Primitive Dirt: Home is Where the Hay is.

Spring is finally here. The weather is good, still a little hint of winter's past in the air. This is an exciting time at the farm! Cover crops are coming off, ploughing has begun, seeds are being gathered to be planted, and the first cut of hay is more than ready to be taken off. It's a time where newness has already begun. Baby lambs frolic with each other in their pastures, kittens and puppies run around everywhere. It's an incredible time to be living on the farm. It's also an incredible time of hard work!

All of the scents: the fresh cut grass, the warm scent of the earth being turned over by a plough, sunscreen, hay bales, diesel make my heart so happy. All of the sounds: the rumble of equipment, the squeaking of wheels, the sound of the grass. This is what made me who I am.

You develop a great appreciation for farmers. They tend to the land so meticulously. They replenish it each year with the nutrients it needs to keep producing healthy crops. They rotate crops to make sure that the land is never drained from it's ability to give back to us. They run their equipment as efficiently as possible. The truly good farmers also treat all of the animals that they raise with respect. They're handled fairly and given the best living conditions possible. They take care of their animals before themselves every day.

I wish that more people were educated on where their food and produce comes from. There is so much hard work, and it's a labour of love, that goes into bringing all of these farm fresh foods to your plate. Without the dedication of the farmer, we would have nothing to eat! (So don't EVER complain about farmers with your mouth full!)

Slowly, our agricultural land is being taken away. Subdivisions are going up. People build their mansions "out in the country" and take away little parcels of our precious farmland. Greenhouses pop up on agricultural land, taking away from the farmer's hay supplies. Too often we take for granted the dirt. It serves us so well. For anyone who has horses or a small hobby farm, your hay doesn't just show up in those perfect little square (or round) bales on its own. There are hours -- even days of preparation that have gone into producing that hay. In order to keep your hobby going strong, we need to protect the land that feeds it all. So when you complain about the price of bread and cereal, or how expensive produce is, remember that the land that grows it needs to be cherished in order to bring you the best. Maybe consider growing a small garden of your own. You'll greatly appreciate the farmer and what he does when you do!

This wasn't really meant to turn into a rant about how land is being taken away. I just appreciate it so much that it would be a shame if others couldn't appreciate it just a little bit more too. Nature is so therapeutic. It's perfect just on it's own. I believe that it's a small, little glimmer of what heaven will be like one day. I also think that God has a preference to the colours green and blue!