My new adventure has indeed begun. A new everything!
I have been here at Mesa Winds Farm for almost two weeks now and I have loved every minute of it, even the long hours. My hands are beginning to show sings of wear and tear, due to the hard work and the manual labor – something my hands are not used to seeing.
A little history before I tell you about my stay so far. Mesa Winds Farm was bought by a couple, Max and Wink. They bought the farm a few years ago and have made it their home, for the two of them and their dog, Monty. The farm is located in Hotchkiss, Colorado, the valley of the North Fork and the Gunnison River. It is a lovely town. Hotchkiss is sandwiched between two neighboring towns, Paonia and Delta. I have only seen the outer sides of both towns, but the small town of Hotchkiss is ideal.
The farm itself is about 36 acres. It is lovely. They have orchards for two types of apples and two types of peaches. They also have vines to grow different types of grapes, for wine making and for eating, table grapes. There are also two hoop houses, almost like green houses, that hold room for vegetables for us to eat on the farm – any leftover will be given up the farmer’s market. There is also an herb garden and small beds for vegetables to grow closer to home.
The living arrangements are apartments. The land does not have a house. Instead there are picker houses. There are six houses located at the front entrance. There are two rows, the first row houses Max, Wink and Monty. They converted two picker houses into one for them. The second row is four picker houses with two houses connecting. Each has a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/living room. Not the entire second row is livable right now, but soon. One house the winery, one house is the tool room and then there are two houses are for people to actually live in.
My life for the past (almost) two weeks has been amazing. I have been working hard and sleeping hard. My day is pretty routine. I wake up about 7:45 and get dressed and get to work by about 8 or so, sometimes stopping for a cup of tea. For the first week I did a lot of planting with Max. We planted spinach, cilantro, different varieties of lettuces, three different kinds of onions, asparagus, raspberries and blackberries and cherry trees. There was a lot of digging and a lot of weeding! But it was a ton of fun. I can’t wait to see what I have accomplished. Right now, we can see the young sprouts of spinach and cilantro. It is very exciting!
A few days ago, a friend of Max and Wink’s, came over and taught us about pruning grapes – wine and table grapes. It was very interesting. We spent six hours roaming the fields and trying our hand at the pruning. It was very informative. He liked to talk.
The farm houses five hives, bee hives. They are located down by the irrigation canal and the cherry trees. I got to help Max (mostly by watching) put new houses on the hives. The new additions are for us, so we can collect this house and make honey. The bees live in two story houses. They use this honey to feed themselves and to house their young. It is really cool. Each hive has its own personality. I can’t wait to eat fresh honey from the hive! The buzzing noise is really pretty – soothing.
On top of the farm duties I am also cooking meals for the three of us. I usually do not make it to breakfast – but Max and Wink, usually fix that. Really good pancakes. I made lots of dishes, drawing inspiration from home – baked chicken with a compound butter, burritos, daddy’s pasta with pesto, soups and some other stuff. I have even done a little baking. I am in the process of making my Caramel Brownie Cheesecake! I can’t wait until the garden begins to produce food, so I can outside to pick out what I want to make. Talk about fresh food!
Max and Wink are very nice people and want to introduce you to their town and to their friends. They have made friends with some really neat people – I have only been able to meet a few, but then again, I haven’t been here long. A friend who is a chef is coming to dinner tomorrow. Hopefully, this will be a great contact later on in life. Max has been so kind to sign me up to work a few functions with the local talent here – big dinners! This will be an experience!! The area I am in is the most concentrated location in Colorado to house Organic Farmers! I can’t imagine working with such fresh produce – dairy, meat and vegetables. Oh my!
A few days ago, Max and I went hunting for wild asparagus. We found lots. That night we enjoyed fresh steamed asparagus for dinner. It was wonderful. The first day I arrived, Wink took me on a tour of the property. We found a few wild asparagus hiding and he cut one for me to eat. I ate it right there and it was so sweet! This is why I am here and I knew it at the moment.
My time here is just the tip of the iceberg. I am surrounded by amazing views of mountains, the babbling of the irrigation canal, and soon the sweet smell of ripe fruit. My hands are beginning to develop rough spots – from all the manual labor. I guess I’m not a southern belle anymore – Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind said that you can always tell a lady by her hands. They should be soft and well groomed. Mine aren’t soft anymore, but they look nice, if I scrub off the dirt from under my fingernails. The farm was a great move for me. I am going to learn so much more than I thought I would. Food is not just about what you get on a plate, but where it comes from – what goes into growing it, how does it develop, what is ripe. You appreciate things far better if you put your blood, sweat and tears into something you love and I intend in doing just that this summer – watch out - - - -
ps - pictures might come later, if i can get my camera out
