Monday, December 30, 2013

Why we do what we do

This is actually a post that I've been meaning to write for a long time, but I just kept putting it off or couldn't find the right way to express my thoughts.  Since we moved here and started this life, the most common questions I get are, "You just finished your PhD, and you're farming? Why on earth would you do that?  Don't you want to use your degree? What about research, won't you miss it?"  I could go on.  Anna gets these questions as well, so it goes both ways.

The short answer is -- yes, I just spent 10 years (yes, 10 years!) in graduate school, and now I'm farming. We couldn't be happier with our decision.  One of the things we find to be the hardest about this decision is explaining it to other people, and for me, feeling like I have to justify our choice.

The short of it is this -- we wanted a slower paced life, a simpler life, a life where we could provide for ourselves as opposed to going to work all day to make money to pay people to do the things we couldn't do for ourselves because we were at work.  We fully recognize that we are totally fortunate to be able to let go of our full time jobs in order to make this life for ourselves. We are working towards being able to make enough income from our farm to stop relying on savings.

Our goal for the first year was to get some infrastructure in place -- build a chicken coop, make a garden, get some beehives, install a greenhouse, etc.  We've gotten a lot accomplished this year, but we still have so many basic infrastructure things on our horizon -- finishing the greenhouse (that is an entire blog post itself -- maybe more than one), building a root cellar, establishing a business plan (this is a biggie -- we have no business experience)….the list goes on.  

Gratuitous picture of Oliver being adorable.

As far as using our degrees, missing research, etc. -- I really don't feel like my time in graduate school was for not.  There are a lot of basic biological principles that we apply to our lives here daily.  Having Anna's vet degree comes in handy at least once a day.  She's acutely aware of things that I wouldn't even notice -- a puffy eye on a chicken, the way an animal's gait changes when they're in pain, etc.  We have some pretty big plans to expand our animals here in the next couple years (stand by for more info), and I know that her skills will be invaluable when that time comes.  And as far as research is concerned -- there are, indeed, agricultural journals, and I have a couple friends who have published in them regarding some experimental techniques, etc.  We aren't looking to do that in the near future, but I'm certain it will be something we do in time. Additionally, all the time we both spent in school instilled a great desire to always be learning.  While I believe that one can always be learning no matter what your profession, I feel this is especially true in what we've decided to do.  Neither of us grew up farming -- Anna has always had a garden, but so much of this is new to us.  The learning curve is steep…and sometimes unforgiving. The amount we've learned in the past year is mind boggling, and I know we have more to learn yet…and always.

…and gratuitous Olive to break up the long flow of text with her cuteness.

Going back to the why of it all -- I really love living more in tune with nature and the seasons. It just seems the more natural way to be. In the summer, we're full of energy and life -- things are growing, the days are long and warm, and we are just more energized.  In the winter, things have settled -- the growing has stopped (or at least slowed), the days are short, dark, and cold, and we find ourselves wanting more sleep and less chaos. You can easily see these trends in nature -- both plants and animals are more active in the summer and spend a lot of that time preparing for winter when things are slower and less abundant. Obviously, not all plants/animals fit into this mold, but you get the idea (the biologist in me required that caveat).

This aspect of our decision was a big one for me.  I truly believe that this cyclical pattern to life is essential instead of the go-go-go to which we've all become so accustomed. Clearly, you don't have to change your entire life to do this, but for us, it was the right thing.  We wanted a life that was more centered on living.  Ironically, or maybe not, it is just this thing that has been the hardest for me lately.  I have become totally unable to happily have a slower winter.  It's like I have ants in my pants.  We have quite the winter projects list, and yet, I feel like I'm not doing anything….and it is driving me CRAZY!

This is something I've really been working on since moving up here -- learning how to chill out.  I blame my 10 years of graduate school for this one. Even after we've spent the day doing a ton of stuff around here, I often have the feeling that I didn't do any 'work' that day.  It is hard for me to grasp that what we used to do on the weekends is now what we do all the time….and on a grander scale.

One of the things that a lot of people who ask us the 'why' question think is that we're not doing anything with ourselves, that we've basically stopped working just because we haven't followed the traditional paths after graduate school. I find, for me, that even I'm struggling with the valuation of the work that we're doing here, so I have to understand when other people think we've lost it.  In my heart, I know we're doing a lot of work, and we're doing good work. I'm still working on getting my mind to agree, and that's ok.

So, in short (or not so short), this is why we do what we do.  And with that….

…gratuitous Baxter, looking adorable as always.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Our newest addition.

If you've been following our blog, then you know that our family seems to be ever expanding as of late.  We started with 2 dogs, 1 tortoise, and 1 axolotl.  We soon expanded to include 8 ducks, 9 chickens, and 1 more tortoise. Well, we've expanded once again…

Welcome, Baxter!  
We weren't even thinking of getting another dog, but Baxter just seemed to seamlessly fall into our family.  A coworker of Anna's from the clinic in Kittery sent Anna a picture of this guy with the caption, "Look who we have as a stray, available for adoption TODAY!"  Anna said when she saw the picture of him, her immediate thought was, "This could work and could be really good for our family." This is not the gut reaction one would expect her to have as we already have two dogs including one who doesn't get along very well with other dogs.  That being said, when she sent me the picture, I responded with, "OMG! It's our new family member!"  In all fairness, I was half joking, but I had a sneaking suspicion she wasn't.

I happened to be passing through Kittery the very next day (See?  Seamless.), so I stopped in to check him out.  It was my job to report back if he was family material or not.  Well, he won me over instantly.  He is a pretty typical 1-ish yr old Australian Cattle Dog -- in other words, he's kind of a crazy man.  In his defense, however, he had been in a kennel for the past 10 days.  Even Oliver would be wound after that much time in a kennel! Baxter had obviously been worked with before because he knows some basic commands.  His biggest challenge is keeping himself under control.  He has a LOT of energy and very little body awareness (read: bull in a china shop).

At any rate, he's been home with us since Thursday evening, and he has made some SERIOUS strides since his arrival.  Simply taking him for long walks (a couple hours in the morning and about an hour in the evening) is enough to keep his energy at a reasonable level. One of the main reasons we decided to adopt him was that we know we have the time and space, right now, to really give him what he needs.  Cattle dogs (and most herding breeds) need a TON of exercise and they need structure and someone to really commit to working with them.  Our guess is that his previous owners thought he was a cute puppy but didn't know what they were getting into with an adult cattle dog.  Breed research is SO important, but it is a step people often skip.  We know what we're getting into, we are ready for it, and working with him is so rewarding.

And now -- a photo montage of our walk today.

Oliver -- a.k.a., Farm Manager, Yard Boss, Teddy.  I'm pretty sure that he's enjoying the new addition as much as anyone because he gets a LOT more treats with all this training going on.  Baxter really wants to play with Teddy, and they have played some fetch together, but Teddy's not really down for the wrestling that Baxter's interested in doing.

Olive -- a.k.a. Weetus, Farm Manager. We are really hoping that Baxter and Olive can become good friends and that Baxter will become a good playmate for her.  Olive doesn't like change in her routine, so the addition of a high energy young dog is going to take some time.  So far, their interactions have been really positive.  Olive has been off leash on walks while Baxter is on leash because we want it to be her choice when they interact.  So far, so good, and there have been some good butt sniffs in both directions. We've been keeping them separate in the house, but this morning Olive voluntarily came downstairs to hang out for a while.  Baxter was on leash, but the entire interaction was good, and we made sure to end it on a positive note. 
On day 1, walking on a leash was REALLY hard! Three days later, he's walking right next to us, loose leash, and focused.  He still has a lot to learn, but the progress we've made in the past three days is pretty amazing.  Even though he would be totally worn out by a lot of running, trying to walk like a gentleman is really mentally exhausting. We're alternating between heeling and free time, and he really seems to be getting it. :)
We're also working on focusing on us and looking to us for instruction.  Olive and Oliver already have this down, but it is good practice for everyone and provides positive close encounters for all dogs. 
Staying with me can be REALLY hard when your siblings are running around like crazy people!  Positive interactions all around!

When he's not walking with us, he has 'free time' on the leash.  He's allowed to roam and sniff all he wants.  What usually ends up happening at some point is free time turns into snuggle time.  This guy is a serious love bug, and all he wants to do is snuggle.  We do need to work on petting him and giving him affection without it turning into crazy dog time.  And now, a snuggle-fest montage in which Teddy is totally positive that Baxter missed a treat somewhere…..

YAY! You're petting me!

This is my best day EVER! 
I can get closer to you, I know I can!

YAY! I love this SO much!

I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna kiss ya!

Look out!
And if a two hour walk through the forest wasn't enough, our morning walks end with some long line fetch and working on recall. :)

He's fast!  And, again, Teddy is looking for dropped treats.

We're working on getting the ball back.  We've made some progress, but there's always more to do. 

So, there you have it.  We couldn't be happier with his progress, and we're positive he'll fit in perfectly to our family.  It is possible that the cumulative days of exercise are starting to catch up with him.  After our morning walk, he is lying quietly in his crate (which he has taken to like a CHAMP!) and struggling to keep his eyes open.