The Sign Across the Top of the Shed

Here is a small story of those things that people like you do to make the farm a better place.

This is Gerry, posing with her recent work. See all that color overhead, brightening the Tierra Vegetables sign over our farm stand shed? Thanks to Gerry, this is now a much more cheerful space within the farm stand atmosphere.

And here are Gerry and Evie stopping for a cooperative pose, featuring the recently completed sign. But is it complete? Gerry has piece-worked this project over the last few weeks, diligently appearing a few afternoons a week to paint a pepper here and a few flowers there.

And so rarely pictured in my own blog, here Gerry and I share a photo-opp. with the shed painting. This was a real cooperative feat as Gerry often painted right amidst my packing and work spaces. We worked together wonderfully to accomplish our specific goals. The history of this sign goes back a ways, I'm not sure how far. It has been incomplete for some time, often provoking interest in on-looking customers as to when it could be completed beyond the pencil sketch of beautiful vegetables. This is how it was when the original customer who developed it left it behind. Gerry stepped in and invested her time, energy, resources and creativity to make the most of it for all to enjoy, highly crediting the originator of the sign all the while. An ergonomically challenging task, she decided she was finished as most of the space was filled and it just hurt her body to keep at it!

Note some of the detailed imagery including peppers, corn, dry beans, and strawberries.


Golden jars fulls of honey with little honey bees, little hot chiles, and deep red tomatoes that Evie thinks look like really good tomatoes....

And the right hand side has a floral effect, likely somewhat inspired by the flowers I have scattered throughout the stand this season. Note the white beehives hanging out in the upper right in a ghost-like manner. Gerry really tried to capture the overall picture of the farm in her representative images.

We thank her tremendously! This are the kinds of touches that people bring to the farm that really make it special. Filled with hard work, creative energy and giving to each other..these good vibes are always welcome at the farm.

A photo of a painting of a photo

In August of 2008 I took a nice chile/pepper overview photo. From left to right the visual pleasure of Gypsys, orange and yellow bells, and then on to various spicy chiles in enjoyed in this image. It was then passed on to artist, painter and long time farm relation Barbara Toschi.

Here is a close up of her final product that is proudly displayed behind the sales counter at the farm stand each day. Not only is Barbara talented with paint, but she also has a historic role with the farm as a landowner who once welcomed Lee and Wayne to farm her land in the early 1990s. See the Tierra History page for more info in the "Getting Bigger" section. These days her role continues as farm friend, customer and supporter with an obvious creative vision of what the farm produces.

Do you notice this grand piece of work when checking out with your produce? Take a moment to appreciate Barbara's work next time you pass through. She will take it away for a week or two coming up as it will be entered in a Windsor art show....maybe you'll find it there?