It never ceases to amaze me that to this day when I mention something, anything about farming - people still look at me and say, "farmers wife, farming... like in dirt and tractors and stuff?"
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| Harvesting lettuce |
I suppose I take for granted that it is what my husband and his family have done for over 65 years in this valley, and as I type this, even I find that impressive and the years staggering.
There are over 3200 acres of farm land just west of Lompoc City proper, that is know as "The Valley" that have in years past been farmed with beans and flowers of numerous varieties. They are now however farmed by my family mainly with vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, cauiflower, celery and artichokes. The following pictures are of a day that I noticed more activity than usual and I had my camera with me. There is often much more activity and at times much less, but there is always something going on and I can attest to the fact that there is lots to do, schedules to follow and deadlines to meet in order for all of us to eat wonderful fresh, clean and tasty produce.
I suppose I really do take all this for granted, I love the smell of freshly chopped fields, and I love having access to the field fresh vegetables but it's hard work and Steve loves making all this happen. He's a very hard worker.
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| Big John Deere tractor |
There is something about the process. The working of the land, the digging in the dirt, the planting and watering and watching things grow, then the harvest and then starting all over again. It is basic in a sense and then complicated in reality - the way the rows go, and the water flows, how much yield you can get and then let us not forget -
the weather. Before Steve I never paid much attention to "the weather" but now, I know it is an important piece to the puzzle.
There was a time before I was married to Steve that has become a topic of conversation in our marriage. Coming from Lompoc and then leaving Lompoc for awhile it became clear to me at some point that "the Valley" was a huge part of me. During a time in my life that I was truly unhappy, I use to envision going down to the valley and just putting my hands in the dirt. This became such a desire at one point, that on a trip to Lompoc with the kids, I actually went down and walked a field, put my hands in the dirt and as sad as it seems, I cried. I believe that it had to do with the whole "roots of my being" feeling that all of this, that I had known my entire life and was important to me, had been slipping away in my life, and just putting my hands in the dirt and smelling the smells of some things that grounded me, made it all better. I had no idea at the time, but that field that I walked and threw dirt clods in, belonged to Steve and the Guerra family.
Shortly after that visit to Lompoc, I returned for good from Southern California - with two very small children, but minus a husband. I returned to "plant" my family here and watch them grow, it was not at the time where I really wanted to be, or so I thought, but it was safe and easy for the kids and I - little did I know that in the next two years I would realize what a wonderful move it would become.
I didn't know Steve when all of this was happening. I find it very ironic to this day that the whole "putting my hands in the dirt" thing actually had anything to do with him. I thought it had to do with my dad - he had always been in construction and dirt work, not farming, more like building, but I have always been able to close my eyes and remember how he smelled everyday when he came home from work. He smelled like the earth - like dirt, not bad, just earthy, and I believe that my desire to just get back to basics and the honesty of simple things, the straight and narrow of life, was what I had been lacking and so needed to find again.
It worked, I found myself again and then two years later I certainly found it in Steve.
And that is how I became - the farmers wife...... :)
