July 1st marks the second anniversary of Soul Flower Farm. For two years now we have been stewards of this small piece of land on a hilly slope, nestled in the east bay area. How our lives have changed as we have settled in and grown a deeper relationship to the soil, our animals, and each other, is difficult to describe in words.
In the last year, while our days have been filled with the tasks of starting seeds, caring for chickens and goats, and tending the garden, we have also been watching with awe, our boys grow into men. And when we look back at this second year here we can remember some extraordinary experiences; learning to build with cob, discovering a wonderful community, catching slippery kids as they dove their way -nose first- into the world, bringing home our first jersey cow and then breeding her. There have still been countless cups of tea, back breaking work, blood, sweat, tears, swarms, and so much laughter.
With the invaluable experience of neighbors, trial and error, a fearless curiosity, and of course a bit of risk taking, our knowledge is increasing, as is our confidence. Having the opportunity to tap into the rhythms of nature in our daily lives will never be a blessing we take for granted.
getting dirty at sustainable building workshop
finished cob oven and bench
fresh goats milk cheese
aerial view after community work party April 2012
2011 kitchen overflowing with harvest
natural beekeeping
first born set of kids
Oberhasli/Sable Saanen cross
feral chickens we adopted
We pray our adventures will continue. And what is in the plan for year three?...aquaponics, a super adobe in-law unit, more classes, community outreach, perhaps a CSA box, fresh raw cows milk that can only come with a little calf, and a family vacation!
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