Crucible Moment

Jed and I moved to Kansas to follow our dreams. His father gave him the okay to use a small plot of land on his 30-acre farm to grow. We would be close to family, and learning about the ins-and-outs of farming organically and sustainably. Jed's sister moved out here with her family just a few months before we showed up, her husband taking on the responsibility to manage the family farm and to grow it into a CSA.

To support this dream, we had hoped that Jed could bring in a small income while I taught art at a high school in-town. However, over the last few months, I have watched as Jed has searched for employment here in Kansas. He has talked with individuals, contacted businesses, searched Craigslist, and created opportunities for himself. He has sold homemade bread in the neighborhood, lumber-jacked on a small scale with his brothers until snow continued to slow them down.

During this time, one of Jed's older brothers came to visit our little abode above the barn. We started telling him about our dreams, but they came out unclear and with less direction that we would have liked. We had started to realize some of the harsh realities of farming (such as how to initially finance that dream), and just started to experience the learning curve that comes with starting something new, and were not yet sure how to make all of our ideas come to fruition.

That night, in the quiet of our small living room, Jed and I experienced a crucible moment. Jed's brother spoke very frankly and directly to us. He spoke as a loving, concerned brother, one who had experienced some of the ups and downs as a husband, a father, a provider.

Soon after, Jed and I came up with a plan, and as plans go, things could change. But we have hope and direction again. Jed went back to school to complete pre-reqs for nursing. He's planning to get a nursing degree and be a farmer who is also a nurse. And he is loving his classes and excited about what he is doing. He’ll start the program this fall.

For now, Jed and I are balancing school and work with our plants and garden. We want to learn as much as possible with growing, planning out our crops, and selling at the local farmers market. And we’ve spent quite a bit of time reflecting on what we have learned. It’s been quite the journey. And it’s not over yet. It’s so fun to dream with your best friend. So, I am going to share some of those “lessons-learned” below.

Lessons learned over the last few months:

·      Farming is work and there is a lot to learn about growing things (which I already knew, but REALLY know now)

·      Following your dreams is a long-term adventure, so I have to be patient as we build them and have them shift from time to time

·      Achieving one’s dreams requires financing them (we’re figuring out how to do that and I think we have a pretty good plan—we’ll see)

·      It’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them

·      I don’t love pipes freezing but can live in 35-40F weather

·      I love plants and am amazed by the relationship one can build with them

·      There are knowledgeable individuals out there who are willing to share what they know…what great resources they are

·      Growing your own food is fun and exciting!