I met the Klesicks when they owned only one acre and rented two more so they could grow organic vegetables in Machias. Tristan had a toddler on his hip then, and he still does. Joelle and Tristan have had 8 children over the past 16 years, so there is usually a hip-hugger or two in the group.
I’m putting together an occasional series about the Klesick family, called Farm Dreams, starting May 18th in a new Sunday Herald feature section, The Good Life. It relies heavily on photographs, of course, and focuses on Tristan and Joelle’s wish for their kids to be free to pursue what Joelle calls their dreams and passions on the family farm.
Tristan has dreamed of having a family farm since he and his oldest children, Micah, (now 16) and Emily (now 15) worked in their first tiny garden about 13 years ago. The Klesicks, own and operate The Organic Produce Shoppe, providing weekly home delivery of organic food from Anacortes to Woodinville. They have 37 acres and a beautiful farmhouse, which the entire family helped restore. When they first bought it, the house was so dilapitated, the older kids thought it was a “tear down.”
From the time they’re old enough to walk, the kids help with the work. I’ve watched the Klesicks with their small children for quite a few years now, and I’m convinced they are displaying rare parental patience. Small children love to try to help with almost anything that older siblings and parents are doing. They sometimes beg to help. But parents often refuse, or only allow them to do a token amount. It is difficult to get things done with little ones to guide and watch over, but the Klesicks do it time after time without fail.
Just one of their rewards is seeing those kids grow more self-confident, and even more capable than they would have been without that experience. Because they have done it all along, the older kids are exceptionally patient with their younger siblings.
Tristan and Joelle say the farm is like an educational playground for the kids, who are home schooled. They have been providing the kids with the tools, and the inspiration and encouragement they need to succeed with their ideas.
I’ll be adding photographs and taking a closer look at this subject as the series continues.
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