Ever Have Days When You Ask Yourself.....Why are We Doing All of This?

I have to be honest.  I am sure I am like most people out there....we post the positive stuff going on in our lives and on our farms, but hesitate to post the other stuff.  You know the stuff...the injured animals, the sick animals, the struggles in the garden with pests, the disagreement with your farmer man/woman, the stress of everyday life, etc.

Well, today I am going to share something I normally wouldn't share.  This past few weeks have been hard.  We have had a lot going on both on and off the farm and the stress levels have been through the roof. We haven't had a break from the farm in quite sometime and it is beginning to show. I even had moments when I really questioned, "Why are we doing all of this?"

Here are some of the questions I pondered this past week. Why are we spending our time, money and effort planting and tending to an organic garden? Why are we raising chickens and guineas?  Why do we have pet turkeys? Why do we have "pet"  rescued, rehabbed and released wild geese and ducks? Why do I stay home most everyday and work here on the farm?  Why all of this work...for what?

As the week went on I prayed a lot and asked for answers that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing.

One morning, as I was walking to the field and coop to tend to the critters I stopped in my tracks.....there was a squirrel crossing the driveway.....nothing unusual out here, but it was.  She was carrying something in her mouth....a pine cone? No. It was smooth. Upon further observation I realized she was carrying her baby!  I stood completely still and watched as she continued to make her way across the drive and into the edge of the woods.  She climbed up a small oak tree and disappeared into a nest.  I stood there and just smiled and began to think.  If I hadn't been here on this farm, in this moment, I would have missed this beautiful scene.  I felt bad for the momma squirrel because of all the logging all around us, but thankful she found a safe place for the baby.  I also remembered learning if a squirrel baby is orphaned or abandoned other squirrel will hear it's cry and come to it's aid.  Was this here baby or had she saved a baby, a possible victim of the logging?  Had she helped another she did not even know?

That's when my heart started to melt.  I was reminded THAT'S why we do all that we are doing.  We have our farm to help ourselves and to hopefully help others. Is it always easy? No....sometimes it is very hard. During this past week I started to answer some of the questions I had earlier.

Why are we spending our time, money and effort planting and tending to an organic garden?

"Roma" tomatoes....organically grown

We spend our time, money and effort planting and growing our own, organic garden so we can provide for ourselves and hopefully share some of it's bounty with friends.

 Is it always easy? No.  Sometimes it can be hard and discouraging when you are battling pests, drought, squirrels, moles, etc., watering everyday when the rain doesn't come, and praying the plants in the greenhouse make it.
 

Squash bug eggs....NOT beneficial insects!

 Would I rather not be planting, growing and harvesting from our own organic garden? No, I LOVE to garden!  I believe my grandparents and parents helped instill the gardening bug in me and I am grateful for the knowledge and passion. I love knowing that we are growing without chemicals or pesticides and we are helping the ecosystem become stronger by providing beneficial insects, predators and plants. I love being able to go right outside my front door and pick produce and herbs to bring inside to make healthy, organic meals for my family. I enjoy learning about new varieties and sharing seeds with others.  I hope that I can share this passion, along with a little knowledge, to others.

One of the good guys!  We love our pollinators and do not use chemicals on our gardens to help protect them.

Why are we raising chickens and guineas?

First, we are raising chickens and guineas for the eggs. Eggs for us to eat, eggs to sell for others to eat, eggs to hatch babies and hatching eggs to sell to others.  They are a great source on entertainment and I love sharing information and ideas with others about our flock.

A Golden Laced Wyandotte Chick

A Buff Dundotte Guinea Keet

 Is it always easy? No.  Sometimes we end up with a sick or injured bird, which means time and money to make sure the bird is healed. Sometimes, during hatching season, it gets overwhelming with all the extra babies to tend to, the incubators to keep watch over,bad hatches, power failures, and the picture taking and posting to sell the babies.

"Rudy" our main rooster....soaking his foot.....15 minutes a day, everyday, injections for the infection, and bandages changed twice a day.  He is recovering nicely from a case of bumble foot. Hope to have him back with the flock in the next week.

Would I rather not be raising our own chickens and guineas? No, I love my poultry!  There is nothing like seeing that new chick or keet emerge from that egg, seeing the children's faces light up when they come to pick our "their chicks", or getting a snuggle from a healed bird who knows you have helped them.  Once again I am grateful for the farm critter bug my grandparents and parents instilled in me.  I grew up with farm animals and I love taking care of them.  I love teaching others about their care and learning from fellow farmers as well.

 Why do we have pet turkeys?

Well, we were supposed to have turkeys that we were going to breed and sell poults, but due to misinformation, we have Broadbreasted Bronze Hens and a poor gimpy, rescued, Standard Bronze Tom who we cannot breed so we have pet turkeys. Turkeys who eat A LOT, poop A LOT and we have one turkey hen that is determined I am I am her arch enemy and I must be annihilated.

Is it always easy? No.  Sometimes I really miss the fact that we cannot hatch out poults. When "Tommy" was still alive, our massive 63+ pound Broadbreasted Bronze Sweetheart of a Tom, he was so large he was unable to breed.  Artificial insemination was the only option and we really didn't want to breed Broadbreasted turkeys.  We had to let our "Tommy" go at 19 months of age because the broadbreasted breed are made for meat birds to be butchered at 7-8 months of age and at 19 month "Tommy" was so large his legs began to break down.  It was a very difficult day when we had to say goodbye to our big, sweet boy.  "Timmy" our new, little rescue tries to mate with the girls, but even if we did find that we had fertile eggs we would not want to hatch them. You see, when you cross a Broadbreasted with a Standard the hens would be the Standard size, which would be good, but the Tom's would be big ole' Tommy's size.  We just aren't interested in breeding unless we have a pure bred so we have pet turkeys.

Our sweet, beautiful, beloved "Tommy" I miss this big boy everyday.

 Would I rather not have our pet turkeys? No, I LOVE my turkeys...well at least the two who don't try to eat me! They are the sweetest, most curious birds and they provide us with so much laughter and entertainment.  We couldn't have asked for a better starter trio than "Tommy" and his girls "Baby Girl and Diva".  There will never be another "Tommy", but we are glad we were able to rescue little "Timmy" and give him a good forever home. I have learned a lot about turkeys by having these big birds and I think we will always have some turkeys here on the farm. We hope to have a Heritage breed when these birds have gone on to greener pastures, until then we will enjoy our big, feathered babies.

Why do we have "pet"  rescued, rehabbed and released wild geese and ducks?

Simply because we are animal lovers and we had the opportunity to help some wonderful people at Izzie's Pond. They are so beautiful and it is so relaxing to just go sit on the swing by the pond and just watch them.  They each have their own personality and you can tell who is who.

Is it always easy? No. Sometimes, when even more wild geese and ducks fly in, the feed bill can get quite expensive.  Sometimes we find that one of the geese or ducks has an injury, usually from a predator, and we have to catch and treat them....remember they are still wild animals! Sometimes I worry about them when they fly off and do not return. I know this is the ultimate goal for them to be free and live as they were meant to be, but I still worry about them since they were in our care.

"Duckie Dude" rehabbing after a SECOND predator attack in two years.  He is all well and back on the pond now.

Would I rather not have "our" pet geese and ducks? No, I LOVE "our" geese and ducks!  Just taking my morning coffee to the swing and getting to spend time with them is so relaxing and when one of our previous years releases come back "home" for a meal and a visit it just makes it all worth while.

"Cypress" nibbling on Scott's ear!

"Angel" letting me know... "There is still food in here!!"

Why do I stay home most everyday and work here on the farm?

It's is my job!  I am blessed to have a husband, best friend and partner who truly values a homemaker, aka Household Technician or Domestic Engineer.  <SMILE> Someone who takes care of the home:  providing nutritious, homemade meals, taking care of the daily duties of the household - laundry, cleaning, etc,  In addition to being a homemaker I am also the "Farm Operations Manager" and I tend to the daily running of the farm: feeding, watering, and medicating the animals, and tending to the gardens and greenhouse as well. I am hoping that I can soon be back on the mower and mowing the field and grass as well. I am also blessed to have the opportunity to work off the farm a little as well as the secretary/treasurer for our volunteer fire department and I also help out some older friends with housework and odd jobs from time to time.

Canning green beans - home grown, home canned

Tools of my trade

Is it always easy? No.  Sometimes I would LOVE to call in sick or take a personal day, but that's not possible.  The animals still need cared for, the house needs tending to, and the gardens and greenhouse need watered on a daily basis. I am blessed that my farmer man tends to all the chores on Sunday morning so I can have time to get ready for church. That little bit of a break really helps. Do I miss working at the veterinary clinic? Yes sometimes I miss the newness of everyday and the people and their beloved pets.

Would I rather not be staying at home and working on the farm? HECK No!  I am a home body, I LOVE being at home. I love being able to provide a clean (most of the time), organized, happy home for my hard working man to come home to right along with a home cooked meal (unless it is his turn to cook aka going out to dinner!).  I love having friends and family over for a homegrown, home cooked meal and fellowship. I love having the time to work in the gardens and see the harvest we have grown.  I love putting up those fruits and veggies we have grown or were fortunate enough to be gifted. I love having the time to be creative and make things for others and to sell on The Old Five Notch Farm Etsy shop.  I love knowing I can get an afternoon away to visit with friends and neighbors and share knowledge and learn from each other. I am grateful for the experience of working as a veterinary technician as it has been very valuable caring for our farm animals.  I LOVE the fact that my farmer man fully appreciates all that I do here on the farm and also know the only way I "get a day off" is to take some time away from the farm.
 

Oven Roasted Tomatoes...home grown, all organic, with fresh herbs, best sauce ever!

Fall garden seeds starting to sprout!

So why all of this work...for what?

BECAUSE I LOVE IT!  Well....most days.  Sometimes it does get overwhelming, sometimes you get tired and you need a break.  I guess that's what this post is really about....doing what you love and loving what you do.  That doesn't mean you don't need a break from time to time, heck, we all need a break from whatever job you do. Sometimes you need a break to take some time to step back and really appreciate what you DO have.

I am so grateful that I have a farmer man who has the same goals and dreams that I have, someone who I really enjoy working along side, someone who truly appreciates all the work I do as much as I appreciate all he does for me and our farm, someone who truly loves me...warts, mood swings, bad hair days and all.  I am truly blessed!

The "icing on the cake" for me last week was the return of one of our favorite rehabbed and released geese "Toes". Now I know most people won't understand, but "Toes'" return could not have come at a a better time.  It was just the boost I needed to refocus on just why in the heck ARE we doing all of this.  Once I realized that, in the mix of 29 visiting geese and our 7 remaining released this year, was our beloved "Toes" I literally sat down in the middle of the field and cried as I called "Toes" by his name and this beautiful creature walked right up within touching distance of me. "Toes" recognized me and he even brought his girlfriend "home" to me.  I sat there tears running down my face surrounded by 36 beautiful, healthy, free Canada geese....THIS is why we are doing this.....this.

"Toes" <3

I started this week refreshed and renewed with new ideas, new energy and new gratefulness for just how blessed I am to be here on this farm.  I am planning a get away soon, just to be sure to get some time to relax away from the farm, but for now I'm good....I'm really good. I pray that whatever your job is that you take some time to really appreciate what you have and what a blessing you can be through your job.  Take some time off and really focus on all your blessings.  A grateful heart is a happy heart.

I'm off now to go soak "Rudy's" foot once again...feeling grateful for the opportunity to help this beautiful boy heal.  Thank you Lord, for all that you have provided and forgive me for not keeping my eyes open for the many blessings.....I'm working on that.