10 Reasons Series: #5 Lifestyle: Farm Life is Better

Our niece Genevieve made this beautiful wall hanging for us this past Christmas, and we hung it by our front door so we always remember that Farm Life is Better!

Days like today-- Sunday-- where I get up at 5 am and drink cup after cup of coffee while catching up on computer work are a good example.  I love that my work can happen at any time and I'm the boss.  Later, Jon and I will pack up a load to take to the dump, cut down some damaged trees, move the rabbits out of the barn, repair a damaged barn door, while soup is simmering in the slow cooker and the washing machine shakes the entire house.  Farm life is a mix of chores and delight in the little things.  While we go about our day we will notice the nettles popping up in the woods, get covered in burrs, run into a few stray cats, check on the pigeon nesting area for new chicks, and get the chicken area ready for the arrival of 2 hens tomorrow.  If this all sounds like work then farming isn't for you!  To me it sounds like a pleasant day looking after the stuff that needs to get done on the farm.

My mentor and friend Alyson Chisholm likens the farm to a living organism-- a dependant one!  She
sees the farm as needing her, and thinks of all the chores as part of looking after this entity.  For everything to flow smoothly things need to be in good repair, well-maintained, clean, and organized.  Keeping the farm this way is something that has been a bit neglected on our property, and so we are putting in lots of hard work to get it back to the glory it deserves.

Summer farm life is an exercise in the farm taking every ounce of effort that you can possibly put forth, and asking for more!  When the crops are in the ground or the greenhouse is running, things take your entire attention and there's more work than one person can manage.  Summer is when we work hard to prioritize tasks, work together as a team, and try to stay ahead of the needs of the farm as much as possible. 

Regardless of the season, I am so glad to be living a values-driven lifestyle, as my brother in law Eugene describes it.  Our primary motivation is building the kind of life we want for ourselves, with the primary focus being lifestyle over money.  We want something different than a 9-5, Monday to Friday traditional career.  We want to have time to raise our children.  We want to be connected to the seasons and nature.  We want to be in the driver's seat of our future.

Is it easy?  NO!  Is it worth it? We think so.