week 11: staying open
this week on the little dream farm
Heading into last fall we knew it was a possibility but we were keeping it open ended.
This year we will not have any LDF cows for the summer, and we may not be doing any haying on our land.
Of course, there are many details and nuances that make up that last sentence, and yet that story is one I’ve chosen not to tell.
The relevant things I’ll mention here is that without any active farming taking place on our land, this year we lose the farming tax exemption that knocks off some of the total cost we pay in taxes—a minor inconvenience, as I’ve mentioned before our taxes doubled this past year—but not the end of the world.
Our cost for mowing also increases, as more of the acreage of the farm will get bush hogged as opposed to being hayed—another minor inconvenience, but also not the end of the world.
Additionally, we’ll have to buy in second cutting hay for the year from another nearby farmer. Again, another added cost that stings, but thankfully…not the end of the world.
More disappointing to us than the added costs is not getting to enjoy the presence of the LDF cows—spending the summer months watching them grazing the pastures, looking out the windows for them throughout the day, spending time with them in the pasture in the evening, getting to watch them run from one side of the farm to the other, getting to meet a new little herd and getting to know their personalities and who in the bunch is friendly and who is shy.
The farm really feels like a farm when they are here, and it loses a little of it’s magic at the end of the season when they leave. I’m sad we’ll be missing that this year.
The other downside is the hit the farm takes for not having the benefit of grazing animals roaming the pastures. It’s not just that it cuts down on mowing, it’s that the cattle contribute to an important ecosystem that adds health and vitality to the soil—something we’ve been working to improve naturally with as little inputs as possible.
Sometimes, even when you want it to, things just don’t play out the way you’d hoped or envisioned or planned.
As easy as it is to get disappointed by this, I like to keep the faith that sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together—and so we’re staying open for what that might look like.
We’ve put a bunch of feelers out and have connected with other farmers for some possible arrangements, and we’ll see where that takes us, whether that’s something we put in place for this season or possibly the following.
We will miss the LDF cows this year, and the farm will miss them, too.
And even if it’s not turned out or working out as we’d hoped, in the grand scheme of it all, we’re still glad this is something we get to think about, we get to experience, and we get to work through.
The only thing left for us to do…is continuing to look for other options, keeping the faith, and staying open to the possibility of something better coming along.
Boy did Little Lady give us a run for our money this week! She decided she was NOT happy about baby Jimmy living in her space, so she started marking all over the house. Thankfully, we’re very experienced with both cat behavior, and cat messes, so we’re doing just fine, but many of you asked me this week what we use to clean cat messes. You want this enzymatic urine spray, it’s one product we always keep on hand. It’s not enough to just use a cleaner- you need to break down the enzymes in the urine to actually tackle the smell. Add this one to your cart and keep it on hand, for sure. This one is the cat spray—if you have dogs you’ll want to look for the bottle with a dog on it, as the enzymes in cat and dog urine are totally different!
Chris and I both have Airpods that have started to fail around the same time. Prior to them, we used to wear these headphones that wrap around the back of your head and fit over your ear. Instead of spending hundreds again for new Airpods, we went back to this trusty pair—they’re so great for walking, running, gardening—essentially anything where you’re outside moving around.
Here’s another tool for your self-care toolkit. I recently got this myofascial release tool and trigger point massager. I personally purchased it for lymphatic massage, but you can use it for soreness after workouts, to massage and reduce the appearance of cellulite, or just because it feels so dang good! There are some other smaller and less expensive options, but I tried those out and none of them compared to this particular tool.
*Note: Not all, but some of these links are affiliate links. That’s no matter to you, as it costs you nothing. However, if you make a purchase, we -may- receive a teeny weeny commission.
There are reasons things change. We may not like it or understand it. Sit back, rewind a bit & keep the door open. I have learned so much from you, Sarah. I would not handle this cow decision very well. I would cry & probably act like a child for a while. “It’s not fair,” & stomp my feet. But not you or Chris. Nope, you two look at the bright side. The possibilities. We will all miss the cows, especially the newborn calves. I hope another option comes through. Keep the faith! 🙏🏼🫶🏼
Awwww I too am going to miss seeing them. We have some here near me and I always look for them when I ride by. They all have bells on. So cute. Thanks for the info for the spraying. My son has one cat that sprays, so I forwarded it to him. ❤️