Office Reflections

It’s mid-December here on the homestead...sometimes, it seems there is never a dull moment.

Today was no different. Even on this slower Sabbath day, we’re all still keeping busy.

It’s a different kind of busy for us, now that we’re becoming homesteaders.

There’s a slowness to the day, working on our own time – yet the time flies.

Especially on days where Grandma and Grandpa are babysitting for the evening!

The family grows and continues to evolve, and we are pleased to be able to help one another.

Here we all are, three years into our residency on the homestead, yet it’s all still new.

During chores this afternoon and tidying up the office after a meeting with the tenant farmer...

...it dawned on ol’ Uncle Rob, the reality of the current situation that he found himself.

Let’s revisit that last statement:

During chores this afternoon and tidying up the office after a meeting with the tenant farmer...

There are many times where I feel like I don’t have any idea what I’m doing with my life.

I can only speak for my own personal life and not for the life of my family, yet I will try.

We grew up in the suburbs, as did my father.

My mother was a little more country from Butler County, located in Western Pennsylvania.

In the year 2020, here we are...three years into life together as adults and homesteaders.

Their dream of building a retirement home here has transitioned into something different.

My parents’ have been selling products at the farmers market for the last decade.

I am actively managing certain details of the property, including the market garden.

This has become a cooperative endeavor with the farming performed by tenant farmers.

The term “tenant farmer” itself was actually discussed in detail today during a meeting.

A casual meeting today was had between Uncle Rob and one of the two tenant farmers, Cody.

Looking back, Uncle Rob advertised the high tunnel for rent in February of 2017.

Later that year, Ken Roe signed on as our first tenant farmer, and farmed for two seasons alone.

In late 2018/early 2019, Cody Grey joined the York Meadow Farm cooperative farming model.

Two years later, we find ourselves at the end of another season drawing to a close.

After concluding this article, Uncle Rob is going to get ready for another Monday at the day job.

I’m grateful for the flexibility I have with my job to allow me to engage in my community.

If it wasn’t for the freedom and flexibility from the day job, it’d be considerably more difficult.

Working within the community is helping me find my purpose, my passion, my why.

It’s also helping me simply enjoy this life with my fellow humans that I’m sharing it with.

Life is short, everyone – may we live the best life possible.