My Metis forefathers traveled the ridge road with oxcarts, traded pemmican, and fought the British to protect their little stretches of farmland along the Red River. Just imagine how bad the the mosquitos must have been while enduring the daily hardship of the fur trade! But insects were probably the least of their issues. These were tough people, modest people who lived between two worlds, Native and European.
I think about the difficulties of today. They have been on my mind. The West is on fire. We have our drought, yet the West is twenty times worse with a bunch of fires thrown on top of it all. Climate change is in my face each day. Marissa and Maya, who live and work on farm with us, considering themselves some of our country’s first climate refugees. They felt a need to put California behind them and struck out for the Midwest. I’m sure they will not be the last as I learn of the daily struggles there. Despite our own challenges dealing with drought, water still comes out of our well. and every so often we have at least a chance of rain. And, even though the haze from fires in Canada fills our sky, those conflagrations are still many hundreds of miles away.
So, throw in political and personal drama on top, and I often sit here worried and anxious. This foreboding can blot out everything in my mind. So, I find it helpful to reflect back on those that came before me, just as you may reflect on your own family’s history. I imagine the hardships they faced, but I know that they too experienced joy. My Metis relatives worked the land with nothing more than draft animals and hand tools, yet ended their days with fiddles and dancing to a Red River Jig. They built churches and institutions and started governments, all without electicity. It gives me confidence that we can more than persevere.
The challenges we face, the issues I face can and will be met and I’m certain we do so while still delighting in the joy of being human. After all, that’s all we ever done.
In the box:
- Green cabbage
- Kohlrabi: peel, slice, and eat with salt.
- Salad mix
- Fresh Dill: One use will be to include in your salad mix – it’s a nice touch. I wanted to have cukes in here, but the first planting was a casualty of the May frost – second set is flowering and coming on strong.
- Summer Squash: I my mind it all works the same, but you may get a yellow zucchini, green zucchini, staightneck sqaush, or patty pan squash. Squash fritters are the way to go and a good use of your garlic scapes or green onions. See video below.
- Green Onions
- Swiss Chard: Some ideas at https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/swiss-chard-recipes
- Garlic Scapes
Lida Farm 