Staying Power

Reader Contribution by Eron Drew
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It is no secret that summer is a hectic season on a farmstead. As the snow melts, the waiting work unfolds before us. There are endless tasks to be completed in a limited amount of time….it can be daunting. Leisure becomes a thing of the past as we scramble to prune the trees, prepare the soil, plant the crops, weed, harvest, process the bounty, re-sow, repeat. And, of course, there are the animals and bees that require a similar amount of care and attention, implements and tools to be fixed and usually children to be raised.

For most modern farmsteaders, this list of chores happens in the hours before and after attending to another ‘real’ job; the 9-5 kind. To be fair, many farmsteaders are happy for this routine. In an age of unlimited convenience, we are a unique breed of individuals that still value hard work and gain satisfaction from doing a job ourselves….even if it means giving up our free time to do it.

The secret to being a successful long-term farmsteader is to find a balance that supports both mental and physical well-being and allows you to accomplish your goals at the same time. For our family, this has taken years of practice.

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