What can I say? Living this life style is a constant education, whether you want it or not! There is always something to learn, a new way of thinking, new techniques that can change your direction, new monkey wrenches to alter your plans, or a good dose of reality when Mother Nature is in serious need of some Midal!
One major thing I have learned from this life style is planning. You spend 6 months planning for the other 6 months...every single year. You see, rural America is not an easy life. Simple, mostly...but easy, no way! During the late Fall, Winter and early Spring...it can get pretty treacherous out here. Our cold months can range from temps in the 30's or drop, as some years have to wind chills pushing 50 below zero. Snow or ice, could means days of not getting out since our closest highway is 10 miles away. It means out in that cold breaking open water for livestock several times a day, making sure everything outdoors has adequate bedding for warmth, plenty of food to keep body fat up, and if there are any babies born...heat lights running - which sets in the constant watch to make sure they don't light hay/straw on fire. This is just for the animals. Then you have the concerns for your family. That means making sure you always have food on hand, extra water, candles, firewood, medical supplies, pet items, and the like. So, as I said, planning is inevitable.
You spend May through about November, getting supplies together. Baling hay to get through, getting feed delivered, getting mineral, baling/purchasing straw, checking equipment/making repairs, planting a garden, preserving any foods you can, getting your pantry restocked from the previous winter, making household repairs, and again through the heat of summer....checking animal water several times a day. Everything you gather in those 6 months, has to last for the following 6 months - December through April. Having some overlap is a good thing. That means you planned appropriately.
While I love to learn, sometimes...you learn the hard way. I have spent the last few winters learning new or different gardening ideas. I will never claim to know all, about all. Honestly, you just don't know what you don't know! Gardening, at least for me, isn't just going out working up some soil and throwing in some seeds. My garden planning is a year round thing. The only time I am not actively planning for my gardens, is from Halloween through New Year's Eve. I'm usually pretty busy with holiday stuff during those times. Even now, as my vegetables are still setting on, I'm watching to see what I can do differently, what is working or not working, and what I can do better next year. Every area has a different zone of growing, different soil types, and different means of weed/insect control. What I find works for my zone/weather/soil, may not work for others. I've had to learn ALL of this! I do experiment a lot. Sometimes it works, but usually it's a learning experience. This year, I have done some experimenting, but it was too critical for the garden to produce to do too much. Having learned a few new ideas for later reference is a good thing. Finding the past couple years that seed didn't germinate as it had previously, meant a lot of adapting to unfamiliar territory. While I was very fortunate to have been taught a lot of basics from some incredible women, no one can fully prepare you. You have to learn through trial and error.
Another thing I have learned is making sure you have a recipe for everything! I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to make something and either no one has a recipe because the person that always made it is no longer here, or the internet goes down about the time you decide to dig through them. My kids laugh at me, because I don't measure much of anything. They are constant after me to write down my recipes. Honestly, I need to. Some of my/our favorite recipes have been handed down or the cookbooks I use, have become pretty thin from use. You can always tell the recipes I use often by the stains on the pages of the books. I am notorious for altering recipes too. I will usually try one, the first time, as it's written. Then, I will try it again, and alter to fit my own likes the second time. One thing many people that talk about "prepping" seem to forget, is the recipes. You can fill your house with everything under the sun, but if you don't know how to do something with all those beans/flour/rice/etc. it won't do you a ounce of good.
Not growing up around a farm, tends to leave you at a serious disadvantage. You don't have that innate knowledge of the work and pressure that comes from living/working on a farm. You have to learn. While having a farm takes money, you can't just throw money at it and expect it function. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot strain, and a lot of effort. You have so many "not-so-obvious" situations that come into play. You don't think about the time, money, effort, energy, or so many other things. As far as the financial side, you have electricity, water, fencing, heat lights, tank heaters, hoof trimming/shearing equipment, you have vet work, you have hay, mineral, salt, rubs and chemical for flies, you are constantly checking for pink eye, hoof rot, udder issues, idiots hunting off you land that shoot cattle and claim they thought it was deer, you have straw for bedding, you have egg cartons, banders, medications to be able to do some vet work yourself, you have different chemicals to control flies/ticks/fleas for every different animal on the place, you have fertilizer cost for pasture and hay ground, the cost of reseeding that pasture/hay ground, you have tractor/baler/rake/mower repairs, diesel fuel, oil, filters, tires, baler belts(these are currently about $3000). None of this includes your time. Here, part of our family works off the farm for 8-12 hours a day, then they come home to work another 3-4 hours a day - or until dark during the longer daylight hours. Those of us at home all day, don't just sit around eating bon-bons, and watching soap operas. It's checking and filling waterers twice a day, it's educating the last child, it's preserving foods, it's keeping the garden from becoming a jungle, it's keeping up with all the book work, it's ordering feed and supplies, it's juggling the budget, preparing meals, keeping the house and clothes clean, it's managing and keeping up with dates for husbandry/important events/attempting to make time for something "fun."
I did not grow up this way. I have had to learn everything from the basics and honestly struggled at times. Now, I can't imagine living any other way, I wouldn't want to. Yes, it's hard, and challenging. Yes, I get frustrated and irritated. Yes, the constant juggling act is stressful. However, there is only one thing almost as rewarding as being a parent....that is the very life I get the honor to live everyday. Many of us that live this life know the struggles we are currently dealing with. We have seen many others that have had to sell out because of the increased costs. If you know a farmer or producer, support them as you can. Times are hard for everyone. Farmers/Producers have taken a major hit the past 18 months, and without them...we don't eat.
Today, I hope you find time to be grateful for what you have, the life you live, and the progress you are making. Be sure to pray for those you love, our farmers, and our nation.
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