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[farmer-v]

Casa en el campo

I am fully at home in the field.

Dirty, crawling on my knees, practicing the ancient simplicity of harvesting food from plants. I am most alive when I am near the soil, hands working diligently to make the perfect bunch, chatting in Spanish with the migrant farmworkers who have become my close friends. 

My face stays shaded by the brim of my hat. A flannel shirt protects my arms from the beating sun on a 98 degree day in Oregon summer (at least 105 inside the greenhouse tunnels). Sweat and dust glisten on my skin. Calloused hands blackened by many hours of picking tomatoes from their trellised vines. A big ole’ goofy smile on my face. Nos reimos mucho.

Thoughts still float in the back of my head: Perhaps I romanticize and glorify a life that mis compañeras likely did not choose. Is it my privilege that leads me to desire an occupation which most of society looks down upon with pity? Why do I feel so intensely drawn to a lifestyle which my friends and coworkers cannot escape (yet I can move freely in and out of)? 

Why does the land call me so loudly & clearly? It is telling me that I need to change these deeply engrained agricultural systems and labor practices of food production in this modern world. Harvesting alongside some of the hardest working people in America (who are among the most oppressed) has taught me so much about farming, society, language, culture, and life. 

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Taking the long way home from the farm, nostalgia approaches quietly along the curved country roads. In the core of my stomach, I can already feel the way I’ll miss this season. I get the feeling that I’ve finally found my little pocket of the world with the sweetest, most wonderful friends & community I could have asked for. This season has been absolutely life changing. I am growing unendingly, flowering profusely with new insights and passions.

Mi cabeza is lleno de la granja. I remember the smokey grey hanging low and thick in wildfire July; we all duck into a greenhouse to make bouquet-like manojos de albahaca. We start a game to practice our respective new languages. I ask Margo: “¿Cómo se dice cebolla en inglés?” She giggles and thinks for a moment before proclaiming “Onion!” We all smile and continue the unique cultural exchange of women of so many backgrounds.

These conversations dance in my mind. Basil lingers on my hands. 

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Ah, sweet memories and new farming experiences to come!

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Kayaking through the gentle salty waves of the eastern Gulf of Thailand was a dreamlike experience. . We were surrounded by shallow cerulean waters abundant with coral, sea urchins, and small schools of luminescent fish. . There was nothing but the sound of lapping waves, our paddles in the sea, and some of our favorite old time tunes.

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Profound growth, endless learning opportunities, countless new skills, breathtaking views, a new language, heartwarming friends, and a community unlike any other... just a few of the highlights from this past year of our lives. Thank you so much for following along🖤 . 2018 was the year of #magpiethebus (the most difficult & most rewarding project we’ve ever undertaken). We built ourselves the ramblin home of our dreams. . 2018 was the year of a life-changing farm season @gatheringtogetherfarm where we cultivated lifelong friendships, aprendimos mucho español, refined our farming & harvest skills, and realized the unbelievable #privilege that we have... . Ultimately, this all redirected our focus for our future small-scale #ecological farm to #foodjustice #immigrantrights and #farmworkerjustice for the most under-served & often hardest working folks in this country💪🏽 . In 2018, Logan graduated from college and found her passion for agroecology and ancient farming practices. Cheezy became a self-taught #offgrid solar technician! . In 2018 we actualized dreams that we talked about the day we met, nearly 5 years ago! Life is one wild trip, y’all. Hang in there and keep smilin’🤘🏽 . And that’s all, folks!

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Despite the frigid mornings & frozen fingers, I find myself missing this recent farm season unlike any before. The friendships I built, the language I learned, and the growth I underwent have left me astonished by the beauty of this world.

I miss harvesting turnips, bunching herbs, hoeing lettuce in the high tunnels and singing songs en español. I miss the sweet smiles of my hardworking compañeras when they greeted me at the beginning of another work day. I miss Monday night mead after work, and building the bus on our days off. I miss all our friends, and our endless inside jokes, and our long talks about life, in the mist of Oregon fog.

I miss it all so much it hurts, but we will return soon. We are on to new adventures (but change takes so much time & discomfort). Oregon was comfortable, cozy, and homey. We always push ourselves into new situations just as we finally settle into a place. We hit the road right after we found real community… and I’ll be honest: sometimes I question why.

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Letters to Myself

Manifestation does not work by the voodoo of magic, rather by the principle of “you will move in the direction which you think about the most; you will accomplish the goals which you invest the most energy in.”

I have been distracted from our bus by the social life of the farm and my obsession with learning language. I can’t stop thinking about the world, so massive and far. The lure of aimless travel, endless opportunities to learn and experience.

Remember, I tell myself, you must take your dreams one at a time…

Embrace this page of the story before you read too far ahead.

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Always relevant, especially in this new year!

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Our tiny school bus kitchen is an amazing place to cook nearly every meal🖤🚌 We will soon even have recipes & cooking videos filmed right here on the black walnut live edge countertop. In other news, Farmer V is set for a HUGE blog revamp in the New Year! This will include more organized content, regular posts, how-tos and infographics. It may also entail a new host (no longer Tumblr) and a completely new look. Any thoughts, ideas, or feedback? Post it in the comments or email me at [email protected]

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We’ve been on the road since December 1. Finishing the bus, moving out of our apartment & tying up loose ends in Oregon was chaotic & stressful, but it all paid off in the end!! The California coast has been everything we needed to revitalize and return to our traveling routine. I am still figuring out where I want to go with this blog and how I’ll incorporate it into our new brand endeavor: Ramblin Farmers. Thank you to everyone who’s followed along all these years. I’ll be in touch ASAP y’all!

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This bus conversion was undoubtedly the most challenging project I’ve ever undertaken with someone. Now it’s “done” (always a work in progress though). We hit the road in 2 DAYS and I will be back with regular updates, literature, and diversified posts for all my lovely blog followers out there.

Thanks for stickin’ around y’all!

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Can y’all believe how far we’ve come on Magpie the Bus?! We are hitting the road in 2 weeks headed south!

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Fog, rain & cold can’t bring us down! A lot of people are constantly complaining about the weather, so when we became travelers & farmers (who live & work outside daily), we decided to break the mold. . . We remind ourselves everyday to focus on things you have control over: ya can’t change the weather, but you can change your attitude!😜 . . Hope y’all are having a beautiful end to October.

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Una de mis mejores amigas en el todo mundo! /// One of my best friends in the whole world 🖤🖤🖤

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My mom recently came to visit us for the last time while we’re still in Oregon! It was so rewarding to get to show her all our hard work in the bus and on the farm. I am so lucky to have such a sweet & supportive mama who wants to learn about all my interests and encourage me when I’m feeling down. I love ya so much Leah🖤

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The sweetest autumn pups🍂🐾

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Little details... the bus is almost done and we can’t wait to share it with y’all!

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Leeks in winter fog // Ginger in a cozy greenhouse

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Magpie the Bus: photo updates from October 2018