It is no surprise that death and new life are often intermingled.
On December 31, in the waning hours of 2021 our friend Sage came and helped us put our goat matriarch down (euthanize). I have been present at times of death before. I remember sitting vigil with my brother and at his time of passing called out, “I think he died.” At that point his breathes were so far a part and his passing so gradual that the moment of death was very soft. I’ve been witness to the time of death when we have butchered cows. Sometimes it has been a smooth passing and sometimes it has been hard. For Penny it quick. Karin and I held her, reassuring her of our presence and of calm, I began to hum softly (probably more to soothe myself) and then with the final needle her breath stopped immediately. One moment her lungs were inflating and then next there was absolute stillness. It was very final. Penny came to our farm with her daughter Amy in April of 2019. She was gentle, her eyes conveyed wisdom. She was calm and attentive. Since then she’s birthed 7 more beautiful kids who’ve gone on to other farms at this point. But Penny struggled to maintain health and enough fat on her to make it through the winter. She had a bad bacterial infection in the end. I am grateful for the ease with which we were able to journey with her in her final journey, and for the accompaniment of Sage and Karin. Thank you to all those that have come to Kingfisher Farm visited her through the years. She was well-loved.
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And then the rain stopped
mist rising from sodden earth sun beams drawing our eyes to glimmering leaves. and we listened to the stories houses released from their foundations toppling into the river cows abandoned young children rescued by helicopter and other stories a feast gifted to those stranded 600 hands damming a pump station safe houses offered to strangers voices raised about climate change about supporting local about coming together and there were other voices voices being silenced water sacred yet poured out crying to protect our watershed to protect the rivers my mind reeled searching for clarity "be the change you want to see" so the saying goes so we tended the soil we donated toothpaste we shared borscht with friends we wondered about farmers in other countries that might need refuge we bought seeds we lit a candle for those who are sitting in the depths of this loss There are many ways to live and many ways to farm. Here at Kingfisher we try to live responsibly and farm with care for the earth without being dogmatic, knowing that we are all on a journey and our practices will change and grow over time! The word "sustainable" has often been applied to our way of farming. I feel that the minimum standard for sustainability means using methods that allow us to produce healthy crops without damaging our ecosystem and depleting the soil. The "even better" level, to which we aspire, is to leave our land even better than we found it!
To that end we spread lots of compost on our field every year, we use natural amendments to feed soil life and we grow cover crops which we incorporate back into the soil to build organic matter. We never spray synthetic chemicals on our land for the purpose of killing weeds, insects or diseases. We try to minimize soil disturbance and maximize biodiversity by planting a wide variety of vegetable crops in our fields and we see the wider community as allies in joining us to foster an environment of biodiversity that is beautiful, healthy for people, and attractive to all kinds of pollinators and other wild critters! Paul As promised, here’s Part 2 of the introduction to Kingfisher Farm Market:
Why do we farm? From Paul: What do you love about farming? Every spring as a new season begins, I marvel at the miracle of seeds carrying all that life – and I’m excited again to see those first green shoots popping up. To be a steward of that process brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction! There are so many skills and so much background knowledge needed to bring a farm to life. There are complex ecological interactions, not to mention business, accounting, communications, mechanics, construction… Farming is a life-long journey of learning and even after 16 years I’ve got a long way to go. This excites me! Why were you drawn to farming? I have always loved working with growing things, even as a young boy I wanted to learn how to create the conditions for plants to flourish. As a kid, I built a compost bin and tended grapevines in our city yard. As a younger adult, I searched for a “vocation” that felt like a fit to me. I wanted to do something in my life that contributed to the well-being of the earth and all her inhabitants. Farming was something I could do that combined my passions for food and for growing things. It has felt like a hopeful way to build community and to bring healing and life to a small part of the earth. It continues to feel life-giving for me personally, even on those crazy days when there is a lot to do! From Angela: I am a person who really roots down where I am. During our time in East Vancouver, we were deeply connected to the people and the neighbourhood and when we moved out to South Surrey I wondered what would tether me. The vegetable farming all felt like Paul's thing (as he had been farming on this land since 2005) and I kind of like to have my own thing. Karin and I purchased a dairy cow and we learned the rhythms of farming; I spent my first few years here loving the practice of shoveling manure, milking, fencing and helping out with the vegetable farming as I was able. The flowers started as a hobby for me but I was pulled into the art of growing and designing them as I increased the amount I grew, learned what other farmers were doing and saw that I could possibly earn a living from flower farming. I have always been drawn to facilitating spaces of community engagement and connection so when the idea sprouted of hosting a market here at the farm, I was all in. I loved that we could connect with the neighbours and provide access to the beauty of this land and to healthy, tasty food. And here we are, 10 years later - farming and loving it. Paul has cleaned up the maple sap buckets. It was a good harvest this year and the shelter was filled with the aroma of warm maple sugar as he boiled it down on the fireplace for days. It's one of our winter rituals. One of those things that Paul does for fun; connecting us with the rhythms of the season.
And now the days are lightening. I can hear the song of the frogs getting louder in the clear, dark evenings. The tulips are all pushing up through the frost covered earth, daring winter to come back. My kids are itching for spring break and a chance to run barefoot down to the river and use the tents they received for Christmas gifts. I know you are restless to eat fresh vegetables again, grown of this land. First will come the rhubarb and the sorrel, the asparagus and the nettles. As we wait for the soil to dry out, for seedlings to germinate; we will be attentive to the signs of spring. |
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