Author: Lee Bartnik

Farming with Child

It was a long week for Ella Bella and I. Wednesday was our Day of the Cruise. We met up with my friend, Cory, and went to a guy’s place who had a bunch...

Rock Dog

So far this year, we’ve been on our game. In contrast to our first two seasons, we are doing all of our field prep — which includes broadforking to loosen up and aerate the...

“Date Night”

Fanni and I had a date night last night. This practice, though more necessary than ever, becomes seemingly ever harder to accomplish. As the farm season kicks off, with extended work days, administrative tasks...

Dream Team Reassembly

The Dream Team reassembled Thursday. It was me and Asher. We bounded confidently up to the concrete pad where the Shadow has sat, emasculated, for weeks now, given its absolute absence of brakeability. I rolled up my...

Perennial Friday

Friday had the feel of a pretty festive day. Ed and I had gotten an early start, and by the time Polly showed up a few hours later, we were well into the digging...

The Legacy of Folk Wild

On Monday morning, I was bored driving truck, and got the sudden impulse to call my friend Matt Mosca — the first organic farmer I ever worked closely with, whom I hadn’t spoken to...

Change, Love and Farming

It’s funny how things change. Shuffling slowly through the greenhouse the other day, keeping an eye on Ella while Fanni seeded trays of flowers, I ran my hands through the small green beds of...

Nothing Like

There’s nothing like the feeling of your skin after a long day of farming in the hot sun. Hours later, getting ready for bed, the radiant warmth glows through the cracks in the accumulated...

Oil, Fleet and Ash

One evening last week, Asher and I found ourselves at Fleet Farm, immersed in a literal world of motor oils. We shuffled slowly up and down the multiple oil and filter aisles in mostly...

Fumduckery and Gender Roles

It was around 9 on Tuesday morning, and we’d already had our fair share of fumduckery for the day. However, Asher had gotten the John Deere started and we were moving on; trying to...