It was a surreal and bittersweet week for me. Also, fairly boring and laborious in terms of what was going on with us on the farm... We ripped up plastic every day. I've had a hard time writing this last post. I just really don't want to do it, I think because it'll mean that my last week really did happen and I won't be working at Grant Farms anymore. It has been such a tremendous season for me. I have gotten the first real tan I've probably every had in my life, worked my booty off (literally) in the blazing sun and freezing cold, celebrated way too hard (and often!) at the end of a long week, had more than a few late night farm adventures, and fell in total love with farming and vegetable production. Not to mention the amazing people that I've had the chance to work with and call my friends. I know we'll see each other again, but I wish it could still be every day. I don't know what I'll do without you this winter!! This post can't touch how much you all mean to me, and what this experience has done to change my life for the better. So here, after a great season, are the final week's pics of the week:
Nov 26
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Dark and dreary Monday. It was so cold I was shaking! Here are all the guys: Austin, Joshua, Nate, Mitty, and Chris. Katie and I were the last girls standing this week. This is the top of Pie Four, the field where I laid the most plastic. I had the honor of tearing up the first beds, and the last this week. Wow.
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Nov 27
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| Katie, driving the tractor on Tuesday. |
Nov 28
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| Mitty and Chris ripping up the drip tape irrigation in Pie Four. |
Nov 29
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| View from the tractor. Getting down to the last zone on Thursday. The harvest road is to the left, and only zone seven with the determinate tomatoes remains. Austin, Katie, Chris and Joshua to the right. |
Nov 30
It's my last day. I couldn't decide on just one, so here's five.
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| Joshua driving Nate in the front end loader to pick up all the plastic and drip tape in Pie Four. |
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| The last load! Chris, Abby, Katie, Mitty, Nate, Joshua, and Austin. |
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| Up in the bucket with a beer and the dogs at the end of a long day. Austin, Abby, Mitty, Val, Maddy, Nate, Katie, and Chris. |
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| Nate and Maddy. |
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| About to rip up the last plastic bed. Mitty gave up the tractor for me and took my pic. I'm gonna miss driving beasts like this. |
Bonus Foto(s):
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| Katie and I took this picture of the full moon having one last field beer of the season in Pie Four on Wednesday. |
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| Asleep after a long, hard season! |
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| Thanks for a terrific year! Sunset on the season. |
So, don't shed a tear quite yet if you've enjoyed the blog this year. I'm not done yet. A few things will happen with it here in the future... Although it's the end of the season here in Colorado, I am planning to continue with a little something every week, just to keep it rolling. Check back with me for a unique, never posted, *vintage* farm foto every week featuring our 2012 interns... maybe even some party pics? Maybe even some video!? Who knows! You will have to just keep checking in to see! Also, there is a extra big surprise I have for you that will be posted on the blog soon, again having to do with the media I've collected this year. I will have it up by Christmas for a little end of the season gift for everyone. Interns, those of you whom I don't have email addresses for, can you please send them to me at granere@gmail.com or message me on facebook.
Finally, what's next for Val, you must be asking yourself! I bet the answer won't shock you... I am starting an organic farm! A small farm to start, to be sure, but within a few years I hope to be up on forty acres in Steamboat with ten acres in veggie production per year. Throw in a few alpacas and there's the goal. To start though, I'll be cultivating a little under an acre on the front range near Golden and plan to focus on a small farm membership with perks and farm dinners, and farmer's markets of course- a few if we have the produce! So as the winter wraps up and spring and things get cracking again, check in to see some new pics as I give my farm dream a shot. I am pretty sure it's gonna be interesting, if not pretty entertaining! And who knows, but I have a feeling a few of us will be working together again soon!
Thanks for following me this season, and please continue to do so. I've loved doing the blog and will keep it up. I've almost reached 10,000 hits, a number that's unreal to me! Maybe I'll get it by the new year...
I hate to wrap this post up! So hard!!! Thanks. And see you next week.
XOXOXOXO,
Val
