How we stay cool for the summer harvest…

Summer is officially here for those of us in the northern hemisphere with the passage of the June solstice. July and August get progressively hotter while daylight hours get shorter.

Abundant rain has made the growing season challenging this year, but we managed a sea of peas and tons of tomatoes anyway. So summer harvesting is in full swing at Fulmer’s Farmstead. No matter the temps, it’s pickin’ time when the plants say so. Sometimes we beat the afternoon heat by mucking by through the fields early in the morning. Sometimes we are picking near dusk as the sun eases behind the trees outlining the property.

Prosperous farming means working with all of nature—the earth, air, water, critters, and humans. It means not running ourselves into the ground so that we are capable of working attentively, efficiently, and cheerfully the next day and for years to come. So we are mindful of the heat before overheating even happens.

Young tomato plants in the spring.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke seem to appear suddenly, but symptoms like upset stomach, lethargy, and cloudy thinking build gradually as the body begins to have trouble cooling down, uses up electrolytes, and redirects resources. Some effects are short-term and quickly resolved, but sometimes more serious consequences can develop.

To avoid the unpleasantness and danger of working outdoors during those typical Mississippi dog days, we sip plenty of our chilled well water and snack on anything (like pickles) that replenishes the various salts that our bodies need as we toil and sweat through the season. 

And what’s good for the body is good for the mind. Egos and tempers can flare as the mercury rises creating an inflamed work environment that is more stressful, no fun, less productive, and less cohesive. So we take breaks, share some shade and a few laughs between sweltering chores to keep the morale as high as the thermometer.

And together we go on to plant and pick another row and another season!