1.18.2012

the exploratory committee goes to vermont

it is no secret that nick and i want land of our own. we want a modest amount of land. maybe 50 acres. we would take more if you were offering. we want to have four milking cows on this land. a sow or two and a big but gentle boar to accompany them. we want a flock of sheep. maybe 20. to keep for lamb. we want goats....for clearing the woods. and of course have chickens.  a small population of ducks for pascal to boss around. we want a healthy...but not creepy...population of barn cats. and we wants lots and lots of dogs. dogs for guarding. dogs for herding. and dogs for snuggling indoors on couches. we want a small home. that can fit us. and bottle-animals. and someday human babies. we want a barn that won't blow over in a storm. that won't bust at the roof from too much snow. we want our families to be at the farm. to visit the farm with great frequency.  to live at the farm. to party at the farm. to work at the farm.  we want friends to come live with us and farm vegetables on this land (which we seemingly cannot do). we want our farm to be its own micro universe. producing all the food and all of the joy so that we don't need to leave our farm with great frequency.  that probably sounds like a lot of wanting. that is a lot of wanting. especially because right now we have the skeleton of that Want. we have borrowed land. we're raising 200 chickens that aren't ours. we have 2 pigs. we have 1 cow. we have 1 duck. we have 16 chickens (a dwindling number, thanks to madame fox). we have 1 snuggling indoor dog and 0 useful farm dogs. we have no kitties. we have a subterranean apt with no light and no real sense of welcoming.

i know we have to be patient. our land, our farm, will not be handed to us by any silver vehicle. she will find us someday but we will have to work for her. we will have to struggle through various farm jobs. we will have to hire the services of Scrimp and Save and make sacrifices in our personal and social worlds in the name of the Future Farm. we will have to grow our little farm family slowly and surely and methodically.

but it is always fun to day dream. and so this weekend we spent time in the state in which we hope to build this home and farm. way up in the hills of cold, snowy, windy, no-cell reception, no high speed internet vermont. we spent three glorious days waking up late. visiting farmers. visiting friends. getting kombucha instructions. eating cake (THANK you julie for that insanely buttery cake recipe) walking goats. eating caramels. drinking whiskey. talking and talking. reading. playing with dogs. avoiding snow drifts. three days getting a glimpse of the life we hope to someday make. giving us strength and hope and new fears about our future as farmers.

15 comments:

  1. That sounds so lovely! Sometimes all you have is day dreams. That seems all my farm will ever be as well.

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  2. You'll get there, Kate... and I can't wait to see photos/read about it when you do. I hope you'll keep this blog going until then. You inspire me to at least get outside once in a while!

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  3. What kind of dog is the black dog? It looks identical to what I imagine our stray puppy we adopted a few months ago will look like in a few years! how tall is it? (we are also taking bets on how big our mystery-breed mutt will be)

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    1. he is a great dane/pit bull mutt. he is a blockhead but a sweet dog.

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  4. its a lovely dream. i believe with my whole hear that dreams you really work for become real. don't give up girl, you will get there someday :)

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  5. I am a dreamer too. On a smaller scale, since we live in the city. I dream of my newly made garden sitting outside, waiting for Winter to move on. I plot my plot while dreaming of Spring & vegetables.

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  6. Kate: you will get your land, and your farm, and your animals. And I will come to visit :)

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  7. For my husband's work, I live on the road with him and our baby (literally, we live in an RV and are somewhere new every week) and the time that we can have some land of our own is a long ways off. I am so excited for you and Nick...I know times like this are never easy, but you guys are smart and kind and I know you'll get there. It's a thrill to live vicariously through you.

    Also, I hope you find yourselves a sweet kitty or two, soon. xo

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  8. I was wondering what you are brewing in the jar, I am going to make a guess Kombucha. If so I would love to learn more about how you do it.
    I don't doubt that you will get your land, I somewhat revel in the life you live, seems so freeing and rewarding to see what you have created and grown.

    Best of luck, I really think it will work out for you.
    Kristi

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    1. Kristi! that is kombucha! but this is the first time we have brewed it. we got a piece of the mother mother kombucha from our friends up in vt (that 3rd pic down). after we go through all of the steps i will share any wisdom with you all.

      (and thank you for wishing us luck, we will need every ounce of it)

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  9. Our dream (we are currently long-time city folk, but I hail from NH) is also to settle down in Vermont, with a wonderful piece of land and all it offers. We have close friends homesteading in Marlboro, should you (when you) make it out that way, I think you might get along famously.

    I admire your journey, and your photography, too!

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  10. I send happy thoughts and well wishes in your pursuit. I must admit, if I could help you with this I would, complete stranger and all. I, too, want that handmade life, the one where work is vital and incredibly purposeful and true to life.

    Best wishes in this pursuit...I hope it comes along sooner than it seems it will!

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  11. We share such similar dreams. Don't ever stop. Four years ago I began to see my dream become reality. At times I want to pinch myself... I can't believe how much I love my life. I now have 19 chickens, dogs, cats and 2 {hopefully pregnant} milk goats. Our plan is to keep things fairly small. Hopefully you'll get started a bit earlier in your life than I. :) Best of luck to YOU!

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  12. I share your dreams, but find myself at a different place in my journey, but I'm glad I've realized these dreams and keep working towards them. You give a lot of inspiration, thank you for your chronicling of your ups and downs. Good luck on your pursuit!
    Betsy

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