Dear Farm Community,

We know this has been a season of many goodbyes at once. After years of shared work, a few beloved farmers are stepping into big, beautiful next chapters, and we are feeling the tenderness and gratitude of that transition alongside real excitement for what comes next as experienced members of our crew step into their roles. These are beautiful transitions, born from time spent harvesting in the fields, having heart to hearts in greenhouses, laughing at lunchtimes, working under the great big sunny sky, and reflecting on life. A move out west, a big step toward a lifelong dream, and now, as we say goodbye to Farmer Alex, a leap across the ocean as she moves to Italy with her fiancé, Marco, our Atlanta delivery driver.

Change touches everybody. It’s inevitable. But perhaps our vocation as farmers makes us especially familiar with it. Crops come into season, abundance peaks, then our harvests taper off until we wait for next year. We watch baby birds grow up from across the field. We watch plants sprout, leaf out, fruit, and die. We turn over fields, transplant babies, and watch the whole cycle begin again.

With our farm’s incredible and dynamic crew, it’s much the same. People come to the farm for all kinds of reasons, bringing different skills, stories, and dreams with them. Some arrive with years of experience, some discover gifts they did not yet know they had, and some become woven into the life of the farm in lasting ways. Life pulls us in all kinds of directions, and as our farm has grown over the years, so have the storylines that intersect here.

Three of our crew’s storylines have now taken them elsewhere, and while that is a bittersweet thing, it is also a beautiful one. We are so grateful for the time they spent with us, the care they poured into this place, and the lasting contributions they have made. We are also excited for the farmers stepping into these roles ~ Antho, Reid, Casey, and Kalyn ~ experienced members of our farm crew who have been with us for years and now have the opportunity to shape the farm in even deeper ways.

That being said, it is time to celebrate all that Alex has done for the farm. She has been truly instrumental during her nearly four years with us, leading our flower program through an extraordinary period of growth.

When Alex began her role as Flower Manager in Fall of 2022, we had only a few seasonal fields of flowers. Now, as she departs, we have an entire perennial field, perennial landscaping, more than five high tunnels full of seasonally rotating flowers, a spring tulip program to knock your socks off, a perennial peony planting, a re-designed seed house that supports propagation (hello heirloom chrysanthemums!) and three to four fields producing an incredible array of blooms at any given time. Beyond what she has grown in the fields, she has also nurtured invaluable connections, made meaningful introductions, and strengthened our local community in ways both professional and deeply personal.

What may be less visible is the hard work, imagination, and organization behind all that growth. Alex has created systems, reorganized workflows, and elevated our standards with her keen ability to think both creatively and efficiently. If you have admired our bouquets at market, received a DIY bucket, or shopped with any of our florist partners, you have seen her eye, her brains, her skill, and her dedication woven through it all.

We are sad to see Alex go, but mostly, we feel proud. Proud of all she has built here, proud of the beauty she has brought into the world through this farm, and proud to cheer her and Marco on as they step into this next beautiful adventure. Her contributions to the farm will last for years to come, not only in the flower fields themselves, but in the systems, standards, relationships, and sense of possibility that continue because of her work. And because every chapter has a beginning, here she is on her very first day at Diamond Hill Farm in October 2022, standing at the start of all she would grow here:

We also feel deeply confident in the next chapter of our flower program. Alex is passing leadership to Kalyn and Casey, two experienced flower farmers who know these fields, know this work, and have already helped bring so much beauty into bloom. We are excited for them to step into these roles, and excited for the ways the program will continue to grow from the strong foundation Alex helped create.

Ciao, Alex and Marco!

We hope you’ll read along over the next few weeks as we introduce you more fully to the familiar faces stepping into Alex, Anna, and Emma’s roles 🧑‍🌾

Tomato season has officially begun, and y’all are getting some of our first delicious, perfectly-ripened tomatoes in your shares this week. There are about a billion ways to use them, and we’re sure you already have a few ideas, but from the Diamond Hill Farm dispatch, we’re going to start simple: the classic, infinitely satisfying tomato sandwich.

Get yourself some good bread from the farmers market, or pop by our local fave, Independent. Slice that juicy, perfectly ripe tomato with the sharpest knife you own, to a thickness that makes your heart sing. You are more than welcome to whip out your Duke’s mayo (or your brand-loyal equivalent) but we just might change your life with one v simple suggestion: consider making your own mayo.

It’s one of those things you don’t realize is incredibly easy until you try it. Once you make your first batch, you may never look back. This Homemade Mayo recipe from Downshiftology is tried and true, and produces what may be the most delicious mayo in the whole world. Use good eggs, and avocado oil if you’ve got it! Word to the wise, Kroger has a new/very affordable avo oil brand in stock ;)

Buon Mangiare,
Diamond Hill Farmers

join our CSA