Renae Writes: A Sense of Community
Monday, July 12, 2010 at 10:46AM 
At the end of June my father, sister and niece made a visit to Chelan in honor of my father celebrating his 60th birthday. Although many miles separate my family, from California to Wisconsin to Oregon and now Washington, we try our best to make time for each other. It means a lot to me to share this magical place with my family. My words and photos that I share with them just cannot paint a true picture of the beauty and energy I feel from just being in the fields. Or the excitement there is when harvesting a crop for the first time of the season. It takes an actual visit, plucking of a strawberry or pulling a carrot out of the ground, to experience the bounties farm has to offer.
Upon their visit I found much time for reflection of my childhood. I have vivid childhood memories of running around the neighborhood with all the other children exploring the backyard stream, the evergreen fort and one neighbor’s junkyard. Our neighborhood was our community, the people we could count on if the electricity went out or if we needed a cup of sugar to make strawberry rhubarb pie (strawberries and rhubarb that were picked at the neighborhood farm, Paradise Valley Farm) or if we simply needed to see a familiar smile.
Before moving to Chelan and after graduating college in 2006, I found places to call “home” in 5 different states. As you can imagine I lacked in a consistent community. The comfort of a familiar smile was something I had forgotten. Now half way into my second season here at Sunshine Farm I truly am feeling the warmth and comfort of a community. Not only down at the market or in town but more recently in the fields! CSA members, families from town and folks just passing through have been making their way up to the fields to pick strawberries. As the farm has been increasingly opening up the farm to U-pickers, Saturday tours, children’s camps, and the concert series there is an increasing feel of community out here at Sunshine. I look forward to seeing and being a familiar smile to you.
