Joddo

Glowworms are a reflection of Pittsburgh- underdogs. You’ve most likely haven’t heard of them or seen them live but after thirty seconds of jamming this track you are like “Why aren’t these guys playing that Neurosis, City of Caterpillar, Torche, Page 99 reunion gig I’ve been trying to fit into my old flannel for? “. The sound is big. With bands that never play fast you can really expand the drums without losing them. The guitars have a lot of leads so the tone has to be smooth not grating. And the bass that holds it all together is thick and warm. The vocals have a layered effect to them and their melody compliments the music while standing out as vocals not just another instrument or incoherent screaming. It’s always cool to record friends. I had known Jodo a long time but I didn’t even really know he played music before this band, so the trio coming in and producing this was a cool surprise. If you are feeling the effects of years of slow banging to deep grooves and ear piercing metal rock Jodo can now hook you up with his organic farm grown vegetables for your juice machine. Just like this track that organic beet and radish elixir will make you feel 2002 again.

In addition to doing the farm, I've been steadily contributing to a project called Moon Twins, a musical play that will open Friday April 10 and will run Thur-Sun until April 19th at @theglitterboxtheater Moon Twins was written by Teresa "Tree" Martuccio @captain_treebones . I'm among about 30 people involved, many who previously worked on musicals and projects at the Glitterbox. The story is of two twin sisters, named Mona and Lisa, struggling to find their way coming into their own in a heavily patriarchal 1500s Florence, Italy. It brings in some mythological and supernatural elements with Roman God's Pan, Diane, and Apollo being among the characters, as well as featuring scenes that take place on the moon. There is comedy, drama, dancing and an excellent array of songs written by Aubrey Thompson with contributions from myself and a few others. Our band consists of Viola, Flute, French Horn, Piano, Synthesizer, Drums, Bass, Accordion, and myself on Guitar and Mandolin. Tickets are now available. Link in my bio. If you are fan of any of @captain_treebones 's previous musicals, Speed The Musical, any 10 minute Play Fests, or DIY musical theater in general, please consider purchasing a ticket. Hope to see u there.

@coldcofarm is hiring a Farm Worker for the 2026 Season. We have a good time. More details at @coldcofarm Instagram and @coldcofarm website. Please send inquiries and resumes and cover letters to: [email protected]

Coldco is still farming fyi. Here's a picture of our stand in Squirrel Hill from the fall. I believe @mustards2016 was responsible for the stand this day, great work. Starting seeds in the greenhouse. Receiving pallets of junk that I have to carry up and down the road on the tractor forks. Discussing finances, potential new equipment, problems and solutions. New season resolutions, the ones we intend to keep, as well as the ones where we are kidding ourselves. At its heart, we are doing something exciting and essential. Providing goods that inspire and nourish our community. It can be really challenging to hold onto this in the midst of daily hardships be them physical, psychological, financial. Its even harder when each glance at the phone or scroll provides devastating news. I remind myself the world has never been a nice place. I remind myself that often times holding a belief means playing the long game. The challenge of holding onto optimistic ideas while not using them as a crutch to prop up delusions about how things may turn out okay. Things may not be okay, but I must find a way to be okay despite this. Thanks for checking in, I hope to see you all in person at the Glitterbox or the market or a party or in the street soon.

Hey farmers How was your season? Are you feeling the impacts of climate change? Is uncertainty still the word you use to describe the future between immigration law, tariffs, and defunding of Gov programs? How are you adapting to it all? What keeps you motivated? This season, for me, has felt strange. Its like walking in the dream of a farm rather than living as a farmer. The weather has made this season unlike any previously, with the worst rain we've ever had, followed by the longest drought I've ever experienced. I watched a storm destroy vehicles, our yard, parts of our house. I watched probably the largest crop failure I've ever experienced unfold. Who we are, defined by what we offer as a farm, has been challenged. We pivot, we survive, but it doesn't stop from things feeling strange and unfamiliar. I've gotten pretty depressed at points. My experience is and opinion is that depression is my mind telling me that my actions don't align with where my heart is. This season has required patience and acceptance. I'd like to say I've learned something, but I'm resisting the tendency to put a disingenuous optimistic spin on it . I've endured something, for what its worth, and I've survived. I feel like maybe my depression creeps in at times when I feel unsure if I can rise to meet the challenges that are certain to come in the future. This fall, however, looks more promising. Radicchio is coming on. Seems like the best course of action for now is to enjoy the good moments when theyre here. Cheers.

I've been keeping a journal of when I exhibit or exercise behaviors that I see as unbecoming of good character, of the person I want to be. Farming tests my limits of control..I cannot control the rain. I can only influence how the crops respond to the weather. It is impossible to take every possible step, every preventive measure, every attempt to remediate. Farming can be doing every possible thing right and still failing. But that's life. It becomes clearer everyday that survival is about response and attitude. Can you keep a clear line of sight when bombarded with details? Can you set a good example for others in the midst of hardships? Put your best self forward. Highs and lows. Just keep focusing. Simple cliches often provide me the most wisdom. Garibaldi said "courage, courage, we are fighting for our country" to his soldiers Courage, courage, we are farming for our community.

My phone is a piece of machinery built from electronics I can neither understand nor access. It is alien to me, and its over-use alienates me from my reality. Perhaps its a double age sword, but lately I am of the opinion that it has done more harm than good. The inside of this plant-tray filling machine is a work of art to me. Simple is beautiful, and machinery that is built with simple mechanisms allows me to understand the machine. Understanding, seeing the ingredients and tools of my world connects me to it. I wish for a life that in some way, looks like these gears moving together inside this machine. That is all.

Lessons from working and living in 2024: Structure matters. Having structure that supports the community is more important than structure that supports the needs of the individual. When one person breaks a rule, its easy to correct but it's important to remember we reproduce into the world our own actions. Strictness is a reasonable thing to ask for but unreasonable to expect as an absolute. We are creatures that thrive with routine and consistency. I will always be torn with the necessary evil of having to act as an authority figure to myself and to others. I fail more than I succeed as a friend and as a leader. We learn how to be what we want to be by failing to be that. I often forget and need to remember that I've promised myself that I refuse to allow bitterness be my guiding trait. Spite, I'm okay with. Spite is action, bitterness is death. Spite is just a vehicle though, not a place. Take advice from only the people who are successfully doing the thing you need advice on, and work at the ground level. Advice is only the foundation for your own creativity to build and play. Also: all the money in agriculture is in the distribution. All the cost and risk is in the growing. This is controversial because most farmers just want to farm and not deal with customers but most distributors aren't willing to take on the ridiculous risk of producing a product that's vulnerable to every aspect of nature. I think eventually farmers must own their own distribution if they're going to make the best possible living, if they're going to be like other industries in the way they offer careers and sustainable lifestyles. On the global fruit and vegetable market, the people wearing suits are managing distro and the people living in shacks that they exploit are growing most of the food. More on this later Happy NY

Every fall I start thinking about how we could do so much more in the winter with more land and resources. Tunnels full of diverse veg. At this point, I do feel like I'm starting to understand the ups and downs of winter production. Watching things. Being on call to harvest when it's warm and the veg is ready. We don't make the schedule, the crops do and it's our job to follow their lead and encourage them to be ready when we need them. Somehow , I'll get my multiple tunnels and acre of carrots etc. There's so much potential for growth, it drives me crazy. It drives me crazy to see money for agricultural projects on large and small scales available but no clear path or ability to access it 90% of the time. We have the will, skill, and knowledge to give the city of Pittsburgh a farmers market stand and restaurant produce list 52 weeks a year. And if I can figure out how to get the infrastructure to do it paid for before I completely burn out on farming, it's going to happen. This isn't an announcement. Or even a promise, yet. Unfortunately, It's still just a dream and a hope, yet one that seems weirdly accessible and completely inaccessible at the same time.

Sunday thoughts Farmers markets can be a third space. Often, the main places of social connections are also places of commerce; this seems to be true for a lot of human history. In a vibrant marketplace, business happens, but business is just the backdrop to a place of people connecting, relating, organizing, and socializing. Post-pandemic, I regularly find people I know and love convening and connecting with each other at our stand, sometimes not having seen one another in ages. What I like about our market and market stand is creating a sense of bounty and nourishment. Comfort. Things to explore. Visually finding ways to draw people into the veg I find exciting. I want to sell these things, yes but only because I have to sell them. I would give away every thing we grow if there was a way to do that without bankrupting us. I want to share the things I care about and feel excited by, and provide a service to others by feeding folks. I do experience actual joy from spending nearly all my time working and growing things, and watching others enjoy them. Hearing about the dinners made, stories about new experiences with different kinds of veg. Connecting with old friends in new ways, and connecting with people I'd prob otherwise never talk to. It's odd. Marketing tactics as lures for human connection. The commerce as a necessity to get folks to interact. In a way it's problematic, but part of me suspects and maybe hopes that the trading and sharing of goods, services, and selves exists outside of the grotesque capitalist machine that we live inside of. In the meantime, I will enjoy what I feel like we are creating and providing. I encourage others to find their own ways to create and build communities. Whether it's public theater, monthly dance parties, vegan restaurants, art spaces, anything. Time to go.

Haven't been taking as many picture lately. Spring is my least favorite season. Where others see the world coming back to life, I see a painful and uncertain rebirth. Mud, unpredictability, establishing new routines, warming our bodies back up for long days of physical labor. Decision have so much weight. One Spring mistake can cost you a lot of your summer income. you have to work hardest and be the most prepared at a time when you're least in practice. and that's just as a farmer. as a salesperson, you have to convince all your customers to come back, which is often harder than it should be. by no fault of their own, customer routine is the best friend of the sales person. if you get into someone's routine, you're golden. establishing routines is the hard part. this season to me is about putting many of my ideas about how to operate a small farm business to the test again. many things are working well for us, why are they working? how do we keep improving our product, service, and our own quality of life? the battle is far from won. we are by no means "established". we are not "comfortable". we are struggling and burnt out, but we are persevering. we are still building infrastructure around us $100 at a time. @coldcofarm has an amazing team this year. I feel insanely grateful to be surrounded by my coworkers, even when I'm being a crank. I feel so freaking grateful for my ride or die restaurants and chefs. they know who they are. I feel very grateful and a little surprised by how much market support we get. this is getting a little rambley. but I guess the bottom line is things are good. things are very hard. very challenging. but very good.

Love my bros, Marc and Anthony. The Oddo boys are a strange and difficult bunch. Wouldn't have it any other way. Thankful for them and a nice little getaway weekend. Congrats to Anthony, who's getting married in 6 weeks.