Hi friend,
The seasons have shifted yet again: spring crops are abundant while summer crops are freshly seeded, our weekends are full of social gatherings, food events, and time with loved ones. The days are growing longer, the sun’s glare burns hotter, and the outdoor pools are finally open and inviting. Our little farm operation spans across three separate fields (four including the farm where my husband grew up in Polvadera… five including the goat farm where we milk and lend support) and this year we have been setting intentions to move towards some consolidation. Focusing growth on our two plots on Riverside, and less so at fields that are a car trip away. It feels good to move away from the “more, more, more” mindset and find comfort in the decision to lean in to a smaller production area. And we know it is a privilege to have the peace of mind to make such a shift.
The flavors of this season are some of my favorite… grilled chicken with fresh oregano and charred garlic scapes, massive salads laden with snap peas, mint, and feta, Hakurai turnips bursting from the ground and drizzled with soy sauce and lemon juice. Spring produce thrusting me back into a full appreciation of life through its’s sweet nourishment.
It is freeing to write words on the page with the intention of sharing. It makes me long for the feedback that my grandpa would offer me if he were here to be receiving this letter (or more likely, editing it before I sent it into the world). He was a voracious reader, an avid writer, and the first person to urge me to write without abandon and to take pride in seeing my words on a page. He and I would read classics together, he would assign me writing prompts, I’d respond and then we would go to Barelas for huevos deluxe and discussion. He taught me how to drive stick on backroads of Los Lunas with the patience of a saint. His death came too soon! And I’ve written to him so many times since he passed away. Longed for his deep voice to sing OT “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.” Missed him so deeply. Some days I am brought back to his passing with lightning bolts of grief.
How we can move our society back to one that focuses on end of life care, normalizes talking about and preparing for death, and enables us to help empower our loved ones as they near the end of their roads? These conversations are hard to start and draining to engage in, but if we can practice some kind of preparation around life’s conclusion instead of avoiding it at all costs, could we allow grief to wash over us in its many waves? Can we find comfort in the beyond, accept the full cycle of life, instead of feeding the delusion that our youth is eternal?
I know these letters are disjointed and not the happy-go-lucky farm updates that I have been drawn to share in the past… but life is full of dualities! There is so much beauty and abundance, and also struggle and contemplation! I’m leaning into the belief that all of it is valid and should be shared freely to help us better understand our full personhoods instead of a sugar-coated, airbrushed version of reality. There is pain and suffering in the world, and there is enormous compassion and joy. Both have to exist (as well as all of the in-betweens) for us to experience life fully. Coming to peace with this concept (over and over again, I think I am a slow learner…) has been revelatory for me. I hope it might resonate with you, too.
Upcoming Events
June 6: Margle playing Bueno Fest El Rey Mezzanine
June 11: Smashburgers at Sidetrack Brewery at 5:30pm
June 21: Margle playing with Prism Bitch at Sister Bar
July 9: Smashburgers at Sidetrack Brewery at 5:30pm
July 20: RGALT fundraiser at the farm
July 27: Pizza night on the farm
Late Spring Salad
Flashy trout lettuce
Hakurai turnips
Sugar snap peas
Handful of fresh dill
Handful of fresh mint
Slab of feta
Cup of toasted almonds
Yard sauce vinaigrette- blend up a mix of herbs (sage, parsley, mint, oregano) with olive oil, lemon zest&juice, salt and pepper. Then mix in a jar with more olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and lemon to taste.
Chop all ingredients and combine in a large shallow bowl, crumble feta over top, dress with vinaigrette and toss with clean hands to combine. Enjoy straight from the bowl, ideally outside at sunset with a good friend and two forks.