A Year on the Farm

by Karrie Zylstra Myton

I began writing and taking photos for L’Arche Tahoma Hope in November of 2022. This gave me the amazing opportunity to witness a year on the farm—to see the seasons change in a way I never had before. As designer Susan Sezgin and I send out this last issue of Fresh from the Farm for 2023, I wanted to share a year-in-review with you.

Valentine’s Day

One of my first days on the farm happened on a snowy Valentine’s Day. We had set up a shoot with Gray Media Productions as they filmed the auction promotional video, and it honestly was an unpleasant surprise when I woke up to see that snow outside my windows. I wondered if they might cancel the shoot but bundled myself into my heavy jacket with the faux fur hood and headed out, hoping the crew wouldn’t cancel. I knew the project needed to move forward.

The show did go on and the morning meeting on the farm was full of surprises for me with the reflections, check-ins, and the word-of-the day drumroll ending in a shout-out. I stood in awe at the connections between humans and at the way Gray Media used their incredible skills and equipment. They filmed, interviewed V, and even sent a drone up for panoramic shots from above.

My favorite memory from that day was the sound of the snow sliding down the roof of the greenhouse while the farmers worked to care for the baby plants sheltering under cover there. It reminded me of listening to kids sled down snowy slopes. The clouds had cleared and the sun came through to warm us though we could see our breath in the air. The work was cold—frigid even—but people moved forward with the tasks, caring for each other and the plants at the same time.

During the auction itself, I marveled again at how the wider community members stood behind L’Arche—how they came out to celebrate with the members and how they supported the organization. I wondered at the idea of Bouquet and Bites as a farm event when I worked the description of that event into the catalog. It was hard for me to envision creating summer bouquets in the freezing temperatures of February and early March.

Click below to see a preview of the finished video…

2023 Fresh from the Farm Begins

Shortly after the auction wrapped up, I started meeting with the farmers to get ready for Fresh from the Farm and Opening Day on Earth Day, April 20, 2023. Farmers were pinching back the marigolds and impatiens in order to encourage the plants to grow back stronger. The apple blossoms on the trees near the fields often caught my eye when I drove out.

I quickly began to notice Les with his flair for clothing style and his obvious love of rock bands like Kiss and ACDC. His face lit up whenever I asked to take a photo and sometimes he’d come directly to me to request a photo.

That same month, I got the chance to interview the Jesuit Volunteers (JV) Emily and Cecilia, learning about what their lives of service were like on the farm while they prepared the fields with the other farmers.

Opening Day arrived and people turned out in Greenhouse 4. The spring days remained rather cold but there was a definite feeling of new life in the air. The chickens caught my eye around that time, especially the Polish chicken with the unique plumage.

Around that same time, I got to know Debra better as I watched her sell her amazing embroidered creations.

Mother’s Day and CSAs

By May, I began to see the hanging baskets fill up Greenhouse 4 in preparation for Mother’s Day. The farmers offered those baskets and more to everyone who wanted to treat a mother or show appreciation to someone who was like a mother to them.

I began going out to the Proctor Farmers’ Market to take photos and look at the products the farm sold from the stand. The lemon verbena, rhubarb, and strawberry plants I bought from them added flavor to my kitchen garden at home, and the sense of community felt strong again as I watched people shop for local goods while walking around outside.

Doug was one of the first farmers I met at the market and I immediately noticed his sparkling smile along with how much he liked the Seahawks. I was again impressed with the way farmers like Doug showed up regardless of the weather.

Though I admittedly didn’t stay outside as long as they did, there was honestly only one day where the rain made the market feel uncomfortable to me. My work on the farm has taught me that the outdoors can be a delightful place most of the time.

People soon started to pick up their community supported agriculture shares (CSAs) as the produce and flowers grew. Grower Hannah says that the farm had 31 CSA members throughout the season between the Full 20 Week, 8 Week Summer, and 5 Week Spring CSAs. They had 9 additional members for the flower share. These supporters made an especially lasting difference in the farm’s ability to sustain itself and the core members. I imagine that, like me, they got to witness the farm grow and change with the seasons each time they came out to pick up their weekly shares.

As the days got gradually warmer, I began to notice the school groups and to admire the work they did. The young people from near and far weeded, planted, and fed chickens alongside the farmers, making the work go faster with their many hands.

Summer of Dahlias

As the weather warmed up, the dahlias began to bloom. The farm began offering Roadside Bouquets and then on a Sunday in July, the people who had bid on Bouquet and Bites at the auction came out, creating their own bouquets and enjoying a spread of scrumptious food.

Drew and Zach spoke to me often and had a delightful sense of humor about photos. Many photos of them bring a smile to my own face long after I have taken them.

Rick Samyn let us know in August that the L’Honey would soon be ready for harvest. He began sending us photos and articles about the bees describing his work with them. As a former beekeeper, I was thrilled by the bees on the farm and especially liked watching them as they moved in and out of their hives. Bees are nothing short of mesmerizing. CLICK HERE to read Rick’s articles.

In August a new JV named Elie joined us on the farm along with Plant Specialist Nikko and others.

Fall Harvest  

As the leaves began to turn, the blossoms I had seen in spring turned into apples while the pumpkin patch provided plenty for the farmers to pick and share. I joined the community at the annual cider press with the group from Bellarmine pitching in to make cider from the abundance of apples.

I wrote in September about the core members who experienced changes because Anawim closed. Many of these core members also worked on the farm. I imagined that it might be a comfort that they could still be working on the farm like they had for so long and I hoped that it was.

Leana was one of the farmers who experienced this change, and she would often bring up the way her move impacted her. I had noticed that Leana did not love to have her photo taken as often as others did. I was always grateful when she did give me her quiet if reluctant permission; Leana has a way of being honest about her emotions that I admire.

The dahlias went down to the first hard frost at the end of October after a good long run and then the work of tending the tubers began.

Goodbye to Pat

In October, we bid a sad farewell to Pat Toohey, a member of the farm team for the last 26 years. Although I could not attend Pat’s blessing, I did feel blessed to get to know him over the past year. It was clear to me that his experience and knowledge of the farm were invaluable. I signed his quilt, gave him a hug, and I hope to carry on with a similar lively spirit in my own work for L’Arche.

To close, I asked the farmers to make you a video with their word-of-the-day at the morning meeting, much like I saw them last February. They happily agreed! Here they are with their holiday gratitude and good wishes.