It's a Wonderful Life

Welcome to our blog, a new segment of the Third Way Farm website.  I am Kate, an intern here at the farm for the year. This is going to be an outlet for us to share our experiences on the farm and I want you to join me on my journey by reading along and following us @thirdwayfarmhdg, and me @the.secret.carrot on instagram for a more close up look at farm life!

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Life on the farm is a dream come true. How special it is to work with Creation every day and to be so close with the vast, natural world! Each day contains different challenges, learning opportunities, and adventures. There is never a dull moment. It truly is a wonderful life!

A wonderful life, however, does not mean perfection. We face countless obstacles and make lots of mistakes, some of which include dropping a carton of eggs, losing harvest knives in the field, and even something as devastating as all of our cattle escaping (don’t worry, we corralled them all back…  eventually). Despite the hiccups we face, we are still running a successful operation. Our veggies, fruits, meats, and honey feed many families and individuals and supplies various restaurants. We sell at our on site Barn Store on Tuesday and Friday afternoons and the Havre de Grace Farmer’s market on Saturday's. These outlets are available to our CSA and non-CSA members. In addition to sustenance, beautiful, fresh cut flowers are currently in season. Michelle, one of the wonderful owners at Third Way Farm, creates the most stunning and unique bouquets!

Third Way Farm is also a learning hub for aspiring farmers. Each year a new group of interns joins the team and discovers what it takes to operate a regenerative farm. Such tenants include incorporating animals, rotational grazing of the livestock, keeping the soil covered as much as possible, keeping living roots in the ground as often as possible, minimizing soil disturbance, and growing a diversity of crops. It sounds like a lot of moving pieces, but when it all boils down, soil health is the focus of regenerative agriculture. Healthy soil translates to healthy people, community, and environment.

At first it's a whirlwind for us interns, learning all the tasks and procedures that make up everyday life on the farm. Most interns have no prior farming experience, but even the few who have worked on farms have to be open to practices that may differ from those that they are accustomed to. Since we are all here to learn, we definitely make our share of mistakes. Fortunately, we have great teachers: the owners, Tommy and Michelle, as well as employees with more experience, Hailey and Jason. It's definitely not a lifestyle that all interns fall in love with. Thankfully, this year we have a strong group of dedicated individuals who pour their hearts into this labor of love and they are Alan, Kate, Muriel, Nate, and Nick. We all work hard and play harder. Laughter is ever present in the field. 

One of the comments we often hear as farmers is how exhausting it must be to work outside all day and ask so much of our bodies. And that is true. We work rain or shine, hot or cold, but we adapt. Winter time we’re snuggled up in layers upon layers: long underwear, overalls, hoodies, hats, gloves, and boots. On the other hand, in the summer, we wear our tank tops, shorts, and sandals. We are sure to drink lots of water. In fact, when we are thirsty, we go straight to the water spout and enjoy the refreshing well water. No matter what the season, we constantly move our bodies. In the vegetable field we prep garden beds, plant hundreds of seedlings, weed, harvest, wash the bounty, and more. Out on the pasture we set up electric fencing, rotate livestock, fill water tubs, and move shelters. It's physically demanding, but spiritually rewarding. 

Doing such fulfilling work makes the physical requirements worth it. At the end of each day, we can look back and reflect on all the beautiful acts we performed. Growing tasty food, raising healthy animals, nourishing robust soil, and building close connections with the community are just some of the wonderful things about being a farmer. It is hard work, but we love it! If you’re interested in learning more about Third Way Farm, please give us a visit, volunteer, participate in our events, and visit us at our markets. We would love to include you in our farming adventures!

Until next time, 
Kate @the.secret.carrot