NOFA Winter Weekend

The NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers' Association) Winter Conference was this weekend and we scooped ice cream for the Saturday Ice Cream Social. It's really a big deal--500 ice cream cones in about an hour, with six people scooping, most of them college student volunteers without much in the way of food service experience. Nice folks, though, and good sports to take on the mission. It's a pretty cool thing for us to make a product that makes a college gym hum with food happiness. We hold on to the nice things people say to us as they get their ice cream cones and remember them when we're in need of encouragement.

The conference was two days, for the first time, this year. There was an ice cream component to lunch on Sunday, too. I had hoped to get there for it, to help with the logistics and because it's nice to visit people and represent our stuff. Our five-year-old, Jackson, had a birthday party to go to, though, and I hadn't finished the quilt we were making for a present and I found myself in the familiar position of thinking, "Something's got to give." And so Earl went to the conference solo, arriving a few minutes after the recipient of the Jack Cook award was announced, and it was us! Earl was floored. I was floored when I heard. What a thing. I'm not quite sure what the criteria for selection is, but it makes me blush to think that the likes of Enid Wonnacot and the other folks at NOFA-VT, who are among the warmest, smartest, kindest people on the planet, think we did something good. Wow. Now I wish I'd stayed up late and finished the quilt the night before.

Earl called as he was leaving the conference--late for having to round up the ice cream paraphrenalia. I think he was calling to see if we could help start chores because he still had to feed and water the heifers and shred a round bale before he could start milking. We were already getting our things on to go to the barn, though. I put Oliver in the Ergo baby carrier (a new purchase for the fourth kid, but invaluable to Oliver's delight and getting things done), and put Earl's barn coat on over both of us. Cliffy and Jackson walked and I pulled Harley in the sled up to the milkhouse. It's pretty amazing how these kids, who still seem so little to me, can do so much. We set up the milkhouse faster as a team than I have ever done it alone, even before I had kids when I did it most every day. Jackson got the filter, Cliffy got the fittings from the COP (clean out of place) sink, and we all carried the units upstairs together. Then we went to get the cows and mostly Harley and I just held hands and walked around to the back of the herd as Jackson and Cliffy got them all in. Harley sang a little song to the cows. I used to be so worried to have the kids around the cows, afraid they'd do something to startle the cows and get kicked, or fall down into the manure and be miserable, 100 yards from the house and only a few minutes into chores. Now they're so comfortable in the barn and the cows seem to recognize and return that comfort. Whether they end up farming or not, I'd like to think that being able to move a 1,200 lb. animal around when they're five might set them up well for the challenges they'll meet later.