RIP cauliflower.
I beheld you for a few shining moments.
Three months of work yielded one head of cauliflower, a bumper crop of little green worms, and after the torrential rains last week – a stinking, rotting mess that used to be my cauliflower and broccoli. I pulled them all up on Saturday and composted the lot of them. (All the other veggies are thriving. The newest threat arrived thought – hordes of hungry Japanese beetles – but I’ll worry about them later.)
The smell from the rotting cauliflower….ugh.
Such are the perils of gardening. We pray for rain; our prayers are answered, sometimes with abundance.
I’ve never lost an entire bed of vegetables, though, to too much rain. Last year we had drought. This year, too much rain. We heard from a neighbor that some of his corn washed away too, and some rotted.
I tell you, since moving to the country, I have gained such a profound respect for farmers. I’ve always respected them; but going from a 10 x 10 backyard garden to living among working farmers who till hundreds of acres has given me new respect for all the smarts a farmer has to have.
He must know science: agriculture, meteorology, botany, genetics, chemistry and probably a dozen other things.
He must know mathematics: calculating square foot, yield, ratios and proportion of fertilizer and feed.
He must have a strong back, a clear mind, and an amazing amount of hope and courage to last as a farmer.
Let’s all hug a farmer today and give thanks for their hard work.
RIP, cauliflower. Your job is done. First I got a lesson in patience. Now I get a lesson in respect, all from a head of stinking cauliflower.
What a shame about the cauliflowers.
You are absolutely right about farmers, well said.
Rob
Please accept my condolences about your cauliflower…and accept my praises for what you said about farmers! I think you are correct, but it’s not something I really gave much thought to! Well done!
I agree. My farmer husband is smarter than anyone else I know. He also has to trust God with the risks he takes. Farming is about hope and endurance. Thank you for your ‘Ode to a Farmer’ via RIP, Cauliflower. Thanks for coming to the pig roast too. Annette
Thanks for stopping by the “Burbs”… your acres in VA sound wonderful. We lived in Charlottesville for 2 years and loved it there. Sorry about the cauli…
Thanks guys. Annette, I was actually thinking of Phil when I was writing! He sat with us for a few minutes at the pig roast and he was explaining stuff about planting corn. I just sit in amazement. He is one of the smartest people I know. Between knowing how to construct a house – which is mathematical and technical – to all the agricultural knowledge he has, he’s truly an amazing person, and so were the other neighbor farmers I met at the pig roast. Glad to see you guys!!! Thanks for inviting us.