One of my favorite things about being a teacher was that there was such a strong sense of community. We were in it together with a clear purpose.

I miss being part of a collective endeavor in my work life. And I am perpetually searching for a good career fit (partially) because I want to find this type of community again.

I have a hunch that I might be able to find a farming community.

A few weeks ago Mark and I were prepping beds for winter on our volunteer day at 21 Acres. Two farmers from the adjacent land invited us to press apples with them. So we loaded the apples we had picked that morning onto a golf cart and followed our farm mentor across the field to the cider press.

The team set up a 100 year old apple press and then we got to work. One person spun the crank while another person dropped apples into the shoot to be crushed. The crushed apples landed in a bucket lined with netting.

When the bucket filled up we added a lid and moved it under a very large screw to press out as much juice as we could. Yum!

As soon as we neared the end of our apple supply the owner of the apple press said, “Why don’t we have a barbecue?!” Squashes, beets, onions, radishes, salsa, cheese, and tortillas emerged remarkably quickly. I always know I’m in the right group when potlucks come together seamlessly.

As we prepped food, we shared our farm vision with much more experienced farmers. They joined in our brainstorming session – offering support and advice. I know that not everyone feels welcome in the community of mostly white aspiring farmers who can spout off ecological principles but haven’t had to cover their full cost of living through farming. There is work to be done to make sure that everyone FEEDING US is paid fairly and is valued. And that’s a community that I want to help build.