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January on the Farm

kristinamariesnyde

Finally our first big snow has covered the farm.  Even though it is mixed with ice I am so grateful for the serene beauty it brings.  A snow blanket feels like an extra few minutes in bed on a Sunday morning.  I find myself taking time to pause with a mug of something warm and stare out the big glass door window in my living room.

  Longingly I gaze at my snow covered garden, with sunflower stalks still needing to be pulled and instead of feeling the weight of the things on my to do list I find solace in the fact that if nature is taking time to rest then so can I.


January gives us farmers just a few precious moments to slow down.  Our meals are much more simple in the winter, mostly protein.  Last night I prepared a succulent roast in a cast iron pan, basted in white wine that someone brought us as a house warming present a few years back.  I plucked a few sprigs of fresh thyme from my window sill and generously salted it all before slow roasting it in the oven for a few hours.  I served it with some frozen broccoli from gardens past and a generous heaping of sauerkraut. 


After dinner Kelby and I spent a few hours talking and dreaming on the couch.  What would the farm look like if we had a few extra hands?  Would the aches and pains of getting older combined with a hard days work 365 days a year feel a little less pronounced?  But alas we counted our blessings none the less so thankful for the privilege to  farm this land.  The ability to freely nurture nature by creating a regenerative cycle that is always feeding and always replenishing.

I feel so encouraged by our late night talks in January.  Maybe it is due to the extra time we have to reflect, but January is the time when a farmer dreams.  Every year we spend this month talking, writing, praying and somehow the thoughts we put down and dare to dream turn in to realities of future years. 

This year we were reminiscing on how we once dreamed of customers coming to our farm enough to warrant being open more than two days a week.  How fast this became a reality, now we are open seven days a week and desperate for more help!


We are so thankful for how our farm has evolved to serve so many that are so close to us.  Yet I cant help myself, my mind has already begun to wonder what is next?  Hospitality always comes to mind.  Im dreaming of more places to host all of our families that travel to the farm.  I see a quaint farm to table bistro with paninis made of fresh baked bread and raw milk hot cocoa.  I also dare to dream deeper of sweet little cabins spanning across the farm.  Just one bedroom tiny homes with big windows, warm fireplaces, hand stitched quilts and rocking chairs.  I see spaces all around the farm inviting people from many backgrounds to come and find solace.  Just as I myself have found healing in this land I want to share it with anyone who is willing to come and be open.

So this is my dream for 2024 to grow in a deeper level of stewardship to our community.  I believe there is a place here at our table for everyone, we just have to build it first.  With open hearts and gratitude, we are continuing to dream, we are continuing to labor in the land the we love, and we are hiring!  

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