A Little Intro to My Iowa Summer

A little moment I shared with a rabbit among the raspberries

We all need and deserve to give ourselves a "ReTreat", which means a period of time you treat yourself by getting back in touch with the greatest source of creativity; Mother Nature. So, what better place to be then at an organic farm, where the Source's presence is at work all around. I'm spending 5 weeks back home in Iowa at an organic farm. I'm here not only helping during one of it's busiest months, but to learn what I can and soak in the natural environment. Although I've mostly been pulling weeds, being surrounded by the abundant growth and good people, and the fact that I'm making a difference, feels good on many levels. The concept of "weeding" - a process that pulls out distracting or invasive plants so the maximum amount of energy goes into the main crop -  provides many insights and lessons to pick up on.

Some mustard gone to flower after the harvest of the leaves

As an artist invested in the art of life, this particular summer is all about connecting energetically with the Earth and tapping symbolically and spiritually into my roots. Being back home for an extended period of time is feeling absolutely sublime and invigorating. I'm seeing familiar places with a fresh and somewhat more mature perspective than ever before. Some of the changes to the surrounding areas of Iowa City and Johnson County are quite wonderful. It has a very inspired mix of art, worldly philosophy, literature, and rural charm. I'm appreciating just how fortunate my life has been and still is by being here. I'm deeply in love with this place and the people who make it what I foremost call home.

I'm also discovering that my return here is providing me much more to consider then I even imagined. Just as with nature, there is a lot more beneath the surface at work in creation. Crops may be the tangible/visible result of the labor, but the process involved in creating the produce is something far more complex and interwoven. For starters, life works best when community is at the heart of it all. When society works together with the common good at heart, not just individual selfishness. Much like a bee hive thrives from the cooperation and hard work of many individuals contributing to benefit and health of all. Life is indeed interconnected, and I'm learning just how important it is to be here and now, putting things into perspective, learning about life's many mysteries.

It is absolutely urgent we all open our senses to Mother Nature, tread consciously and carefully. Find a moment to plan your own ReTreat  - and consider doing something that gives back to the health of the others at the same time.

Below is an assortment of just a few of the crops the beautiful Dirty Face Creek Farm is involved with:

Sunsugar cherry tomatoes in transition

Abundant leafy Kale

Striking red veins of Chard

Garlic scapes that are curling up from the garlic bulbs below

Aromatic and flavorful basil

And of course lush red raspberries!

Blissings!