The Trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let go of things – unknown
Fall on the farm equals new beginnings to me. As the leaves and walnuts begin to fall from the trees, I start to think about what worked best for the animals and the land over the past season. It is this time of year that my thoughts seem to be mostly about improving my farming practices and working to let go of what is no longer working for the system as a whole. The farm (and the trees) have been my greatest teacher to learn to let go of so-called perfection. The new season will allow me to try again, learn new things about the land and myself, and hopefully continue to improve my stewardship of this special place.
I have been thinking about my Dad a lot lately. He will soon turn 81. When he was just a baby, he and his family were forced to abandon their farm and animals when they fled what is now Romania to escape Russian soldiers from invading their small village. My family history is a heroic story of survival. My Grandmother eventually found shelter and food for herself and her three children on a farm in Poland in exchange for labor. My Dad recently told me that they all shared a room in the upstairs of the farmhouse. They had to move many more times across Eastern Europe to escape bombings and instability. They all eventually made it to the US in the 1950s, including my grandfather who was in a prisoner of war camp.
With each passing year and reflecting on my family history, I have become more grateful for the safety and the stability of the farm routines that I engage in every day. Don’t get me wrong there are days when I wish I could just take off on a road trip at a moment’s notice! Ultimately, I know that I am lucky to be the steward of this land and its cute animal residents. It’s interesting to me that if we all traced our family histories back far enough we all have agrarian roots in some way or another.
Pumpkin Spice Goat Milk Caramels are back! Eric will making these delicious farm fresh treats until Thanksgiving! We are shipping several times a week. If you would like some you can order here.
The last soap making class of the season on the farm is November 2. There are just 4 spots left. Tickets can be found here.
Find Eric teaching soap making at Elawa Farm in Lake Forest on October 19, 2024 and November 9. You can purchase tickets on their website.
Healing Herd Therapy Farm News! We were able to raise $550 from ticket sales for the fall festival on September 28! Another $150 from pumpkin sales! Thanks to everyone who showed up in person or who were with us in spirit. Check out these fun photos of kids doing art on the farm at the festival. Thanks to our local Pecatonica teachers and artist Sara Brunetti Dow who donated their time and art supplies to make the art happen! We are very excited to open the farm to more kids in 2025 for Animal Assisted Therapy. Check out the Healing Herd Therapy website for more info and please follow Healing Herd Therapy Farm on Facebook and instagram.
