Small Farmonomics 101

Providing Peace and Beauty

There is a game called Sid Meier's Civilization that has been around since the early 90’s that I still enjoy to this day. Within this game of exploration and civilizations through the ages, players can discover "Natural Wonders" such as Mt. Kilimanjaro, The Cliffs of Dover, and the Great Barrier Reef, to name a few. These natural wonders imbue the game tile with special attributes due to the natural beauty of the location, and they also provide benefits to the discovering civilization, including boosts to their culture, and when they are found a heavenly chorus and golden light announces their presence. I mention this particular aspect of the game because when I gaze out over the pasture and see the animals grazing happily, a similar effect takes place in my mind:

I’m partial to Kilimanjaro.

My doctor has assured me it is not a brain tumor, just a self-induced hallucination due to the amount of peace and contentment being experienced.

Statements like "Oh, look at that view," "It's so quiet out here," and "Wow, it's pretty out here" are uttered by every person who visits the homestead for the first time. I derive a lot of enjoyment from hearing people express their pleasure upon seeing the land, and at the same time I know it can be so much healthier and prettier. I have a mental image of what I want the pasture to look like in just a few years of what will be initially intensive management, which can then be slowly reduced as the pasture becomes diversified. I’m shooting for an audible gasp from a first timer as my indicator that I made it.

With each statement of awe that is spoken, I become more convinced that there needs to be a space on the land that is open to friends, family, and customers. This space would allow them to appreciate the view and peace without hindering the completion of daily chores on the homestead. It's important to remember that for small farmonomics, the goal is not to attempt to outcompete big producers with hundreds of acres and hundreds of thousands of dollars (debt) in equipment. Rather, it's about filling a personalized niche that they are unable to fulfill.

The opportunities that arise from opening the property to people who want to come out and enjoy the peace and quiet are a recurring daydream of mine. This is particularly true on the two hour-long commute to work and back, when I need something to daydream about other than truck mounted lasers and the ability to "force choke" certain drivers. Current negotiations with the bank account are looking positive for installing a deck onto the back of the house and setting up a few tables and chairs. This way, on any given day, someone who is already coming out to pick up milk, poultry and eggs, or veggies, can take a break and just breathe for a bit.

For the homestead to have a chance at succeeding, it's going to require a community of individuals and families who value what we are trying to achieve—raising animals and produce in a manner that closely aligns with the practices of the past 2000 years of recorded history, rather than relying solely on modern "advances" in agriculture. Intuition tells me that just like my pasture needs the right environment and guidance to grow, the same applies to growing our community and providing a place for people to gather and spend time with others. A place where they can simply enjoy the experience without needing to spend anything other than time. This, I believe, is exactly what is needed to propel our community and the homestead forward.

Tell me this isn’t what it feels like right now.

As the land transforms into a more wildflower and prairie-rich environment, its soil composition and insect activity will flourish, which will naturally support an even broader range of lifeforms and enhance its beauty through increased diversity. I believe that the potential to open up the pasture for small party venues exists, although that is a future prospect even beyond my current daydreaming ability. For now, I find contentment in witnessing the growth of life and guiding the pasture towards a healthier state of existence for the health of our four-legged critters and enjoyment of our two-legged community members!