As cool weather reminds us to go back inside and put on an extra layer in the morning, the sun also hints at the same change as darkness comes earlier every evening. September marks change with broad brush strokes, like a four-year-old painting with watercolors for the first time. Weather, daylight, school to name a few, are present in our minds as the calendar marks that arbitrary moment when we turn the page to a new month.
Fall always reminds me of the rhythm of life; there is always change, even in July when it seems as though summer will last forever. In many ways of thinking the season of fall is the time of looking inward, of introspection and even grief. And so as the calendar page turns I am looking inward and behind.
One lens through which to look backwards is this very email. A little over four years ago I set a small, inward goal to write every week; to share something from my heart. During these four years much has changed and many things have remained the same. In the spirit of the coming fall and the close of the fourth year of writing I will share some of my reflections as I look back through all that has come and gone.
As a parent the pictures of Lewis and Lovett are striking, to see them as they were 4 years ago: often naked and with varying haircuts. The spring and summer of 2020 are particularly poignant as I remember the time during lockdown on the farm with just us.
Watching our business grow and change through the weekly updates is also emotional for me. Here are some standouts as I traversed the switchbacks of the last four years:
- In the spring of 2020 we had just over 200 subscribers to our email list. At the time of this writing we have almost 1,700 subscribers!
- In 2020 we packed over 500 orders. In 2024 we have already packed over 1,128 orders and we’re only just done with August.
- 2020 marked a concerted effort to raise enough chicken to support our customers. We built a new style of coop, a new brooder and added new processing equipment. We raised 2700 chickens in 2020 (which was more than double the year before). In 2024 we will raise 8,500 chickens!
The last four years have marked growth and perspective on life for our family in many ways. 2020 brought us a new view on health and sickness with the onset of the Covid pandemic. 2021 was marked by a summer in bed, sciatic pain, healing and introspection. In 2022 Racey had her own time in bed after cancer cells were found in her cervix and the subsequent surgery and recovery. 2023 was so many things, in hindsight it was the time of processing the past two years. And here we are in 2024, Racey and I are collaborating more than ever in our business with the intention of working together. We have an amazing team, I am a certified Somatic Coach and we are hosting our very first Retreat on the Farm this month!
My Top 11 Posts (10 was too hard):
Personal
Learning
Farm Updates
Appreciation
Thank you to everyone who reads my words. I smile every time I hear the joy and appreciation from someone who reads our weekly thoughts.
In gratitude,
Nathan
Reber Rock Farm Blog 