The transition seasons – spring and autumn –
are never long enough.
They sneak up on you and are over before you know it.
These are the times I try to savor.
They are the sweetest times of the year.
They are times of planning, times of reflection.
I spend a lot of time thinking about the future of this farm, and all the potential it has. In the time I have been working here, it has been fascinating to watch the farm grow and change. One of the most fun parts about looking forward to the future of the farm, is that the possibilities are endless. It can be whatever we want it to be, we are the artists of this farm organism. All of us.
I was recently listening to an interview with Sir Ken Robinson on TED radio. As part of his talk about education and teachers, he told a story about a 6 year old girl quietly drawing in her art class. The teacher approached the girl and asked what she was drawing. The girl answered,
“I am drawing a picture of God”
The teacher replied, “But nobody knows what God looks like”
Very matter-a-factly the girl came back with,
“Well, now they will”
This story resonated with me because in this business of building a small diversified dairy farm, there are no blueprints. Sure, there are examples to draw from, but this farm is unique and it is our responsibility to propel it into an image for the future.
Farms are closing all the time, especially dairy farms. On my drive out to Wisconsin, I saw too many abandoned farms. The future of so many farms is a huge unknown. This story is inspring to be because this girl decided that she would illustrate the unknown. No sense leaving anything up to chance.
In this transitional time, my mind fills with how to make my vision a reality. How to fit all those tiny pieces together and work towards a clear goal. What fun! Especially when the leaves are turning into sparks and the sunset view from the office window is the Berkshires ablaze.
