Early in the Pandemic I discovered Shalom Farms. Their mission statement "Everyone deserves access to good and "healthy food" resonated with me. I began volunteering at the Powhatan farm on Saturday mornings as a way to build community apart from work. I found that getting my hands dirty and reconnecting with nature has been a grounding and restorative experience for me.

Since I have never been on a farm, and only have had an occasional not always successful vegetable garden, I started taking many photographs to document this new experience. I was struck by the vivid colors and the flavors of the strawberries and other vegetables and herbs after I helped with the harvest. This inspired me to do a small oil painting of the strawberry fields, later followed by a plein air watercolor painting of the barn at the end of the harvest season.

This began the series of watercolor paintings of Shalom Farms at Powhatan based on my photographs taken over the past 3 years. I learned to appreciate the beauty of the farm throughout the harvest seasons, from the barn and silo, vegetables and cover crops, insects and pollinators, and even the compost heap. I now have a deeper appreciation and respect for farmers and small farms. The generosity ,positive energy, dedication and hard work of the Shalom Farms staff and the many volunteers on the farm are an inspiration.