Lemon Squeezy Farms

Mid-July at Lemon Squeezy Farms: Heat, Hard Work & the Sweet Rewards of Summer

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Marcie Simpson

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“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9

…….

Whew… this heat!

The past several days have been hot… hotter… and hottest. Extreme Heat Warnings seem to have become routine. If you have a garden, flower beds, livestock, or really anything living that depends on you, you know just how relentless this kind of weather can be. Water hoses seem permanently attached to our hands, and every afternoon begins with checking on animals, gardens, and flower beds to make sure everyone is making it through another scorching day.

Despite the heat, summer is beginning to reward all those spring hours.

Our garden is just starting to produce tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow squash, with the rest of the vegetables not far behind. My herb garden is the best one I’ve ever grown, and I’ve found myself stopping more than once just to admire it. The flower beds have been especially meaningful this year. In honor of our nation’s 250th birthday, every flower I planted is red, white, or blue.

Every time I walk past them, I can’t help but think of our two sons who are serving this great country. Their service fills me with tremendous pride, and somehow those patriotic blooms make me feel just a little closer to them while they’re away.

One evening, while I was looking out the kitchen window, I noticed Marc had several of the goats sectioned off together. I had a pretty good feeling I knew what was about to happen.

“Are you moving the goats? Changing their fencing?”

“I am.”

“Need any help?”

“I think I’ve got it.”

“Lemme put on some shoes. I’ll be out in five minutes.”

With that, I set the walkie-talkie on the counter and headed outside.

I had been looking forward to BLTs for supper, but they would have to wait.

If you’ve followed Lemon Squeezy Farms for any length of time, you already know that every project has a funny way of becoming much bigger than we originally planned. Thankfully, this was one of those rare golden moments where everything actually worked!

We reconfigured the perimeter of the electric fence, even routing part of it through one of our shelter belts. Somewhere along the way I found myself using a scrap 2×4 as a hammer.

Forget Thor and his mighty hammer. I was Thor in a baseball cap wielding a 2×4.

It may not have been glamorous, but it got the job done.

The best part came when we finally opened the gate.

Watching the goats explore their new pasture was pure entertainment. Rosie, Peaches, and Poppy have never had this much room before. They bounced, explored, and investigated every inch. Rosie and Peaches would stop every so often to call out to Fiona, making sure Mom hadn’t disappeared somewhere in all that extra space.

Mable may have been the happiest of them all. She immediately made a beeline for the leafy branches. Goats simply cannot resist browsing leaves, and now they have a wooded area where they can snack, find shade from the summer sun, and even climb over the fallen trees. I’d say goat paradise is somewhere between a forest and an all-you-can-eat salad bar.

Thankfully, the forecast looks much kinder this week. Mid to upper 80s will actually feel cool compared to the triple-digit temperatures we’ve been enduring.

One confession…

I did all that fence work wearing shorts and flip-flops.

What was I thinking?

The mosquitoes and flies wasted absolutely no time reminding me why I almost always wear jeans while doing farm work. This isn’t city landscaping. Around here, the bugs consider exposed skin an open invitation.

No project at Lemon Squeezy Farms would be complete without plenty of supervisors.

Naturally, the goats kept a close eye on every fence post we drove. But my number one supervisor is still Clementine. She watched every move we made and now seems to be training Walter and Jesse to do the same.

If there was one distraction during the project, it was Jesse.

He’s the kind of cat you simply want to scoop up and snuggle, even when it’s nearly a hundred degrees outside. Both Jesse and Walter are growing so quickly, and all three of our farm cats have become wonderful additions to life here on the farm.

As I look ahead over the next few weeks, I know what’s coming.

Tomatoes.

Cucumbers.

Zucchini.

Yellow squash.

Lots and lots of them.

We’ll soon be knee-deep in fresh produce, enjoying the rewards of all the work that began months ago. Even better, my pumpkin patch is looking far better than it did this time last year. I already find myself imagining our animals enjoying pumpkins this fall.

It’s funny how farming teaches patience. You spend countless hours preparing soil, planting seeds, pulling weeds, fixing fences, feeding animals, and wondering if all your effort will pay off.

Then one day, without much fanfare, you look around and realize…

It already is.

Mid-July has arrived at Lemon Squeezy Farms, and as always, we just keep plugging along. One hot day, one project, one harvest, and one blessing at a time.

Screenshot

Mabel (center) and Jill (left) are eating what they can before the others beat them to it!

Jesse – one of my supervisors. You can’t beat a ginger cat!!!

Comments

2 responses to “Mid-July at Lemon Squeezy Farms: Heat, Hard Work & the Sweet Rewards of Summer”

  1. Kimberly Avatar
    Kimberly

    This made me think about how quietly God does some of His best work. We tend to notice the harvest because it’s colorful, abundant, and easy to photograph. But roots grow in secret. No one stands over a tomato plant applauding while it’s sending roots deeper into the soil. Yet without that hidden work, there would never be fruit.

    I sometimes wonder if the same is true in our spiritual lives. There are seasons when all we seem to be doing is watering, weeding, repairing fences, and wondering if anything is happening at all. Then one day, almost by surprise, we discover that while we were busy tending the ordinary, God was growing something extraordinary beneath the surface. It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3:11: “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.” Perhaps one of the sweetest lessons the garden teaches is that heaven is rarely in a hurry… but it’s never late.

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    1. Marcie Simpson Avatar
      Marcie Simpson

      Kimberly, thank you so much for your comments. I appreciate the time you take in leaving them and they always make me smile and warm my heart.

      Liked by 1 person

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