Happy Friday y’all!

We’re worn out over here. Mandy and I have been working in headlamps again as the days get shorter and the “gotta do” list gets longer. The crew’s been hustling too, and a lot has happened in a short time.

In the same breath that the last mum flowers were cut, we started ripping the plants out of the ground. Now, just a few days later, mother plants were potted, compost was spread, amendments were added, beds were tilled and watered, and thousands upon thousands of baby plants were planted.

Fall crops are done and Spring is entirely planted in all tunnels now.  Our friend (the amazing photographer) Rinne Allen came out to shoot the farm a bit yesterday and commented on how taken aback she was at the dramatic shift in the farm’s appearance from her last visit.  That was just 10 days ago.

The fact that we’re getting bit by mosquitoes and pelted with clouds of rambunctious ladybugs in this delightful, yet seasonally inappropriate Corona beach party weather, probably exacerbated the sensation to be fair. It was windy as hell and sub freezing the last time she was here.

Things do move fast out here though. I feel like I’m of two minds. The prevailing sensation is that, “of course it’s the way that it is,” and despite generally racing around trying to keep up with the “gotta do’s,” things generally look the way they should to me.

The less visited side of the brain, though, occasionally slips to the fore and is in awe at the state of this place. Not only from one week to the next, or one season to the next, but in relation to the day we started, with the things we had, the things we knew, and the direction we thought we were headed. In that context, the transformation is pretty mind-blowing. But that’s a convo for another day.

I didn’t realize that these automated roll-up sides (on our greenhouses) would take so much time to install, but they are pretty freakin' awesome now that I’m almost done. I’ve been at it all week in between running around to help with tractor work and walk behind tiller work in the tunnels. I’m finishing up the last install today and finalizing the electrical on a second tunnel, but so far it appears pretty dreamy on the 9 that I’ve installed. We haven’t had a cold night for a true test, and I haven’t set up the Gateway for the remote control function via app, but all the tests so far have been like butter. We’re getting excited. The amount of freedom this potentially creates for us is really significant.

The last boxes of fresh flowers for the year went out on a FedEx truck around 5:40 last night and are just now arriving at homes for the holidays. I hope they bring good mojo to your gatherings and that harmony prevails for all :).

We’ve still got bundles in the Farm Store if you’d like to grab some today or Saturday. The Farm Store WILL BE CLOSED NEXT WEEK!  We’ll be spending time with family and have given the crew the week off to enjoy, so get your goodies now.

If you’re heading this way on Saturday, I should mention that Comer Coffee fully renovated their shop and it is super cozy now with a 3 sided bar, so you can post up, sip some Joe, and chat with whoever’s chillin next to you.  It’s a whole new vibe.  I love it.

That’s all for now. I’ll be skipping next week, but will catch up with y’all on the week after. Stay cool out there if you’re in GA. Wear your sunblock and stay hydrated. Maybe catch some waves. Have a great weekend and a great Thanksgiving, Native American Heritage Day, and National Cake Day (Nov 26).

Steve