Five years ago, if anyone had said.. you secretly want to be a farmer when you grow up (and I use the term ‘grow up’ rather loosely because I’m 31).. I would have laughed so long and hard that I’d lose consciousness from lack of air. God, how things change as you get older!
Anyone who reads my blog may have picked up on my extremely controlling tendencies with regards to food consumption. I like being able to make my own cheese, tortillas, yogurt, butter, pasta, etc.. I’m starting to get into curing meats lately.. and I love love love the fact that I can grow my own herbs.
Really the only missing piece to this organic goodness trifecta is the sourcing since I know what to do with it once I have it.
So being the problem solver that I am, I thought to myself… hmm.. how can I have even more control? The next step is directly buying from farms.. or farming yourself.
I realized just how much I would enjoy that. I’m talking a small plot of land, maybe a cow or two, some chickens, a goat.. a place to plant some veggies. Nothing insane that would require me to get a combine harvester.. but enough to feed my family and maybe some to give to local food banks.
I don’t think I’d do well with the animal slaughter part, so I’d probably have to outsource that part somehow.
I’d probably be really into preserving too, if I had but the space to store things. I love my apartment, but it feels pocket-sized in terms of storage.
I understand now, in a way that I didn’t really before.. the idea of being satisfied to put something great out into the world that truly nurtures. Sorry if I sound like a hippie. 😀
Anyway, it’s all in the very early stages (like wishing and thinking about it) so I’m sure it will all become more clear as time passes.
During the week, I am tired and cranky when I get home so I’m going to save up my fancy dinner posting until such time as I’m not feeling like a moody bitch. (This will probably be the weekend, so expect a couple!)
On tap for the weekend:
1) Curing some bacon.. or starting that process (eep! so excited for this!!)
2) Making some butter (also exciting because immediately following successful preparation of butter there will be some butter poaching of something. I don’t know what yet. )
More details and numerous pictures to follow!
The Confluent Kitchen 
If you want to combine some of your new interests, I had amazing foods at amazing restaurants in Ireland, but the one thing I remember as the most satisfying was a pub meal of house cured salmon on crown bread with lots of butter. Nothing else.
Also, if you want some land for farming, I’m a real estate agent and just idioted myself into listing a .42 acre vacant lot in one of the more dangerous areas of Birmingham (long story.) The owners are willing to make a deal and as it is in contentious neighborhood, the land is already aerated by bullets and, possibly fertilized by the burying of a body or two. Considering how low interest rates are right now, you’d be foolish not to buy it.
That sounds really tasty, actually. Baking is not really my thing but maybe I will take a crack at some bread.
Sorry to hear about vacant lot listing in the sketchy part of town. Hope you’re able to sell that soon…. to someone that isn’t me.
Besides, I live in LA. The chances of me moving back to the SE part of the US are soooo slim to none. 🙂
Very awesome! I love the philosophy and the drive you have for making a sustainable, pleasurable lifestyle in this modern age! I’m yet to make my own butter but (I so gotta try) one of these days! 🙂
Thanks for the inspiration!
A lot of those things (pasta, butter, cheese) are a lot easier to make than most people realize. There’s just something super rewarding about the process as well as the result that keeps me trying to make new things from scratch. So far, pretty much everything I’ve done is better than what you can get in an average store and that’s a pretty awesome feeling.
Keep me posted on the butter, and you’re welcome! 😀
love it! My husband and I often find ourselves asking each other- when did we turn into hippies? I also dream of farming when I grow up!
Yeah.. I’ve always been pretty liberal about stuff.. but I was never one of those tree hugging, granola type hippies until recently. Suddenly I am wanting some land to farm on, and to raise my own goats.
In other AWESOME FREAKING NEWS.. my garden bulbs finally sprouted. I have asparagus, shallots, and garlic on the way along with my spices and such. I really didn’t used to get so excited about this kinda stuff. My, how time changes us..
haha! So true how time changes us all! And yes, that is awesome freaking news! I cannot wait for excitement like that! Sadly, for me, that’s not until about June! (June!! How the hell am I gonna wait until JUNE?!)