Farming

I love it.  But really.  So here are some fun numbers about what I've been doing the past two weeks (sorry I couldn't make an infographic for you, LA) without all that qualitative mumbo jumbo like "my hands are so dry and calloused I can hardly bend them. oops".  THEN you have my comprehensive list about why I love growing food.  Too much fantastic to handle? Probably.

Trees I weeded: 135
Trees with crabgrass that I had to dig out and cover with rocks/cardboard: 37
Scorpion stings: 1
Fly bites: 9872509348570293487502983475
Bee stings: 4
Large holes dug into sand with a hoe: 13
Large holes dug into solid rock with a hoe: 5
Buckets of water carried across the orchard to fill the aforementioned holes: 19
Post holes dug with a bulldozer attachement: 18
Aphid infestations dealt with: 1
Boxes of Basil harvested: 2.5
Boxes of cucumbers harvested: 8
Boxes of baby greens harvested 6
Pallets of fruit picked: 214.5
Pallets of fruit carried: 94832750938475089273495087234
Pallets of fruit split, cored, and dried: 20
Boxes of fruit packed: 61
Ladders I climbed: 93
Ladders I climbed safely: 0
Legs of ladder on the ground at any given time on average (out of four): 2
Number of times the ladder fell out from under me while I was sitting on top of it: 2
Average number of my feet on a ladder at any given time: 0.72
Post cables run and then tightened: 30
Batches of cement mixed: 3
Cement post holes filled: 28
Acacias removed (yes, it did break my heart but it was an obnoxious ornamental): 1
Barrels of compost aerated: 3
Large stones carried: 2439582439085
Fly traps set: 45

Note: the pallets here are not those huge impressive wooden ones though, they're more medium sized plastic cartons but they call them pallets so.... Their boxes for packing are the same as packing fruit in the US though so that's handy.

Why I love farming:

1.  Plants are way more uninhibitedly alive than people.  Everything about them screams tenacity and growth.  Unless they're dying.  Then it's just sad.  But in general, plants are just so alive.  You can weed one day and see new growth or a change in color on the plant the next.  
2. Food you grow yourself is so incredibly delicious.
3. It wakes you up for the sunrise and doesn't let you go to sleep until sunset (depending on the type of farm and the amount of work and season of course).  So you get to witness the two most beautiful parts of the day.  Also, as a result, you usually end up eating dinner under the stars. 
4. You get to play in the dirt all day.
5. Power tools.
6. Just plain old tools.
7. You can eat on the job and not feel guilty about it at all.  I mean, that one totally had a spot on it.  No one was going to buy it anyways.
8. At the end of the day (and sometimes in the middle) you don't have to feel bad about taking a shower because it's not a waste of water.  You aren't just showering out of convention or because if you don't your face might look a bit oily.... you freaking deserve it.  
9. Small farmers like meeting other small farmers.  There aren't a lot left!
10. You get to dig holes.  It's pretty satisfying.
11.  Killing aphids.
12. Breaks are more like picnics
13. You are pretty much required to wear the most comfortable, worn out, hole filled clothing you own.  Which is fantastic.  Sweats, sandals, and the largest t shirt I own for work? Yes, please.
14. Farmer muscles.
15. Having animals around. I mean... fresh goat cheese and yogurt, anyone?
16. You can listen to music while you work.  Whatever you want.  At whatever volume.
17. Selling people something you raised/ made/ grew/ whatever is super satisfying.
18. Clothes get worn out and comfy really quickly but if they're made well it doesn't matter and you can keep wearing the snuggliest clothes forever.
19. Callouses.
20. Plants and bugs and soil and water all interact in super cool ways.  

This list could also be entitled "Why WWOOFing Feels Like a Vacation Even Though It Probably Shouldn't"