I was brushing my teeth this week when Greg walked into the bathroom and pronounced: “Ski goggles! I don’t know what I’ve been doing without them!”
Ski goggles are absolutely not the sort of thing you’d consider critical farm equipment. But they’re 100% on my list of farm necessities now that we’ve discovered how truly helpful they are!
Without them, working outside all day in the blowing snow and sleet is a bear, requiring a lot of squinting and fatigued occular muscles!
I could say the same for the hockey sticks. Like the goggles, their intended use is obviously far more fun than what I’m about to describe. But their secondary use truly makes such a difference in our lives.
You see, after we get a big snowfall, we need to clear the fence lines around the farm (as fast as is humanly possible) so that the lines stay electrified and don’t short out. And most importantly, so that the animals can see the boundaries of their paddocks and don’t go wandering.
We use hockey sticks – yes, actual carbon fiber hockey sticks – to clear snow away from the fence lines. Besides the fact that they don’t conduct electricity and prevent us from shocking ourselves (yes, this used to happen all the time), the best part is that we don’t need to bend down and risk straining our backs while we’re doing the job, which can take several hours sometimes!
Our happiness around here, especially with some of the more mundane tasks, sometimes hinges on our ability to embrace this sort of creative resourcefulness and think outside the box. And if I’m being honest, I’m not sure where exactly it comes from.
It’s certainly not written about in farm books (trust me, we’ve looked!) or taught in agricultural programs.
It just seems to sprout up during those desperately frustrating moments when you’re trying to do this one simple act – grow amazing food for your community – and inevitably hit those stumbling blocks.
It reminds me of something important I’ve learned this year: where there is frustration, there is an opportunity for growth.
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – We’re picking up another batch of our FRESH ORGANIC PORK this weekend! Order ahead HERE and stay tuned because we’re collecting monetary donations for the World Food Program to help families in Ukraine who are in desperate need of food!
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