July 11th: Happiness & Kale Debates
Hello hello! Back to regular scheduled programming this week. Thanks so much to the amazing community for all the kind words of care and concern! Carlos is healing quickly and has been taking some good moments of rest. But, as it is the height of the season, the farm and market have not slowed down much; we’re still keeping at our normal pace, which in July, is full speed ahead.
We are in our normal cycle of harvest, bed flip, transplant, weed, mow etc, finding the flow state from week to week.
What’s in our ears? (Carlos edition)
“I recently re-listened to 10% Happier, a book about meditation written by a previously skeptical student of the practice.
The book opens with “The voice in my head is an asshole”, which grabbed my attention right away—I could relate!
The author, Dan Harris, was an ex-ABC news anchor and had several incidents of having panic attacks on air. Imagine a skeptical news anchor stumbling into a meditation retreat, armed with sarcasm and a smartphone, only to discover that mindfulness might actually work—even for him. It’s a tale of finding calm in chaos, peace in push notifications, and turning down the volume on your inner critic just enough to hear yourself think. A self-help book for people who roll their eyes at self-help books, this is your permission slip to be a little more present, less stressed, and—yep—about 10% happier.
I first read the book in 2017, and have returned to it several times for refreshers. I highly recommend it for anyone who might be curious about the power/benefits of meditation.”
Kale is going strong!
One recent topic of conversation we’ve had at the farm is discussing the market habits and preferences people can have when it comes to choosing produce. We’ve had neighbours and farmer friends tell us they have had more success in selling kale when it’s bagged than when it’s bunched. We have tried hard to see why! Maybe people feel it’s “cleaner” or more convenient? Maybe it seems more “prepared”? We’re curious if people actually consciously make this decision or if it’s unconcious. Have you ever noticed kale as been bagged or bunched? Do you have any thoughts on this topic?
Market market market!
Speaking of which, we are back at the market tomorrow morning, same as ever! We’re a few weeks away from the full garlic harvest, but this week we’re bringing a few heads of fresh harvested garlic, ready to pack a garlick-y punch in your summer salads. Herb salads are also limited this week, so if you’re keen to snag your bag, make sure you come early tomorrow morning! Finally, our herb bouquets are getting more blooms each week as flowers are available, so check them out and, at the very least, give them a good inhale.
Have a great weekend and hope to see you around!
-OKHP Crew