Hello! My name is M Mueller, and I am a CSA member and friend of Against the Grain Farm. Every so often I write a blog post here about goings-on on the farm from my own point of view.
On ATG Farm I volunteer to care for bees and the highland cow herd and I also help with on-farm composting and a few other related things.
The Farm has allowed me the privilege of caring for some of its spaces. One of these, in a far untraveled part of Goat Hill, I am observing in order to learn how unused pasture successions to the growth of wildflowers, and if any of these volunteers provide good forage for the honey bee and all the native pollinators which. inhabit here. My idea is to develop a pollinator-friendly protocol for preserving pasture while providing pollinator forage in meaningful abundance. Fortified with this knowledge and experience I hope through education to encourage landlords, resident and non-resident alike, to set aside some pasture land for pollinator pasture and bring it under stewardship of a pollinator pasture expert. Helping me in this venture and providing me with moral support, is a group of ambassadors of Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary (https://spikenardfarm.org/). Each ambassador has a close relationship with Spikenard, has taken courses there and visits regularly for continuing education. Together we are attempting to bring principles of pollinator sanctuary out into the wider world. Our work is enhanced by collaborative and supportiv involvement as a group. Working in such a group grants one the pleasure of doing good work in the world as well as growing personal connections with others of like intentions. In the same way, the CSA provides opportunities to be on the farm in meaningful ways. The healing nature of Biodynamic-organic agriculture suffuses the farm and invites those in need of healing to find it in the produce it grows and in the community it attracts.
I encourage all CSA members to become involved in this healing activity on the farm. Go to. https://www.atgfarm.com/work to let us know your interest is and see about a visit, or drop a line to ATGFarmFriends@gmail.com. It would be nice to hear from you! Your friend, M Mueller.