There’s a section of the farm that’s been on our radar for a while. It’s about 8 acres in size and sits beside what we call the Back Field – the field farthest from the Farm Store.
This is the one and only part of the farm that’s remained entirely inaccessible to us in a farming sense of the word. And it’s all due to the creek that runs alongside it.
A bridge was in order right from the start. After all, this would be the only way to get the animals in and out of this area on the regular.
But as often happens, priorities must shift. And the project of building the bridge and getting the pigs into this forest was bumped to the back burner.
And while we were waiting to make our move, the forest did what it does best and it matured right before our very eyes. It’s astounding, really, to see how vastly different this area looks now compared to when we got started.
What was once a nice clear understory with moderately sized trees is now an overcrowded mess. And what this means for us is that the work required to rotationally graze the pigs here (think clearing and maintaining fence lines!) just got way more complicated.
In times like these, I’m reminded of a phrase that Greg learned on his trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro years ago. “Polepole,” is what the guides said to him, again and again, as they journeyed up the mountain together.
In Swahili, it means slowly, slowly – a gentle reminder to Greg and the other hikers in his company to take their time, watch their steps, and keep the end goal in mind.
We’re doing exactly that this week, recognizing that just installing the culvert pipe and getting the bridge in place is a major step forward. The rest will come. Polepole.
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – We’ve got a great selection of pork at the Farm Store this weekend – everything from sausages and ham steaks for easy weeknight dinners to breakfast ham and bacon for delicious breakfasts. Order ahead HERE, and we’ll look forward to seeing you soon.
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