveries of vegetables to various locations in Des Moines and smaller communities in North Iowa. 

It is the beginning of highly ordered frenetic activity that will probably border on chaos at least once. It is also the most routine time of the farming year.  The work just doesn't stop, nor does it even slow until well into September.  The to-do list will, reliably, never get done.  And yet,

It is so exciting!!

June means beginning the harvest each Tuesday and Wednesday morning first thing.  It means processing the bounty through cold flowing water, trimming roots and pulling discolored leaves. 
Weighing and portioning so each farm member gets their share of the loot.  Setting aside blemished or damaged produce for our own consumption.  Packing boxes and loading the van, sending Jan or Tim down the road to deliver the fruits (vegetables) of our labor to families around central Iowa.  Assessing which crops need weeding most urgently.  Moving chickens to fresh pasture each morning. Dragging hoses and setting up sprinklers. Finding the short in the electric fence. Going to market on Friday.  Trying to scrounge some end of the day energy to freeze and can for our own winter use. Sleep, stretch and repeat.

Rhythm and routine of work and satisfaction, work and satisfaction.