Yesterday I left the farm to do a little research. I headed up north to visit a fellow farmer, my friend Rebecca who is the farm manager at Preston Farm and Winery.
It was wonderful touring around the property seeing not only what she is growing but how she is growing everything. We chatted about ground squirrels, her red soil, pruning berries, selling vegetables, and more.
I find talking with other farmers is one of the best ways to learn new techniques and problem solve your farm challenges. But taking time, out of your busy farm day can be hard to do.
So for the last year, I’ve been attending monthly meetings of the Farmers Guild which are evening events where farmers get together share dinner, exchange ideas, joke around, and talk about ways to improve our food systems. With so many farmers in the same room, you can get multiple opinions on how to solve a problem. I take every opportunity I can to network with other farmers, there is no need to struggle with challenges on your own.