Fruit Farming

I had an unexpected surprise when I stopped into a nearby fruit farm to check out the fresh produce. Oh boy, they ain’t cheap, I said to myself, weighing just two tomatoes at a pound each. Five bucks for two tomatoes? Shouldn’t the local farm cost less than the grocery store? But oh my goodness, they are home-grown and naturally ripened, and each tomato is big enough for one slice to fill a sandwich. The health benefits alone make it worth the price, I reasoned. Better to go without meat and eat fresh veggies.

When I went to the counter to check out, I was standing in front of a poster chart with the apple calendar. Nine types of apples neatly spelled out with a weekly graph showing when they are expected to ripen and be ready for picking. The season starts in early September with the Twin Bee Galas, then come all the Macintoshes, the Honey Crisps, and the Goldens. By Late September we get the Macouns, great for desserts, then finally, the wonderfully tart Granny Smith’s by late October. I remembered that the best apples require a cold snap before they acquire their real tart flavor and snap. Now there’s a great spiritual application there, I mused. You have to wait longest for the best ones. There’s something noticeably stronger about the quality of human character that has learned to weather storms and the chills of suffering, too.

“Oh, we have to update that chart,” the man told me. “We’ve made some changes.”

"Why, what could possibly change?" He had me going now.

"We've taken out the Red free apples and we put in Braeburns and Cortlands instead," he smiled.

"Oh, I love Cortlands! When will they be ready?" I asked excitedly, already planning to mark my calendar.

"Unfortunately, not for three years," he answered.

Soon, I was into a full-blown discussion with Kevin, who used to be a chef and now works here planting trees and growing herbs.

“A chef? So you went from cooking the recipes to growing the produce. That’s a real change of pace, I bet. What do you like best about it?”

“Oh it was. I came over to help the owner plant about 2000 new trees and then I got hooked. I’ve been here ever since. My favorite part of it is in the early morning picking corn or apples. It feels more like time off from work. This is the kind of thing I wished I could do when I was working before.”

It was a nice time to chat between customers. We talked about the flowers they raise, as I was admiring the climbing pink hibiscus that were blooming at the entrance and he showed me the herb garden he planted. Mint and thyme and rosemary--all so different, so unique. So fragrant and pleasing. Observing the beauty all around us and his obvious contentment, I just had to ask about the greatest challenges of farming.

“The deer,” he said quickly. “We have at least 7000 trees on 190 acres and the deer do a lot of damage. They eat a lot, nibbling down whole rows. They’re not like the raccoons,” he pointed out. “Coons will eat a whole ear of corn. But the deer will take one bite out of a whole row! Not only that, they rub up against the trees with their antlers. They damage the corn and the apples.” He sounded a little dejected at the thought of it.

“What can you do?” I asked sympathetically.

“The owner shoots them,” He said flatly. “He lies in wait for them.”

Ooh, I felt sorry for the beautiful deer, but then imagined how hard it must be to see wild animals literally eating up his hard work and profits. “There’s no laws about shooting deer on your own property I guess, right?”

“No, and he’s an avid hunter.”

Something about the way he said, “He lies in wait for them,” suddenly triggered a thought.

First of all, the owner of the land is zealous to protect his harvest. He loves the land and the trees. He’s sacrificed everything to see them produce. The deer in this case are the predators, his enemies.

Lying in wait demands dedication. It requires a driving passion, and no one has it like the landowner himself. It reminded me of the Lord’s protection as he said that he who watches over us never slumbers or sleeps.

And we also have an enemy who wants to do us harm. He doesn’t care how many lives are lost along the way. His appetite is not easily quenched. He wants to devour the whole crop. He’ll nip at us from a thousand angles. He’ll nibble on all the Lord’s people and destroy as much fruit as possible. And that’s not enough. He’ll tear into us with his horns and try to make sure we will never bear fruit again. He is the great destroyer.

I came away knowing there would be more lessons in this reflection. But more importantly, it was an authentic opportunity to challenge him to see God’s thumbprints in his design. We talked for quite awhile and at one point, Kevin was just looking at me. What are you thinking? This woman’s really a nut case? I laughed. “No,” he said thoughtfully. “I don’t think so.” It was as though his mind was just opening to whole new realms of possibility about the Lord of the harvest himself.

We shook hands and I thanked him for all the information. Good talking to you, Kevin, I said.
“You too. Come again!” he replied.

As I left, thoughts about the cost and time invested in farming were rolling around in my head like apples in a bushel basket. I reflected on the dedication and hard work that goes into that land, cultivating and protecting it year-round so that people like me could go in and pick out a prize tomato or choice fruit. Once again, there is the obvious lesson of waiting through winters and frosts for the real good stuff to come.

And then there was another exciting thought that capped the afternoon for me. It seemed the Lord was in the process of producing a harvest of another kind. The kind he does best. We plant a seed, or maybe splash a little living water, and God gives the increase. Jesus shows up in the most unexpected circumstances and surprises me with the joy of fruitfulness.

1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Ps 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD,the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber... nor sleep. The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

1 Cor 3:6-9
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow... you are God's field.