Who are we? The Ben edition

About Ben:

For some time now I have not really known what to say when someone asks me, “what do you do?” This is, in part, due to my diversity of interests, which have led to an even more diverse array of jobs, classes and activities. So I might answer that question these days with a rather incomprehensible string of adjectives. I am a writer, farmer, historian, naturalist, community organizer, artist (novice), arm chair meteorologist and an international studies scholar, among other things. These days I tend to spend much of my time in the dirt with my fellow beard toting friend, Jake. This dirt time allows me to have wall and roof time in my Frellardey (Fremont/Ballard/Phinney) apartment in North Seattle. I am always looking for a day job that exercises more of my abilities, but for now digging in the dirt with Jake isn’t so bad in the wider scheme of things.

Flying Bear Farm exists in it’s own universe outside my daily hierarchy of needs. It is the coalescence of dreams shared with my love and partner, Melissa. It is the physical manifestation of my ideals and the seed of my desired future as a gentleman farmer. Food is the most important thing humans create. It is necessary to exist, central to community and culture, and utilizes more land and water than anything else. I want to be part of our community’s solution to a broken food system, and therefore I am, and always will be, a farmer above all else.

I continue to be in awe of the extraordinary growing season Western Washington is blessed with despite it’s northerly spot. I hail from the shorter growing seasons of the higher and sunnier Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Montana. The whole water thing is rather new to me, as is the mild winter. So if I ever insult you with the exclamation, “nice weather today!” on a classically wet and grey Seattle Monday, please keep in mind that I’m not trying to rub it in (I really think it is nice!). It is possible that as I spend more time in my new home, I too will turn into a weather weenie, but with one Seattle year under my belt that has not happened yet.

As this year closes and we enter the much anticipated 2012, I am planting the seed of Flying Bear Farm with Melissa so that it will begin to grow and prosper into the new year. I invite you to join us in our endeavor in whatever capacity is sustainable for you. You can even join me in becoming a 21st Century urban, gentleman farmer if you like, we’ll show you how.

Stay dry (HA!) and enjoy your holidays with some amazing and sustainably grown food.

- Ben