We often associate creativity with urban settings. We picture uber-cool designer types whose days criss-cross between open floorplan offices and a bunch a hipster coffee shops. If I was searching out a bunch of coders and graphic designers, I’d seach places like Seattle, Chicago, or Uptown MPLS. But farm country?
I’d argue that this urban image is much too narrow and there is no greater plalatte for creativity than farming. On any given day I have about twelve ideas that I have no time to implement from new cover cropping strategies to ways to add value to veggies in season. Starting up a pizza farm? Engineering another root cellar for dry crops? How about a tool to get plastic tight on greenhouses? This wide range of needs makes farming so damn interesting. Every day I need to juggle biology and business to make the place work, and, oh, troubleshoot some IT issues, write a bit, and learn about some new plant disease or bug.
What I find inspiring is that you can find this rural creative class of farmers in small towns all over. While some are deep into new composting methods and others are testing recipes for market or organizing on-farm accomodations, all are adding to this good energy of rural communities. I’d love it if the rest of the country would stop pinning us as simple-minded dolts and wake up to the notion that you do not need to be in New York or LA to find smart people doing interesting stuff. Some of them may even kiss Uptown goodbye and pack up for beatiful Otter Tail County to join the scene where all the cool kids are.
In the box:
- Red Kuri Squash
- Butternut Squash
- Delicata Squash: I’m such a fan of stuffed squash this time of year. You basically just make stuffing however you like it and bake in the squash. This works great with acorn, delicata, buttercup, or kuri: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-stuffed-roasted-squash-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-101662
- Carrots
- Parsnips: The white carrots 🙂
- Russet Potatoes
- Rosemary
- Salad Mix
- Celery
- Haralson Apples: This is a good cooking apple which makes a nice apple sauce. We quarter, add water, and put through one of those cone things when soft. Add cinnamon.
- Yellow Onions
- ‘Montana Giant’ Garlic
Lida Farm 