I love the homesteading/farming community. Sure there are selfish people everywhere, but today, I'm sending my Nigerians to live with a new family who have two bucks ready to meet some pretty girls ;) I'm talking to a woman I've never met about piglets, trading some hunting equipment and learning about the best breed of pigs to suit our homestead.
Yesterday, I talked to a mom of two littles (I have five kids) about how no, five kids is not harder than two. It's not. Two kids is the hardest. Five is hard, but not as hard as two. I promise. No really. Because right now, I'm having this conversation with you and my oldest is making lunch, and my second is changing the baby's diaper and the boys are digging in the dirt. Always digging in the dirt. And in the same meeting, she gave me some milk from a cow she didn't plan on milking while my dairy goat has her milk withheld because I had to give her some medicine. Milk on our oatmeal for breakfast was thanks to community.
We dropped off some of our hard work at the fair this morning for judging and learned that, while we had packaged everything completely wrong, the people behind the counter and behind us in line took pity on the new kids and got us all set up with the right plates and wrapping. We might not steal the show, but my daughters worked so hard making cookies, arranging flowers, painting rocks and landscapes, polishing eggs, and picking the prettiest veggies. It's hard when you might not win after all that effort, but I'm working to teach them that their best effort...and competing at 8 and 10 with adults who've been doing this for longer than they've been alive!...is the victory. 
The thing that has touched me the most about moving from an albeit friendly suburban community to a rural, farming community, is people's willingness to stop, talk, and teach. It seems to bring people great joy to answer my endless questions about why my goat is acting funny...and what really is funny behavior vs just normal goat antics...and how the right cut of alphalpha can do wonders for milk supply.
They love to walk me through the pros and cons of different breeds of piglets and what things can be water bathed and what things need to be pressure canned. Why one person freezes green beans rather than canning them because that's the way her husband likes it. Another person taught me all about bidding on market animals at the fair by telling of her father's 30 year habit of buying the meat animals of the children of his customers. As the parent of 4Hers, I love the idea that there are people in the community who are willing to take the time to honor the children's hard work. Did you know they have work they have to do, above and beyond just feeding and maintaining, every day? Our friend's son shows a cow every year and this 10 year old boy has to go walk the cow and work with her on handling every day! It's hard work and a huge commitment...and a 10 year old handling a full size Holstein! (think black and white dairy cow).
This is community. It's not just people near each other working on common tasks. It's lives intertwined, sharing what works...things you can never learn from a book, or the way things "should" be done. There is no substitute for an 80 year old farmer who has tried every method under the sun and really believes that teaching the next generation is his duty. His pride is in his work. His honor is in his word. His joy is in passing on the information so that I can have a successful crop, or herd, or even stack of hay that won't fall over, or warm fire in my fire place.
Now, when I milk my dairy goat, I think of Deb who talked me through the process, and came and checked on my goat in labor when I was....perhaps freaking out a little because it was my first time as a goat midwife. When I make salsa, I think of Katie who talked me through the three main methods of canning. When I think of piglets, I think of Amber, whom I've never met, going back and forth with me in countless emails about how to pasture her heritage breed pigs that we are considering getting to add to our homestead.
And I think of Kelley, in labor with her latest baby, knitting her first shawl and how honored I am that she asks me for help and guidance. Hopefully I'll come to mind when she wears it and it will be a tangible reminder of how our lives are entwined forever.
you are so lucky its a better way to live good healthy food , good healthy work and community , thats what governments seem so determined to undermine community . Good community solves so many issues we are plagued by today
Great to meet you , your friend in yorkshire
The government is served by serving itself....I know it's one of those necessary things, to a point, but I don't believe they have "our best interests" in mind at all ;) I trust community I can see far more.
Awesome blog and beautiful kidlets - even the pics of your goats were great ! We've started following you, can't wait for more posts !
Thanks! I have some thoughts brewing!
Great post about how people help each other not only in homesteading, but on steemit in general. Thank you. 🐓🐓
It's absolutely a framework for all of life! We need community!
We moved from city life to farm community and won't go back. Even though sometimes points of view can differ- at least there is conversation out here in the farm community.
Yes! The conversation was actually a hard part for me to adjust to. I was used to conversation being pleasant, but function and with purpose. I learned quickly that the conversation just for the sake of conversation is just part of life here. But I now have all these things I never knew I always wanted!
Nice post
Thanks!
Thanks!
This is really great Sarah! I'm so glad you are here! We will have you a million followers in no time!
This is such a great idea! So often as a writer, you don't get contact with your readers. You are just left to wonder if what you say actually impacts anyone. I love that this community encourages interaction!
I love how the country community comes together. How wonderful that you have had so many mentors. We did some volunteer work at an organic apple farm a couple of years ago and I loved how they traded so much with the surrounding farms and how there was a go-to person for each different need they might have.
Welcome to Steemit. It sounds like you'll have a lot to contribute.
Trading is my fave! We were actually talking to some pig farmers this week about doing some trading for Kune Kune pigs!
The little things of life.
Yes!
Yes, the development of community sure does make life more of a blessing! Welcome!
Even if it's just the assurance that someone is there to answer questions when I'm struggling!
I have found it difficult to maintain. Over the years, a group of us got together locally. I was very close with a couple of them, but after a while it seems one by one they went on their own way, and didn't want to take me with them, lol... Maybe it is something with me, or perhaps homesteading is populated by loners. Honestly, all I ever did was try to be a true friend. It's a real sadness for me.
That is hard. I don't like to view people as transactions, but often times, the only time you end up talking to someone is when one of you needs something. Lives get busy, and people move on. It doesn't get easier, I don't think. I also don't believe I could keep up with that many people forever. I try to just hold on to the few people that I do maintain a relationship with and let the others move on with their lives.
It's sad. Our modern era is so isolating. It's like we're all on separate trains waiving at one another as we travel by. I am only in my fifties, but even I remember it being different.
Very good @sarahkroger
Thank you!
Hi from Australia and welcome.
Hello! Thanks for the welcome!
I have tried to articulate this a time or two, not nearly as well as you have! Living in the country for us is so much better that where we came from, its more authentic, more genuine its home! Thanks for sharing...
Wow. Thank you. I'm in love with this community!
Welcome to steemit Sarah! The more the merrier. This is just another helpful community. This is what makes the world go around. Upvoted, following and resteemed.
Thank you! And thank you! I'm excited to find more community! I love how interactive it is!
Great post @sarahkroger. I look forward to reading more (I am trying to find a new pattern to knit a shawl at the moment).
Pinterest is a bottomless pit of ideas ;) Sometimes I spend more time looking at patterns than I do actually knitting ;)
I get a little overwhelmed by pinterest, so I can only look at it for short amounts of time.
Oh I get that!
I love this post! My husband and I are trying to get back to our roots while raising our kids with their feet grounded and their hands in the dirt. Thank you for sharing this.
Dirt is good for em! My kids all love to get dirty, but for the boys, it's close to euphoric.
Welcome to Steemit! Keep posting awesome content like this and you will go far!
I entered into the fair for the first time last year some flowers - people were so helpful, I came back the following day to help with intake! It was a great experience! I didn't get to enter into the fair this year tho. Boo
Anyway! Keep working to find your people (us Homesteaders and the like) and you will love Steemit!
Thank you! It was a neat community to discover! It was so exciting to get everything ready. We had to go five different times to drop entries off, but that's ok. It was fun to see all the rides getting set up and the booths getting arranged. The kids have a list a mile long of all the things they want to do first!!!
What a wonderful post and yes, homesteading communities are the absolute best! Your kiddos are beautiful as are your pictures. I look forward to reading your posts in the future.
Thank you so much! I didn't grow up in a farming, or even homesteading, community. It takes "nice neighbors" to a whole new level!
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Great Post! You are a great writer, keep it up you will do great on Steemit.
Wow. Thank you. I love telling stories. I really love interacting!