Rhythm

Deep in the challenge of writing and reflecting weekly, is buried the question: what have I learned, what growth did I experience? The achiever in me is full of pessimism as I reflect on all that was NOT done because of the holidays, a family round robin of Covid and then an even nastier virus which had Lewis and Lovett with high fevers for a week followed by almost two weeks of Racey and Nathan in similar fashion. Yet when the more open and curious side of me is willing to dig for that nugget of wisdom buried in those questions I am left with the notion that there is a rhythm to all things. 

The farm teaches us every day the rhythms of life I so often forget. The seasons change, the weather shifts, we are all living and growing and with growth comes death like two figures opposite one another on a merry-go-round. Sickness and health remind me of the internal rhythms of my body. So often I ignore the calendar and signs of the coming winter and end up with frozen water lines; so too do I ignore the tickling signs in my body as sickness or infection threatens to take hold. Am I willing to change my rhythm accordingly?

Even now as I resume our routine of morning oatmeal and winter garb before heading to school or out on the farm I feel slow and frustrated at the memory of “before.” As I dig I also remember my own rhythm of energy. I cannot and do not want to sustain what the achiever side of me wants all the time. Therein lies the growth of the slowness of the last few weeks: accepting my own rhythm.

I am grateful to be feeling better.

A New Coat of Paint

Benjamin has been working on doing some repair work in preparation for a new coat of paint in our processing facility. As you can imagine, after years of daily hot water washing, spraying and use, the walls have some holes, chipped paint and damage. So we are using these cold months to do some needed repairs in preparation for the coming season. 

A New Place to Find Us

This week I took a drive down to visit the lovely folks at Honest Weight Co-op in Albany NY. We have been talking with them over the last couple of months about the possibility of them carrying our chicken in their lovely store. Sometimes I forget that the vast majority of people buy their food at the grocery store, and so they are limited to the options presented to them by what is actually on the shelves. 

I have yet to find any meat on a grocery store shelf that is Pasture Raised AND Organic, and so it was an exciting conversation to hear from them that they thought their customers would be interested in our products. They placed their first order and our chicken is now in the frozen section! If you know anyone in the Albany area let them know they can find us there, and if they like what they taste, tell them they can support us directly by buying on our website.