By Heather Retberg, Quills End Farm
Last week, I ran into a friend we have not seen in a while. She and her late husband have been occupying my thoughts off and on since he passed. She has not been to the farm in some time because it reminds her of her love. It should. I drive his old truck. I keep his obituary as a bookmark in my bedside reading.
Nathan was so at home here… a Montana boy with a heart so big it lit up his whole face. He helped harden my thought that a farm always builds community around it by literally helping us build the farm. A classic rural genius, he could lay concrete, build with wood, and service anything.
When we needed our third cow, Cricket, in March 2010, it was he and his wife that loaned us the money. Then they wished us a merry Christmas in April. On occasions when they could spare some time, he would bring his cappuccino maker, and she a poppy seed cake, and make us spare the time. We hold those special times dearly now.
He had an uncanny knack for showing up when Heather was processing our farmstead cheese. She was messing about with the herbs and spices that she adds to it. Nathan was a willing guinea pig, with culinary advice to give. A little more of this, a little less of this, and then a kiss to his fingers…perfection. It was just spicy enough.
I’ve had the pleasure of another reminder of him every week since Heather is unable to make cheese. So, I blend and package, ruminate and remember. I taste test the spicy, sweet, salty combination. The last step in the farmstead cheese making is labeling, and we hand write every “Nathan’s Blend.”
Editor’s note: Phil continues to write “View from the Farm” while Heather recovers from her recent surgery. Send her a card/note at Quill’s End Farm, 192 Front Ridge Road, North Penobscot ME 04476
Heather and Phil Retberg together with their three children run Quill’s End Farm, a 105-acre property in Penobscot that they bought in 2004. They use rotational grazing on their fifteen open acres and are renovating thirty more acres from woods to pasture to increase grazing for their pigs, grass-fed cattle, lambs, laying hens, and goats. Heather is Vice President of Halcyon Grange #345 and writes a newsletter for their farm’s buying club of farmers in her area and has generously given us permission to share some of her columns with Grangers. Visit the Quill’s End Farm Facebook Page for more information.