Why We Do It

I use to work in a stressful job where I made big decisions everyday that affected lots of people. I managed other people and worked long hours. Now I am spending hours every day driving a tractor and discing fields. It gives me lots of time to consider why we do what we do.

I don't believe industrial food production is sustainable. It takes lots of manufactured inputs to create the food people eat today. Food is eaten out of season by shipping it around the world. The result is that food is not what our ancestors ate and I believe it is the cause of the enormous health problems our population experiences in our current age.

We started growing our own food about ten years ago. We started slowly and it was a fun hobby to see what we could grow and preserve, but over time we became more and more invested in growing more and more. Our family size has increased and the more of our needs we are able to meet, the more work it has become. So why do we continue working so hard. Here is what we have discovered.

1. It is a challenge, both mentally and physically. We get our daily dose of Vitamin D, we get some exercise, and we stretch our muscles. It is a constant mental challenge to do the planning and research crops and ways to get better production. It requires attention to details and problem-solving skills on a daily basis. 
2. It reflects our spiritual beliefs. As Christians we believe God created the universe and when he placed us here on earth he gave us all the resources to feed and cloth ourselves. We believe that natural and as close to creation as possible is better for us. We want to be good stewards of God's creation and our lifestyle lets us appreciate everything He has created. 
3. It teaches good values to our children. Our children learn the value of what they consume and they are learning important money lessons. They are learning to work for the things they want. They learn teamwork and self sacrifice. They are learning how to care for others and have empathy. Our children appreciate the little things in life so much more. 
4. We get to eat healthy. We know where our food comes from and what goes in to it. It is not always perfect, but we make educated and informed decisions and we discuss those decisions as a family.

We love this life, but we are constantly evaluating - should we keep doing it, do we still enjoy it, is there balance between work and fun, should we make changes. We continue on because it meets our needs and we believe we are making the best choice for us and our family.