Our first stop at Stone Soup Garden in Laurel was the processing shed, where Claire and Patrick were wrapping up for the day. We got a good look at what goes into small scale farming.
Stone Soup Garden is a small-scale vegetable and flower farm, initially dreamed up by Certain, who grew up gardening, and went on to obtain a degree in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems from Montana State University. Before we left the processing area, Patrick shared some thoughts on the current environment for agriculture - common issues farmers and ranchers are dealing with, including the availability and distribution of critical resources. The couple also noted that their circumstance may be less dire compared to others who rely on oil-based products.
Patrick and Claire are looking forward to the ongoing dialogue picking up with the farmers’ markets, noting that it is a boost to see consumers and producers alike.
Claire observed that “...connecting people to the land through the food we’re growing on that land, is a really wonderful thing that I always get so excited about. To see repeat customers, and they get to see us. People thank us for coming to the market and it goes right back to them - we can’t do this without them! So… that community I’m really looking forward to.”
Patrick adds “The markets are also really fun for the camaraderie you get with the other producers, people as ‘Did that hailstorm get you?’, or ‘How’s the irrigation been this year?’ if the ditch is high or low…As much as I’d like to say we have our coffee klatch, we’re all pretty busy, so it’’s usually at the markets that we get a brief opportunity to see how everyone else is doing. That camaraderie is special - just to know that ‘You’re feeling the same thing I’m feeling.’”
Toward the end of the visit, we wandered across much of the farm, a little too windy for recording, but we ducked into one of the plastic greenhouses to discuss their favorite crop - the crop that keeps the couple going…tomatoes. Sakura cherry tomatoes are the top pick right now, and he’s looking at a new heirloom hybrid, carefully measuring the standards against specialized products as they grow the crop.
Finally, Claire shares that the name Stone Soup has a fairy tale background to it, and Patrick and Claire capped the visit with an announcement of their pending wedding on June 20th, ten days after the interview. Now that’s a good story.
To find out more about Stone Soup Garden, go to the website stonesoup.garden.
