There's Something in the Air

by Julianne

After a fairly snowy start to the year, we are feeling the (literal) winds of change here on the Hill. The snow has melted, except where there were big heaps from the snow plow or north-side roof dumps. Increasing daylight and warming temperatures bring some bracing blasts across the region. And on those moving air currents I notice the smells of spring.

The soil is soaking up the snow melt and exuding a rich, loamy scent. Pungent aromas from the dairy operation foretell the return of rich nutrients to fields and gardens. In other senses, my ears are enjoying the increased twittering of birds, and the sounds of kids playing outdoors make me smile. Prunings and garden trimmings are replacing dirty snow piles, and tiny buds are starting to develop on shrubs and trees.  

We are soaking up this earth energy like hungry, waking bears – sitting in the sunshine, chatting with neighbors on the path, watching a game of tag through our windows. And it’s making us excited for new seed catalogs and setting our gardening intentions for the coming months.

In the midst of these vast and vivid sensory inputs we are relishing here, I want to mention two particular things that I have found inspiring recently.

First of all, Cedar Mountain Farm put out a request for volunteers to help replace the skin on one of the greenhouses this week. Eight or nine of us heeded the call, and together we pulled down the old covering material, took away debris, spread a new double layer of heavy plastic, and secured it to the frame. I enjoyed this whole process because it was both building an important structure for the farmers and strengthening our connections to land and community. The collective effort put the propagation tunnel back online just in time for the farm’s seed starting in the next week or two.

Second, it’s that time of year when billowing steam rises from the local sugar houses, carrying another of my favorite smells – maple! Our sugaring operation is in full swing, with two local folks in charge of our sugar making on the far side of our property. Generations of the Hunt family, the previous owners of half of our property, carried on this tradition in this place, and Ken Hunt has been sharing his expertise with our operation since we purchased the land. Over the years we have continued to put our proceeds back into equipment and sugar house improvements, and we now boast a really slick operation that rivals the big guys in technology and skill.  

If I could share a “picture” of the delicious smells of the sugar house, I would. Instead, I’ll include a visual picture or two to give your imagination some material.

Welcome to the spring equinox and the lengthening days!