A few weeks ago I wrote about my life changing choices by leaving my job as a nutritionist and beginning an apprenticeship program on an organic vegetable farm for the growing season of 2018! You can read about here https://steemit.com/adventure/@pollypocket/life-changes
Today I wanted to write about a few of the lessons I learned very quickly about working outside on a farm. First, I just wanted to mention I didn't quite plan my career changes out strategically, it all happened fairly quickly. I had about two weeks to find an apartment to move and give my current employer my notice. Then I made a list of what all I would need because my business casual attire wouldn't suit for out in the fields.
So my basic list included:
-comfortable jeans I didn't care to get ruined
-a large hat to protect my face, ears and neck from the sun
-reliable waterproof boots
-gloves
-raincoat
-sunscreen
-thick socks for new boots
-a pocketknife
-a tote to keep in the trunk of my car
I already had worn-out sneakers and waterproof ankle boots I bought from an estate sale for $4, but they were a knock off brand that wasn't so waterproof after all so as a gift, my boyfriend got me a pair of mucks, which I absolutely love and wear almost daily at work, yes, even the hot and muggy days. In the morning there's still dew which would get my socks and sneakers soaked, so I always wear my mucks and then I keep sneakers in the car for later if needed. I also had a stockpile of junky tshirts from highschool or shirts I saved for workouts so I was good on that!
My first day working on the farm, I learned how to seed flats in the greenhouse. There's a large desk with a large sink next to it. We fill with the soil that includes compost, potting mix, peat, etc., water it some, mix, and shovel large piles onto the 3-5 flats laid out on the desk, spread the soil to cover all the flats, but not pat it down. There's about 1-3inches of mix on top. Then we take one flat at a time, lift it a few inches up off the desk then drop it. This helps compact the soil slightly in the cells, then we brush away the remaining soil on top back into the sink for later. This quickly turns your hands black. So..
Lesson #1: Cut your nails!
Even though I'm cutting my nails, I still get dirt stuck under them but they are easier to clean, and I'm less likely to scratch zucchini when picking them up, stabbing and getting rocks and potatoes stuck under them, etc. Ouch!
Lesson # 2: Wear sunscreen daily! Even if it's cloudy!
It may be hard to tell from the picture but I was beet red from my first day and thought I was too cool for sunscreen!
Lesson #3: Wear sunscreen daily! Literally! Everywhere!
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I thought I fixed the problem on my second day when I wore a long sleeve shirt, but I still didn't use sunscreen on my hands. Ouch! Like I said, lesson learned! Now I apply it daily, even on cloudy days, in the morning before I get in my car so it has time to soak in while I drive to the farm, and I'll reapply it again after lunch, sometimes more throughout the day if I'm out weeding, harvesting, washing my hands and arms a lot, etc.
Lesson #4: You're out in nature, learn to coexist!
My first harvest day for the CSA I was asked to do the green onions in the hoophouse. When my boss came to check how I was doing, he pointed out a garter snake about 10 feet from me! So this is what was staring at me the whole time I was working! While it's harmless, I'm not a fan of snakes, but I especially hate spiders. As I'm working with my hands constantly in the ground and moving dirt, transplanting by hand, weeding, etc., spiders are always crawling out and running away!! Gross! But at least they're more afraid of me and are going the opposite direction, and I know they're good for the plants because they're helping to eat other bugs so I really try to not freak out in front of anyone and I try to continue working without flinching.
Seriously though, how creepy?
Last but not least, Lesson #5: Stay hydrated, always bring your water
This should be a no brainer but you might not think it's so hot or humid out, that you'll be back soon, or you can always take a break and go get it. I know myself, and I would keep pushing myself to keep working and not waste time walking all the way back to the car/shed/house to grab a drink. We had a couple of really bad hot and humid days in the high 90s and one worker, on my day off, got heat exhaustion. Even if you think it's annoying to carry around a bottle or whatever you're using, just do it. The farm I work on is about 4 acres. If I bring my bottle to the field and keep moving around, at least it's there, I can carry it and set it down somewhere rather than spend 10 minutes walking back and forth to grab it later.
Well thanks for reading some of my very first lessons learned about working on a farm! Hope you enjoyed and if there's any tips/tricks/suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment to add to my list!
