Dear Farm Journal,

So, it has been ten days since I have penned my perspective, the longest interruption since I began my daily writings. I have been wrestling to compose my thoughts about the farm, and void of the right thing to do or say. As we face the question of “how to make it work”, a lot of options for solutions have been on the table; sell the farm, move to a smaller property, sell part of the farm, get full time jobs, get part time jobs, change the business plan, restructure the finances, and round and round we go. These weighty decisions are met with heavy hearts trying to reconcile why what we do is never enough. It’s easy for an outsider to dole out advice about our livelihood, and many have. However, sometimes I feel monumentally misunderstood. We have chosen what has become an alternative lifestyle as small family farmers, and it is so much more than a job to us. It is our identity, our philosophy, our commitment to stewardship, and our heart. We are willing to do whatever it takes to be true to our calling, even when it doesn’t make sense to anyone else. It doesn’t have to. I am the only one who has to walk on these bare feet. I am the only one who has to deal with the consequences of making my own sacrifices. I am riddled with lofty principles, willing to face adversity, and filled with enough gumption to stare into uncertainty. Call it foolish, absurd, stubborn, or stupid, I’m digging my heels in all the more. We are working out a solution or rather a combination of solutions to “make it work” once again, and I’m proud of our willingness to hoe a hard row.

~Joy