5 with a Farmer: Pablo Elliott, Hill Farm (Sunderland, VT)

Summary

The memoir titled 'Beautiful Hell' recounts the author's challenging first decade in farming, marked by yield struggles and financial pressures. Despite these, the author found joy in growing and selling produce, particularly Swiss chard, which they helped popularize. The CSA model, while educational for consumers, wasn't a perfect fit. The author's love for Vermont's garden vibe and the restorative power of gardens in troubled times led them to focus on 'flower power', aiming to restore minds.

Takeaways

• 📚 The memoir would be titled 'Beautiful Hell' reflecting the challenges and rewards of farming.
• 💰 The speaker initially struggled with managing CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) funds upfront.
• 🌱 CSA was not a suitable model for the speaker's preference for selecting crops and selling them directly.
• 🍅 CSA helped popularize radishes, making them common in grocery stores, which was not the case in 2004.
• 🌿 The speaker values seasonality and introducing people to new vegetables through CSA.
• 💖 A love for growing peas and keys led the speaker to move to Vermont for its suitable climate.
• 🏡 Vermont's garden vibe and the ability to work by hand appealed to the speaker.
• 🌼 The speaker sees gardens as restorative spaces, especially in times of mental stress.
• 🌸 The focus is shifting towards 'flower power', implying a move towards growing and selling flowers.
• 🎵 Music is used throughout the transcript, suggesting an emotional connection to the farming experience.

Q & A

What would be the title of the memoir about the first 10 years of farming?

The title of the memoir would be 'Beautiful Hell'.

What was the main struggle faced during the early years of farming?

The main struggle was with yields and managing the money of multiple people upfront.

What was the initial model of farming that the speaker found unsuitable?

The initial model was CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which the speaker found unsuitable for their preferences.

What aspect of farming does the speaker enjoy the most?

The speaker enjoys picking out the things they like growing and figuring out how to sell them.

How does the speaker describe the bounty and beauty of their farming space?

The speaker describes the farming space as having enough bounty and beauty to be a better match for their style.

What role did the CSA model play in popularizing Swiss chard?

The CSA model was instrumental in putting Swiss chard back on the map, making it more visible in grocery stores.

Why did the speaker move to Vermont?

The speaker moved to Vermont because they love the garden vibe and the ability to do things by hand.

What is the significance of gardens according to the speaker?

Gardens are seen as a restorative space for people, especially in times of stress or 'losing of minds'.

What is the focus of the speaker's current farming approach?

The current focus is on 'flower power', implying a shift towards growing and possibly selling flowers.

How did the speaker's farming practices contribute to the understanding of seasonality among consumers?

The speaker's practices, likely through the CSA model, helped consumers understand seasonality by introducing them to new seasonal produce.

What was the state of Swiss chard availability in grocery stores before the speaker started farming?

Before the speaker started farming in 2004, Swiss chard was not available in any of the grocery stores.