#MindfullyGrown
If you follow Crown Hill on social media at all, you might have noticed that I often use the phrase "mindfully grown", usually with a hashtag.
What the heck do I mean when I say mindfully grown?!
I'd say that mindfulness is an undercurrent for all aspects of this farm. In terms of growing food.... mindfulness refers to my farming practices as well as my care and attention. As you probably know, I'm not a certified organic farm which, with current USDA rules, means that I can't use any form of the word 'organic' in talking about my products. The truth is that my farm practices are chosen to be mindful to the plants, the soil, the customers and the ecosystems of how it all interconnects. I use no-till/low-till practices which means that I don't turn over the soil in my gardens ever in order to maintain the complex systems of funghi and bacteria within the soil that help to grow strong, nutrient-rich vegetables. I do everything possible to 'feed' the plants with organic matter (usually from our own compost piles) in addition to organic forms of pest control such as interplanting, companion planting, crop rotations, essential oils and beneficial bugs (like lady bugs and nematodes).
Mindfully Grown also translates to how I choose WHAT to grow. You might have noticed that the varieties of vegetables I grow are often a little different than your standard grocery store varieties. Here at Crown Hill, I grow all heirloom, open-pollinated varieties of vegetables. I try to take great care in choosing varieties that are interesting to cook and eat, flavorful, rich in nutrients, regionally adapted for WNY climate, and have interesting history. Open-pollinated also means that the seeds are save-able to replant, which is mindful of food sovereignty and preserving old varieties.
Mindfulness on the farm is also about how I and everyone who volunteers here treat the land, animals and our work. We do things like hand-water most of the gardens which invites us to take our time, observe the plants, and notice the little details. I walk through the gardens daily and take note of pests, harvests, what's doing well and what needs help. I invite my helpers to do the same -- slow down, pay attention and put care into what they are doing. In this way, I make choices for the farm that are sometimes seemingly less efficient, however they are efficient in bringing greater awareness to our tasks and presence with the living beings we tend.
We also do what we can to have a sense of balance between work and rest and play. All of this translates into the food we grow and the care it receives.
Finally, my invitation to my customers is that of mindfulness as well. Choosing to get food from us or dine at one of our events is an opportunity to put the same care into your body and its wellness. I host dinners and events on the farm so that you can really tune in to the relationship between what's on a meal-plate and exactly how it got there. Our chefs are ones who also take care to work with what is in season and grown locally and they channel their creativity in the kitchen into showcasing exactly that. You get to experience the pleasure of eating a meal that was growing in the ground just hours earlier -- the experience is one of pure aliveness! Being in relationship with your food in this intimate way is a kind of nourishment that goes beyond the calories or minerals we digest, but it nourishes mind, spirit and heart as well.
However you go about it, may you bring a bit more mindful practice into your daily life and I hope I get to welcome you here to Crown Hill Farm in person!