Morning Glory Farm

Here is a link to the farm's website:
http://www.morninggloryfarm.com/

Day Off

Today was my first full day off. To make the most out of an overcast, Portland-esque day, I hopped on my bike and headed to Oak Bluffs. Oak Bluffs is another town about 7.3 miles away from Edgartown. On my way there, I stopped at a small coffee shop had a delicious bagel with cream cheese and lox, and a iced chai coffee (I am getting addicted to iced coffee and tea drinks here because they always have a huge free vat for employees to help themselves). After devouring my breakfast I biked from Edgartown to OB. Along the way I stopped at a small bridge and watched some fishermen. Before long I made friends with two families with kids. I even got to help one of the girls pull in her fish. My legs were itching! Uncle Boo needs to get here already! As I rested on the bridge I was able to read some of my book, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. On one side was a small lagoon and on the other side was the ocean. Even though it wasn't the prettiest day I appreciated the spectacular landscape. Along the ride I had wonderful views of the ocean and could smell the salt water as I peddled by. Eventually I arrived in OB and had lunch in a small park. I packed a sandwich (sandwichito for Nicol) some pretzels (for dad), and an apple. In the park I relaxed, read my book and spoke to a few people on the phone. After I commenced my lunch I locked up my bike and walked around Oak Bluffs (OB). By this time I was really thirsty and of course had to go to the bathroom. So off I went to the first ice cream shop hoping that if I bought an ice cream they would let me go to the bathroom. But of course there was no bathroom and instead I was left with a huge "small ice cream." After eating literally two spoonfuls I threw the ice cream away and ventured towards the public bathroom. From there I biked home, stopping briefly at a small roadside cart selling small-normal small iced lemonade. On my way home I passed by a bike shop replaced a small stopper for my handlebars and headed home. Once home I jumped in the outdoor shower and changed my clothes, ready for the rest of my night! Tonight is Frisbee Friday at a nearby elementary school, other than that I have no idea what I am doing!!!! Love you all!

Farming Photos

Tomatoe Tar is not fun! Band-aid from cutting myself with pruning knife!

Cabbage

Here are some photos from my day in the field yesterday. Snap pea picking, shelling pea picking, tomato pruning...cabbage, broccoli!!!.... Farmer Molly here we come!

Fourth of July Photos

BBQ

Carrots

Green Onions

Field of Green Onions

Fourth of July Photos

Me kicking it with our bountiful harvest!

Lettuce!

Picking strawberries

Fourth of July

Yesterday I started my fourth of July celebration by working from 7:30 in the morning until 12:30, in the Farm Stand. Imagine what the last minute rush for fourth of July barbecue and family dinner, ingredients was like! The stand usually opens at 9, but at 8:40 some anxious customer pushed open our front door and before we knew it the store was open, and over 40 people were inside. One week after learning how to work the register system I was on register 5 checking hundreds of frantic fourth of July customers out. My favorite part about working the register is the small talk you get to make with the customers. However, my constant search for the buttons of bizarre fruits and vegetables on the register screen often prevent me from doing much more than searching for the item they are buying. The register system is crazy, I have to take a picture of it for you all sometime, but honestly it has 1 million colored buttons with little to no relation to one another!!! Anywhooo, so after checking customers out for 4 hours, the stand closed and we were all free to enjoy our day! I ran back to my tent, changed my clothes, and jumped in the back of one of my fellow farm companions pickup trucks. Off to the beach we went! The beach we went to was a private beach near South Beach, a nice public beach off of Katama rd. It was the beach of one of the girls who works in the flower stand. At the beach was the entire Morning Glory crew, sitting on beach towels, swimming in the water and snacking on a wide range of fourth of July treats. I was surprised by how many bags of chips there were, I figured these kids would only be eating trail mix or flax seed crackers, not potato chips, but oh well! After hanging out on the beach for a few hours my car headed to the Stop and Shop to get some groceries for a BBQ. We got some veggie burgers, hamburger buns and some condiments. But that was all.... we didnt need to buy any vegetables, for we have an entire farm at our disposal! So after stopping by the store we made some detours at some of the fields and picked strawberries, green onions, carrots, lettuce and beets! NOT BAD! Then we headed back to the farm and enjoyed a wonderful BBQ with the rest of the Morning Glory staff outside of what is known as the Blueberry house. The Blueberry house is right near my tent platform and features a small room with two windows, a sink, a mini fridge, and a bed. Outside of it is a small deck, a clothes for hanging your clothes on, a small hammock and a few yards away, the outdoor shower I use every morning! It was nice sitting on the porch, feasting on farm fresh veggies, and observing my new companions and surroundings!

Houses in Oak Bluffs

Visit

On Wednesday I got a text message from my cousin Maria, who lives in Upstate New York, that she was going to be on the Cape and wanted to visit me. So Friday morning after working a half day in the field, I biked to downtown Edgartown and met up with Maria and her friend Amanda. We had a wonderful meal at a restaurant called the Atlantic on Uncle Mike. I ate a huge hamburger, french fries and a yummy Arnold Palmer! After lunch we explored downtown Edgartown, a small ritzy beach town, and got some ice cream. Edgartown is an interesting place, it is very New England, the houses are almost all painted white with shutters and white picket fences. I will have to go photograph downtown to show you all. But needless to say it is a very touristy place during these summer months, touristy yet beautiful. From the farm it is a 15 minute bike ride, so I will be able to spend more time exploring the town in the coming days. After ice cream we walked to the farm and got some fresh strawberries, a Pluot which these Easterners have never heard of before (of course us cultured Californians have!), and a nectarine. Outside of the stand we devoured what Maria claimed to be "the best strawberries" she had ever had! I responded by saying, "they better be! I have been on my knees picking them all morning!" After feasting on good local produce we walked to my home and I gave them the grand tour which took all of 5 minutes! Next I showed them the outdoor shower! and the farm house! After we concluded the tour we decided to walk back to Edgartown to catch a bus to take us on a scenic route of the beaches. On our way out of the farm Renee and Peter, my aunt and uncle from NY-not Maria's parents, saw us walking down the street and picked us up! They took us to the beach, then for an amazing boat ride to Oak Bluffs. In Oak Bluffs we had a wonderful dinner, I got lobster in honor of Aunt Nat, and observed the OB demographic. OB is completely different than Edgartown, to me it has the feel of Miami Beach, and has a lot less people wearing polo shirts, and a lot more wearing jerseys. Needless to say it had some great people watching!!! After dinner we walked around, dropped the girls off at the ferry back to Wood's Hole and took the boat back home. Renee and Peter were nice enough to let me spend the night in their guest bedroom, and for the first time in two weeks I slept in a bed, happy as could be!!!!

First full week

Wow! Its been kinda a long time since I last posted. I have been doing well, experiencing the ups and downs of camping outside! Ups: you wake up to the sounds of birds chirping and experience the simplicity of living with very few things. Downs: you wake up earlier than you want, thank you birds! Your back sometimes hurts more after a night's sleep then after working in the field, and lastly, it is not so fun to walk home in the dark, well probably only if your me, lol. Despite the ups and downs I am really enjoying my wooden platform, outdoor shower and occasional indoor shower.
Work has been going well. I am working Monday, Tuesday, Thursday in the stand and Wednesdays and Saturdays in the field. In the stand I am working from 10 a.m until 7 p.m with a one hour break from 2-3, and on Wednesdays in the field I work from 7:30-5, and on Saturdays from 6:30-4. In the stand I have been stocking vegetables and fruits, you see a lack of yellow peppers, then you go back to the front cooler, a large refrigerated room that is stocked with almost every vegetable and fruit you can imagine, and get some more yellow peppers to put out in the farm stand. I do stocking from 10-11, then am on the register from 11-2, lunch, then stock from 3-7. The register is a wonderful break from the monotonous job of stocking, but is often a little overwhelming. There are thousands of buttons and procedures I need to learn, and am in the process of remembering... Slowly I am catching on, but fourth of July weekend was definitely not conducive to my learning curve! In the field I have been picking mostly strawberries, two types of cucumbers, picklers and slicers, yellow squash, patty-pan squash, crook-neck squash, and have been weeding lettuce fields. Not too shabby! My favorite part about working in the field is that while working everyone is hanging out and talking. It makes the hours past quickly and also adds a really enjoyable element to the manual labor. Overall my first week has been great! I wish I was in the field more days so that I could meet more people, but as the days pass I am sure I will be able to spend time with my new farm companions.