Why do we do what we do?

My father asked me the other day how it felt being a farmer’s wife.  "I don't know" I replied.  "You should ask the Hubs how he likes being a farmer’s husband."  He chuckled, partly, I think because he knew it was true and partly because he thinks we are crazy. He thinks chickens and gardens are for people who are crunchy. "Wait..... Now you want bees, ducks and goats?  Next you will go get a cow." he says.  All the while I am thinking to myself “Yes, isn't it great?  I wouldn't trade this for all the gold on earth."

Why do I do what I do?  Well, I love my family and want what is best for them.  No I am not really that crunchy, just kind of crunchy.  I like growing my own food.  I know exactly what is in it and where is comes from.  

We are stewards of the earth.  I love that my kids understand exactly where their food comes from and are learning how to cultivate and nurture the soil to grow food.  Not destroy it.  Having the knowledge that if you put this tiny seed in the ground, give it some water and sunlight it will grow is something everyone should have.  We are teaching them how precious everything on this earth is.  No one should be afraid of the dirt.  The girls need to smell it, feel it, see it, and taste it (well maybe not taste it literally).  Dirt is life, life is good.    

My family knows what fresh is, this was part of a living plant about 3 seconds ago.  Not the supermarkets version of trucked halfway around the country "fresh".  Supermarkets do have their place and I think it is wonderful how you can buy raspberries in December (totally guilty of this!) but knowing what fresh tastes like is something you cannot describe to someone, they have to experience it for themselves.     

Maybe we are crazy; summertime is the Hubs' busy season.  Maybe we are not, most other people are busy with vacation plans and what not.  But each year here on our little plot of land manages to be better than the last and what may look like chaos to an outsider probably is.  It just works for us and I think that is all that matters.