Monday, March 21, 2011
The field continues to take shape
With another afternoon of some good hard labor, I was able to get two more posts into the ground. One more full weekend and my hardscape will be ready to go. I'm not sure whether or not I should have tilled up all the ground in my plot before getting the posts in the ground. From all the videos and images I've researched, large hops fields aren't really tilled like a traditional field. However if I don't till (and I probably won't), I'm going to fight the grass and weeds more.
The image here is a sketch to help me visualize and discuss my approach. I've got 5 plants per pole, which as I type this, sounds pretty sparse. Especially when operating under the assumption that there will be a few causalities along the way.
and now a non sequitur...
One interesting thing about this venture is to describe it as an experiment. It's all in the language used sometimes. The term 'experiment' relieves any pressure around making mistakes. What is it about the idea of an experiment that enables participants, advisers, and casual observers to accept decisions laced with uncertainty? Regardless, describing my venture in terms of an experiment allows some degree of acceptance that I don't have all the answers and that's ok.
My language tangent aside, it was a great day to be outside. Accompanied by my dog, I stood in isolation with not another person within a quarter mile. It's not that I don't like you people, but the stupid games you play wear me out more than digging three foot holes in the ground.
I find myself standing and staring into the distance at the farm. I could call it a personal hotspot - Senoma Valley comes to rural Indiana. It's some real lotus flower shit. When I am there, I know what's going on in the world and I feel above it. Maybe it's the sparse brain waves in the air. Maybe it's the relatively unobstructed night sky that elevates my thoughts. It likely has something to do with the relatively distant, flat horizon around me (thank you glacier!). I can stand out and see for a mile or so east into our woods in the distance. It's my own cathedral effect. I love it out there and am content. The experiment is already a success.
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