Farming has a rhythm that is difficult to explain until you live it.
From May to September, everything happens at once. Seeds need to be sown before the right window closes. The same with plantings. Plants bloom almost simultaneously. Harvests cannot wait. Herbs need to be dried immediately. Every day follows the same pattern: hours in the fields harvesting, afternoons in the drying room processing herbs, cleaning, turning trays, packaging, and then starting over the next morning.
It's beautiful. But it is also incredibly easy to burn out.
That is exactly what happened to me during the past two seasons. Somewhere in the endless repetition, I forgot to enjoy what I had spent years building. I loved the work, but I had stopped enjoying it.
This year, I decided something had to change.
Having free time and proper rest was a priority, even if it meant producing less herbs. Summer is short in Sweden, and I wanted to enjoy it again.
I optimized the production with more tools, more people, and upgraded some equipment in the drying room to process and transformed herbs faster. I shortened our working days to six hours a day, and decided we would work only four days a week. Occasionally I take up to eight-hour day during peak harvest. The interns and volunteers usually work from 9 a.m. until 2 or 3 p.m., leaving plenty of time to rest, enjoy the summer and do something else.
What I didn't expect was everything that came with it.
We laugh more. We help each other more. We have more patience, more joy, and and everyone arrived each day with energy. Days with fatigue are still here, but the energy is lighter.
We notice the bees moving from flower to flower. We stop to smell the herbs. We sit under the apple tree to rest on warm days. We enjoy long fika together. Weeding became a social activity as a time for conversations. Sometimes we do nothing else than watching the garden, and everyone seem to appreciate how lucky we are to spend our summer surrounded by medicinal plants.
And that's the magic!
Giving ourselves time to rest didn't slow the farm down. The atmosphere in the garden completely changed and on top of that we got much efficient and productive.
As the person leading our small team, I've realized that my most important responsibility is making sure everyone is happy, including me.
It remind us that growing medicinal plants isn't only about harvesting and producing products. It's also living a way that feels aligned, celebrate nature, built friendships, and enjoy the simple privilege of spending our summer days outdoor surrounded by plants.
Sometimes the most productive decision you can make is to stop working for a while.
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