WWOOFing.

It has been a bit over a week since I arrived in Vermont. And what a full week it has been!

As some of you know, and others might not, I am working at a small farm in Vermont for a month. I found the farm through a online database called World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (or WWOOF). Essentially it is a trade of farm work for room and board. The site catalogs thousands of farms, each describing what kind of farm it is, and what type of work there is to be done, along with the farmers expectations. (Because of the cost of international travel, I was intent on staying in the States, although I would consider using this site for traveling internationally in the future.)

I heard about WWOOFing about a year ago from my friend Laura, who was thinking about WWOOFing in England. Since then, she has decided to move to Peru for three months and teach music. But I still had WWOOFing on my mind. So I registered online and began browsing through tons of farms in Oregon, Maine and Vermont.

WWOOFing interested me for a variety of reasons. At Temple University, I am majoring in Geography and Urban Studies with a minor in Environmental Studies. I am interested in urban agriculture and plan on somehow working with that (preferably in Philadelphia) once I am finished with school.

Hence farming.

I thought that working on a farm would be an experience that I could carry with me for years to come as well as use to soak in as much information as I could about growing food. And since I hate all things touristy - I am keen on the idea that staying with locals is a more rewarding way to travel.

After emailing many different farms, for a month or so, I was banking on a farm in Maine, since they had replied to my email to learn more about me. Unfortunately, they sent a very delayed response letting me know that they were full for the summer. Because I was still planning on leaving on June 17th, I sent out yet another wave of emails to a new set of farms in Vermont. This time, in a matter of hours, I got two responses.

Honestly, I think I made a mistake in choosing this farm. There are multiple reasons why I think that I did. One mistake I made was that I chose a farm that was too small. Farmer Patty was honest on the phone about it being a small garden but she said that she has farmer friends who claim that her garden is bigger than theirs.

Another mistake of mine was that I chose a farm with additional intentions than farming. She had a mission statement on her profile that said how she wanted to try to devise a plan of neighbors feeding neighbors - the idea that gardeners and farmers alike have a surpluses

and how can that surplus be shared with those in need.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think that this 'mission' is plausible and attainable and that is one of the reasons I chose a her farm over a larger scale farm. But what I failed to consider was that our ideas about that 'mission' could be and would be different. I feel as if the few times that we have brainstormed, she has not agreed with my ideas. That takes the fun out of it for me... This has been difficult, because her ideas about the 'mission' seem scattered and confusing.

Tonight, I am going to what has to be the most exciting thing about my summer (maybe I am exaggerating a little bit...). Its the Strawberry Supper going on at a church a few towns over. Every year this church hosts a dinner to raise money for their heating bill for the winter. They serve an all-you-can-eat dinner with (apparently amazing) strawberry shortcake for dessert.

All. You. Can. Eat.

Did someone just call my name? Patty says that its tradition for her to go every year, and she's figured out what time is the best to go, which is towards the end of the evening when they aren't shooing you away. Here's the other thing; she only eats the dessert: strawberry shortcake. She thinks that the dinner food is lame. I told her yesterday that I should start fasting, and she said, "I have two theories, you can eat a lot to stretch out your stomach, or you can fast...." Great, Patty.

So I've been laying off the heavy foods since 3pm :)

Here's to dessert for dinner!

Solstice.

Today is the longest day of the entire year.

What did you get to do with your extra minutes of daylight?

I, myself, was bummed about not being able to spend it with my friends on some porch in West Philly, or better yet, at the Magic Garden's Summer Solstice party. I was hoping that something would come up, like magically meeting someone who would casually invite me to their "little get-together". By 6:30, Patty had gone out for the night and I was left alone. I took some pictures of the farm with my Pentax camera, I was so happy to have a quiet moment to capture the barns as the sun was on its way down.

I couldn't let the solstice have its fun without me, so I hopped on one of the bikes in the barn, and strapped my book and a flannel shirt to the back. In a few minutes, I was off. I followed Route 30 north for a few miles. Basically, I was riding through a valley, with mountains on either side of me. And with the night getting cooler, and the sky getting bluer...I was in my element. A couple of times on my bike ride I found my self smiling and laughing. This was comforting to know that I could spend time alone - and manage to enjoy it.

Some of my favorite things: bike riding, summer nights, and mountains.

I ended up in Townsend (the next town up) and I stopped at the market. Parked my bike right outside - didn't even lock it up! Just rested it beside the front of the store and strolled in. This was a luxury for me, since normally, I can't leave my house without my bike lock. I roamed the store for a while. What did I need to buy? Nutella of course! There is something about summer and Nutella that just hits the spot.

Next stop? Find a place to read. Now, as much as I wanted to park my bike in a field with the wildflowers, I knew that that might not be the best idea - its trespassing or something. I can only imagine Patty answering the door to a cop, holding me up by my collar, asking her, "Do you know this girl?" I'll save that for another time. Another night. So I rode south to Newfane Village and read some of my book on a bench in front of the county court house. Quiet and peaceful.

So my Solstice started with a bike, and ended with my finger in a jar of Nutella. Not bad.

But here is to next year's Solstice being spent with friends.

Eat, Pray, Love.

(Written on June 19, edited a day later)

Patty's soul mate was a Jew named John, who by the end of the story turned out to be a sleeze bag. His father didn't really like Patty, and she thinks that John's dad probably payed him off to marry someone else, and not live with Patty in London. Lame. Someone like John doesn't deserve love. Anyway, now John is in Arizona with his (probably Jewish) princess of a wife. Boooo John.

Stars again last night. Wish i could enjoy them with a friend. Surprised that I haven't seen a shooting star yet.....and to think that I saw one with Michaela in Clark Park! Go figure. I also heard some rustling in the grass next to me, and I turned on my mini flashlight to see what kind of creature it was......field mouse. yuuuuuck.

My friend, Michaela asked me what I am reading, here in Vermont. I told her I am reading Eat, Pray, Love. Have you read it yet? I started it probably about a year ago, and loved it. Loved it. But put it down once Liz got to India, and I guess I put it down once I started school again. Its great, though. Once again, here I am with Liz in India - hope I don't get distracted. Must. Finish. Book. All goes to say that I love it. Love the way she writes, and thinks and her humor is sassy and fun. This memoir makes me want to quit my job (laughing inside because I don't really have a job) and move to Italy to learn the language, and eat pasta with all of those lovely Italians.

Seriously.

Liz took a train from Rome to Naples one day practically just to try their pizza. She almost died eating it because it was so good, and then she and her friend both got a second pizza. After that, Liz and her friend, Sophie, left the pizza place looking for pastries! If only my stomach were as bottomless as that. I guess that's something I'm gonna have to work on. As silly as it sounds, I'll definitely be seeing the movie version in August. Elizabeth Gilbert writes so colorfully and humorously and with Julia Roberts playing Liz, this will be a book I have to see on screen :) I told Michaela that I also want to start (again) and finish Kite Runner and Pride and Prejudice, Food Not Lawns, Blue Like Jazz (for like the 3rd time) and skim through Secrets of Simplicity (which I am skeptical of)....and a whole lot more if i can manage it.

Big news for today is that I went to the swimming hole. Yet another thing i dream about constantly in the city. It was gorgeous - like straight outta a magazine. Smooth rocks, big and little. Clear skies, Clear water (I could see my toes perfectly when I was standing with the water to my chin) and beautiful pine trees lining Rock River.

And I guess last week was mating season for the froggies. All that hard work produced millions of little toddler tadpoles who joined me for a swim. Soon they'll be adolescents - making bad grades, getting into trouble at home, dying their tales pink...

I sure hope I'm there for that.

How long does it take before tadpoles get legs?

The Vermonter.

(Written on June 18)

So I'm in Vermont. I actually feel as if I've been here for longer than a day, which sounds cliche and silly. But its true. The train was a dreamy way to start the trip. Over seven hours, I enjoyed it so much. I read some, I daydreamed, I listened to music...people got on and off, and on...I plan on taking the train more often. It definitely lived up to its romanticized stereotypes. And by the time they announced my stop was 45 minutes away, I was caught off guard. Needless to say, I look forward to my ride home :)

Patty picked me up from the train station in Brattlesboro, and greeted me with a hug. Patty is an older woman, probably in her 60s. Gray, wire-y hair to her shoulders. Looks like a gardener :) She then took me to Brattlesboro's food co-op which was impressive. It as big as a typical grocery store, probably as big as Trader Joe's. She bought some tofu, hummus and some bread for me. Then we drove north to a town called Townsend to go to the farmers market there. She introduced me to some of her friends and we got some fresh eggs and cookies for later. Then she took me to her house, a couple of miles south. A little town called Newfane. Adorable house. Its an old house with a large kitchen and a few bedrooms. My room is a small but cozy space, right off of the kitchen. Its got a bed and a chair (the dog, Sky, likes to sit on my chair and my bed....) It feels like a log cabin. Like I'm staying at grandma's. I'm not complainin'. Plus I slept wonderfully last night. For dinner, we had yummo burritos with fresh tomato cilantro salsa.

More about the house. The house has about three barns connected to it. The first one, is connected to the house and is basically a screened in living room/barn. Its perfect. It has a couch on one end with a coffee table. On the other end, it has a table (made with an old door) and some chairs, with one side of the table's seating made up of a porch swing. Painted bright blue. It stays cool in there in the day, and is more than suitable for reading books or magazines. The barn next to it is full of tools and stuff. And the last barn is a half exposed building with flower boxes on the second floor's windows. Patty plans on adding chickens while I'm here, and making this their chicken coop.....mmmmmmmm - fresh eggs :)

The 'farm' is a pretty large vegetable garden with all sorts of goodies. Tomatoes, basil, zuchinni, lavender, chives, radishes, lettuce, bok choy and more stuff that I can't think of.

Today, I woke up and Patty was out rowing on the Connecticut River. I made myself some coffee (thanks Michaela) and had breakfast in the 'living room'. After that I explored the backyard and the stream running through the forest out back. She got back from the river and we weeded a bit and then took a break for a while. We ended up visiting another town's farmer's market and then enjoying samples and drinks at 'the best chocolate shop in the world'. It was lovely. Tonight for dinner we had zucchini blossoms, bread with herb butter, and Pad Thai. And then she told me about her soul mate.

Here's a thing about Patty. She talks about visiting farmer's markets all the time, which is convenient because there is a market in one town or another every day. And she loves to eat. This whole WWOOFing thing might very well work out :)

One last thing. Before I went to bed last night, I threw on a fleece and went outside to see the most anticipated view of this whole trip. The stars were unbelievable. I'm no stranger to stars - just star deprived. I can't remember how long its been since I've seen so many stars, probably 7 years. I dream about these kind of stars in the city. Literally daydream about stargazing on my back in the grass. Well, I'm here to tell you that these stars might do the trick. Kajillions of them. They are magnificent, bedazzled, romantic, and breathtaking. To think; they are the same stars above Philadelphia's sky - just covered with a layer or two of smog and light pollution. Why do you hide from me?

Well, I'm off to take a shower and then live the dream of stargazing. Can't wait :)