Growing Up
Welcome back, folks! Robin Hood here with some musings about life and life on a farm.
Growing up is hard work. Remember those teen years trying to figure out how to be a big person, but still not quite there? How about the transition to living on your own as an adult - Mom & Dad not paying the bills or doing the chores any more (cooking, washing, cleaning, trash, dishes,…)? What about learning how to feed and clothe yourself with all of the little (or not so little) other stuff like insurance, rent, a car, medical bills,…? Yeah, growing up is hard work. There is an unbelievable amount to learn in the process. And one day, you are a living, breathing, functional adult. For most of us, the journey is so intense that we never reflect on the journey itself. Just get it done!
That’s how I feel about the farm. We are in the midst of our adolescence, with all kinds of maturing and learning to do. Every day is like drinking from a fire hose. It can be overwhelming at times. I have learned that the secret is to take it one step, one bite, at a time. Get that done, then go to the next. We have a place to get to, our Holistic Context, if you will - how we want to be when we get there. A teenager’s goal is to leave home and be an independent adult. Our goal at Hood Family Farms is to be a self-sustaining, regenerative agricultural operation - one that does not require us to have any income other that what the farm produces.
The core of how we get there is really simple - provide our customers with outstanding food grown in way that improves the ecosystem and provides a quality existence for our animals. The details are a little more involved, though. Pesky details… Decisions have to be made - do this, don’t do that. Processes must be created, documented, and refined. Skills must be acquired - how do I keep the squash alive, for instance.
As a former engineer and project manager in industry, I recognize these things as budgets:
projects
supplies
events
All rolling ultimately into a financial budget
Oh, boy!
For many in industry, budgeting started in August and concluded in December. The process of growing up means learning how to get this essential planning done on schedule so that the work of the year can flow smoothly. Many farmers have learned to use the winter months to make their plans. Winter is usually a little less active, especially for those that hunker down for the winter to a minimalist mode outdoors.
Now, I am off to create processes in accordance with the running operations, projects and events we have planned!
Have a great day!
Robin Hood
Hood Family Farms