Time is the Inevitable Thief
Ecclesiastes 3:1
As we got ready to ring in the New Year, a song kept coming to mind, The Hymn of Promise, and it is seriously my favorite hymn. It is a song that makes me remember my grandpa and just the start of a new beginning. If you haven't heard it, you can find it on YouTube or any other place to find hymns but it always has me thinking about how there is a season for everything. Now as farmers we realize that the seasons are very important to what we do. Those seasons are valuable to us, but one thing I realized the other day as I was looking back on all things 2022 for the farm, is this past year went way too fast!
Honestly, where did 2022 go? I went back through all my blog posts and I didn't get to write anything beyond April! Yet so much happened, there could have been some great posts, even better ways to tell our farm story and yet time was the inevitable thief that took all of it away. Maybe it was just me that would wake up in the early morning hours and think about all the things I could get done and before I knew it, the day was gone. It was if one minute I looked at the clock and the next a whole day slipped through the cracks.
I could have wrote about the struggles with animal health, the constant break downs that we had, the lack of rain, the abundance of tomatoes, or fun stuff about the kids and horses. None of it got logged, the story never got shared, and I sit here rolling into 2023 hoping that I can be better at sharing our farm's story. The season of 2022 is now over but we are starting a new season today and some of us have hopes it will get better, some of us are worried this might be the year we lose the family farm, and others are struggling with the idea of cutting back on their livestock. Whatever the situation is for many of us farmers we are looking at this as a brand new season.
Are you thinking about similar questions too? Think about it in the US alone farmers and ranchers make up less than 2% of the population. I was reading some fun facts about agriculture the other day and learned that one farm feeds around 166 people annually, but with the population steadily increasing, it is projected that 70% more food will need to be grown by 2050. 2050 is not that far off when we think about it and the inflation rate is crippling farmers and ranchers so what if just half of us cut our farming by 20%-40% in 2023? This is the reality we all face as we turn the new year. It's hard to sit here and look at the price increases and wonder what we can do? how we can do it? what do we have to stop doing? These questions that I have peaked my interest to look through the many seasons of our own farm. The farm has been through many transitions and economies throughout the 122 years that it has been in our family but one particular period stood out for me.
The period from the late 1970's to the mid 1980's. During this time period inflation continued to rise much like it is now and farmers and ranchers struggled. In my family, this was always a period my grandpa referred to as the dairy crisis. Many small dairy farms sold out, our farm being one. It was a time where my grandma said that things just were tight and they couldn't keep going. However, there was never a thought of selling the farm, it was a matter of what to do to keep the farm. At that point in time, our farm became more of a hobby farm and that is how I knew it growing up. A farm that still fed people with produce on a small scale and raised some sheep. Everyone worked outside jobs and that was just how it went. Now, we want to transition the farm to something more. We want it to be a place where the sixth generation is able to work and raise their families and make a living. We want it to be a place for the community to find fresh food and also a place to find comfort with the animals. We want it to be a place where youth can come to learn about agriculture. We just have a vision to make it more than just a hobby. However, we have to travel through this current season. This is a season that I will admit I am nervous about.
As I approach this season of 2023, many changes lie in the wait. I know this season will be one with growth, yet heartache, one to prosper, yet lose big, and a season of change. I know this season will not be an easy one and many things will have us second guessing our moves, but one thing is going to bring us through and that is God. He will be our strength, guide, and our biggest supporter of all things farming. So if you have a farmer friend, pray for them, encourage them, and listen to their story. If you support our farm, know that we appreciate you more than you realize. As we conclude the first day of this new season, it is my prayer that I can only be better at telling you our story, that we can help more people this year through the therapeutic program, and that more youth and families come to learn more about our farm. I also pray that this new season is a prosperous one for all. I pray that you find the strength to take on this new season called 2023!
As Always
Farming with Faith and Family
God Bless,
Amanda
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