If there were an award for "rolling with the punches," we would have a good shot at it this year ... not that last year didn't have its challenges. The phrase means you cope with and withstand adversity, especially by being flexible.
The pummeling started early spring in the greenhouses when, mysteriously, trays of lush, green seedlings slowly began to fail. The finger pointing began as we investigated everything we could think of ... carbon monoxide fumes from the furnace? The furnace was replaced. Something in the water? The water was checked. Something in the soil mix? New soil was purchased. Sabotage? Well, thankfully, we couldn't think of any enemies.
Next, we seeded again - tray after tray of peppers and cabbage and tomatoes. And, the Chief Flower Grower suspended her planting, and watched. It happened again, plants came up that would not thrive. In the end, we began to attribute the demise to herbicide fumes arising from the floor of a closed, humid greenhouse with lots of condensation. Opening up the greenhouses to air them out, and hosing down the floors multiple times seemed to make a difference. It was becoming late to start plants from seed, so the search was on for wholesale veggie plants, while the Chief Flower Grower began to sow seed again.
And it came to pass, that it was time to lay plastic mulch and drip tape in the fields. Things were moving along more "normally" again, until ... we began to notice row after row of plastic was disintegrating (plastic mulch is vital for weed and moisture control.). This biodegradable feature is meant to occur near the end of the season, not before planting! Off we went back to the retailer, with photos of the useless rows of plastic, and back we went to the fields with a fully replaced order, for yet another redo.
Late in May, the fields were ambushed by two consecutive nights of killing frost. Some survived and some didn't. Fortunately, we still had plants in reserve to replace them, yet again. We won't go into the mechanical issues that have popped up with tractors, corn planters, and farm vehicles. Not complaining. I am just stating facts. Some call it "Farmer's Luck" ... a rural version of Murphy's Law.
All I know is that farmers are not quitters, and quitters don't make very good farmers. And, in the end, somehow ... it always works out. You just have to "roll with the punches," and never give up.
0 comments: