Well, this was quite a year, wasn’t it? Here’s my Top 20 photos of 2020. What I realized as I looked through all my photos is that 2020 was a year of expansion— both inward and outward. It was a year of deepening— both inward and outward. And it was a year of growth— both inward and outward.
So, here’s a bit of a recap for you (see if you can figure out which picture goes with which story!):
🐣🐑🦆Baby animals: Lily Lamb - our first bottle baby who we loved and adored, and sadly lost to illness. Poche (french for “pocket”) the Muscovy Duckling who arrived in my neighbor’s pocket and was spoiled rotten and cared for by many (including Skipper the Goose, forever after known as “Momma Goose”). Tapioca the barn kitten (our newest addition) to help manage the mice in the barn. And, excitingly, our first on-farm chicken hatch of 7 cuties to a completely amazing mother hen!
🤝Partnerships & Community: I knew that in order to expand and grow Crown Hill, I needed to grow beyong being a solo-farmer. So, I brought on some wonderful WWOOFers to work on the farm to help this season. Some WONDERFUL women who each contributed their style of care to everything here. And, one of whom still does! I don’t think I can ever go back to solo-farming now. I also deepened MANY friendships— most through staying with the tough conversations to come to more love for one another. I had loads of fun working with a new friend at Yelp Buffalo as well as a whole host of incredible women we hosted in my Women in Food of WNY series. (too many to list out!!). We managed to celebrate the end of the Women in Food of WNY season with a farm-to-table dinner with my friend, Chef Jessica Arens which sold out in just a couple of days and was feast of local woman-created food! I found a new collaboration with Flat #12 Mushrooms and continued collaboration with my friends at Produce Peddlers & Braymiller Market. Not only that, I dove into more volunteerism with Buffalo is Creative after speaking to their community in May and joined the Board for Art’s Cafe in Springville.
🌱🪴Growth & Expansion: This year, we obtained and built 2 new high tunnels affording us the ability to grow later into the winter and start earlier in the spring. This is expanding our gardens with 8 more 2.5’ x 36’ beds! We also tripled our CSA shares this year, serving a total of about 35 households throughout from spring to autumn. Theres a couple of new ventures started in 2020: making soaps and growing loofah as well as starting our own flock of sheep for sustainable wool production. Around this beautiful historic property we did a LOT of work first replacing the entire porch floors and railings and then sadly, we had to remove a gigantic 90’ tree that was leaning too close to the house. Boy was the day she came down an intense day! I also expanded my voice — attending more trainings and conferences, presenting on multiple (virtual) stages, and talking with the press in a few different venues.
🥙🥮🧇Food: There was a TON of culinary fun this year including making two things I’ve dreamed of for a long time. On my birthday, I made Caneles with the traditional copper tins and beeswax we got back in 2016 in Amsterdam. And then, just this week (I guess technically it was 2021) I made waffles with a new-to-me refurbished 1940’s waffle iron! We also had loads of success in the gardens with produce that have been challenging in the past: Fava beans survived a late snow and then thrived, peas were coming out of our ears, parsnips finally found success (after a few tries and eventually figuring out what their seedlings look like), we grew more 🍅tomato varieties than ever before, grew the sweetest watermelon🍉 I’ve ever tasted AND got really into edible flowers🌼 (which you can expect to see more of in 2021). On top of all that, a simple vision from 2019 that had to change course in 2020 turned into 15 virtual food classes with all kinds of incredible teachers and is now going to become a podcast in 2021!!!
Don’t get me wrong, 2020 was HARD. As one friend explained, it cracked open the veneers over what we’ve not been willing to see to show us what’s beneath. I certainly dealt with more heartache, betrayal, stress, anxiety, fear, sadness, grief, and difficult conversations than ever before in my life. I dove deep into my own self-honesty over and over again — down to the raw truths and hard realities. And, despite those challenges I come out feeling grateful. Not as a way to erase our collective or my personal pain. But turning to the gratitude and listing all these joys is how I balance the pain and keep myself from tumbling deep into the pit of despair of which I’ve often felt at the precipice.
Phew! 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻For all that transpired in 2020, I’m now looking to 2021 as a year of Generative Creation!
What shall unfold next?!