Ecotrain Question of the Week: What was one of the happiest times in your life and what made it special?
Me in the Big garden May 2014
The happiest time of my life has been the last 10 years that we’ve been developing our homestead into a place that grows most of our own food.
Small freezer in 2009 with much of our own food
Prior to 2008, I was housebound and used a wheelchair when I went out. Since improving the quality of my food, each year I have become more able.
One of the aspects of what we’ve been doing that I have enjoyed is reading and learning more about good husbandry practices and about food and nutrition.
Barn full of hay in 2009
Another part of what we do that is satisfying is to know we have a year’s worth of food for our animals, as well as for ourselves.
A food snapshot of it all: garden, beef cows, broilers, pigs, and layers in 2016
Broiler pen in 2008
Layers in 2009
Beef cows in 2008
Pigs for comic relief in 2014
Big garden newly created in 2008
Small garden producing mightily in 2018
Composite photo of the New Herb garden taken today
We’ve spent the last 10 years developing all these systems and learning how to improve the life for the animals and the soil for the gardens. All these things give me joy, happiness, and a wondrous sense of accomplishment.
Taking on the “10 acre piece” and changing it from a wasted field to a highly productive one was an act that both surprised and delighted us in the simplicity of the workings of nature.
The current size of the farm: Red – our farm; large white and green -“10 acre piece”; small white – 2 acre piece
We have enjoyed working with our neighbors to improve their land in exchange for being able to graze these pieces. It has meant we have a tiny bit of community near us. As we are cut off from most social outlets, having this has brought us the warmth and happiness of friendship and trust.
Solar electric on the barn 2012
Solar electric on the house we built ourselves, in 2012
Another thing that has brought us great satisfaction and happiness was building our own home entirely by ourselves. The passive solar heating, hot water and cooking requiring no power, and the ability to manage the house has made us autonomous to a large degree. Knowing we can manage on our own brings its own happiness.
Winter storm February 2016
But the single thing that brings us the most joy and happiness on the farm is the sheer beauty all around us.
The “back 40” in August 2011
Sunset November 2015
Tall grass in the wind in the front pasture in June 2015
Moonset, sunrise in October 2015
Small garden and middle pasture in April 2014
Rainy day in November 2017
Red sky at morning December 2017
Foliage on the “back 40” October 2016
Middle pasture from the barn August 2008
The sign we designed and created
This farm we have built from a cornfield and a tobacco shed in 1983 has brought us more happiness, joy, beauty, and health than we could ever have dreamed of.
It has not always been smooth sailing; we’ve endured some really rough times over the last 10 years. But time after time we have sought solace from the beauty of the farm, and from that we get happiness in the end.
Congratulations @goldenoakfarm! You've got an upvote coming from the @ecotrain thanks to @eco-alex! This upvote is part of the Community Support Initative to help encourage you to keep writing great posts! Thank you for being a positive part of the Steem Blockchain!
Such a beautiful story of happiness, I really enjoyed reading this. You have a beautiful piece of paradise.
Oh my stars, that's an awesome story with beautiful pictures as always! Sustainable Living has improved your health that much over the years? What an encouragement that must be!
Yup, if it was not for the food, I'd still be using a wheel chair...
his is a beautiful success story, @goldenoakfarm! You have regained health, have happiness with what you have and are self-sustainable. This is an accomplishment that you should be very proud of.
It is amazing, what I've done with just changing food. Plus it allowed me to realize a dream I'd had.