What to be thankful for.

This last year has been a major year of change and a lot of growing pains. I know traditionally you look back at the year at New Years, but this is usually the time I look back and find all the things that I am grateful for. I am so grateful for my time with the Bashaws to have had the opportunity to learn the business under their watchful eye that now I feel 100% confident stepping in. I am grateful for the time at the Wrightwood Market and getting to meet all the customers and get to experience "going to market". Unfortunately I did find out this year that I needed to make some changes in order to have time for my family, which will be grown soon and out the door, and time to continue the growth of the CSA and the farm itself. I am still incredibly behind of where I want to be, but at the same time I have to look at what I have accomplished especially the foundation that has been built. We have two greenhouses that I know from experience have the ability to produce tremendous amounts of food. I have two fields outdoors that need a little bird netting but otherwise are fertile and with the help of a few more bees will be abundant producers of organic farm fresh produce. I have new fields out front that will produce the great onions, garlic, leeks and shallots that we know from experience are fresh, moist and sweet when grown here at the farm. There are 70 fruit trees on their way here in January including all kinds of apples that the current orchards do not grow, Winesap, Granny Smith and more. The egg laying operation is being run by the pros, the hens, and they are doing a fine job with very little supervision. We ran a test run of meat chickens to find out costs, and have been enjoying wonderful farm fresh chicken again (I left the Bashaw chicken for the customers who are not lucky to be able to raise it themselves). The pork operation is in full swing and doing well minus a few incidents with the pigs trying to "root' or dig to China, and trying to bust out to see the new piglets! Filet is filling out beautifully and I don't know if I can ever raise anything but Black Angus....they are so handsome! Michael is forming forms everywhere so that the final concrete can go in for a few retaining walls, a large patio (future event area), and the beds out front will be colored concrete raised beds...time to start making things "pretty" around here. For all of those that have passed through my life...thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.