The Garden Squatter
The sun was shining today, the air was actually clear and breathable for the first time in a month. I picked a bad time to return to my education.I would have been better served had I chosen to do so over the winter. Homesteading is labor intensive and time consuming especially this time of year. Fortunately, my mum is the most amazing garden back up. She came out yesterday and started bailing me out of the weed invasion that took place during the month of weather too poor for gardening that we just had. My food is in the garden now expressing it’s gratitude to her for bailing them out of the weed infestation. I really wish I could have been out there all day too. But, I had some studying to do.
Earlier this evening once done with my studies for the day, I went out to water my garden with Dr. Farmer Moomin. And it seems we have gained a cranky neighbor. A squatter that has taken up residence in the herb garden in the soil near my watercress and onions. Both of which need to be watered. This little guy came out to yell at us and to give us the hairy eye ball for daring to water our garden.
I now don’t know what to do… Because I don’t want to drown him. He is a wild animal, I am not going to try to move him by hand. I don’t know as he is living in a garden of plenty that he would have any interest in something in a trap and a relocation to forest. One thing is however very clear, I do need to water my food and he is squatting in the middle of it… This issue will take some thought and careful consideration. We love the wildlife from the smallest little dude like this to the moose that graced my neighbor’s yard about a week ago… It would be great if little man here would relocate on his own. He is so cute though I am tempted to leave him an apology gift right outside his little hole.
He sure was the brightest spot of a bright sunny day, with the air smelling of fresh cut grass and honey over in the hive, fresh herbs, and wildflowers. I would be so sad if he really was troubled by us doing our job as gardeners. We truly hope we have not inconvenienced him too badly. But I think we upset him rather majorly. Poor little guy. Either way, it was lovely to get acquainted with our nearest neighbor who had better not relocate to my basement bringing snakes with him…
Another wild day here at Wildflower has passed.
The sun was so greatly appreciated for a change,
And if anyone knows what to do about my tiny squatter problem drop me a note.
Thank you for reading
Amanda of Wildflower Farm
Tags: ag, agriculture, agro, B&B, critters, farm, farm blog, farm wife, farm wife blog, farmer, farming, farmstead, garden, garden blog, garden invader, garden pests, garden squatter, herb garden, herb gardening, homestead, homestead blog, homestead farm, homestead herb garden, homestead wife, homestead wife blog, homesteader, homesteading, homesteading New England, housewife, housewife blog, inn keeper, inn keeping, Innkeeper's blog, innkeeping, life style, local wildlife, New England B&B, new england homestead, new england homesteading, self sufficiency, self sufficiency homesteading, self sufficient, self sufficient lifestyle, self sufficient living, simple life, simple living, simpler way of life, theiving critter, wildflower farm, wildlife
Wildflower Farm, is a small New England homestead, B&B and AirBnB, in the Baystate. We came out here 7 years ago, when we returned from the better part of 10 years as peripatetic aristotelian nomads, for my husband's post docs. Upon our return, we had a plan. We had a lovely home. Everything was so clear. Then, I got sick. Things I used to eat all the time during our travels elsewhere in the world and even here before I left almost 10 years earlier made me ill. It took a couple trips to the ER and a trip to specialist... It became clear, something had changed in the way food is processed in this country since last I lived here. Some off label things was inevitably going to be my demise.
My husband and I looked around to see the clear path we were on, had exploded in front of us. We decided we had to create a new path for ourselves. We put children on hold. We found a small piece of land with a house we loved in a rural suburb in a right to farm area. I began researching how to do it ourselves. Grow it ourselves, make it ourselves, survive on our own as much as possible. We bought the property, and began plotting a new course. One that didn't involve off label chemicals. Closer to nature, with a lot more DIY, gardens, and animals for the products they provide. We created a life we loved though it hasn't always been easy and has of course come with compromise with each other, and even with ourselves.
Our family thought we had lost our minds. What were we doing leaving the city? We had no idea how hard this would be. They thought we would be back in 6 months. That was over 7 years ago, now. We have been making it work. They were not wrong, it isn't easy. But has anything worth doing ever been easy? And for us, avoiding as much store bought food as possible was simply necessary so I could live given how sick I was getting.
Then Covid hit.... We were lucky to have this place. It has allowed us a lot less need for public use territories which has kept us a lot safer and spared us much of the risk others face daily. This place, has given us a privilege through this of great meaning to us. To be of use in a difficult time. We have been able to help friends family and even strangers in need when things couldn't be found on store shelves. Or money was tight due to not working, rent being due and a child at home, or some other draining situation. We are so very grateful to have been able to not be helpless like so much of society through this miserable time. Our families, got used to it some time ago, us being out here. They made peace with it the day there was no bread and they had to ask me for some. Or when fresh vegies were rotten due to supply chain issues but they could find plenty in my garden.
Wildflower Farm, was a place I dreamed of. One of those sweet pastoral dreams a city dweller grows up knowing will never come true, that became unavoidable when I became ill. I never expected to get to do this. I never thought I had what it takes to make this work. I have learned pacing myself is important, compromise is critical, hard work never ends, burn out is real so breaks are just a necessary evil.
We are not fully self sufficient, but we work hard in that direction as we create a new path through life for ourselves, always reaching to do even more ourselves and to get closer to the ideal we envision. We are however far more self sufficient than many in this world. 7 years in, we continue to learn and grow in this homesteading lifestyle. We welcome comments and advice and ideas and questions.
We welcome visitors from all over to our home with strict covid policies in place. We spend our time learning to live all over again in a more environmental and sustainable way though even there we are far from perfect always learning and growing doing better as we know better.
This little homestead farm is a magical place named for the New England wildflowers that grow all around. A place where a physicist, watches the night sky on clear nights with the aide of mirror and glass, and a woman, works endlessly in the gardens, the kitchen, and a variety of projects to create and to keep a very unique life style running and functioning. Wildflower Farm, has become so much more than simply a piece of land we can grow a few vegetables on. The longer I spend here, the more alive the land seems, the more I learn about it's function and the more meaning it has. My place in the universe and the next steps on our new path become ever more clear.
We welcome you on this journey with us.
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