Farming has taught us that change isn’t the exception—it’s the rule. Each growing season brings its own unique challenges and gifts, and over our years of working the land, we’ve learned that embracing this unpredictability is not just necessary, it’s transformative.
There’s comfort in routine and regularity, but that’s not farming’s reality. Just this past Sunday, we went from relaxing in the living room with our books to sprinting across the fields to secure the hoophouses as lightning lit the sky. These sudden shifts from calm to action happen more often than you might think, and they’ve become some of our most valuable teachers.
Learning in Real Time
These moments of unexpected change create excellent learning opportunities for our kids and Jeff’s students. Jeff often plans a structured weeding lesson, only to have it evolve into an impromptu wildlife study when the students discover a beautiful garter snake sunning itself nearby. When Jen leads farm tours, she never knows whether her group will become fascinated by animal behaviors or captivated by the intricate patterns of plant growth they encounter along the way. These unplanned detours—where we follow curiosity instead of curriculum—are what build appreciation rather than fear of change.
Weather as the Teacher
Jeff and our farm team are constantly adapting to the weather patterns we receive. This season’s warmth, combined with only occasional rain, has produced bountiful harvests. However, the lack of consistent rainfall means we’ve had to establish a regular irrigation schedule across our 20 acres of production land. The conditions have been so dry that we’re doing something we’ve rarely done in the past: irrigating our cover crops! Jeff quickly calculated that the long-term soil benefits were worth the short-term investment of time, energy, and water.
The autumn fog and early morning dews that blanket our fields mean our work schedule must flex around when plants are dry enough to avoid spreading disease while still maximizing the moisture they can absorb. Every day requires reading the land anew.
The Greatest Collaboration
The most fulfilling display of adaptation comes from you, our CSA members. Your loyal embrace of whatever vegetables are ready and harvested each week means you’re remaining flexible, creative, and open-minded in your kitchens. This flexibility does more than support our farm—it connects you directly to the rhythms of the seasons and ensures you’re receiving the full spectrum of nutrients that our Midwestern soils offer.
Your willingness to change, adapt, and loyally support local growers represents the truest form of collaboration between farmers and eaters that we know. You’re not just buying vegetables; you’re partnering with us in this dance with nature, week after week, season after season.
Thank you for walking this path of adaptation with us. In a world that often prizes predictability, you’ve chosen to embrace the beautiful uncertainty of eating with the seasons.
Your farmers,
~ Jeff, Jen and the Liberty Prairie farm team