Life at Ground Level
The season continues to shift the landscape on both a micro and macro level. The ground is active, with life moving just below and just above the surface. What was waking is now fully in motion, filling the farm with sound.
That movement is most noticeable at the ground level. Frogs have returned to the wetter parts of the farm, their calls carrying through the evenings. After rain, worms surface across the garden beds and orchard paths, quietly doing the work of breaking down organic matter and improving the soil beneath our feet. In the greenhouse, that work shows up in beet greens, lettuce, and arugula that are now ready to harvest. Sochan, lemon sorrel, and the first spinach and chard are just behind them.
It’s not always visible at a distance, but up close, the change is constant. The ground is active, responsive, and yielding so much new life.
Alongside them, smaller life from beetles and larvae to other ground-dwelling insects are beginning to show up everywhere, moving through the top layers of soil. These are the systems of regeneration we’ve been working toward. As the soil rebuilds, it begins to hold more life, and that life carries the work at Bloom forward, alongside the millions of microorganisms active below the surface.
The kitchen at Bloom is a meeting place of everything we’re about: calling on community, sourcing sustainably and a constant discovery of regenerative practices that support the farm. Eggs are coming in regularly from Horse Shoe Ranch (while our own flock grows into maturity), and early vegetables are arriving from Local Bound all at once, greens and herbs overlapping in a way that marks the start of summer. From this week’s delivery, rhubarb has been turned into jam, and ramps are being pickled for the weeks ahead. For private stays and gatherings, meals are built around that overlap, simple dishes shaped by what’s coming in together each week.
On that note, we’re excited to share that after years of planning, our sister company, Horse Shoe Feed & Supply will be have its grand opening Saturday, May 9th!
The store, formerly Pughtown Agway, is being stewarded into a new chapter by Brittany, Bryan, and Birdie Donovan of Horse Shoe Ranch & Local Bound. Bloom is proud to support the project as a partner and agricultural supplier, contributing to a space that continues to serve the local farming community while carrying its legacy forward.
Follow along on Horse Shoe Feed & Supply instagram!
This sound meditation captures the chorus of frogs, insects, and movement close to the soil. You’ll hear footsteps through soft earth, water nearby, and the steady hum of life active beneath and around you. A moment to listen with an ear to the ground.