Dear Farm Journal,

I am somewhat hesitant in approaching the idea of bringing some livestock onto the farm. Now that I have decided that I do not have much interest in getting a “real job”, I may be getting a little over zealous about how much of a farmer I really am. I have talked to Rufus for awhile about getting some laying chickens and a couple dairy cows. When I look at our grocery bill, I come to the conclusion that we could be very nearly self sustainable if we could provide our own eggs and dairy. Today I visited some of our fellow farmer friends who will be going out of town next week. They need a house sitter and someone to take care of their chickens while they are away. These chickens are beautiful and she emphasized how easy they are to take care of. As I picked up three fresh eggs, I felt like I needed this in my life. We eat eggs almost everyday, and I would love for us to be able to provide these for ourselves and our CSA members. It looked pretty simple, but I am sure that I am underestimating the work that goes into it. Now, bringing in a couple cows is a different story. Almost every person I talk to has warned me about how much work, time, and commitment it takes. I mean, I don’t want a herd of cows, just a couple to provide dairy for our small family. Rufus has advised me to talk to Papa Rich about this matter. I am sure this will be a lively and long conversation…which will inevitably digress into beer drinking and at least one heated oration on capitalism or Ronald Reagan.

~Joy