WriterByNature.com

This year I am working a 4-hour shift at Harmony Farms CSA. As a new working member, my farming responsibilities involve a lot of lifting, bending and hauling. It’s an intense physical workout. Now that I have a few months of experience under my belt, I’m beginning to see how much brain work is also involved in farming.

I learned which tools make the job easier, because master gardeners Carole and Betsy have guided me. I know I’m most productive in the beginning of the day, before the sun that nourishes the plants, beats down on my body. I know that if I work at a steady pace and plan my tasks, I will get stronger without injuring myself. I’ve suffered tendonitis or joint pain after two hours of swimming; I don’t wake up in pain after gardening .

In April and May, I watered seedlings. Now, I am harvesting the fruits of my labor. When I think about that, it turns weeding into a game. I tell the wild plants that I’m relocating them. It’s the truth.

Part of doing repetitive work is to find a physical balance that lets me do the same thing over and over at a steady pace. Once my body is moving rhythmically, I can think about how to do the job more efficiently.

I’ve been playing a game I call, “HOW CAN I DO THIS JOB WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF WALKING?” The tool shed, wheelbarrows, greenhouse and compost areas are far from the fields. The C-shaped rows of vegetables are too wide to jump over. The only time I saw master gardener Carole get upset, was when I stepped on the carefully nourished earth in the spinach row. Carole is a patient teacher and an effective mentor. I never made that mistake again.

I arrive 15 minutes before my shift starts. I use that time to put on my garden boots, assemble my hat, sunblock, plastic bags, paper towels and other items. I take these with me when I bring my household compost to add to the compost near the shed.

I love the garden at first light. I take moment to breathe deeply and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of this place. This past week, the mostly-full moon was still up long after sunrise.

I check the list in the greenhouse for the work that needs to be done and for what can be harvested. As a writer, I keep a paper and pen with me; writing garden notes before I head out comes naturally. These days, I load a wheelbarrow with a four-pronged pitchfork, a long-handled shovel, a trowel and a pair of scissors. I use the pitchfork to get underneath the weeds and unearth the taproots. Using long-handled tools lets me reach into the center of the row without stepping on the soil.

The only weed I put directly in the wheelbarrow is thistle. I love the feel of the earth on my fingers, so I choose to work without gloves. After several weeks of carrying heavy, moisture-laden weeds to the compost, I noticed that other gardeners pile up the weeds between the rows. That allows the weeds to dry out. I can carry out one wheelbarrow load of dried weeds at the end of my shift, instead of making several trips during my shift.

There is simply no way I can bend, stretch, and twist without eventually having to use the bathroom. I can usually work 4 hours before nature calls. I budget 15 minutes before the end of my shift time to clean and put away my tools, do my paperwork and take a break when I need it. If I need a break during my shift, I wash my hands thoroughly.

I harvest my share of vegetables on my own time. But while I’m working, if I see a vegetable that I want to take home, my plastic bags are already with me in the wheelbarrow. I’ll also harvest veggies that should have been harvested, but were missed, and put them on the table. I typically carry a pocket survival kit, which includes a Larabar. In spring and summer, if I’m weeding peas, beans, or carrots, I snack on those.

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to eat nourishing, freshly-harvested food. I feel blessed to have a place where I can enjoy the results of 13 years of Carole’s (and others who I may never meet) loving care of the earth. I wish more Americans thought about the laborers who plant, weed, irrigate and harvest on the corporate farms that feed most of us.

There is no way to avoid physical labor when farming, but instead of feeling burdened, I’m embracing the exertion and learning to work smarter.