Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - [Market-farming] A Farmer's wish List

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Allan Balliett <igg AT igg.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] A Farmer's wish List
  • Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 23:17:26 -0500

Title: A Farmer's wish List
from www.foodfirst.com

After asking CSA members what they would like from their CSA in the coming season, they turned and asked the farmers a similar question. I liked this response to 'what do you want?'

I want peas that grow in clusters like grapes and turn bright red when they are ready to be picked.
I want spinach that thrives in hot weather.
I want deer that eat thistles and crab grass-and only thistles and crab grass.
I want a truck that handles like a bicycle.
I want beets that thin themselves.
I want tractors that change their own oil - on schedule-and dispose of the waste oil in an ecologically sustainable manner.
I want weather forecasts I can trust.
I want trousers with tougher knees.
I want tougher knees.
I want fields that drain.
I want water repellant socks.
I want a back that does not ache.
I want an unlimited supply of compost.
I want a warm May.
I want a pond that stays full in a drought.
I want rodents that summer elsewhere.
I want greenhouse plastic that pulls itself tight.
I want an organic control for flea beetles.
I want green beans that are only made stronger by leafhopper damage.
I want cultivators that get their kicks by cutting as close as possible to the vegetable rows.
I want members who turn up in early August and say, "you look tired, why don't you take the rest of the month off while we look after things."
I want a computer that apologizes for its mistakes and promises to try better next time.
I want heirloom tomatoes that ripen without splitting.
I want row covers that don't tear in the wind.
I want less wind.
I want a windmill.
I want to learn from my mistakes.
I want a record keeping system that involves a good deal less record keeping.
I want a bookkeeper.
I want chisel plows.
I want a cold storage room.
I want a basket weeder.
I want a machine that washes the plastic tubs.
I want a machine that goes on cold wet mornings instead of me to pick the vegetables.
I want New York City drivers to get over the thrill of driving into the side of my truck.
I want Brooklyn to move a couple of hours north.
I want a real eggplant and garlic pizza.
I want people to know how good leeks are.
I want an inch of rain a week; half an inch on Sunday any time between midnight and five am (I am not picky) and the same again on Wednesday.
I want a pet rhino.
I want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.
I want as much energy as my kids.
I want my kids to have less energy than I do.
I want to sleep late.
I want to kill weeds with a cold stare or a sharp word.
I want workers who care as much about the farm as I do.
I want better varieties of summer squash-varieties that grow better and taste better.
I want an organic control for striped cucumber beetles.
I want a good supply of tomato stakes.
I want someone else to pound the tomato stakes into the ground.
I want the price of milk to go up so my neighbors can stay in farming.
I want my neighbors to grant conservation easements so their land can stay in arming.
I want to get bigger.
I want to stay small.
I want to keep farming.
I want you back next year.
I want to thank you.

Thomas Christenfeld, Cooke Hollow Farm and The Alleged Farm



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page