Hobby Farm Transformation

It’s been just over eight years now living on this slice of the country we call Five Feline Farm. At first it was just the “farm”, a tongue-in-cheek expression of this postage stamp sized property in the midst of large acre farms. Now it is becoming much more than that. Slowly, with the requisite blood, sweat and not a few tears, it is transforming into a hobby farm. A place to host the next phase of life. 

But the transformation goes beyond the land. In this process of making something new, we are being transformed. 

Beekeeping has changed our perspective on many things. We are trying to be better consumers and more aware of good practice in land management. Our focus is more basic than sustainability, settling into the more practical mantra: “if it’s good for the bees, it’s good for us”. 

Then there are things that we have learned intuitively or by observation. Yes, these are things that can be read in books and maybe everybody knows it. There is something about the experience that anchors the lesson. 

Things like the moon rising an hour later each night, until finally it rises unseen in the daylight.  Birds begin their nesting just as the fur bearing animals, like our cats, start shedding their winter coat. Cat fur surely makes a comfortable place to lay an egg. Noticing that the Juncos leave just before the hummingbirds return for the summer. 

Through these experiences comes a deep soul satisfaction. A oneness with the land and nature that just feels right. 

It is right to take care of the land that will provide food for us and wildlife. Right to reduce or eliminate chemicals used on property we control. Smart to reduce the need for artificial amendments by moving to a no till garden with careful crop rotation and green manure.

It is a lot of work to reconstruct this once forgotten land. Our passion for what it can become makes it less work-like. 

Five Feline Farm is already growing beyond our wildest dreams. Follow us on Facebook. Signup to get blog posts delivered to your email inbox. 

You never know what may happen next.


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