April Action
During April, the stage is being set for the growing season ahead. Once warm weather settles in, grass growth explodes, and then the race is on. So, preparations are underway at the farm in anticipation.
Tales of Scales
They play an essential role in life on the farm, informing the eye as to when animals are ready to be processed. Weights are important, because if an animal is harvested too soon, when too light, not enough fat resides in the meat, so it doesn't cook right, which results in a dissatisfied customer. An animal being too heavy is less of an issue in direct marketing, except for the extra carrying cost. The weights of sheep are hard to "eyeball", for some reason, so a scale is invaluable.
A DAY'S MOVEMENT
Nature is always in motion, sometimes imperceptibly, but it is constantly moving forward. On our farm, we strive to mimic such, as livestock travel in groups, across the landscape, throughout the year. This motion creates a proximity to wildlife and to wild meat that is reflected in ours. As with animals, so do people seek to move across the landscape. The following is a pictorial account of this person's movement on the Vernal Equinox.
TABLE TRAVEL: WHAT HAPPENS AROUND AND UPON A DINING TABLE?
Newspapers are read, homework is conducted, groceries are stacked, food is presented, nutrition is administered, meals are savored, stories are recounted, community is gathered, values are taught, emotions are shared, concepts are pondered, plans are made, babies are conceived, babies are born, rest is taken, love is offered...
BEAUTY OF SPIRIT: BEAUTY OF SPIRIT ARISES FROM OUR WORK.
It is the culmination of our daily efforts; it is our distilled selves. Our labor, heart, mind, and soul meld together to create context for the spirit. When the context is rich enough, the spirit emerges, like a plant pushing forth from fertile soil. And in whatever shape it emerges, it is beautiful.
POWER OF SOUL: THE SOUL IS A FORGIVING, HONEST, AND HEALING RECIPIENT OF OUR JOURNEY.
It is a cauldron that receives our glory and our woes. It is where our blood and tears are collected. It is a sponge that absorbs our mistakes. It is a library that catalogs them, so we may return to them when ready. It judges not our folly; it accepts all, and is the willing host of our journey. It incubates wisdom, by being a patient observer of our experience. It makes room for our chaos and appeases it over time. It is the source of our healing, as it retains and cherishes the personal organic-matter we have shed through challenge, to be recycled into action when called upon. The soul is authentic; it tells no story other than its own. A soulful person states her truth, whether it be one of dishonesty or virtue. Her persona is clear and recognizable. The soul seeks expression, and withers under repression. Our egos often obscure the soul, casting a shadow over the deep richness marinating, percolating, and brewing beneath our surface. But as we discover courage, by tapping into organic-matter of the soul, we become honest about ourselves. And as we reveal aspects of our soul to others, we discover that soul-mates abound, making the journey of life less lonely.
Winter Wonder
Cold winter days seem so domineering, forcing subjects to the same demeanor. Yet, many shades of white proliferate. We witness: defiant tulips, comfortable ewes, ice-burdened hillsides, curious roosters, and a resourceful squirrel, all within the same day, each making a different statement. The richness of response leaves us willing to face more weather somehow.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: Grassroots Farm & Foods featured in National Geographic!
Grassroots Farm & Foods featured in National Geographic!
Bachelor Fare
Monday and Tuesday evenings I provide my own dinner at the farm. Usually this challenge is amply supplied by the tail-end of Susan's sumptuous meals, prepared the weekend before, but on occasion I have to create from scratch. So, here is a recent bachelor's meal, skimmed from the top of the larder: a pound of broiled lamb-ribs, as the first course; a pound of sauteed beef liver, with lemon wedges, as the second; and a rich, thick, homemade chocolate chip cookie, for dessert; all washed down with generous glasses of well-water. Totally satisfying and delicious! Given the fruit accompanying the liver, it could even be considered an out-of-balance, balanced meal. What's more, no conversation was expected during the meal, and clean-up occurred at leisure, many hours, if not days, later. This was a completely successful culinary experience, from one perspective.
STRENGTH OF MIND: OUR SCHOOLING TEACHES US TO BE MINDFUL.
And it is a good thing, because the devil lies in details. If we don't tend to them, we trip and fall. The mind is usually at the heart of good judgement, as it examines alternate scenarios, by which to chose the way forward. It distills complex realities into digestible conclusions. It unravels central questions and highlights potential problems. The ability to analyze stems from a disciplined and trained mind, gleaned from formal and informal schooling. It is frequently under-employed and occasionally over-employed.
She Cave
replete with hanging cobwebs, dirt, dust, poor lighting, slight heat, and important piles of discarded stuff from the ages. It was a great place to make copious amounts of sawdust and contemplate infinity. Seclusion was inevitable, and one could truly settle down to the business of successfully accomplishing little over long periods of time in this space.
DEPTH OF HEART: PASSION USUALLY ACCOMPANIES SUCCESS.
It takes a lot of heart to live passionately, for passion can be an unruly companion. Mistakes are made and energy expended prematurely, but living with a fully engaged heart is self-renewing in many ways. It enables one to persist through the unreasonable, adverse, and unexpected. A full heart is the source of courage, which is called upon to achieve any degree of success in so many ventures in life.
