Farm Bootcamp: City Muscles

My muscles are baby city muscles.

They are not the sort of muscles needed for a farm.

They do certain repetitive motions well.  They have been toned by sitting and typing or standing and chatting.   Perhaps they got a workout on a machine that does not help you mow, haul or plow but simply move up and down in a stationary position.   They may have gone for a walk because walking is pretty not because you left the damn hoe in the barn...  oh, I forgot the fricken seeds, gotta go back... ah shit, I forgot the shovel.   This kind of walking is different

As is my stretch and strength class.  My new flexibility routine includes climbing on and off of machinery, getting on the ground to attach hitches, getting under machines to fix problems, pushing wheelbarrows of crap from one place to the other.   Don't forget crawling under decks to kill wasps or get stored gear.  Then there is the climbing stretches.   Space is valuable so everything up high is used as well.

All very practical exercises.   All so much more exhausting than the gym.  Mostly because you don't stop after 1 hour or when you are tired.  You go for 8, take a break and then keep going for more.  You are excited to sit on the mower because you back is a bit tired from being bent over all day long in the garden.

Your proprioceptors get a workout on the uneven soil you are working in order to grow better food for you and your family to eat.

The Farm Bootcamp.

Donkeys!

Daisy, Cherry & Benito

Now, I likely never said:  "I want to be up to my elbow in manure".  But I must admit that we are getting Donkeys due to the kindness & compassion of Meg, her sister in law Penny, and one of the first thing I thought was "Yay, we will have manure!"  

As the reality of the land sets in one of the challenges we face is caring for the soil and wondering how we could replenish our 12 acres of fields without introducing chemical fertilizers. 

Naturally, when the opportunity to take in the three donkeys, we considered all the benefits we could gain by sharing our lives with them.

Donkeys are very good predator alarms and will protect what they care for.  This is a very important thing when you have vulnerable livestock.   We look forward to seeing how the Donkey's relate to our livestock as we develop that part of our farming efforts.  We plan on goats and chickens in the foreseeable future.   Husband would like some cows, sheep.   We both agree on a couple of pigs in the future, they are great help on the farm, not to mention tasty.

They are low cost and high output... vegetarian fertilizer makers.   Of course they are smart and a bit independent too... so we'll see how that goes!

Our three new friends will be joining us in June and we look forward to spending time getting to know them and what would make their lives rich.