I Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way
The more I talk with and watch those who are “up to their necks” in the “System”, the more thankful I am for the simple hill top existance that my family has. Our ideas, the way we live, are very odd to most folks around. The work is hard, but God made men to work hard. It can be stressful sometimes, but not near the stress of those living the supposed life of ease. The wage slaves I know are a very stressed out bunch. The folks I know on the upper end of the industrial food chain are not any happier than the 9-5er and more stressed out than anyone. I see young men having strokes and heart attacks, all for what. Is it really worth it. Well intensioned people often ask me if I “Really like living like this”, as if I’m bluffing and secretly hate farming. I always get a kick out of the conversations between several 40 something evangelical men. Somehow the mighty 401k always comes up. Oh retirement, the final and most glorious prize for the christian. Some people are alarmed that I don’t have a retirement fund. I have retirement plans, I’m looking forward to drinking wine with Jesus Christ in the new heavens and the new earth. Don’t get much better than that eh! Until then I’ll tend my herd and steward creation. I’ll watch the next generation do a little more and me do a little less. I’ll teach that next generation the Gospel and the importance of living it as well as preaching it. To those who feel pity for this “poor dirt farmer”, don’t worry about me. Fresh air, cold milk, fresh beef, blackberries, a garden overflowing, working every day with a 3 and 5 year old, man it ain’t all that bad. Idustrialism and easy credit rob men the chance to be men. I ain’t got much money, but heck, who wants a bounch paper that ain’t worth the ink that printed it. Do I like it up here an the this hill? You bet, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
August 9th, 2007 at 10:58 am
My wife and I are making the move. For the last year we have been tying the loose strings together and preparing to make the complete move at the end of November. We recognize the difficulty, as you described, but we look forward to the benefits of working for ourselves, well maybe the customer, fresh food and plenty of fresh air.
We learned a number of lessons; don’t make the move with debt. We knew this could sink us so we spent one year ridding ourselves of it. Also, don’t fall in love with an old house. Fall in love with the land. The house could be burned to the ground but the land you’ll have, as long as you are solvent. Also, if you are going into farming buy a copy of Joel Saltin’s “You Can Farm;” a must for a new farmer.
On another note, I enjoy your weblog. Very enjoyable reading.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Thanks Brian,
Sound like you folks are on the right path. I agree with you about Joels book. Even seasoned farmers should read it to help them think outside the box. My the Lord bless you folks as you travel down the road ahead. You won’t regret making the move.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Come on now, Scott… You don’t REALLY mean all those things you said, do you? After all, who really wants to breath fresh air, drink their own milk, work with their children and along side the bride of their youth? It can’t really be that wonderful to walk up on a fawn in the brush, trap beavers in the bitter cold winter and relish the day you will drink and eat with the King at His very own table… :o)
Once again my brother, you have so greatly inspired my family. I still have a 9 - 5, but my house is going on the market within days. Everyone asks us what we will do when we sell the house. I don’t know, but Lord willing, it will be akin to what you wrote. At this time, my family all want to start an agrarian life in Rayville, MO and covenant with Pastor Tom and the church there. As a matter of fact, I am the only one with fears, and we know that the spirit of fear is not from the Father. Your prayers are coveted.
On a different note… my friend and boss (aside from his “regular” business) is working on starting a cattle farm. He raises black angus the “industrial” way, complete with herbicides, pesticides, vaccines, de-worming, etc. Well, he is reading Joel Saletins books that we loaned him as well as yours and some other blogs and now wants to try some “natural” beef. My point is that all of you Christian agrarian bloggers are really touching more people than you may know.
Thank you and Leah and the boys for sharing your life with us.
In Christ,
Matt & Stacy Davis & Family
August 9th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Scott,
As always your thoughts buoy my spirit up. May God multiply your tribe, and those like you throughout this land.
And Matt … you couldn’t make a better choice. I have spent many hours in face-to-face conversation with Tom, gleaning from his wisdom. And between that in my KC visits, and time with the saints on Sundays, and interaction with the guys and gals in the Christian Agrarian Blogging Community through the days in between Sundays, I have been carried through times of fires and the deep waters. I can’t think of anything that I would rather do than work alongside him and that small flock in building the kingdom. I pray that God would fulfill every good intention inspired by your faith, and that you will soon be able to press forward into this dream. Difficulties certainly await, but per Scott’s testimony, they are difficulties that leave the faithful soul full of joy, indeed, exuberance, in the simple blessings of God, rather than exhausted in spirit at the end of each new day. Press on, brother!
August 9th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Amen
I’m nearly five years at home with the children and love every minute. Family time is sacred time and i’m overflowing with it thank’s be to God. Like you Scott I have absolutely no retirement plans bar helping my children raise my grand children .
if they dont want me to than I dont deserve to!!
I also have no financial security or retirement equities , again if my family dont want to look after me than chances are I dont deserve looking after by them.
i’ll be completely honest here.
I have five beautiful daughters, and I have devided the land up and given each a field, If they choose to stay on the family plot either we can put a mobile or a cabin up for them and help work out a homebased business for them, i dont know but goat rearing or chicken raising, home baking or injured animal sanctuary, modest clothing etc, whatever. Because we own or rather no-one else owns our land we are free. and because we are real thrifty we are even free’r. That means we just dont need to earn as much as anybody else our business plan does’nt even have to bring in much money, it just musnt take much out.
That security means we can choose what we want to do with our lives .
My daughters could now choose to marry a poor honest man and live here with the family and as you look around there aint a lot going for poor honest couples who want to stay poor and honest.
Scott When your boys reach the age for marriage descernment and introductions, maybe you’ll look us up some time, if God spares us that long.
God Bless
August 10th, 2007 at 5:48 am
I’m right behind you Brother. I have the land, and am living on it. Still have the JOB, and must continue to work it to pay for my past mistakes, but that will end in 5 years, and my goal is to feed my family from the land within 3 years.
August 10th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Hi Matt
Good to hear from you! We will be keeping you folks and your situation in our prayers for sure. I agree with Jon, you couldn’t find better folks to covenant with. Pastor Tom inspires me, someday I hope to make it to Rayville and visit. Until then, I’ll have to be content to listen to his sermons that Elder Klute sends me
Colin
As a father of sons, I’m always encouraged to hear of young agrarian ladies being raised by a christian brother. Even if they are on the other side of a very large body of water:)
Shawn
We sure will be praying for your endevor to be fruitful. The hard work and sacrifice you all are making now, will pay huge in the end. It is so great to hear about so many folks heading back to the land and a simple life lived well.
August 13th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
You’ve done it once again, Scott. Written another wonderful post!
To you and all of the folks who comment on your blog, I truly enjoy reading every word. I think of you as militia men scattered throughout this land, prepared to save a remnant of our country as it goes down the tubes. May God richly bless you all, in the ways that count.
August 16th, 2007 at 7:21 am
Hi Deb
Thank you for the kind words. I wanted to let you know that I have enjoyed reading about your trips to the abbey and your observations about the life of the sisters there. For some reason, I can’t post comments on Blogger blogs anymore. So to all of you with Blogger hosted blogs, thats why I never comment anymore…..I can’t.