Fertile

The joys of a single-site day: deep, enchanting, with no hurriedness about getting to the next place. I was wrong to think the wet weather would dampen my excitement or the spirit of this meeting. I had no idea that not far from the city was this beautiful space, the University Farm.

This, on new acreage purchased through a generous family gift: cacti growing in Ohio! In sand, no less.

Not far from this pond, which the cattails are happily taking over. They have waders so we can go out to harvest when we are ready.

A multipurpose room in one of the old Wade family buildings, used when the place was a dairy farm. There are masks and antlers looking quite ceremonial in the old silo! The light you see from the left comes from the huge garage door that opens this room to look out to the farm that provides food to the Case dining halls.

Old dairy farm, right?? This was the indoor space that Ana, the director of the farm, showed me as ideal for wet floor work (the drain is off to the left).

Ceramics classes happen in the old pig pen structure. A handy troth runs down the entire length of the room and down to the drain. Water here comes from wells.

And the glorious horse barn that was saved from demolition! The interior is stunning, even in dim lighting. The roof is new and some walls are rebuilt, but improvements are on hold.

The top floor of the horse barn, gorgeous. We were looking at the spaces and both could imagine so much. I am hoping for a fruitful partnership here, and heartened already by all of the fiber sources readily available. The morning was all grantwriting, so by the time I got home from getting groceries, all I could manage was cooking and eating as fast as I could before resting a bit. Now, time for nighttime admin, but well nourished by walking land with a kindred spirit.