Olimpia Bernard
There is a particular kind of morning that arrives in the Northeast in early spring — the kind where your breath still clouds in the cold air, but the light has changed. It comes in at a lower, softer angle than it did in the depths of winter, and it lingers just a little longer each day. The ground is waking up slowly, reluctantly, the way all living things do after a long rest. The soil is cool and dark and full of quiet promise. If you stand still at the edge of the garden plot and really pay attention, you can almost feel the whole farm leaning toward the sun.
This is my favorite time of year. And this spring, something feels different — something feels early, in the best possible way.
For the first time since I’ve been here at Cultivating Dreams Farm, I am actually ahead of the season. I’ll admit it: in past years, I was always running a step behind. The cold crops would go in late, the days would warm too fast, and before we knew it, the plants were bolting and the caterpillars were helping themselves to our hard work. This year, I decided to try something different. This year, we’re running an experiment — and so far, I am cautiously, excitedly hopeful.
Nick has been right by my side as we’ve worked together to seed our cold crops into the garden plot. What we’ve gotten into the ground already fills us with pride: arugula, beets, cabbage (both green and red), sugar and snap peas, kale, and baby bok choy are all out there now, nestled into the earth and tucked in at night under a row cover to protect them from the temperatures that still dip and bite after the sun goes down. Next week, we’ll keep the momentum going — escarole, lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, broccoli, broccoli rabe, and onion sets are all waiting for their turn. The garden is waking up, and we are waking up right along with it.
Helping Nick and our other day hab participants find their place in that rhythm — learning to read the soil, understanding why timing matters, developing the patience and care that farming demands — is exactly what Cultivating Dreams Farm is about. Every tray carried, every seed gently sowed into the ground, every row cover laid before a cold night is a small act of confidence building. It adds up.
Over in the heated barn, our warm-season crops are growing fast and strong under the grow lights. The tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are thriving on their shelving unit, reaching upward, their leaves broad and green and full of ambition. Honestly, they’re growing so well that we’re getting a little cramped in there — it’s a good problem to have. I’m watching the forecast and hoping to transition them into the heated greenhouse soon, where they’ll have room to really stretch out before the warm days arrive for good.
And then there is Billy.
Just by looking at the photos, you already know: Billy loves to water. There is something joyful and focused about the way he tends to the raised beds — a kind of quiet pride in the responsibility of it. He’s been helping water the raised beds where our beet transplants are settling in, and watching him work is a reminder of why this farm exists. Not just to grow food, but to grow people — to give everyone here the chance to show what they’re capable of, to find something they’re good at, something that matters.
Spring on a farm in the Northeast is always an act of faith. You plant before you’re certain. You cover your seedlings and hope the frost holds off. You try something new — earlier than before, a different approach — and you trust the process.
That faith is something I share with every person who comes to Cultivating Dreams Farm. We are all, in our own way, putting something tender into the ground and believing it will grow.
I can’t wait to show you what we harvest.
Olimpia Bernard
Olimpia brings a bright spark of energy to Cultivating Dreams Farm as the agency’s Agricultural Coordinator and our monthly guest blogger. She has a gift for helping people connect with the earth, the seasons, and one another—whether she’s tending crops, teaching hands‑on skills, or sharing stories from the fields. With a talent for making things grow and a passion for building community, Olimpia keeps us rooted, inspired, and always looking forward to what’s sprouting next.
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