As a farmer, I am very aware of the cycles of life. Every spring, I await the emergence of my blueberry buds. I welcome the honeybees who pollinate them, and over the next two months, watch the buds transform into ripe blueberries.

The season is over now, and as I graze on some of the last ripe berries, I know that soon the leaves will drop, and the bud swellings for next year will appear this fall. After the new year, I’ll be out there, pruning back the excess growth to allow room for the new to breathe and prosper. Another cycle of growth, death and rebirth.