Yes We Can...and we did!

Wow! What a day for America. On this day last year, there was doom and gloom among us and not much to look forward to-for the economy. Or our cheese business. Well, that changed in 2008 and so now has our whole country.

When JFK poetically said decades ago, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what YOU can do for your country" now resonates with our 44th president of the United States of America. This great country was built on what I called 'a tossed salad' in my entrance application to college many years ago. I had the task of writing an essay describing why this country was a mixed bag or salad of different peoples, if you will.

I too am from Hawaii and largely raised by my maternal grandmother, I also attended Punahou School, as did Barack Obama. I have traveled quite a bit, as has he, and this brings with it a sense of open mindedness that is not often found when one lives in one town or place his or her entire life. That is not to say I generalize. It is just that one is exposed to many different types of people, cultures, beliefs, cuisines etc. And early on. We all bring with us our own life experiences.

Today was and IS an incredible day. As I ventured out on deliveries today after the cheese make I noticed the roads totally devoid of cars. The buildings were mostly empty. Only those who must work were out and about. I delivered to one tavern and saw the entire place packed with people, mostly young, at the bar, watching Barack Obama's inaugural address. I listened to it, mostly, in its entirety in the car, with great coverage on NPR. Brilliantly written, I resonated with what he had to say especially to inspire service, and responsibility. We are living in the techno age, the most recent young generation, about to graduate from high school or college has grown up unlike any other generation. I think they call it the X gens. Mostly exposed to computers, emailing, texting-- things appear like instant gratification. Baby booming parents often times, instilled in them a sense of deservedness, perhaps from a well-intentioned desire to provide what they did not have. The people who have come before us without peace in the world and economies in disrepair know the true value of hard work and service. I am hoping in this time now with Barack Obama, the younger generations that come after will be able to rise up to the challenge and work hard, give service, volunteer. It is not about the almighty dollar, or getting good grades to attain the highest paying job but about mindfulness, gratitude and being a steward of the world. As farmers, we like to call ourselves stewards of the land. This means we don't own the land for ownership sake but 'own' our behavior on it. That is to say, we must account for our actions. Just like we must be accountable for our actions in service, at work, and to our Mother Earth. I can say this as I have been a farmer most of my adult life, therefore quite trained at hard work and accountability. Anything that happens on a farm aside from acts of God (weather) is at the conscience of the farmer. And even though I have both a B.A and a B.S (quite over qualified for the job), I feel as though my service to these animals and this land make me more whole. I strive to provide healthy food, humanely raised to the folks we encounter here on this little piece of the Earth. So now on to better things and giving service. Let us begin and ride this next journey..........It shall prove to be a very powerful one.

Farmer's Market in the New Year

Well the weather sure was frightful and yet lots of folks came out to shop at the Burlington Farmer's Market in this New Year. With several more lamb shares and pork shares to deliver I made the trek to the Memorial Auditorium in minus 15 degrees. Yikes!

Products available were winter vegetables like rutabagas, turnips, daikon radish, potatoes, carrots and even some winter greens. Jewelry, clothing, dried flowers sure enough to perk up anyone's mood were also lighting up the room. There was even a new vendor working on his senior thesis at UVM demonstrating the craft of lacto-fermented vegetable making. He had his setup with cabbage to show how to make old world traditional sauerkraut. What an innovative thesis for the nutrition world!

Speaking of raw sauerkraut, several days ago, I met a friend for lunch at Jeff's Maine Seafood in St Albans, Vermont. He had a Reuben sandwich made with the Flack Farm's lacto-fermented sauerkraut. I even had a bite and there's nothin' like it. It lends the sandwich a nice crunch instead of sogging up the bread and a mouth-watering bit of tartness (from the tang of raw lacto-bacilli in the cabbage). Also, imagine my surprise when I noticed one of my cheeses on their menu. Who knew?

It was a nice change to see a few of my regular customers from the summer market as well as some new faces-it seems as though it has been so long. One man even bought some of my cheese to bring to an Inaugural event in Washington, DC!

I am grateful that despite the weather my health was well enough to make this market.

Life's Challenges

Well it sure is cold. I hate to sound like a broken record but tonight I heard that 2/3 of the USA is under a 'cold weather' advisory. Predicted to get below minus 15 between today and tomorrow, here in my neck of the woods. Talk about a challenge on a farm. It means buttoning up barns and making sure all animals have extra hay to generate more heat in their bodies and well, hope.

When one is diagnosed with cancer, after denial, there is often a pledge to live in the moment, at present. For the future is, at best, on hiatus of the mind. This is what I pledge, now, to live in the moment, and breathe. For it is all I have. THIS moment. To breathe and relinquish the past and not focus on the future. For what is the future? A fantasy, an ego-based desire, wishes, dreams, hopes, and wills of this or that-to happen. Well now I must pledge to just be...........

First Cheese in 2009

Well, once again while revelers were most likely asleep nursing hangovers from too much Auld Lang Syne, we were up and at 'em making the first cheese of the new year. And I must say I ENJOYED being in there today what with 16 degrees outside and a winter wind advisory and every section of the home cold! Especially since my cheese house with cheese being made must be a toasty 70 degrees for the cheese to develop properly. So what did I make on the first day of the new year? Butternut. The picture below shows Butternuts plank aging in our cave at about 5 months of age.



We are too old to drive over a half hour to see fireworks and toast the night away. We barely made it to 9:30 last night after feasting on bacon wrapped scallops, orange/lemon roasted shrimp and a big salad. Never made it to the beautiful Prosecco I received as a gift......Ah well, do I wish I could have gone into town? Life was simpler when we were young. Farming is complicated!