As I write this I couldn’t be more enthused about all those tomorrows in this New Year. Because for me, this could be my year to join in your ranks, to become one of you, to be a farmer.
My husband and I have always discussed a dream of farming one day. When we married, we purchased a home in the country with hopes we could buy the nearby land. As we learned the owners didn’t have much interest in selling it after all, we sought out land, a home and buildings elsewhere.
Last May, we pulled the trigger and put an offer in on a beautiful old Victorian home surrounded by 55 arable acres.
The house could quickly become a money pit, the land was rolling and there was not a perfect place for livestock buildings.
Yet we were chasing our dream and believed we could make it work. Unfortunately our offer was turned down, only for the family to accept another offer four months later for $5,000 less than ours. This is where our faith that there is a better plan out there carried us forward.
This fall we were seriously considering putting another offer in on a farm just four kilometers from our current property.
We stood in the driveway there many times, discussing what needed to be done, including building a barn for livestock, what to do with the existing barns and shed, and how we could modify a house that had already seen multiple renovations.
Beyond that, we knew we’d be in for a bidding war. Not only were we considering the property, but also other farmers in the area would slow down to look it over while moving from field to field for harvest.
We were encouraged to throw in an offer amongst theirs, yet neither of us felt overly compelled to do so. Again, this just didn’t seem to be our plan.
In a Christmas miracle, we received a call from the estate that owns the land surrounding our home; the land we originally wished for could be ours.
They are looking to sell! So in amongst meeting with lenders and discussing our options, we can’t help but believe in the promise of tomorrow and the wonder of what 2012 will bring.
Will we finally be owners of a substantial piece of earth? Will planting mean more than helping family and watching the neighbours? Will we see our first harvest? Will we be able to show our children first-hand the benefits that can be reaped from toil and tillage of the soil?
Now that I’ve shared my aspirations for the year, I hope I’ve inspired you to think about yours. Perhaps you’re a beginner like me with dreams much the same.
Maybe you’re a veteran gearing up to pass the torch on to the next generation. (If so, I encourage you to read the two articles, "Why farmers love carrots" and "The greatest legacy: Preparing the next generation.") Or, you could be one of the lucky ones who are living the dream. If that’s the case, I encourage you to ponder a new dream or goal to work towards in the tomorrows yet to come.
In an article about tomorrow, I would be remiss not to mention the articles you’ll find within addressing the care and feeding of calves and heifers "Ventilating calf barns for cold weather" and "Feeding calves and heifers for efficiency and production." They are tomorrow’s herd, after all.
With that, I’ll leave you to your dreaming with a quote from Albert Einstein: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”
