Nothing is really happening on my little "farm" right now. Just feeding chickens and goats each morning, enjoying just enough time to mutter a few words to them and give the goats a scratch on the cheek, maybe snapping a picture or two every few days so that the kids and I can enjoy them from the warmth of inside the house... repeat at night, only shutting the chicken coop door instead of opening it. Have I mentioned that it's cold out there? This may give you an idea.
I enjoy spending time out there with the animals, even if it's just a few minutes, while waiting for the school bus in the morning with my oldest daughter, or sneaking a few minutes outside in the afternoon while Barney or Baby einstein entertain my 1 yr old. That time is calming, and restorative... and restorative is good, since I'm not getting any sleep at night (thank you, teething and genetics for poor sleepers). Such is the life of this mom of three beautiful, busy children. Children who entertain me and the animals, by doing things like this.
Miss Red Hen really is the most kid- friendly chicken, even if she is a little... errr... strange... poor thing is at the bottom of the pecking order, possibly because she is always straying from the rest of the flock. She sometimes seems to prefer human attention.
I feel like I'm in a tough place right now. I know what I want to do, and where I want to be.... and I'm not even close to being there. You see, I strongly believe in the future of micro-farming in this overpopulated world. Sometimes it's a necessity... and there really is a lot one can do on just a little bit of land, to be more healthy and sustainable. However, I live in a rural area, and I'm surrounded by land. I'm stuck where I am, for now, and none of that land is mine. By some cruel twist of fate, my life path is leading to a lifestyle that can not be supported fully by my current living conditions. It's frustrating. And not the small kind of frustration, like this:
Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic.
I do appreciate the things that I DO have, and truthfully, when I am fortunate enough to acquire some land, I will probably still be gardening directly outside my front door, and keeping my chickens and goats close to the house, because it's just convenient that way.It would be nice to have some land for pasture... that option would be nice. I do have Alpaca dreams, after all, which is why I've begun to learn to spin fiber on a drop spindle. It's ugly yarn, but we all have to start somewhere, right?
I think that, being stuck where I am for now, I should push away those Alpaca dreams and make room for.... Angora bunnies! They don't take up much space at all!
"The Microfarm Chick" has big dreams of fiber farming, spinning beautiful yarn, more eggs, goat's milk, soap-making, Gardening and someday beekeeping.
I'm not an idealistic supermom/superfarmer, however, and I get depressed and discouraged. I'm in a darker place at the moment, and could use a ray of light. Or some sleep... that would work... but I don't forsee that happening anytime soon.
This is not my land, by the way. This is the view across the road... the beautiful view that taunts me every single day, and reminds me of what I do not have. It also reminds me of what I WILL someday have. I can't decide if I'm an optimist, or a pessimist, really. I think I'm just human.
Someday... until then... stay warm.
From one human to another, hang in there. :-) You can raise your angora rabbits as house rabbits if no one is allergic. I have a mini Rex at my feet begging for a pat even as I type this. She is my only animal right now, until spring comes and I once again buy meat chickens to raise. While your kids are little you may not want to enlarge your place anyway unless your husband helps. It could get tired fast if you were running in ten directions all the time just to keep everyone fed and watered and clean. And then there's the farm animals.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment :). Your bunny sounds so sweet... wish I could keep a house bunny but our house is filled to maximum capacity (2 dogs, 2 cats 3 kids, 2 adults ) LOL. It's another source of frustration... lack of space inside as well as out. BUT it's easier to heat during this bitter cold winter. It really is a convenient set up right now, being close to the house and easy to access... I just need to stop looking at all the unused, open land all around me and use my tunnel vision to see only what I have and what I can do with it I guess. Thanks for your support, as always <3
ReplyDeleteHi - just found your blog and like it very much. I have 1 acre and can't do all I want, either, but one way to make use of space you don't own is to learn foraging. It might or might not work in your area, depending on who owns the open land, and whether you can do roadside foraging (which I often do). I think it's a nice way to get some of your food, because you don't have to put any effort into growing it, it doesn't take up space on your own land, and it all grows with no pesticides. I write a lot about foraging here: http://ouroneacrefarm.com/topics/wild-edibles/
ReplyDeleteAlso, be careful with those chicken feet in snow - they can get frostbite.
Good luck, and I look forward to your future posts.
Thanks for the suggestion on foraging... something I'm interested in but don't know much about... I definitely would want to be sure that what I was eating was safe. I'll check out your blog!
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