This summer at Bellwether, one of the difficult decisions we had to make was cancelling summer camp and postponing many retreat groups. Given the fact that much of the food we produce normally goes to the dining hall to feed guests on site, our question was, “How do we pivot this year?” More specifically, “What do we do with all the food coming off the farm?”

While these weeks and months have been some of the most challenging we have ever encountered, at least we have all been forced to slow down. For once, we all have some spare time. Time to spend with family members, time to take a nature walk, and of course, time to prepare healthy and delicious home-cooked meals! I do admit to having a slight advantage here at Bellwether, with Farmer Kyle and the green house in my front yard, but there are still ways for all of us to be creative with whatever ingredients are at hand. Let’s consider a spring quiche!

March has been an exciting month on the farm. For me it is the month of seeds. Not only are seeds germinating all over the forest floor, I’ve been planting them by the hundreds in the greenhouse nursery. It’s a time of anticipation. I always seem to have a slight anxiety about starting so many seeds and caring for them. “What if they don’t germinate this year?” Or “what if I forget to water them?” I’m still surprised and thrilled each time they wake up and rise, arms outstretched toward the sun.