Dear Friends and Customers,
Life on a farm is a busy endeavor, but I was caught by surprise this evening by a particularly stunning sunset. Naturally, with the long light in June, we make the most of the time and work well into the evenings. As the day wears on, I find myself pausing a bit more often to take in the beauty of our fertile farmland, which stretches toward the base of Mt. Hood. When I stopped and quieted my thoughts tonight, it seemed I could almost hear and see growth occurring—vines entwining, leaves unfurling, flowers blossoming. The sheer volume of foliage that emerges in June is impressive.
Here in Oregon, the moist soil combined with warmth feeds this green eruption…. We see more vegetation growth in May and June than at any other time during the year. The grass grows taller by the minute; it’s already time for the first cutting of hay! And the fields, which looked barren and brown not long ago, are now dense with sprawling stems and leaves reaching outward and upward in their frenzy to soak up sunlight.
But this period when the vegetation looks to be taking over won’t last. What happens the rest of the year? For the most part, foliage growth slows radically, and the plant’s energy is drawn inward to create hidden buds that won’t emerge until next year. The plant invests in the future. Eventually, as it gets colder, growth stops entirely for many plants. I think it’s important during these times when we have enough, or even more than enough, that we keep in mind that fat times do not last indefinitely.
Years ago, cattlemen and ranchers based their herd size on the tremendous volume of grass they saw at the peak of the growing season. Not wanting to “waste” the biomass, they increased their grazing herds to take advantage of this abundant growth. But the abundance lasts for only a short part of the year. Too many cattle left on the land for too long resulted in drastic overgrazing, leaving nothing for the leaner seasons, and nothing left to regenerate grasses the following year. Basing herd size on what was available at the peak of growth wasn’t sustainable. You have to gauge grazing on an average growth through time.
And the same is true for us. Nationally, I would say that we have a sufficient food supply right now. As a whole, our country had a medium-good crop last year, so we have enough to get us through until the next harvest. If you recall, the year before, our country did not enjoy as much success, and we were getting down to the bottom of the bins as we approached harvest.
Throughout our lives, there are times when we experience exceptional growth. The wise response during these times is to make sure we have what we need beyond the current season. Also, when we are blessed with plenty, It’s a good idea to be realistic about our situation: Have we taken stock of our pantries, to buffer our family against a leaner time? Are there skills we can work on now that might help take us more comfortably through the next phase? If we need to learn to garden or preserve food or set up a pantry, the time to hone these skills is now, instead of waiting until we experience shortage or difficulty.
After causing a lot of damage, cattlemen learned to leave enough grass on the ground to dry, so the herd would have something to get them through to the next spring, and so the grasses could grow back. Sustainability is a part of responsible care taking. Likewise, as we care for our families and loved ones, we don’t gorge on summer’s abundance and neglect to store some of the harvest for later. Nature instructs us to prepare for winter, and put up extra for seasons and years when crops fall short, because we never know what is around the corner. If history is any indication, we know to expect the unexpected. It’s just good, old-fashioned, timeless wisdom.
The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.
Here at Azure, we’ve had a lot of growth over the last couple of years. We’ve invested in infrastructure: rebuilding our HQ, expanding the warehouse, adding trucking, responding to customer requests to add new routes (We just expanded to reach more areas of Michigan—the first delivery is in early June!). As we make business decisions, we have kept in mind the seasonality of abundance.
In our gardens, homesteads, jobs, and families, we are bound to experience times of great growth and productivity, and leaner times when we feel spiritually, physically, and emotionally dry and barren. During times of plenty, we would be wise to invest in the “infrastructure” of what matters most in our lives, with an eye to the future.At Azure, our plans and actions reflect our commitment to being wise with the abundance, so no matter what the future brings, we are prepared to serve our families and our community. As always, we encourage you to do the same—with every part of your life!
Planning for all seasons,
David Stelzer, Founder and CEO