When to Call it a Day. . .Figuring out What Farming Means to You: What Stays, What goes

I thought I would love it, but I do not. . .(what we hear so often)
Figuring out What Farming Means to You

Farming is a Life Style,

Farming is Laborious, 

Farming is about Promises

and Fortitude

What it should never be:

A Fad, For Fun or

Just a passing Fancy. . .

“Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life." 

-- Harvey Mackay

There is no reason to mince words, Farming is currently trendy.

With trends, come folks who are on and off the bandwagon in the blink of an eye.

Yet, if farming initially gained your interest, there was a reason why.

Instead of seeing these folks jump in and out, how about we pinpoint what initially brought them to farming and find a way to keep these folks interested long after the "fancy" passes?

I love Raising Dairy Goats. 
I love milk goats. 
I love Cheese.

These things above are my life's passion. 

What a strange thing to type, but there you have it. 

I am by no means a traditional farmer.

That is Okay.


Keeping the above in mind, I decided my time and farm purpose 
was off track last year. I am sure I will come to that conclusion now and again as years go by.

I had too much here. Too much I am not "ALL in" with and never have been.

Yet Farming, for me, goes on. I do not leave farming, I re-evaluate what
brought me to farming, what I love about it. I go back to that.

For me, this meant I let my heritage Silver Fox rabbit herd go. I had raised them for 5 years, but
in all that time, they have never been a passion. They made excellent homestead sense, just like the Guinea Hogs did years ago that didn't stay on Lucas Farm long. Ultimately, because my entire life isn't lived out on this farm nor is our primary income from this place, I remembered what we raise has to be "A PASSION."

The rabbits were not that.

I am blessed to know a thriving group of "Niche" small farmers that

prove people who love the idea of offering something from their land

to the public have the ability to do so without being "All In" on every aspect of farming.

So if milking goats isn't your thing, but farming is still calling you, that is okay.

 Only a few of us  (amazing folks, they are) can really raise and grow everything we use, and because you aren't able to be one of those folks doesn't mean

you cannot be a little farmer and more sustainable. 

Maybe you grow an amazing tomato and watermelon, 

while I raise a lovely dairy goat herd,

and we farm what we we find fulfillment in and only where we excel. 

Win!

In a perfect world, that person and I become friends, trade goods and head to the Cellar Door for Wine from France on Saturdays in Huntington, right?

 "Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well"
John W. Gardner

In the social media age of blogs and facebook Pages, it is so easy to look

at everything one can accomplish on a small farm and say:

"I want IT All."

Then when one fails at "It All"

 they say:

"Well, since I could not do it all, I quit!"

Isn't that American?

We want to do it all, but most of us cannot.

Accept that.

I am always so sad when I see someone add one more thing, one more thing, 

one more thing. . . until the pressures they are under in this modern society

of time crunches, full time jobs and family causes the person to throw the towel in

and sell out on everything.

End the Farming story, as it were. . .

Don't!

It does not have to be that way. 

Someone said something like. . .

"Renounce all but the Essentials, so that what is Essential can Speak. . ."

Maybe it was my mother. . .I surely do not recall. Whoever it was, "Thank You" because little rings so true for the modern little farmer. . .

Something very real brings a person to seek out land, growing, raising and connecting with the 

cycle of life like only a farm can, and it isn't something that will just go away when you push

yourself too far and become overburdened.

It has happened to me various times. . .

I live a very public life, a very "on the go" life full of so many things. . .

I constantly have to go back to square one and ask myself. . .

What do I love Here? 

Where is my Passion?

 What Will I never forgive myself for

if I let it go Right Now?

I have a whole circle of farm friends. Some have been there long before me,

Some are much newer to the Journey than I am . . .

And I constantly wonder. . .who will be there with me doing this next year or the year after?

I want them to all be here next year because I believe They, Like I, came into this sincere and with the idea that farming was the answer, farming is what made them happy. . .


So Go back to square one if you are feeling like the time has come to throw the towel in, become that really AMAZING cultivator of squash or the best farmer of that one breed of Chicken that originally caught your interest. 
Sell the best Eggs you Can, Produce the Best Milk Possible, Make the best butter the land has ever seen. . .whatever your "thing" is - Do that Thing.
Endeavor into the one part of "Farming" that brought you Here where the Title of "Farmer" became one you hold. . . keep your towel in your hand, don't toss it in. . .
Instead. . .
And I'll see you right here next year for another pep talk, eh?

"Renounce all but the Essentials, so that what is Essential can Speak. . ."