Imagine a bustling barn: volunteers chatting and sorting carrots, Devon preparing a box truck to head to that day's market, Hunter spraying down some muddy potatoes from yesterday's harvest, Lena packing beets to head to a wholesaler, the CSA line methodically prepping boxes for that day's delivery, and Tracy rearranging the cooler for maximum efficiency. Days can differ massively from one day to the next at the barn. One day, there will be insurmountable and constant issues, and the next will be as easy as apple pie. Regardless of the inevitably inconsistent challenges that farm life poses, there is one staple in the barn that everyone can count on (unless the power goes out), and that, my friends, is music. Connecting music-playing devices via an auxiliary tape deck adapter, farmers play their preferred tunes through an old 2-cassette Sony boombox covered in cobwebs and dirt, and stuffed with jalapenos, of course.

Barn Boombox.

The daily DJ changes from one day to the next, depending on who's on duty and what time it is; however, the person who finds himself in charge of barn tunes most frequently is Andrew Thompson, our beloved CSA Packing Line Manager (a position integral in quality control of the CSA boxes a lot of us look forward to every week). Hailing from a town neighboring Indianapolis, Andrew is a guitar-playing vocalist, who attributes his wide-ranging musical tastes to his family members' diverse album collection growing up.

Andrew, resident DJ, workin' hard. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

When we spoke to Andrew, it was a cloudy Thursday morning, and "Zankoku Jyioshi" by MANABE was wafting through the cool barn air as folks went about their morning tasks. Think: extremely chill Japanese instrumental music that paired perfectly with the weather and general mood - just what you never knew you needed on one of the coolest mornings in September yet. "It's kind of like playing live music to a room you've never played to before, you really have to feel it out." When asked about his musical selection that morning, he added, "It's a cloudy day, so you have to ease people into the more rock 'n roll stuff, which is what I always want to play. I've got roots in rock 'n roll."

Barn vibes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Despite mentioning his personal preferences, he considers the mood of everyone in the barn when deducing what to play. "I don't play music just on how I'm feeling, it's more of a collective decision. We all work so closely together, we can all sense when one person is stressed and needs to listen to an album they really like." With a large group of folks and a vast array of preferences, things get really interesting when other JBGers take the DJ reins. Nicky loves rock 'n roll, Tracy is keen on electronica, and Collette jams out to the country tunes. When asked a universal fave of the barn? Willie Nelson, of course.

Tracy rearranging flowers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Even though researchers have mixed opinions on music and productivity, there is a strong consensus at the Hergotz barn: music directly aids in getting work done. When people are in a bad mood, throw on some sing-along classics to pump up the vibe. When it's a cheery Friday, throw on some soul for farmers to groove along to. Slow Monday? Put on some modern folk tunes to get the toes tappin'. Rainy? The blues pair well with an afternoon deluge. When the internet/power was on the fritz for a couple of days last week, the barn populace was in a noticeably worsened mood and work was just a little bit more difficult with the lack of tunes. Andrew adds, "man, we were going crazy."

So, for your easy Friday listening, we present to you 4 playlists that we adore and play regularly at the Hergotz barn. These were curated by Andrew Thompson himself, our resident DJ. See for yourself if they help your productivity! 'Til next time.