I had the opportunity to attend the "Harvest New England Agricultural Marketing Conference & Trade Show" on Wednesday 2/25 and Thursday 2/26 in Sturbridge, MA. To say it was packed full with information is an understatement! The sessions offered were a pleasure to attend and I find myself longing for the next one. This was the first "farming" event my husband and I have attended, it surely will not be the last. We had no expectations just interest, but walked away with a new-found rejuvenation for the dream that brought us to the place that we currently stand within our lives. We are at a cross-road brought upon by the hope and reality that was given to us at this conference. Do we continue on the road we are traveling, the safe, straight paved road that includes pieces of our dream or do we take the winding country road that ultimately is our dream. The dream of our own farm filled with gardens, rolling fields, pastures full of livestock and our bakery. A place for our children to run and fly through the air on a rope swing. This life that requires hard work, dedication and selfless responsibility. A more self sustainable life, a life that truly is "our own" in so many more ways than we could imagine, a life and living that we earned and worked hard for. We did not walk away with the disillusion that any of this is easy, but that it is obtainable and we are capable of making our dream a reality. All we need now is the courage to take the leap and jump into a new, unknown but much wanted way of living.
Hi. Just wanted to let you know I enjoyed reading your blog and can completely relate to how you're feeling after an inspiring conference. We have a small farm and pumpkin patch in Nebraska, and although we both work off-farm jobs we dream of one day making our living off the farm alone. I'm envious of your bakery, too -- I think that would be really rewarding.
Best wishes to you!
Teresa Lorensen
Bloom Where You're Planted Farm, Avoca, NE
Teresa-
Thank you so much for reading my entry. Lucky you, a pumpkin patch, my children would LOVE that. I love my little bakery - we are seasonally busy, by choice. We both also work off-farm jobs and we have five children so we have to try and fit everything in!
Best wishes for your future of full blown farm life, I know I can't wait.
Tricia Millix