Seeding Hope
It’s a gorgeous spring day. The sun’s warmth—beaming from a cloudless blue sky—mixes delightfully with the breeze. The frogs in our farm pond join together in a boisterous chorus. Tiny bits of green poke through the dull brown of winter. And we are planting.
That tiny seed, that kernel of hope, carries the farmer’s optimism. To press that seed into the growing medium of a plug tray, to transplant those plant babies into the warm soil of the greenhouse, to create a furrow in an outdoor bed and fold the seed under a covering of soil—these acts equal a belief in tomorrow, in a future. We are envisioning the crop but, as farmers of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, we also dream about you, the person who will purchase our crops. Will these flowers help to celebrate your milestones, lift your spirits, ease your grief, or provide you with an opportunity to share hope with someone else—a neighbor, a family member, a friend? We imagine you enjoying the acidic tang of tomatoes from our farm or relishing the crunch of a cucumber. We envision nourishing both your body and spirit.
This spring is just a little different, though. We’re all suffering from the uncertainty that COVID-19 has unleashed on our landscape. These niggling fears—how long will this last? Am I doing enough? Are my loved ones going to be okay?—drain us. So know this: we—and other farmers like us—are sowing optimism and hope. We are planting. In spite of, or maybe because of COVID-19, we know that you are going to need nutritious soul food. How we get things to you might look a little different this year, and we might need your help and patience as we figure it out, but we are not giving up on our vision.
Here at Pheasant Run Farm, we know that spending time in nature does wonderful things for your psyche, so we are making plans for our 2020 Sunflower Experience this August. We sincerely hope that the coronavirus curve is flatter than flat by that time, but if it’s not, we’ll figure out a way for you to enjoy the sunflowers. Either way, know that you can look forward to spending time—either in real or virtual —among the sunflowers.
In the meantime, what can you do? Support your small, local businesses. A dollar spent at these businesses is your vote that they should continue. We especially encourage you to support your local florists. Many of the celebrations of love and life that are elevated by our florists’ creations have been postponed or cancelled, and the governor’s order to close these businesses to only deliveries and curbside pickup only puts a hard squeeze on their liquidity.
Support your small local farmers. If anything, COVID-19 has given us a wake-up call regarding delivery of goods. Ensure food security for your neighborhood by purchasing from the farmer when you can, and from grocers who purchase locally when you can’t. Until we can enjoy being together at the farmers markets, use the many online ordering for markets available. At the Iowa City Farmers Market, we will start Saturday, May 31, through the end of June, and at the Cedar Rapids Downtown Market, we will be at both June markets. You can access some other fun flower options on our website such as the flower bar or local CSA bouquets.
Be patient with us and with each other. We are all working together to deliver fresh food and flowers in new ways. There’s bound to be a glitch or two. Rest assured, though, that we here at Pheasant Run Farm take your safety, and the safety of your food, very seriously.
And finally, check back frequently on our website. We will continue to provide updates regarding work on the farm and news of the markets. We’ll be posting frequently on our social media pages—photos and images of our work around the farm to seed some optimism into your lives.
