Written by Jenna Woginrich

Written by Jenna Woginrich

Read her blog.

this is not a hobby

I am starting to cringe every time I hear the phrase Hobby Farm. I just hate the assumptions that surround the word, circling it like confused sharks. The idea that your backyard farm or small rural acreage is equivalent to your Tuesday night bowling team or bird-watching club really gets me. It is so much more.

Regardless of scale, growing food is a skill and a blessing. It is a timeless and honorable job that can do nothing but benefit the practitioner. This is true on every level: literally, socially, physically, emotionally. The work of raising animals, grains, fruits, eggs, fungi, fish and vegetables for your table is above the spinning classes and golf clubs. It is creating the source of your existence. It is learning to produce the energy to keep you alive. 

Now

Dinner: zucchini, romano beans, peppers, feta cheese (made by moi)
Currently making fruit cobbler. Climbed a ladder. Picked transparent apples. Collected blackberries. Picked strawberries. Peaches from down the road.
Listening to good soul music.

Day - improved.

Deliveries with Rob

Today I made the deliveries with rob. I was dubbed the "swamper".
He bought me a mochachino at Habit.
We looked for a birthday present at a kitchen store and bought a ten dollar chocolate bar to share.
Today was alright. I'm doing alright. I want to go to Portland. I want to go to Cumberland. I went to Victoria Christian Reformed Church on Sunday. I felt out of place. I biked half an hour to be picked up on the side of the road by a couple from the church, so I could get a 45 minute ride with them. After  church I followed them around Costco while they bought food I forgot existed. They have an adorable son, one year old. Maybe I can babysit and help them with their gardens. Their kale isn't doing too good.
The view from my bedroom window is becoming increasingly familiar. The three greenhouses, the ducks shed, the great ash and cedar trees, the dry pasture, and the ducks waddling.

That's really all I have to say.

Conversations with strangers

Often times at the market, people discover I live upstairs (in the barn) and give me their address, saying "drop by anytime". Most people do in fact mean it. Today (it's really horrible because I don't know her name - I'm brutal with names - but for the sake of the story it'll be Mel) Mel, who has been to the market before, was telling me how she lives in East Sooke, just down the road. Down the road implies further along the peninsula.Mel, like several others gave me her green number and said "drop by anytime". Seeing that I hadn't been to the end of the peninsula, and wanted to get some exercise, I biked to her place. I rode into her driveway, got off my biked and just stood there. At the end of the peninsula is a beautiful view of the ocean. Her and her husband don't live quite at the end, but it was good enough. After finishing a glass of water and an apple, we walked down to the ocean.
Sitting on a log, with this stranger, staring at the ocean, I thoroughly enjoyed her company. She works with fundraising for the Victoria hospital. All day Mel sits with seniors, drinking tea, who feel obliged to give back to the community that they love. Mel was saying that she gets to see the best of people, every day at work. It was a refreshing conversation, due to both the ocean breeze and the optimistic social commentary.
After our chat, we walked back to her house, I thanked her for the company, and I rode my bike home, flying up and down the winding hills of East Sooke, past the second generation firs and along the glimmering ocean water. I rode by the barn to the back of the property, to the gate between Ragley farm and Bev and Murray's. I walked right to the pond and jumped in.
Satisfied.

Wooden walls

This evening -- a movie and a tea.

Today -- market harvest. I've decided of my five work days, this one is my least favourite. We work as quickly as we can. Whatever doesn't get finished before one (with everyone's help), is left for me. I still need to wash sixty or so eggs. Not complaining -- just not incredibly fond of Friday's.

Tomorrow -- market.

Sunday -- going to China beach. Just North of Jordan River.

It feels more like home on the farm. The foggy mornings, and the noisy cows. The often occupied kitchen, and endless supply of one thing at a time (last week zucchini was in everything - this week we've been eating the salmon that Vivi, Susan, and Josie caught). I put on my work clothes every morning. I put the kettle on before I do anything else. Tea is important, and finishing my tea in the morning is critical to the success of a day.

Milking Nell and Ginger goes smoothly now. I don't spill on the floor when I'm pouring milk anymore. I know where everything is in the garden. I know who I'm talking to on the phone when I call Sooke Harbour House for their order. I can find all the lights in the barn.

I still don't know whose shovels belong to who. I don't know the names of the creeks and rivers nearby where everyone fishes. I can't find all the spices in the kitchen. I still pour slightly more or slightly less milk into the jars than I am suppose too.

But I'm getting there. I keep learning lots. I'm trying not to get itchy feet. Enjoy my stay - however long it may be.

Stary nights and chocolate zucchini cake

Today:

• I ate pink salmon that Vivi, Susan and Josie caught yesterday
• I shovelled sawdust - big surprise
• Restaurant harvest
• Laughed at puns - multiple times - while weeding purslane joked about how we were getting to the root of the problem - you don't need to tell me - I know puns are the best thing to have ever happened to humanity
• Drove the van with Josie to the big city -- we dared to leave the Ragley Farm bubble -- and delivered freshly picked vegetables to Brasserie, the Empress (which is a restaurant movie stars go to - for real), and Zambris
• I bought tea and chocolate, two incredibly important things for my sanity

This evening:

• I ate pork chops
• I made chocolate zucchini cake
• I was overtaken by the beauty of the stars while listening to this song (Vice Rag by A.A. Bondy) with the other farm dweller

There are some bits of pieces of my day

new growth

Burning Fog

This morning, I woke up to the milking machine. I slept in. Kind of. Strawberries, yogurt and oatmeal. Earl  grey tea too. But I slept in so I didn't finish it. Harvested lettuce first thing - as per usual on harvest day. Lettuce isn't growing as much. Twenty five pounds today. Then I picked beans. Bell rang for coffee break at ten. I made an announcement regarding my missing black swiss army knife (I found it under a newspaper on a coach while sweeping the lounge). I also drank my coffee. Cowboy style (black? according to Rob - my fellow chocolate lover). Back to work. Picked more beans. Then I picked the last of the arugula bed. Cherry tomatoes, fancy tomatoes. Tomatoes are in the greenhouse - I was in greenhouse two. Washed lettuce. Tried calling Sooke Harbour House multiple times to get their order. I finally got it and we had to go harvest more veggies. Lunch bell. Beet burgers with zucchini salsa. Scarfed 'em down so I could get back to work and end earlier. Then I was done. And Jen, Drew and I went for a swim in the pond. Oh goodness - that sun is good. We lied on the grass soaking in those good rays. Went back in the pond was we were too warm. Drew threw a rock at me and it hit me in the eye.

Jen and I decided that Ragley farm should have a sitcom, no we decided on a series - called The Gravel Road. I don't know where the title came from. It popped into her head. It's going to be about vegetable pickers. And I expect that there will be lots of puns in our series - seeing that puns are great, and require much wit (which we'll worry about later). Every episode will end with farm animal noises. Reason? No clue.

Tomorrow is market. I'll also be seeing a treeplanter friend who is dropping by in the morning. After market will be Bev and Murrey's annual barbeque. Apparently he uses his excavator to swing kids into the pond. There will be smokies too. I'm sure I'll have my fair share. The next day I may go kayaking with someone I've never met before - a woofer from Miranda's farm. Sunday evening is a different party. Monday everyone from work is going fishing. We're going to try to catch sockeye salmon. If we succeed it will be wonderful - if we don't, it will probably still be wonderful.

And that has been my day.

Oh! Good news. Josie, Susan and I had a "business meeting". They like me. That's nice, huh? And it's possible for me to stay on the farm till December. I'm also going to start volunteering at Ayre Manor. I'm going to be helping them with their day programs!

Well there's an update. An event update. Not a soul update. To get one of those I require a written letter. A blog is to public for a soul update. Skype calls work too I guess.

Well readers - ha, readers - thanks for reading.

Short and consise

August sixteenth:

- Harvested two heaping wheel barrows of garlic with Gillian and Andrea

- Shared a meal of corn on the cob and beef stew with Josie

- Went for my daily swim

- Just remembered my laundry is in Josie and Rob's washing machine. Hmmm.

- Harvested fingerling potatoes for the first time

- Shovelled sawdust (what a surprise)

- My vase of flowers fell off of my window sill twice

- Harvested tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, and cucumbers

- Completed my volunteer application to Ayre Manor, a retirement/nursing home in Sooke

This is the extent of excitement in my day. I'm satisfied.

The way I actually earn money is by shovelling sawdust from underneath the wood mizer. When Rob handed me my pay today he said, "Now don't go wasting it." Rob is a man who spends his pension on chocolate. We get along. He let me know when there was only one chocolate croissant left during coffee break today. I shared my chocolate bar with him yesterday.  It works.

...

Right now I can see Vivi and all of her ducklings outside. She's saying, "No no, everybody inside," with her Venezuelan accent. Here is the duckling dilemma: Last year ravens ate 30 ducklings. Vivi expected this to happen again, but the mama duck's are better mothers this year and have successfully prevented the ravens from snatching up the ducklings. Now Vivi has almost 60 ducklings. For now it's okay, but once they get bigger, well she doesn't have room for them. That's the duckling dilemma.

...

My bedroom

Friends come in the strangest of places.

Today:
- Swam in the neighbours pond
- Milked the cows
- Made feta, ice cream and custard
- Ate pork-chops (living here is making me love meat - so much good meat)
- Watched a movie
- Laughed a lot
- Was chased by 45 ducklings, only to escape through the milking room door to get them off my back
- Looked at the moon and the stars
- Slept in

Wednesday. That means it's dairy day. I woke up (at least tried to) at six this morning, scarffed down a bowl of oatmeal and got through half a cup of tea. Today has been a little off.

Monday was Victoria Day. I took the public bus into the city. I wandered around, with my downtown Victoria map. There were two places I wanted to go to: Russel Books and the library. You see, when it comes down to it, I'm really an exciting person. Well I've got a temporary library card now. Beat that. And Russel Books - it's a very large, very wonderful used book store. I was reading Scott Peck, and though I wanted so badly to buy one of his books - I resisted the urge and left the store.
*This is what I wrote in my journal about Scott Peck. "Scott Peck, man, the few words I read of his not only acknowledged doubt in Christian faith, but accepted it - almost approved it. 'It's okay.' People cry out to God out of loneliness in Psalms all the time. Fear though - that's dangerous. To be afraid of your doubts, afraid of your lack of faith - it's dangerous. I don't want to draw near to God out of fear. I want to draw near to him ou of love, because of a friendship and a closeness."
I went to two coffee shops that day. One was recommended to me, and had a shockingly good Americano. The other was in Chinatown (Canada's OLDEST Chinatown) and was kind of ridiculous. I have two other cafes dotted on my little map, and those will be my next Victoria stops. Monday ended with wings at the 17 Mile House. Monday is wing night. Everyone from the farm goes to the pub; we all eat wings and drink beer, and get home nice and early for work the next day.

Tuesday was interesting. I think it's beginning to set in that this is where I will be for the next, bahh I don't know. I had an intense conversation. About astrotheology. And monotheism. My brain hurt afterwards. It was an exhausting conversation. I was asked, "How at the end of the day, does being a Christian change things?" That doesn't sound like the most challenging question to answer, but it's a very real question to be asked by someone in perhaps the first real conversation you've ever had with them. After we got back to the farm I turned my music up very loud (listening to my i-pod) and shovelled the sawdust from underneath the wood-mizer as fast as I could. It felt great. Then I went to the greenhouse and pulled bolted arugula out in record-breaking time. Interpret that how you'd like to.

Today I may Queso Fresco (a medium temperature cheese which uses mesophylic culture - woop dee doo). I also cleaned out the milking foyer, the proper name for a milking room. I have a break part-way through the day because at six o'clock I need to do the milking again. I went to the neighbours and swam in their pond.

My days are really simple. Nothing too exciting happens. Bikerides and going out for coffee are perhaps the most exciting things that happen to me. I'm a farm hand. I do the odd jobs that need to be done. It's not incredibly exciting. But I like it. I enjoy the simplicity. It makes me think. My brain is working awfully hard for not being in school - for pulling weeds, cutting the roots off of fennel, weighing chard, scrubbing conrete floors, and shovelling sawdust. It's a little unnerving. And uncomfortable. But it's what trying to be genuine looks like. I think.

P.S Vivi just gave me flowers. That's sweet, huh? I thought so.

One Week

I've completed my first week of work. After arriving here on Monday, and meeting the crew at 17 Mile Pub, straight off the bus, for a night of wings, it's a work week later. I've seen what I'll be seeing for the next "who knows" weeks.
A substantial discovery:

This flower - Baby's breath. It's in Vivi's garden, and I love it.

Yesterday evening I biked down to Park Height's road and hiked to the ocean. I got a desire to see the ocean, see something open, and be the only person there. I hiked in, after locking my bike up to a tree on the border of a ditch and a forest. The trees thinned eventually and there it was. I had myself a nice little private picnic then and there. I was satisfied. Moment's like that are what I wanted from this place, this experience. And in a way I felt achievement.

Today was market. That's what everything builds up to. It's a time when Ragley Farm makes it's money (though that's by no means it's purpose). I'm being trained the in's and out's of the place - how to make cheese, harvest the vegtables, write up invoices, call restaurants, set-up the market, milk the cows, clean the barn, etc. It was satisfying to see Ragley Farm (it's habitants and products) in action. There was a flower stand, dairy stand, a room full of home-baked goods and home-grown veggies. The lounge/sunroom in the barn is temporarily changed into a cafe. There's coffee, soup, and muffins.  People hurry into the market (There's a line-up before it opens and the ringing of the bell announces the beginning of the market). People buy their food. Then they sit. And they chat. And they socialize. They sit on the porch and talk about community events happening in Sooke, ask eachother about gardens, or the successes or failures of a bull being with a cow in heat. It's a community event.

After the market, the pace of the farm slows down drastically. I just spent two hours drinking a homemade stout and reading a book. Feet up, shoes off.
*I didn't even intend to choose a book that discusses L'Arche and Jean Vanier - but I did. It's official. I can't help it that all the books I read have to do with the same thing.
Jean Vanier said something quite appropriate in this book (The Boy in the Moon by Ian Brown, incase you're interested), "There was something in me that wanted a commitment to people, and not ideas." Well here's a quote I didn't know what to think about. Here I am, at a farm, trying to learn about farming, trying to get to know God better, trying to believe in myself more. I can't expand too much more on that, well because I just tried too, and I haven't figured out a way to do it that's understandable (I wrote this sentence after writing/erasing several other ones).

I now have two days off. Sunday is my bike touring day. I'll go for a hike in East Sooke Park again, maybe the Anderson Cove trail or the Endurance Ridge trail. Monday is Victoria Day (for some reason I have been giving all my days titles, eg; dairy day, veggie day, market day, etc.). If I don't give myself a break from the farm, or experience a little variety I am afraid I'll go a little crazy. Also my first impression of Victoria wasn't too great. I was overwhelmed, and rushing everywhere. I fell face first into the sidewalk infront of a group of tourists who didn't say a word (just stared) as a consequence of rushing. I figured I should give it another try.

Well I'm going to go back to my stout (don't worry mom, it's only one bottle), and back to my book. Wish me luck (especially on riding up the hills on a bike with one gear) and prayers too - those don't hurt.

From August Third

Here's an entry from my journal...

I made cheese today, with mesophylic bacterial culture which requires a medium temperature. I forget the name of the cheese Susan and I made (I remembered: Queso Fresco). We also milked the cows and picked thistles - not an overly hard day but a long one. It started at 6 am and ended at 8:30 pm.
....


August Fourth:
Starting the day at seven today - with the cows. Granola and yogurt. Earl Grey tea. Becoming accustomed to Ragley Farm will take a little while. For now I am a "sponge" as Josie noted earlier. I suck up and absorb all the informaiton I can. Believe me, there's a lot of information to know.
3:30 I get a break till six now. Then I start work again. .... Something good about this place: it's gentle - it lacks harsh things. I hope the characteristics of the surrounding nature rub off on me. .... Milked the cows - BY MYSELF - WOOP DE DOO.

Present time: Market is tomorrow. Sunday and Monday are my days off, and I am beginning to feel like I could use a day off. Though I am not worked hard, I work constantly. Living where I work, and being in the country with no means of transportation other than a bike means that I don't get a tonne of different scenery. I think Monday I'll bus into Victoria and buy a chocolate bar. A good one. I rode a bike to the general store and there was no good chocolate. That's what I want right now. Chocolate.

That's all. I'm tired and forcing my brain to think creatively is too much right now. I'm going to go read in the sunroom until it's time to get the garlic ready for the market.

Then I'll sleep. Last night a strange bug kept me awake. I tried killing it for a while, eventually succeeding. Hopefully that doesn't happen again.