A group of amazing young people were out to the farm today to help us collect all the butternut squash from the fields. It is so fun to have them come and see what the farm is really all about. Their energy and help is so appreciated. Thank you all. Cacao is off to spend a couple of months with Dex the bull. We went to visit her today and she looks great and was having fun, running the hillside with the other cattle. I imagine the exercise is good for her too, she had gotten so chubby!  She let me rub her face and scratch her around the horns, one of her favorite things! Leche is doing great, it is easier to see the difference in the pregnancies now (or what we thought was a pregnancy)! She spends her days with one of the chicken families and they enjoy sharing their sprouts and wheat grass together! It is quite the scene.  These warm days and evenings are appreciated before winter comes. We are able to prepare fields for spring planting and the fall garden is in full swing now. Cauliflour, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce all in abundance. The peppers are still finishing up and we are roasting them daily. I shared that we bottled last years wine and we crushed and put into barrels (three!) this years harvest. We have enjoyed what is called "fresh wine", only fermented for two weeks prior to putting into oak. It is on the sweet side and delicious! Javier loves making wine and seems like he could do it all day every day, it is definitely his "gift" and passion. The days are shorter and I can begin to feel things starting to slow down a bit (seasonally). However life still feels like I carry a full bucket. We leave for a family reunion in Los Angeles on Saturday, then return home that night, head to SF to sleep, and leave for Maui on Sunday morning to prepare for our Community Building workshop there. I am so grateful for the support of community and especially Cary's father Jon, during some of the challenges we are facing. He has sent me so many great references, and inspiring sermons, and daily reads to keep our spirits up and focused on what really matters. I am blessed. Today I read a sermon he sent that shared how important "strife" is in any community, that resistance is what makes us stronger, more connected, and shored up to our mission.
Thank you all for continuing to support Cafe Gratitude and we are grateful to have you as part of our family. Love. Terces

Well the SUN came out today and watermelon is back on the farm menu with 5 volunteers here today to pick corn before more rain comes our way! Chilies are drying ( see photo) and boy do they smell good. Bread is baking and everyone is working together. The feeling of teamwork always warms my heart, I am grateful.

Corn is being picked to then dry and take off the cob to make our masa. It is a beautiful process. This years wine is fermenting and will be pressed on Saturday morning and put into oak barrels. Last year's wine has been bottled and is now resting while the flavor deepens.

The earth is softer today due to rainfall. I noticed while walking about the farm early this morning as I opened up the chicken coops that my boots (yes rain boots) were treading softer on the ground. The smell of moist leaves, soil and wood chips is everywhere. The flies are vying for their last days. Today there is a group of volunteers coming out to help bring in the butternut squash from the fields, and the corn too.

Our campfire is going, the smell of smoke permeates those of us who live here, so much so that when we hug people they ask, "Have you been camping?" I call it "Campfire" cologne! I haven't yet put on any "window coverings" on the yurt screens but we can certainly feel the cool night air blow across our faces when we are tucked into bed at night!

Anna is still visiting from Kansas City and her assistance with Spanish (she speaks perfectly) is so wonderful and deepens our already deep connection to our family from across the border. She is a great "farm mama" assisting wherever she is needed. Newe our now 2 year old farm member loves her and she and he are a great duo to support his mama, Lindsay, who grows all our sprouts and wheatgrass.  

Well, here comes the calf! Cacao, our precious and super friendly Irish Dexter Cow is in labor. This is her picture! She is pretty cute huh?

We are hoping the calf comes on Wednesday or Thursday while we are here, as I really want to be the arms she is delivered into. 

We are back from Maine and our precious visit with Matthew's parents.  We are so grateful to still have them living and count our time with them as such a valuable gift.  I was able to read an autobiography of Carl's (Matthew's father) father who was born in 1873 and lived to be 96 years old. It was such a beautiful look at some of the strengths and endearing qualities of the Engelhart family: thier love of people and gathering of community, and their acceptance of different ways of thought and appreciation of others. I was also able to experience some living history from a very personal perspective.

How grateful I am for all we have and the ongoing love and support of our family and community. This is clearly a good time to be alive.

On my birthday I rode my bike with no hands and swam in a beautiful fresh water quarry. Thank you to everyone who extended their loving wishes for me in my special day, they were each so deeply appreciated. Anne, Matthew's sister, and her husband Doug came out to Vinalhaven from Boston and made me a delicious birthday cake! Thank you both.

This is a view from the kitchen window of Matthews parents home on an island off the coast of Maine, Vinalhaven.

We are loving our time with them, they are in their nineties and our time together is precious.

No news from the farm of a calf birth, so we keep hoping she waits for our return.

Hi.

What an amazing week this was. We went to Los Angeles to lead Kindred Spirit and were so well received and supported by all the participants doing such deep and meaningful work on their relationships. I left completely inspired. We also got to soak up the LOVE at Cafe Gratitude L.A. where everyone wants to be and is! What a beautiful expression of love in action the Cafe is. I felt so good just looking around the restaurant at all the BEAUTIFUL VIBRANT people there knowing that they were in a fun, exciting and loving place being served food that is healing and good for them! What a miracle that is. What an amazing combination of serving others is created there. Thank you all. If you haven't yet been to the Cafe on Larchmont, make plans to visit it soon, you will LOVE your experience, I promise! We also got to hear Jason Mraz record a song on his upcoming album and I was deeply moved and appreciative of who he is for all of us. Thank you Jason!

Fresh peaches are in the Cafes now, and soon we will be moving to fresh frozen this year, so have and I AM Peachy soon, they are the sweetest peaches ever!

We just returned from leading our newest workshop in Kansas City on Community Building to over 120 folks there. So inspiring to see what a community will do to have a Cafe Gratitude and the spirit that comes with it to their city. We may just take it for granted sometimes... it is always a good check in to travel to out laying areas.  Thank you Natalie and Mike for your generosity and love. 

The farm is abundant right now, blackberries, peaches, grapes all sun kissed and delicious. Fall garden is planted, over an acre of all the "Cabbage Family"! Summer garden flourishing. If you love squash blossoms tacos, make it to Gracias Madre on Tues, Thurs or Sat those are the days following a delivery of them from the farm!

Cafe Gratitude Santa Cruz opens on Monday the 15th, come see us we are on Lincoln at Pacific Ave downtown. We are thrilled to be serving the Santa Cruz community soon. 

We are so grateful for all your love and support. We thank you for your trust, faith and commitment to our mission. We know that taking such a bold stand for being LOVE no matter what isn't always a popular place to be, and are grateful for the on going opportunity to BE LOVE no matter what. 

Love and Gratitude,
Terces

Hi

Just returned home after a weekend leading our Sacred Commerce workshop in Harbin to 85 folks! What a wonderful experience seeing all the people wo are gathering from around the globe to learn about a new way of doing business. Three of our Leadership Course graduates led sections of the workshop this weekend and all three were incredible! I can see our vision for developing future leaders coming into fruition. Thank you Erin, Yebuny, and Alexia.

Today is our only full day on the farm this week as we pick up our new delivery van tomorrow, for our Santa Cruz location set to open on August 15th!  Watch for opening announcement.

Hi Everyone,

Today we are in the city leading our Abounding River workshop in Spanish! I love that this view of life is now more available to people and we are looking at creating a webinar soon! We will be sure to let you know.