1/2/2024 2 Comments SeedsJust when I couldn’t figure out where God was calling me,
I gently tucked flower seeds into the dark and soft soil only to discover a deep sense of purpose so many lessons from what was about to come. These seeds have taught me joy and belonging and also that beautiful things require a time of darkness and unknown and dare I say anger A time of patience and waiting A time of hardship and struggle A time of rain that will try to bring you down and topple over your fragile branches Tweets and chirps and rumors that your blooms won’t produce a profit whispers among the wind that your fruits won’t measure up or produce a worthy bloom worth of your time and efforts. But yet these seeds grow into something that can bear the weight of the storm the gnawing from the pests. The sun returns and the stem rises up tall towards the sun again, tuning out the distant whispers in the wind and tuning into the beauty of the birds songs instead. There’s nothing to prove dear bloom. These seeds bring life bring nectar bring honey bring friends and strangers and folks who help tend your soil and your soul. And those who don’t. These seeds die and wither And are then reborn all over again. Only to start the whole thing all over. I CLING to these seeds and I hold them as close to my soul as I can. Together we grow and we struggle. We bloom and we wither. We unite together in storm and sun. All together we embrace the reciprocity of one another. And they humble me and strip me to my core, where I fall to my knees and praise our God for the gift of these seeds. -Michelle Shireman
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12/11/2023 0 Comments ADVENTuresAs winter sets in on the farm with freezing temperatures and fleeting daylight, we enter into a time of preparation--an advent if you will. This involves lots of checking the forecast, covering the crops in the field, and getting new shelters for our livestock guardian dogs. Some of our produce can’t handle the frost the winter is brining and we cover them with breathable fabric to keep them warm and safe from the wind. This creates a field of pale fabrics instead of the usual vibrant colors of the crops beneath--kinda a dismal sight in comparison. However, we do this to prepare for the harvest which we know is soon to come.
In Christian tradition, the four weeks before Christmas are set aside as a time of advent, meaning “coming” or “arrival”. It is a time of preparation where believers prepare their hearts for Christmas, getting themselves ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the light of the world. This is a time of hope, love, joy, and peace. Those are four things we really get behind here, and believe that the food we produce comes from and should bring hope, love, joy, and peace. I love the verse Phillipians 3:12 which says,”Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” It calls us not to complacency, but towards active hope. Hope that calls us forward. We do not believe that we have perfected regenerative agriculture here, but press forward nonetheless towards the hope of better systems of farming which can heal our land and people. And what a privilege it is to get to take part in that better! We hope for better. Better for our community and their health, dignity, and hearts. Better for the land and the microbes that make up it's soil, the diversity of it's inhabitants, and the water which feeds it all. Better for our economy--that it would be just and bring opportunity and equity. Better for the animals we raise and the food we grow. This is the hope that drives us. If you are interested in partnering with us in that pursuit, you might consider contributing to our Pay it Forward program, where you can help pay for the CSA share of members of our community who can’t afford their own share. There is no minimum donation, so anything can help make it possible for someone else to good food this coming year. This is just one way to bring hope this advent, but we hope you will join us in beckoning in the better! 11/3/2023 2 Comments A Labor of LoveA few summers ago, I spent it touring farms in the south. Farmer Clinton C. Boyd Jr. was one of the two black farmers I met on the tour. He has a beautiful property in Montgomery, Alabama, and spends his time trading produce with neighbors or donating it to food banks and organizations. His reasoning? Farming is a labor of love. He came to farming after retiring from the military. In search of deep and meaningful work, he found that he could sustain his family and community through land stewardship. I find his story deeply curious because he mentioned his passion; music. After being drafted into war, he became a 25th Infantry Division band member and the first Black Sergeant Major at the Army School of Music. He wanted to continue pursuing music, but leaving the army meant struggling to find gig work, and struggling to find gig work meant a change of plans. I don't know that he came to farming out of passion. But I know he came to farming out of value: valuing autonomy, providing for his family and community, and hard work.
Since meeting Sergeant Boyd, I've spent much time thinking about what it means to live in my passion in addition to living in my values. I remember entertaining this conversation with a professor who said that all his passionate friends in the '60s and '70s who took to the streets in support of women's rights and black lives, protesters who were anti-war and anti-establishment, now live quiet, conservative lives as bank tellers and tax auditors. Nothing wrong with those careers! But their passion and zest for justice has fizzled, and he's found it challenging to get them involved in modern social issues. The promise they made to themselves in their 20s to stay vigilant has been followed by years of inaction. Life post-lockdown has presented the same parallels. Awareness about the gravity of the climate emergency was at the forefront of our minds; community-supported agriculture was at an all-time high. People consumed less and cooked more. Conversations about racist policies and systemic oppression led those to take to the streets to support black lives. People crowdfunded money to help neighbors who lost jobs or lost family members. Organizations were overrun with donations and volunteers. 2020 was a time of reflection, and revolution was brewing. I would have never guessed that the years following would mean much of a return to the same old—a return to normalcy, gluttony, over-consumption, and a lack of introspection. I'm afraid our impassioned promises to one another have also proven empty. I've found less and less that I am motivated by stories of passion. Passion is an emotion, and emotions are fleeting. Passion feels more like an identity we sell ourselves. I'm a passionate person. Living solely in an emotional trance and less in our values. And I can turn to farming to demonstrate why. Farming these past six months has been passionate, sure, but mostly grounding. Living and working closely with other 20and30somethings meant witnessing what it looks like to live in one's deeply rooted values. 20and30somethings who are passionate, yes, but aren't chasing the sheer sense of euphoria that comes from revolution. Those who have found a revolution in everydayness, the mundane and the cyclical. I work with those who, through a love for food, a deep reverence for the earth and its people, and curiosity about better systems and better practices, have found it in themselves to be disciplined and committed. To live lives that are virtuous but not virtue-signaling. They value their community and themselves. They don't exist in search of euphoric passion, hoping to be inspired to do better; they are simply living in their better, in the now. I am surrounded by people in their 20sand30s who are doing the more challenging things. Treading through cow manure and bird poop because animals grazing on fresh pasture is just that important. 20and30somethings that can maintain hundreds of CSA shares and deliver produce to numerous restaurants. Can build relationships with elderly neighbors and lovely community members. Can sustain an every Saturday farmers market and weekend chores. With love, can split the load of weeding, planting, harvesting, composting, bed prep, deliveries, and animal care because better food systems and quality agriculture practices are just that important. I am confident that their commitment to this work- their curiosity and their discipline- will exceed every impassioned political trend. They are people who wake up each day with a deep sense of the things they value, and a desire to follow through. It's not our heightened awareness in moments of political strife that are the most important. What matters most is our follow through. Fortunately, this time I've spent as a farmer has confirmed my suspicion: passion isn't a prerequisite for disciplined action. I can assure you that the romance of the first strawberry harvest, or the first okra harvest, is followed by itchy arms, welts, and rashes. Gorgeous heirloom tomatoes require months and months of meticulous pruning and pest resistance. Ask any farmer, and they will tell you that farming can often be uncomfortable or taxing. Cute animals on fresh pasture means rotational grazing in the rain (with wet socks and damp clothing) or the sun (even when that sunshine brings temperatures to 100 or more degrees.) Working through poor air quality, extreme heat, or cold, rainy days is often more difficult than many farmers let on. A commitment to a no-till, regenerative farm is a commitment to more work. A commitment to greater intention. And yet it’s still important that we do it anyway. This isn’t to romanticize some sort of martyrdom or self-sacrifice. High suicide rates in the farm sector tells us otherwise. But that our commitment to a better world is often a lot less romantic than we care to admit, and it’s still important that we do it anyway. Farming has shown me that the most critical and revolutionary work is done meticulously and consistently, even if it fails. It has shown me that we are obliged to the process even when crops may one day be taken over by weeds, insects, or diseases. Farming has shown me that we are still obliged to our values even when the euphoric sense of revolution is behind us, not in front. I'd argue that much like farming, true revolution is in the small moments. I love the phrase labor of love that farmer Boyd referenced earlier. Because farming, like any revolution, is laborious long before the love of said labor can ever be witnessed. It is laborious long before the season's first crop is actualized. I think farming has taught me to fall in love with the process just as much, if not more, than falling in love with the outcome. I have found a true revolution in these 20and30somethings. |
The Return of RobinhoodNestled into a hidden woods on Robinhood Road, in Havre de Grace Maryland, exists a picturesque farm community; a place of green pastures, beautiful woodlands, and colorful fruits and vegetables. And in this thriving place, a place called Third Way Farm, there is also a community on a mission to build a better world through a holistic and regenerative approach to agriculture; a mission grounded in our faith and our belief in a world where all have a place at the table. Where, when we give back to the land, and to one another, all of creation thrives. Archives
January 2024
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We are farming on land that was once inhabited by the indigenous peoples of the Piscataway and Susquehannock tribes. We recognize that this land was unjustly taken from them without their permission. We hope our lives upon and care for this land will honor their legacy and wisdom in living harmoniously with this place.
Third Way Farm, LLC
Barn Store Hours
Tuesdays 3-5:30pm
Fridays 3-5:30pm
601 Robinhood Road
Havre de Grace, Maryland 21078
717-669-1351
Barn Store Hours
Tuesdays 3-5:30pm
Fridays 3-5:30pm
601 Robinhood Road
Havre de Grace, Maryland 21078
717-669-1351