ediblecentraloregon.com | 25 Opening the farm stand has created a much less stressful schedule that balances the demands and joys of child rearing, farming, and music. e nition that more space necessitates more infrastructure, staffing, tools—and not immediately or necessarily more revenue—has also caused them pause. With this in mind, their motto has become “grow inward, not outward.” In farming, the passing of the seasons dictates what happens when. Nagel’s musical life follows a similar pattern: Summer, when most of the live performance happens, is a time of fruit, while winter lends itself to more practice and workshopping of songs, the “musical crop planning” time of year. While the idea of farm and music mirroring each other is poetic, it also means that the height of activity collides across the warmest months. “Everything happens at once in the summertime: peak gigging and peak farming,” says Nagel. “It would be nice if there was a little more time for keeping up with the logistics while getting enough rest.” He describes that it very much “depends on the day” whether this juggle feels harmonious or in conflict. Still, Nagel is acutely aware of his gifts. “I feel like I’m living the dream on multiple fronts—being able to spend my days and nights and earn my income doing the things I love to do is huge.” He concludes, “Living out my passions and seeing the things I’ve had the most interest in become my livelihood has been enormously rewarding.” Photos by Amanda Long
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