A NEIGHBORHOOD OF FARMS.
We hung out with our friend Eric this morning, and we find ourselves once again feeling inspired and challenged as farmers. Eric is the farm manager at Bell's Bend Neighborhood Farm - a group of farmers living and working together in the Bells Bend/Scottsboro community of Nashville. The goal of the farm is to be an example of how sustainable agriculture can improve the land and the community, providing jobs and food as well as preserving the valuable farmland. We love the idea of community - about joining forces to be able to achieve so much more, about specializing in one thing and relying on your neighbors for what you aren't producing yourselves. As Eric said today, homesteading and farming didn't used to be such a "difficult" way of life. Neighbors helped each other and depended on each other, and everyone was a farmer. Lovely, right?We are excited to be joining our own little community of farmers soon. And we are also excited after seeing Bells Bend's herd of milking Devon's, their amazing intern house, and the field full of telephone poles where they grow HOPS for Yazoo! We left with our heads full of new ideas and a lot of mud on our boots. A good day indeed.- Hannah.
WENDELL WEDNESDAY.
While living in the city these last few months, we have been lucky enough to have a huge backyard space for Wendell. Still, he requires multiple walks every day. And even though we are more than ready to be back on the farm, where he has acres and acres to roam, it has been fun to get to explore the colorful neighborhoods of East Nashville. Here is what a typical walk with Wendell looks like.
- Hannah.
ANIMAL ENVY.
At Little Seed Farm, they have Highland Cattle, Ossabaw pigs, an assortment of meat and dairy goats, guineas, chickens, and several Great Pyrenees pups. Oh, how we are longing for all of these amazing creatures! Jesse and I have pretty much resigned to the fact that our first year on the farm will mostly be finishing the house and getting everything ready to be farmed. But I have a feeling, especially after our inspiring visit yesterday, that it will be hard to keep a few new critters from joining the family this season.- Hannah.
*I got to feel a little baby goat kicking inside of this mama's tummy!*
A TRIP IN PHOTOS: CHICAGO.
I was lucky enough to be able to hitch a ride with my parents up to Chicago this week. We went up to see my brother play basketball on his Senior Night at his school. It was also a chance to accomplish a lot of knitting, catch up with my Wheaton family who I love and have missed so dearly, meet a new little baby girl, and re-fall in love with Chicago. Chicago is such a wonderful city, and a part of me will always feel a tiny pull to live in a bustling downtown.I arrived back to Nashville this morning with a PILE of work waiting for me (new stock in the store later this week!) - so I am so grateful to have had this small break to relax and leave some stress behind for a bit.- Hannah.
