It Done Sprang

I don't know what weather systems the rest of y'all are experiencing, but spring came in like a lion here in central Alabama just this past week.  I won't lie - I've reveled in the glorious heat, opening my windows (and not closing them), finally starting my tiny first apartment garden (of unfortunately leggy kale so far), and rolling up my sleeves (literally) to get even dirtier.

(And March Madness -- goodness KNOWS I haven't forgotten about March Madness. Can I get a holler for Lehigh?!)

Regardless, I thought I would take the occasion of springtime to share some visuals of what I've been up to around my new place of residence.   This week I've been primarily doing this at work:

so. much. shoveling.

I know it doesn't look like much, but man! My back certainly thinks it is.  While CEFS was wonderful as a theoretical introduction to what farms can be, it is also immensely useful to experience what this particular farm actually is - for instance, the soil conditions necessitate raised bed, but instead of CEFS's fancy tractor implement, they have me, the human bed-shaper.

While not done this week, I've also planted a good bit of arugula and salad mix, both for baby harvests to restaurants:

baby ovation mix, which includes multiple kales and mustards

The weather has been particularly temperamental for the past couple of months, so it's interesting to get a feel for what planting decisions are good ones.  The first batch of arugula, for instance, was not such a great idea.  The second batch definitely was.

That's been this week.  What I did today started here:

Ahh, yes.  I spent my Saturday hanging out with a bunch of farmers in northeast Alabama, sticking out like a sore thumb and talking about goats and ethnic vegetables (two things I love).  This particular research center is in Crossville, population 1431.  You can imagine, of course, that I was in the midst of ... not much. And it was GLORIOUS. Just the sight of tractors around the station tickled me so much that I went for an uncharted drive after the forum.  And where did this drive take me, you ask? Most of the scenery was something like this ...

Geraldine, Alabama (which begs to be said with a drawl)

nothing runs like a Deere

abandoned feed mill

one of Pilgrim's Pride's conquests in DeKalb County

Oh, the wonders of the rural south! In more ways than one I have Carolina fever this week - I've been missing Goldsboro a lot lately.  It's wonderful to see parts of Alabama that (a) are not as hugely urban as Birmingham, and (b) are more realistic in terms of how agriculture exists, but it's interesting to not have the social context for understanding different regions of the state.  For instance, if someone talks about eastern versus western North Carolina, it means something to me.  However, when I told folks I was going to Sand Mountain today, it definitely meant something to them that I could not comprehend on my own.  I know that kind of knowledge happens with time, but it was a reminder to my impatience that I am a newcomer in so many ways to all this.

My aimless wandering was rewarded - not only with farmland (and never would I have thought that the smell of factory poultry would make me feel good), but with this too:

Welcome to High Falls, a 35-foot waterfall tucked in the middle of nowhere, DeKalb County, Alabama.  About two fairly sketchy signs vaguely point in its direction, so I was pretty thrilled to come across it on what was already a beautiful day.  What a great thing to stumble upon!

I hope wherever you are spring is soon to have sprung as well.  Stay outside and enjoy the green :)