I have been thinking for a few years that we should have farm animals out here on our little plot of windy prairie grass, but it was always, “Maybe it’s too windy. Maybe I am too weak/lazy/pregnant/insert excuse here. Maybe some day.”
I have recently been introduced to the idea that if I have usable land and I am not using it, perhaps I should not be occupying it. And the idea that physical work is good for us, especially if there is something good that comes from the work, like food!
We are also thinking that the price of food (dairy products, meat, and fresh produce especially) is not easily within the reach of larger families. So….
5.5 acres of prairie grass + 9 children + 2 adults = potential farm! Just add barn, chicken coop, cow, and chickens, and plow up part of the land for crops.
I know it will be hard work and that we will be “tied down” and won’t be able to go anywhere. But we don’t go anywhere anyway. We can still make it to Mass, which is the most important thing. And we will have meaningful work. It will, God willing, produce food for our family to eat and to share. It will provide something to do besides watch DVDs or play Farm Ville on Facebook. It will help our children grow, and challenge us all to make better use of our bodies, time and resources. It will give us more opportunities to reach out to those in need, especially if by God’s Providence we end up with more zucchini than we can use or freeze for later!
