There were large communal meals and long days outdoors. We worked shoulder to shoulder, lost in conversation or silent, heavily focused on the task at hand. The evenings were collaborative efforts food-wise, the tiny farmhouse kitchen crowded- dirt stained hands all contributing to a lofty meal…the smell of garlic, peanut butter, tamari, the sizzle of freshly plucked vegetables hitting a hot pan. Music, a solo guitar perhaps joined by a fiddle or two- an impromptu lullaby to lull the sun further below the horizon. All of us up to our wrists in dinner, forks or utensils never having been part of the equation to begin with. My skin was tanned under a dense layer of filth, my hands gnarly, my muscles strong and most importantly- my head was so, so quiet. The day to day was gloriously simple, every morning when I woke to tend to the animals before daybreak I was grateful for the work- immensely gratified by the connection I felt with everything and everyone around me.  The community, young and old- each person fantastically diverse in their background shared the common bonds of being progressive, proactive, adventuresome and nomadic in nature- their palpable restlessness magically assuaged by the labor. My own anxiety evaporated just about as quick as it took me to get dirty. I recall that within an hour of arriving, my Carhartt overalls were caked in mud.

All of this, all of those sweet sweet memories hit me like a truck when I landed at Wobbly Cart Farm. This was it…this is what I had left behind many years ago…enter the sharp pain of loss, the bitter taste of regret. My nostalgia had been dormant up until this point as I had visited mostly family owned farms, but here, just South of Olympia it resurfaced. Joseph Gabiou heads Wobbly Cart-a handsome man probably in his late 20’s/early 30’s, he wears a Oaxaca T-shirt and fatigued, cuffed black Carhartt’s. Dirty blonde hair is hidden under a dusty ball cap and his eyes are a shade of blue reminiscent of Montana skies.  Joseph’s friendly, a little shy but his smile becomes more constant as we go along… all in all, I’m absolutely charmed with him. Wobbly Cart farm sprawls 5 acres within which a vast amount of food is grown. Carrots, beets, Jerusalem artichokes, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, lettuce, burdock, cucumbers..the list goes on and within each vegetable category there are dozens of varieties of each produced. With 50 CSA members, a couple different co-ops (Olympia Food Co-op + Alberta Food Co-op in Portland)  and a handful of local restaurants carrying their goods it seems business is thriving. Along with Joseph, who lives in an old school bus on the property, there’s five other people that call Wobbly Cart home. They reside in all manner of housing- from cabin to tepee. The tepee is undoubtedly my favorite, it sits on the outskirts- stark white and traditional in design.

The land is as beautiful and picturesque as one would expect, the fields cultivated into neat rows of lush plants sprouting fat, healthy vegetables. I had never seen garlic pulled fresh out of the soil so Joseph demonstrated to quell my curiosity. It sounds like the adventure of farming is what excites him- the process of growing from seed to harvest. We browse, he points and identifies the crops as we go. Earlier, I was introduced to a couple ladies who had pulled up in a large van, they were from the local food bank and were stopping by the farm to pick up donations. After we chatted for a bit, the girls ran off for a dip in a river that bordered the property, they needed a break from work. I never did stop thinking about that river once it was mentioned. When the heat of the day finally caught up to me, I went for a swim- restraint is not in my character.

Invited to stay for lunch, I wandered into the main house upon returning- by the way, the river was better than I had imagined…the water clear, tepid, with only a slight current. Again, the shock of familiarity paralyzed my senses- everyone was inside devouring what looked like a terrific meal. Two ladies sat at the table, another couple was seated on the couch. The girls from the food bank were there as well, contentedly perched on various stools and crates-their plates heaped with pasta and vegetables. Joseph leaned against the counter as he made the round of introductions- everyone welcoming and warm. I wanted to stay for a freshly harvested meal eaten with soil still under my fingernails, I wanted to stay and do some work in the fields with these kindred folk…hell, I just wanted to stay.

Interview with Joseph Gabiou of Wobbly Cart Farm.

Whats popular? What do you grow that folks cant get enough of?
Peas…shelling peas and sugar-snap, they seem to sell as quick as we put them down at the market. Also, our lettuces are popular.

What do you see in the future for Wobbly Cart?
I want to expand a little more..maybe just an acre- there’s obvious natural boundaries where we sit. Last year, we only farmed three acres- this year we’re up to five. We’ll just grow a little more and see how that goes.

Challenges?
The economy of food production is difficult. Small farms like ours are barely making it. Just thinking about how no matter what we put into it- we re always going to be struggling. That’s tough. You don’t get paid more for doing things right.

What type of work did you do previous to this?
I did and still do (in the Winter months) salvage/recycle work.

What do you think of what you’re doing out here? Whats important?
I think of it as an adventure- learning a lot, working outdoors. I think of it as doing something with my time that is a lot less harmful than other things I could be doing.

What would you like to see change in the way folks eat?
People are going to eat how they eat. All I can do is put out good food- make it available. The more people are exposed to better quality food the less impressed they are going to be with the food they see in the grocery stores. That’s what changes people. After having fresh lettuce from the farm that wilting tasteless stuff at the store doesn’t cut it anymore you know? That dissatisfaction creates change on a small scale and then a bigger one.

Whats your favorite thing here?
The tomatoes… we have 12 different heirloom varieties.

What do you love most about this work? What are you proud of?
I’m proud of all of it. I like sharing it with other people… just seeing it through someone else’s eyes is a nice reminder of how lucky I am to be out here. Sometimes, I forget…my heads down in the field and then I have a friend come out, someone visits and its really refreshing.

What have you learned?
Ive learned the importance of efficiency in repetition. Time adds up and sometimes all it takes is holding a handle on a tool a different way to make a job eight hours vs. four hours.

What do you do with your spare time?
What spare time? No, really….I’m interested in beekeeping. I have some bees on the property.