Being a farmer has its advantages. No, they don’t include steady income, access to affordable healthcare, or regular hours. But they DO include wicked fancy salads!
Every time I thin flats in the greenhouse, I end up with a wicked fancy salad. Here at Root Mass, we throw dozens of insurance seeds into every flat we sow. That way, we can feel confident that every cell in the flat will yield a nice, healthy seedling. To ensure the proper growth of these baby plants, we have to cut out the extra seedlings that compete for valuable resources. These “extra” seedlings then become my wicked fancy salad.
In the picture below, my wicked fancy salad boasts baby brussels sprouts (great cabbage-y flavor!), baby swiss chard, and baby lettuce. Baby things are very tender. Unfortunately, not all baby plants make great salads. The baby zucchini was downright inedible, and the baby oregano wilted right quick.
While not flawless, fancy salads remind me of the inherent resourcefulness of farming. It’s a profession that lends itself well to repurposing, reusing, and creativity, which I guess is yet another unexpected farmer perk.
