To all the interns and MESA stewards who work with us at Bluebird Gardens,there are many things we will learn together.  I want you to know, that I, as the owner, do not have all the answers.   I am not the full pitcher, knowing all, pouring into your empty glasses.  I am a learner just like you.  That is what life is.  Anyone who pretends to have all the answers and knows it all is filled with empty arrogance.  But we will all bring what we do know and that is what we will share with each other.  We will welcome your suggestions on all the obstacles we face and together will form a joint plan.  Following are some of the learnings we will evolve in throughout the growing season:

• Producing nutrient-dense food for our customers is a mission, not a job.
• In horticulture, two things matter.  They are speed and quality.  We will learn techniques in these from each other.
• Becoming organic is not just flipping a switch.  It is a plan that evolves.  The first step is to provide the mineral balance to the soil so soil life can flourish.  Using the Kinsey lab soil tests, you will learn what elements our soil is short of and what we are doing to supply them.
• We will learn how, through the use of cover crops, we can supply a constant supply of organic matter to that life.  We will experiment with different cover crops and note the value of each.
• We will experiment with various tillage tools to see which leaves a constant supply of organic matter.
• We will learn the process we need to follow to accomodate Good Agricultural Practices so our customers have safe food.
• Growing the food is the easy part.  Selling it all is the challenge.  You will experience both the direct market and CSA models.
• We will learn how to efficiently involve chickens and sheep in rotational grazing on our cover crops.  We will see if more humus and benefit to the soil comes from animals and cover crops verses just cover crops alone.
• We will learn how to process chickens in a USDA approved manner.
• Life is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.  We will learn how to continue the joy in the midst of a marathon.