Homestead mailing list

["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw AT chilitech.net>]

From: "Gene GeRue" <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
> Here in the boonies we often joked that we were twenty years behind
> California.

We are way behind, too. We can literally see trends coming many years
ahead of time....I read several years ago that white pumpkins for
Halloween were all the rage in 'sophisticated' places, so I'm growing some
white pumpkins (Lumina and the little Baby Boo) this year. Tioga County
may not be ready, yet. There are lots of trends (like baby
vegetables...bigger is still better here) that either haven't gotten here,
or skipped over us.

I find the marketing to be the most tedious part of farming. I have to be
the press liasion, ad writer, financial backer, public greeter, educator,
trend researcher, produce hauler, sign painter, and a million other things
for my farm and the farmers' market besides being a farmer. Gene, it's
like you having to write your books, print them yourself at home, then
stand on street corners selling them. There are days I barely see the
garden because I'm on the phone to cutomers, haulers, butchers, farmers'
market vendors, or sitting at market,  etc. I'm coming to the conclusion
that farming, at least the way I'm doing it, isn't a one person job.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Cowbridge Farm