As we plan for another hectic, whirlwind of a year, it’s hard to imagine what things will look like twelve months from now. Even six months is a bit fuzzy.
Sometimes I can’t help but ask, “who exactly do we think we are?”
A couple of ‘kids’ who really can’t call themselves kids anymore because we have a kid of our own and are both beyond our twenties (well, Scott’s still got a few weeks left to enjoy). We’ve each held down retail jobs, spent most of our time working in marketing and only recently discovered what we’d been missing by establishing a more personalized connection with food, animals and the land where we dwell.
A couple of thirty-something hipsters who just see farming as romantic. They’ll never cut it.
My worst reflection of myself. Of us. Of what we are and how we live. What others think of us.
When we first ventured out to Cortes on this new path of figuring out what we really want by cutting down on what we have, challenging ourselves and trying our hand at cultivating food/livestock, we didn’t know where that would take us. We talked and dreamed and learned and ultimately took a seemingly far longer path to where we are today (and where we want to be tomorrow) than originally intended.
We are not farming yet. But we make a commitment every day to care for, cultivate and appreciate all that’s around us. Even when we don’t want to. Even when there doesn’t seem to be enough time. We’re not always perfect, milking is sometimes 30 minutes late and the chickens occasionally need to impatiently send us a message via 40+ pairs of death stare eyes that they are out of food.
Our seedlings would have never made it into plants this year if it hadn’t been for the help of friends who came over and helped us made it happen. Reminded us that it doesn’t take that long to throw some peas in the ground. And it’s worth it when you do.
We have big goals, big dreams and huge hurdles to overcome before we will finally feel ready to officially call ourselves farmers. But we’re getting there. In the process, I hope we can continue to improve and support each other, striving to be the best versions of ourselves each day.
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