Still overcast and dull around here in Cooks Creek. Wind out of the East (which is unusual in itself) and tryin real hard to snow. Not sure if March came in like a lion or a lamb. Don’t know what the criteria is to measure by. March is goin to go how it does and it really don’t make no never mind how it came in. Youngest daughter is still not feelin well and has been home from school for three days. She got sick on the school bus Tuesday mornin on the way to school and it has been goin down hill from there. So with the weather and sick young uns it is not a bright cheery day in Cooks Creek. Things will get better. They’re talkin about sun on Saturday. It has been so long since I have seen the sun I am not sure I will recognize it.
Still ploughing through the Contrary Farmer. Pretty good book so far. Gene Logsdon (the author) gets side tracked every once in a while and goes off on a tangent for a couple of pages and as you read you find yourself wonderin what does this have to do with farmin. Those deals are few and are easy to get over. The other possibility is it does relate to farmin and I am not bright enough to see the connection. Not sure which way it is but all in all I am enjoyin the book.
One of the things the two books have got me thinkin about is the “need to have something”. Lets see what do I need? I need a bigger tractor, more land, plasma cutter, metal lathe, new chainsaw, milkin cow, rottotiller, more storage space in the shop, and the list goes on and on. Truth is I don’t need any of that stuff. I want it but I sure don’t need it. The only things in this world I need is food (good food and water), shelter, my health and love. I find myself fallin into the “need” trap. Sometimes I use it as an excuse (can’t do that because I need this). If I want to farm I need (attach list here). I need to work hard and get away from that thought process. It’s ok to want stuff. Wantin stuff makes life fun. Gives ya a goal to work for. Ya try and get ahead, build up a deal you maybe can pass onto a young un. Both books, The Contrary Farmer and Family Friendly Farming talk about workin with what you have. Don’t focus on what ya don’t have. Doin so becomes a copout, an excuse on why something can’t be done. There is so much potential to create a sustainable farm with the basics and some imagination. If I have heard it once I have heard it a hundred times. “Ya need a million dollars to start farmin today”. I have had friends actually laugh when I explain what we are tryin to do here. Common statement after we explain what it is we are trying to do is; “No one in their right mind would try and start a farm in this day and age”.
“Tractor alone is 150 grand”.
“Where ya goin to get someone to lend ya that kind of money”.
When Mr. Logsdon was a young un, he was sittin with his grandpa, his dad and a bunch of other relatives. Farmin was the topic of conversation and tractors was the subject. Mr. Logsdon stated that when he grew up he wanted to farm with horses. Everyone laughed and made a joke of his idea. Told him it wouldn’t work in this day and age and pretty much sluffed him off. His grandpa came over to him in a spell and leaned over and told him in a hushed voice that with a good team of horses and 100 acres he could put more money in the bank and not have to work one hour more than any man in that room. AND his life and work would be far more enjoyable and stress free. You know grandpa may have been right. Takes along time to pay off 150 thousand dollars and owing that much money has to bring on a few gray hairs.
Well I “need” some lunch. So until the next blog. Take care and keep healthy.
3 comments:
I sure know what you mean about the "NEED" problem. There is a long list of things that I "need" but could very well exist without. Lately the "need" has been a brand new 4x4 diesel tractor. I've got to have something reliable that will go through mud and snow you know! I could just go down and order one but I know I could do just as well buying a thousand dollar antique and restoring it to perfection. One "need" that is becoming more and more persistant is a brand new chainsaw. I am getting so tired of pulling that starter rope and fiddling with the museum piece I've got now that I've gone back to using the old hand saw again, it's easier! I know it is easily possible to get along with almost none of the things we think we "need" I am really working on paring down that list. God bless,
Chris
Hi Guy,
Can't believe how slow I am at getting back to blogs! Don't know where the time is going. We too have learned to "get by" so we don't go into debt. Sure are a lot of "wish I had this or that," though. Lost another goat tonight, and we are trying to figure out what is going on. Sure hope we don't lose the last 3. Went up to Boisavain today to talk to a friend who runs a natural products section of the farm supply store there. I told her about your family, and if you need info. on homeschooling in Manitoba, she is the one to contact.
Hi Chris, Thanks for droppin by. I admire ya for buck sawin your wood. Not sure I could do that. Maybe once upon a time but not anymore. Everytime I think about someone cuttin wood a quote from Henry Ford comes to mind. "A man who cuts his own wood has the wood warm him twice" Not sure if that is exactly how it goes but something like that. Take care of yourself and be careful out there by yourself.
Hey Lynn, Sorry to hear about ya loosing more stock. Do ya think it is the weather? Althhough my children are not bein homeschooled, I got to tell ya, my wife and I are champions of homeschoolin. I do believe we have you to thank for that. Up until I read your blog I didn't really know homeschoolin existed. Needless to say my wife is not makin alot of friends at her job (workin in the school cafeteria) with her opinions. Pastor Mark Hughs, Church of the Rock, did a 3 part piece on family. One of the segments talked about home schoolin. He did not home school his children but he did say that part of the reason for little Johnny bein a spoiled brat (his words not mine) is because little Johnny is not bein raised by his parents. He is bein raised by his peers. Interestin thought. Talk to ya all soon.
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