A Teaching Farm

Having  young people to stay on the farm turns the property from a working farm to a teaching farm for half the year. A place of learning.   This is the first year that this distinction has become so clear. As well as being the Farmer I have subconsciously arranged my life so I can still be a Teacher for the summers. Many of the woofer farms use the young people as unpaid labour and of course there is an element of that. We do work hard. But they are not working for me they work with me and I work as hard as they do. They take important clear linear ordinary knowledge away with them when they leave.  

And not just farm skills.  Farm life also teaches Life Skills. They learn the power of self sufficiency.  The joy of success. Organisation. (Being tidy is pretty important on a farm).  Observation of animal behaviour – the clues to health. The importance of moving slowly with intent when herding. They learn to cook simple meals for large families (we are seven this week including John and I) and take away hand written meal plans and recipes so they can continue cooking at home.  They learn to grow food. Garden. They learn to make lists and do the grocery shopping.  They take a gallon of milk and turn it into a food.  So much.

Their skin always clears, they get suntans, gumboot lines, their hands get stronger and they develop serious muscles.

So even though this started out because I needed help on the farm, the farm itself has become a vehicle of learning and success. And I take deep satisfaction from that.  There are few things more joyful to me than seeing a young person step into their boots,  pull on their gloves and taking the steps at a run enter the struggle and find success and joy from it.  Seeing that smile of KNOWING they are doing a job that has worth. That was hard. That took sweat. Then bringing the bounty in from the garden at the end of the day so we can cook it.  Feeding people is so fundamental.  Eating together after a day working together fills more than bellies.

So, Finally I have realised that I am teaching again so it is time to get even more organised.  Yesterday I downloaded a program called OneNote and am learning how to use it efficiently. Have you ever used it?  I can access it from my phone as well as the computer and it will store all my lists and plans in one place.   I can update AS I think of something – fewer lost thoughts. Plus I can send the lists and instructions straight to the workers. So they have the information on their phones too. We are trialing that part today.

One Note also enables me to access photos on my phone from the computer which is a useful shortcut.

There is no reason why we cannot use these technologies to improve the work.

The black boards will always be the first port of call for the work of the day, and there is a book we have written describing the jobs, but I need to go one more step in my own planning to avoid being overwhelmed.  This will ensure that the young people and the farm get the most out of our available time. The summers are so short. 

Today the French boys are coming.  For a week there will be five young people working. This week my original two take a leadership role and train their replacements.  So there is plenty of room for good organisation.

Yesterday I began the cows breeding program. I brought Aunty Anna back to the home farm (to keep her away from Carlos as she is too young).  Naomi will cycle again in a couple of weeks so she and Carlos the Tiny are together.

Aunty Del has been given her milking collar – her udder took a whopping jump in size yesterday. She came into the milking shed after Lady Astor was finished and then would not leave. She stood about and lazily watched me divide up the milk and clean the buckets until it was time to clean the walls and floors, I had to literally pushed her out the door so I could get on with my work.  She is such a nice heifer – I hope all goes well for her.  I would like to keep her if I can. 

I will take Sundays off from the blog in future so I can use that writing time as my own study time.  I need to keep improving to ensure that the students who come here get the best experience possible and the farm gets the best help possible.

Kevin is Kitchen Mama (plus Water Boy) today.  Victoria will be the Gardener and Milk Maid.  I will be the Swine Herd and Chicken Wrangler.  Victoria and I will divide up everything else.  Mckenna returns from her days off this evening and the French Boys Axel and Sammy arrive this evening as well. Then it will be a fuller than usual house until Kevin and Victoria leave on Saturday.

It is time for me to write the boards!

I hope you have a lovely day.

Love celi