Staff-Giving 2014

Staff-Giving at the farm wrapped 5 hours ago, and I am still satiated. The holiday Google Doc, created a few days ago, filled up in minutes. We really love food, especially the food we prepare for and share with one another.

The Menu

Squash Soup

Turkey

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes with White Cheddar

Cranberry Relish

Corn Casserole

Green Beans

Roasted Parsnips & Carrots

Apples, Turnips & Turkey Trimmings

Orzo Salad

Mixed Greens Salad

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Brownies, Sweet Potato Pie & Pear Pie Spiced with Cardamom

 The Meal

We gave thanks for the food before us, the bounty of the land, and for the time we spend together; “Thanks for the awesomeness, you guys” was a favorite among the many declarations of gratitude. We walked the farm, admiring new swales, scrambling to catch up to Ruby the dog and cracking jokes nobody else would find funny. The tranquility around us, always palpable, seemed surreal in light of this week’s turbulence.

And yet to describe this week as turbulent somehow does not sound whole enough, as if the suffering of our city needs new language to express the scope of what is happening all around it. Each day here, the out-pour of love is strong enough to insulate me from tragedies of all scales. What humbles me about this place is that, while it could be a closed, comfortable oasis, it is anything but; the mission of sustainably growing food, farmers, and community, as well as my colleagues, remind me (and re-remind me) to look outward and upward, to the needs of our neighbors in Ferguson and beyond. I am so very thankful for all of them.