The finale of the harvest season
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On the way back from Sauvie Island this evening, Romka and I counted around 500 cars an hour coming and going from the farms (from one half of the island....double it from the other half and other farms!) It took us an hour to drive what usually takes 15 minutes or less! Needless to say there is a big celebration going on for the wonderful weather and end of the growing season. Our meager little car load only spent 12 dollars for the whole time we were there...we didn't do the corn maize (we did it last year--and have already visited the farm many times this year) nor did we eat at any of the food booths-- and we bought a little 2 dollar pumpkin. So, 500 cars an hour times how much the average car spends----I imagine that this little farm is going to definitley make about a million dollars this week! But that is what farmers do...work and work from morning until night until this month--and then comes Thanksgiving and a rest before it starts all over again.
This is our express analysis made during the hour of waiting in traffic--which in turn made us think about what prevents farms in Estonia to benefit from public festivities? We think probably because up until about 10 years ago, and some people even still do this with their dachas, people had to have their own produce to supplement their food supply, and now it is not interesting to them to go out and see how food is grown for pleasure—rather it is a pleasure for them to go to the grocery and not think about where it comes from. However, folks celebrate маслиница (Mardi gras), May 1st, Jaanipaev (summer solstice), Independence day—and lots of others. For major celebrations people do get together and have money to waste—but there are few entrepreneurs that have even thought to organize and profit from these cultural celebrations. So we decided that this venue is wide open in Estonia, for an open minded farmer or a bum off the street (like ourselves) to come and put a steak and keep traditions going. (Jennifer claims the summer solstice celebration—leave the cold ones for the tough Russkies)
On the way back from Sauvie Island this evening, Romka and I counted around 500 cars an hour coming and going from the farms (from one half of the island....double it from the other half and other farms!) It took us an hour to drive what usually takes 15 minutes or less! Needless to say there is a big celebration going on for the wonderful weather and end of the growing season. Our meager little car load only spent 12 dollars for the whole time we were there...we didn't do the corn maize (we did it last year--and have already visited the farm many times this year) nor did we eat at any of the food booths-- and we bought a little 2 dollar pumpkin. So, 500 cars an hour times how much the average car spends----I imagine that this little farm is going to definitley make about a million dollars this week! But that is what farmers do...work and work from morning until night until this month--and then comes Thanksgiving and a rest before it starts all over again.
This is our express analysis made during the hour of waiting in traffic--which in turn made us think about what prevents farms in Estonia to benefit from public festivities? We think probably because up until about 10 years ago, and some people even still do this with their dachas, people had to have their own produce to supplement their food supply, and now it is not interesting to them to go out and see how food is grown for pleasure—rather it is a pleasure for them to go to the grocery and not think about where it comes from. However, folks celebrate маслиница (Mardi gras), May 1st, Jaanipaev (summer solstice), Independence day—and lots of others. For major celebrations people do get together and have money to waste—but there are few entrepreneurs that have even thought to organize and profit from these cultural celebrations. So we decided that this venue is wide open in Estonia, for an open minded farmer or a bum off the street (like ourselves) to come and put a steak and keep traditions going. (Jennifer claims the summer solstice celebration—leave the cold ones for the tough Russkies)
posted by Jen at 9:19 PM
1 Comments:
Aleks got a hair cut:) Mom to be looks very good but ready to get this over with. love Mom
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