Story Time

This past weekend at the market, I had a customer browsing our booth. They were looking around and then turned towards me and said:

'You do maple syrup too?!!'

I laughed and said 'No! I don't do maple syrup. I don't want to do maple syrup, I don't want to do everything but I can source everything for you.'

And I think that this expectation from society that we do everything ourselves is a HUGE unrealistic expectation. Not only is that stressful and hugely overwhelming, it removes the potential for connection and community with others who can do things you can't.

How could we possibly create and maintain a village if we never reach out to each other?

When we first started farming and diving into our food industry and then the homesteading world, my goal was to be self-sustainable. I wanted to do it all, or I thought I did. 

The 2D image of that life is one of rainbows and butterflies or otherwise known as the 'simple life' but in reality there really is nothing simple about life, especially farming. There are so many complexities that to call any life simple, is to downplay the wonder and beauty of it all. 

The 3D image of being self sustainable is one of struggle, overwhelm, hustling and, in my opinion, loneliness.  Which means it isn't sustainable at all.  Life is hard and scary and weird and it wouldn't be worth it if it wasn't. 

Imagine reading a novel or watching a movie where the main characters life was easy and without challenge the entire way through? No one would actually read it or watch the movie. 

There's a common saying out there that farmers only eat after their cows are fed - stating that the animals are more important than the farmers taking care of them. We often forget about taking care of ourselves in our own life.  Something we lost somewhere along the way is that our quality of life is just as important as the other parts of our life, wether that's animals, kids, work etc. 

My new life goal?

To be sustainable within my community. Because, in my books, it's a lose lose situation otherwise.