Reviving My Roots and My Soul
I grew up in a rural community in upstate New York on a one-hundred acre farm. As a child I did not enjoy farm life at all. I disliked the smell, the chores, the lack of people around me, a septic system with timed showers instead of hot running water for as long as I wanted. Most of all I hated chickens. I wanted out and off the farm as quickly as possible.
I went off to college, got married and lived in large cities or suburbs of medium sized cities. I love the suburban/urban life. I raised my children, enjoyed my time as a stay-at-home mom. Eventually I returned to school and returned to the full-time work force. I love my job, most days but I started to feel like something was missing but I was not sure what it was. I had developed a chronic illness that I refuse to give into but there are days I am slow and can not do all of the hobbies I used to so I needed something new. I just was not sure what I needed and then divine intervention happened.
I was asked to start a garden club at work. Mind you I have not gardened in years and I have not really gardened in zone 8 at all. With all that in mind I said "sure, I can figure it out as we go." So we learned together how to build raised beds, how to make compost, how to plant and how to care for the plants. I have enjoyed it so much and I have new energy. I am actually preparing our backyard so that I can garden there as well. I will plant for the fall growing season. All of this work has been good for me both physically and emotionally. I have time to think, my body gets the exercise it needs without causing large amounts of pain. Most importantly I feel like I am doing my part to make the community I live and work in a better place.
Prepping the yard is a lot of hard work. We have let the yard fall apart over the last several years. No one has cared to bother. I now have a vision for my yard and the desire to complete the work. I should have taken some before pictures. I guess I still can take a sort of before picture to add and then show changes as I with the help of my husband and at times paid labor transform our yard into an urban garden/farm. One item this garden/farm will not have is chickens.
There are other changes that I am looking into and as I research and discover those I will share them here.
I went off to college, got married and lived in large cities or suburbs of medium sized cities. I love the suburban/urban life. I raised my children, enjoyed my time as a stay-at-home mom. Eventually I returned to school and returned to the full-time work force. I love my job, most days but I started to feel like something was missing but I was not sure what it was. I had developed a chronic illness that I refuse to give into but there are days I am slow and can not do all of the hobbies I used to so I needed something new. I just was not sure what I needed and then divine intervention happened.
I was asked to start a garden club at work. Mind you I have not gardened in years and I have not really gardened in zone 8 at all. With all that in mind I said "sure, I can figure it out as we go." So we learned together how to build raised beds, how to make compost, how to plant and how to care for the plants. I have enjoyed it so much and I have new energy. I am actually preparing our backyard so that I can garden there as well. I will plant for the fall growing season. All of this work has been good for me both physically and emotionally. I have time to think, my body gets the exercise it needs without causing large amounts of pain. Most importantly I feel like I am doing my part to make the community I live and work in a better place.
Prepping the yard is a lot of hard work. We have let the yard fall apart over the last several years. No one has cared to bother. I now have a vision for my yard and the desire to complete the work. I should have taken some before pictures. I guess I still can take a sort of before picture to add and then show changes as I with the help of my husband and at times paid labor transform our yard into an urban garden/farm. One item this garden/farm will not have is chickens.
There are other changes that I am looking into and as I research and discover those I will share them here.
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