As usual, I thought I was moving toward a plan. Instead, I discovered that small farming doesn’t move in a straight line.
This year seems to have been one thing after another. Some things have forced decisions while others have simply changed the timetable.
It’s a question I ask myself: What do I do when the whole picture keeps changing?
What do I do?
Sitting in uncertainty is uncomfortable. Plans like kidding, breeding schedules, soap making, health—both mine and the animals—are hinged together. The longer I live this life, the more I realize I need to be flexible.
When things pivot, it’s harder to see Point 6 Acre five years from now.
At the end of the day, I’m still here, still looking, still learning, still building.
I know that I love this life and am figuring things out. And that’s okay. I’ll probably always be figuring things out. Like the gardens this year, some things were a bust but others came through with an abundance.
And that’s the point, I think. There is always an abundance of something somewhere. An abundance of love from the animals even when I’m feeling cranky and tired. They buoy my spirits, make me laugh, and bring me joy. And even though I feel the gardens were a bust, there was an abundance of grapes, plums, apples, and even some hazelnuts that I can both harvest for myself and share with friends.
That’s what keeps me going, even when I’m sitting in uncertainty.
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Brin writes about the quieter lessons of small farm life – ducks in the morning, goats in the barn, and the slow work of tending a small piece of land. Between animal chores, soap making, and reflexology work, she reflects on what it means to live well, live simply, and discover what “enough” really looks like.
Thank you for your comment! It really was a strange summer, wasn’t it? I think that’s one of the things I’m learning about gardening and farming — sometimes you put in the work and the weather simply has other ideas. Very true about being dependent on what you grew. I’m grateful we have grocery stores and other local producers when the garden doesn’t cooperate! And I do think there’s something comforting about knowing that even when one thing fails, something else usually manages to thrive.
Imagine back in the day when there weren’t grocery’s stores and you were fully dependent on what you and your neighbours could grow … this day in age if the garden fails due to weather or whatever … you can pick food up at the store that’s shipped from places where a garden thrived. It’s disappointing but at least a person doesn’t have to starve. Thankful to live in a modern time! My garden here wasn’t as productive as I would have liked either. It was a weird summer. So strange
❤️ well written, well said