Joel, who will for the purposes of this post be called The Pig Farming Lawyer, came home from work one day and said that he was going to buy two piglets. Just two. He would grow them up to be big pigs and sell their meat. We were going to try to follow Joel Salatin's example of an agrarian lifestyle, but in a part-time way.
So after much prayer, God closed doors on the farm left and right. Two separate herds of pigs got hunted down and killed by dogs, a tornado swept through the farm and blew open the fence so the piglets all got out, Margaret the farm dog got hit by a car trying to herd them back in, and every last chicken got eaten in one night by a predator. Ummm...ok God. Thanks but no thanks for Your answer.
In the end, though, we learned so much from our little farm. Here is just a small snip of what it taught us:
1. Sometimes the way your ideal plays out isn't quite so ideal after all. We definitely didn't start our small farm with the intention of hiring babysitters and feeding the kids fast food, but sometimes a Mom's gotta do what a Mom's gotta do.
2. Even when it's not ideal, there is so much value in having a shared dream with your spouse. The Pig Farming Lawyer and I lived and breathed our little farm, and when it was over, there was a huge void in our marriage. We had so many funny times, knee-deep in pig poop mud and putting our heads together to try to round up a stubborn pig. As hard and stinky as it was, it was ours. We had a common vision, and I was heartbroken to let it go. Sure, we still had each other and our still-awesome marriage; but I was super sad for our visions to split back into home and work life. I now totally focus on the kids' upbringing, and he totally focuses on being a lawyer. So he can bring home the bacon, if you will.
3. And most importantly, God always answers you. So many times we pray for an answer to something for years and never quite know what He's saying. But when we prayed for a clear answer, He gave one. Just knowing that He had answered us so clearly made giving up the farm so much easier. We were living in His will, and that's always a good place to be.
4. Farmers make really good friends. We love the community we became a part of when we sold at our local farmer's market. Some of our best friends are those we made while farming. Check out Hunter Cattle in Brooklet or Freeman's Mill in Register if you're ever in South Georgia. They. are. awesome! And so is their food.