Did you ever notice how many different ways there are to get in a pool? There are the belly floppers, totally unconcerned with form but with a healthy desire for an audience - no one belly flops alone. There are the Olympic-style divers, carefully contemplating their move off the diving board to achieve perfection and awestruck adulation. Then there's me; inching my way down the stairs to acclimate my body bit by bit to avoid the shock that comes anyway. It's hereditary. My father is an incher as is one of my sons. It comes from a desire to both get it right the first time and to avoid discomfort. Inchers are defined by the amount of videos they watch, articles they read, and experts they consult before venturing out on their own. The learning curve doesn't ever go away - it's prolonged. I actually don't consider it a bad thing, to be an incher. Every step is considered and reflected upon before making the next move. How did that feel? Are you ready to go in a little further? Should you back up and try again in a few?
That is how I approach gardening and homesteading. Jess Sowards from Roots and Refuge Farm says the garden is her classroom and I could not agree more. Nature doesn't allow her secrets to be revealed in one grand move (I believe that is saved for our final curtain). Her nuances must be discovered over time and it is important to leave some headspace for change and surprises. There is both science and art to homesteading and growing food and the balance of the two requires small, incremental moves, the most important of which is the first one. So, I've made the first and subsequent moves. My learning in the garden stems from my ever-increasing desire to depend on the food I grow or collect locally and seasonally as main staples. I almost made it this year. Sixteen chickens in the freezer are just about gone as I start ten new chicks to be processed in July. Sixty pounds of potatoes didn't quite make a year - we ran out in December. If I don't want to subsist on berry smoothies for three meals a day for half the year, I must do better. I did manage to overwinter chard and lettuce for early salads. That's a win, as far as I'm concerned.
Before I retire, I would like to expand my livestock to include goats and increase my production of fruit/berries. I also go back and forth with the idea of beekeeping. I am giving myself four years to eliminate debt and increase self-sustainability. I will watch videos, read articles, and consult experts as I inch toward a second life. The process may be painfully slow, but I'll get there.
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