news from b-town (I really don't like saying belchertown...)

Hi friends! I am currently sitting in front of a computer in my new house in B-town, chowing down on some homemade cheesecake (made from mostly dumpster-ed ingredients!). We just had a meeting here at Stone Soup Farm (my new employer and place of residence!) with our fellow CRAFT apprentices (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) and it was a success, despite very cold rain. So many bearded beauties at that meeting! I've already got my eye on a hottie from a farm in Northampton... heheh. ;) The CRAFT apprentices meet weekly at a different farm to talk about various topics. Today's topic was "Small Scale/Starting up", and my boss Jarrett (Hampshire College alum, 27 year old farm genius in my opinion) facilitated a great discussion.

Anyway! So my dad and I made our way up to western Mass slowly over the course of the past week. We left Miami on Monday and stopped at the Hostel in the Forest for the night (most magical treehouse hostel in southern Georgia - I definitely suggest this as a stopover anytime you're in that area). Tuesday we continued northward towards my former garden manager's mentor's homestead outside of Asheville, NC. I had been hearing about them nonstop last summer so I was so glad to meet the famed homesteaders and partake in their delicious all-farm harvested meal (even the beans!). I think the experiences both nights was really good for my dad, being in calming and peaceful places with very grounded and loving people... Both the hostel and the homestead are places that I would love to stop at for a longer period of time on my way back down south in the fall/winter. I'm going to try to finagle an apprenticeship at both if I can!

Wednesday, we left the woods and fairy hippies to hang out with some urban hippies in DC. Scott and Sara were most lovely accommodating hosts and it was so awesome to hang out with them; it had been a while! Sara and I always connect on so many levels about all sorts of crazy things, and sharing ideas with her in real time is a real treat for me. Who knows, we might end up being business partners someday in the near future.... !!

The drive on Thursday from DC to the Valley was a bit overwhelming, but we made it in one piece and I was happy to throw all of my stuff into my new barn room and begin my new life here! It feels so good to be settling down... and of course, my fellow farmers are fabulous, interesting, artsy, resourceful (dumpster diving is a frequent activity amongst my housemates), funny - all that and more! It's a bit colder than it was in South Florida, but hopefully I'll acclimatize soon... (I have no choice! Starting Monday,I'll be working outside for about 8 hours everyday regardless of whether I like it or not.)

Let me know if you can make it out to the Valley at any time in the next 6 months - I'll be here waiting! I have lotsa sleeping room in my barn and there's plenty of random space for crashers. Also, everyone is really into farm parties here, so I'll keep you all in the loop about that! :) AND, we have chickens!!!

lots of love to you, my loves!

carmella