Beginnings

I had the pleasure of visiting a group of young farmers running a CSA farm near Elora around a week ago. I spent the day in the blistering heat (although I feel bad saying that now because it's been even warmer since) shooting, getting in the way, and generally feeling like I'm finally shooting something well. (I've been in a slump. More on that another time.)

I grew up slaving in my parents' large garden, but it was all tending to vegetables, whining, and sitting in the shade after my parents got frustrated enough with me. Sometimes I even got banished back inside, to my delight.

These people work, and hard. They use horse-drawn plows for cultivation and were fulfilling the back-breaking task of picking peas at 8 a.m. when I arrived. And they'd already been up for a couple of hours. I'm hoping this is the start of some excellent time with Yehuda, Schirin, Mat, and Emily. (As well as the numerous animals.)

Here's a brief preview. Many, many more to come in the future.

Emily and Mat head out into the fields for a morning of pea-picking.

Organic farming is their main practice, but the task of hand-watering each row of vegetables would be monumental. Mat fixes a leaky irrigation line amongst the rows.

Schirin takes a break in the shade of the tent where she sleeps on the farm. With a former farmhouse housing around 8 people, she wanted her personal space and elected to stay in a tent. Two of the other farmers stay in an RV on the property as well.

Yehuda ponders his crops before hooking up Milly to start cultivating the rows.

Sally, who will work with her partner Milly on the double plow, waits while Milly, Mat, and Yehuda work on cultivating one of the farm's three fields.

Schirin and Max, the baby of one of the housemates in the farmhouse, enjoy a pre-lunch snack.

Freshly picked spring onions are washed and laid out to dry before being bundled for market and CSA pick-ups.

Yehuda takes a quiet moment after lunch, while Goldie does the same on the dining room floor.