Farmers Unite!

   

     Don't know when your label shifts from gardener to farmer, but 4 years into the sport and you start to hear (by reputation if nothing else), of fellow farmers whose operations have become synonymous with getting it. (And by "it" I mean the juggle of it all...There is more to this farm living stuff than meets the eye. For a career so wholesome on the outside, I take small comfort in knowing it is just as pressure filled for everyone I meet who is likewise driven to farm, but stretched too thin in doing so.)
     Fortunately, there's a wealth of support through things like UT ag campus and extension offices. And there are non-profits, educational initiatives and cooperative efforts like Master Gardeners and Pick Tennessee on top of networking opportunities and field days to keep you up on the latest and in touch  with others. If anyone needs a support group, it's farmers. I keep thinking there should be a 12-step program...some Farmer's Anonymous to keep us sane through drought and blight and heat and bug infestations, but who would have time to attend?
     It was an early morning drive that I nearly talked myself out of, owing to the fact that I was behind on a number of things having cried my weekend away over the loss of a pup. But we rallied, we fed critters quickly and we made it to beautiful Spring Hill just in time for kickoff of the "Fruits of the Backyard" symposium where we met and talked with other Tennesseans specializing in everything from blueberry farms to canning to land trusts.
     I come away from these things in a state of sensory overload, marveling at the depths of knowledge it would take 10 lifetimes to absorb and the genuine people whose lives make it possible for us newbies to even think we have a shot at figuring it out. Like today, I start out wide-eyed and hopeful, looking for some tidbit of trivia to help me better maintain the balance of growing and learning...  some sage wisdom from the masters bestowed upon an ambitious though naive weed hopper like me. While I learn something, the constant take-away is an even deeper sense of awe and respect for a profession too often taken granted and a renewed sense of overwhelm for all there is to learn on top of all that waits back home just waiting to be weeded.
   

Distractions and Focus

     Two sides / Same coin.
     (Seems dichotomy is my word for the week.)

     On a day I woke up to so many challenges I didn't even want to get out of bed, I kept to my pre- scheduled "to do" list....Why? Because I had a test. And sometimes, when I'm not quite sure where life is taking me, I sign up for a course... Cause even if I'm not so sure where the current of my river is flowing, well at least with a course, there's a syllabus to help me paddle through!

     Good news: Test passed!

     Funny part, as I arrive home to unwind and make a late night snack for some really deserving pups... A friend texts to ask: "What nutball chooses exams to unwind by?"

     (Turns out, I do. Not that I love exams. I don't. But turns out it's my own little brain trick...When it is imperative I focus, I focus. For all the other ADD-support group wanna be's out there, I'm sure you get this...Those who don't...Well, that's ok too. We've got a chair for you in the next meeting.)

     Meanwhile, I'm in.  Mission accomplished. Tomorrow I'll resume the whole "falling down rafters/ floors with no bracing/ missing materials/ barn wood that never got delivered/ billing situation" that today I opted to block from my head in order to pass my final exam so as to be a better gardener.

     Point is, my mind and my life craved this distraction today...For reasons more personal than a blog will permit, I needed this. (Did I mention I passed?) Makes me master of nothing mind you, but when cramming for tests is preferable to the petty, worldly squabbles of your day it does kinda make you want to hunker down, open a journal and take a few notes....

     (at least it does for me)

     Good news is...Tomorrow's a new day...(and everything put on hold today, will no doubt, be right there waiting for me in the morning....of this I'm sure).

Master Gardening 101

   

     The only thing I love more than creating, is learning something new (so that I can create some more). And when your schedule's full already, I've learned the way to incorporate new is to take it bit by bit, one step at a time...one class at a time if you're into the discipline thing. (Sometimes it helps to commit to others so as to keep yourself on track.)
     I knew it was a time commitment; on the other hand, I knew if I wanted to get better with the whole gardening thing, the secret was to keep on learning...expand my horizons.
     I've bragged in blogs past on the local Ag Extension office. A division of the University of Tennessee's Ag department, every county has one, and may I just reiterate: Best kept secret in all of gardening and farming. I was first introduced to this office when I went to put up a goat fence and the guy installing it asked if I'd run it by the Ag Office. "What? It's a fence. Not a barn...Tell me there are no codes." "Naw" he said..."There's help!" That little sentence launched the beginning of one of my greatest relationships in the world...That being with the office solely created to help folks like me tackle something so multi-faceted as starting a farm or garden. These folks have answers for everything, and if they don't, they'll find 'em. From licensed well-drillers to proper goat fencing to farm financing ....you name it and there is someone who'll walk you through it. I kid you not, this is the greatest resource known to the first time farmer. I truly cannot say enough.
     A time commitment, yes, and a little bit of money, but already I can tell the investment will pay off as I made my way to my first "Master Gardening" class. With a handbook larger than anything I ever digested in undergrad or grad courses, these folks take their gardening seriously, and the panel of specialist there to mentor us through was worth the price of the ticket alone.
     So in addition to cute goat signs and pup-updates, get ready for the tidbits of trivia this one's gonna net you. If the reading isn't fascinating enough, the hands on volunteer projects are sure to keep me hopping. (There's a reason our state is so green. And the reason I personally think we're this nation's garden of Eden.) Here's to the folks who saw value in making a master's program out of it. I, for one have my notebook ready and my highlighters on hand. (Wasn't too keen on last night's pop quiz, but it was encouraging to know there are specialists to call for everything from soil to trees to winter grasses, and I for one, plan to have every one of them in my speed dial before this thing is through!)