Killdeer and Farm Magic

baby killdeer

I love killdeer; those beautiful brown and white birds that nest in our vegetable fields every year.   Every spring when we start plowing the fields we find tiny nests with four tiny eggs, hidden among the garlic, or in the middle of that spot in the fields that we really need to plow because that's where our onions need to go.  The mama birds sound the alarm as we get near their nests--we hop off tractors and walk slowly in the fields, trying to find the soon-to-be baby birds.  This season I couldn't find their nests.  I would hear the alarm of the adult birds and stop mid-plow to seek out and mark their nests.  So many days, i looked and looked for the hidden nests, straining my eyes, scanning over weeds and dry soil.  I was beginning to feel out-of-touch with the creatures with whom i share this land.  I was feeling sad, thinking about dragging tools through the fields, demolishing the ground nests that I couldn't find.

Weeks of hearing but not seeing was starting to weigh on me and I wondered if i would ever see a nest or my first mini bird, newly hatched, running through the fields.  I even had a thought that maybe no kildeer would be born on the farm this year.  What would that mean?  Yes, I was actually losing my hope in the kildeer...and maybe spending too much time thinking about them.  As I pondered the future of all of us in this changing world, I heard the squawk of that skinny-legged, farm, sand piper.  I followed it as is it did it's broken wing dance away from me.  I was in the soft neck garlic, a weedy, end-of-bed patch.  I knew I was close.  And then it happened.  I saw, free from it's mother, a nest of four, perfect, camouflaged eggs.  I backed away slowly and let her return to her nest.  I smiled and breathed a sigh of relief-there is life on this farm!

this week's lettuce!

Later that day, in two separate fields, far from each other, I spotted two different families of killdeer, each with two adults and four tiny, fluffy, baby killdeer, scampering around the farm.  I laughed to myself about my own anxiousness to see the process of their life.  I was so concerned about finding those nests with the eggs that I had actually believed that growth and life (of the killdeer) had ceased.  But, in one day, life and growth and a bit of farm magic, taught me a little about trust.  Trust that the farm creatures know what to do.  Trust that the farm plants and farmers know what to do.  Trust that the farm season will happen (is happening) even in the days when I worry the most about its growth and success. Oh, the killdeer, teaching me valuable lessons since 2003.

See you in the fields!

Meryl & the Powisset Farm Crew


Summer Barn Dinner:
Saturday, June 20th, 6:30pm
this is a potluck dinner at powisset farm in our barn! so fun! to reserve your spot or spots, please email Tod at: toddimmick@gmail.com   this is a free event.
Come, join the farmers for a wonderful feast at the farm!!


What's in the share this week:
in the barn: lettuce, spinach, broccoli raab (a green), garlic or garlic scapes, scallions, beets/turnips/radishes (a root), maybe broccoli
in the field: strawberries


Update From the Barn:

The first week of the CSA distribution and the Farm Stand was great! Thank you to all who came out to pick up their shares and shop in the Farm Stand. And thank you to Lisa WB Walker and Hog Wild Pottery for coming Saturday. It was also so great to see everyone enjoying the farm this week.

In addition to the vegetables and strawberries, the Powisset Farm eggs, the Crescent Ridge milk and ice cream and the Blue Moon breads were a hit! We hope you enjoyed them along with your veggie shares! This week we are adding some quart-sized whole and chocolate milks and a few new flavors of ice cream. On Thursday, Bushel & Crumb will be delivering their wonderful CSA pies. We will have some on hand for selling as well...but they go fast so get 'em while you can. 

COOKING CLASS - Strawberry Shortcake, Triple Threat

Saturday, June 27th, 10-12pm

Join us in the kitchen for this hands-on cooking class. We'll take a walk into the fields to pick strawberries, bake the shortcake and whip cream to make this favorite summertime dessert.

$25 per adult

$35 per adult/1 child

$10 for additional child(ren)

Nicole Lewis and Anne Innis will be co-leading this class. 

To register, please contact Nicole Lewis, nlewis@ttor.org. Class limited to 15.