barn, you know? You have to have one to store your equipment, work on it, and keep it protected from the elements.”
“Yes,” Dana whispered, stunned, “I know that. It’s in my plans.”
“Good, good,” she praised. “You also need a wrangler. Can you afford one?”
“Yes, I think I can. Part of my plan is to hire someone to help me. I can’t do it alone and I know that.”
“I got just the gent for you. His name is Colin Gallagher. He’s a real loner, ex-military, has a lot of bad PTSD symptoms. He’s working for my son as a wrangler over at the Three Bars Ranch, but wants to work on a smaller property. Colin is a hard worker, takes direction well, and won’t disappoint you.”
Dana didn’t know what to do or say. “I—uh . . . Mary, this is . . . well . . . amazing . . . thank you.”
Here’s my plan for you, young lady,” she said, scribbling a third note. “I’ve been looking for a local valley farm to provide me with certain vegetables and fruits in season. I’m needing a good, responsible farmer to fill in because the person who was doing this, recently died. I need a new individual whom I can work with. If you’re amenable to that plan, I will pay you to do this, twenty-five dollars an hour, five days a week, eight hours a day. Fair enough?” She lifted her chin, eyes crinkling as she gazed at Dana.
Stunned by the offer, Dana whispered off-key, “You’d do this?”
“Well, of course I would! I believe in synchronicity. Pete, my dear old friend who used to provide my store for the last thirty years, passed on this last winter. I was looking for a replacement and here you are!”
Her mind whirled with the implications, the help she was going to magically receive.
“And,” Mary said, “Chase will continue to pay Colin Gallagher. He’s going to be ‘on loan’ to help you do the work that needs to be done around there. Your first priority, of course, is tilling the soil and getting the crops planted.” She pulled another paper from another stack, handing it to her. “Here’s a list of what I need, vegetable-wise. You look it over and let me know if you’re interested in raising these particular crops. With fifty acres of flat valley at your disposal, I’m roughly calculating that you can supply my grocery store with what it needs nicely. We’ll work out the details after you read up on my needs and we’ll have several future meetings on your ideas for the land, planting, and so on.”
“You’re paying me to raise crops you need?”
“Yep.”
“Do you expect me to give you those crops for free, even though you’re paying me to do it?”
Mary laughed and rocked in her chair. “I don’t do sharecropping. You’ll be paid fair market price for all your produce. I believe in treating everyone fairly and like family. There’s a lot of hard work involved in this farming, and because you grew up on a farm, you understand that better than most.”
“I do.” Dana was relieved that she would be paid for the produce; otherwise, she was a sharecropper slave and didn’t want to be used like that.
“For me, you’re a very valuable resource for our valley and my grocery store. But I want you to sign a contract with me, agreeing that no chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or GMO seeds will ever be used.”
“I’m right there with you,” Dana said, trying to take in all of this unexpected good news and digest it.
“I figured you were, but we’ll put that in writing because the people who come to my grocery store trust me. I’m not gonna let them down. Also, I’m assuming you’re aware of companion planting and utilizing certain flowers, like marigolds, among others, to plant along with the crops. They’re natural pesticides from Nature, and that’s all you can use.”
“Yes, my parents never used anything other than what you’re talking about. They produced alfalfa for cube manufacturers and they wanted ‘clean,’ non-GMO alfalfa for the animals that would eat it. My mother always used alfalfa cubes in her garden as mulch, because it’s a wonderful source of natural nitrogen for garden plants.”
“Good to know! I’m pleased.” Mary stood up and offered her long, thin hand across the desk to Dana. “Let’s shake on it. Around here, in most cases, a person’s word is her or his bond.”
Dana stood, smiled a little unsurely, still