The Chaotic Farm Life, Firewood, Chicken Processing
After almost seven months of wood burning, this week we let the fire go out of the outdoor wood stove. Although I’m not filling up the wood stove everyday anymore, still no break from firewood yet. Cutting, hauling, and splitting more wood for the fall.
On Monday we processed over 200 chickens for another local farm. We’re thankful for the friends and family that came to help. We’re harvesting another group for them this coming week. Amy and the kids ended the day by planting some carrots, kale, spinach, and lettuce in the garden while I split and ricked a load of wood. It was a tiring but good day.
Amy spent a lot of time in the kitchen, both at home and the on-farm kitchen at the barn. We smoked three pork butts and three beef briskets. Amy spent half a day packaging and vacuum sealing the pulled pork smoked brisket in addition to the multi-day processes of making and packaging more beef bone broth and chicken bone broth.
More mowing and weed eating the yard, cabins, and barn area as the cows continue to mow through the pastures. Our first group of chicks will be moving out to pasture from the brooder next week, so it’s time for setting up and repairing chicken shelters. A big batch of almost 1000 chicks arrive to the farm today, so yesterday we had to make preparations in the brooder to be ready for them.
Sunday afternoon was the highlight of my week as we made our first visit to the river. The kids get to play and explore the waters while Amy and I get to sit. Although we try (not always succeeding) to make Sunday a day of rest for our family, there was no resting down by the river for Carter as she worked tirelessly picking up rocks and continuously heaving them into the water.
It was a good week, as most weeks are. It was also an overwhelming week, as most weeks are. Amy and I had arguments. The kids fought with each other. I yelled at the kids. Multiple times. Wren missed out on riding horses with cousin Meg because she threw a fit. Hasten missed out on the fun the next day because he didn’t have his school work done. Plenty of tears and meltdowns. We are living the dream. But the reality of that dream is often a chaotic mess. I’ve always been better at making a mess than cleaning it up. I guess the kids come by it honest. Ha. Grateful for another week and for all the ups and downs that come with it.
Along those lines, I’ve been listening to “Life is Hard God is Good Let’s Dance” by Brant Hansen.
“There’s something I’ve noticed about people I consider spiritually mature, something I admire, they can and do laugh at themselves a lot. I want to be like that. We tend to think of spiritual stuff as solemn stuff, but the most spiritual people, the most Jesus driven people I’ve run across sure laugh easily and much.”
“Being willing to look goofy is freeing, and it completely fits a faith that is founded on humility and trust and childlikeness and a willingness to be uncool.”
I especially related to this one:
“For some of us awkwardness comes more easily than it does to others. I pity those who have to work at it. Me, I’m a natural. Awkwardness usually peaks in middle or high school, but I like to think I’m still peaking.”
Have a good week.
Will