Be The Change

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast.  Mainly because it's my husband's specialty.  But also because it's just so darn good.  My sister and I were leafing through Country Living Magazine yesterday and she was drooling over the breakfast served in this article.  It features sausage, pancakes, and Maple Pecan Butter.  Want to know what excites me most about this menu?  I can raise everything I need for the entire meal here on the farm.  When I look at a recipe I think, "Do I have everything I need to make it already at home?"  That's the beauty of self sufficiency and one of my main goals for our farm. 

Last year we planted a small nut grove and this spring we plan on adding Sugar Maples to the farm and Heritage Hogs.  We have milk for the butter and we have planted wheat to make the pancakes.  Yes, it will take a long time for the trees to grow large enough to produce nuts and sweet syrup but we have to start sometime. 

We want to leave our children with the resources and the knowledge on how to provide for themselves in the future and not just financially.  Times have changed and it's vital to know where your food comes from and how to obtain it.  I joke that I don't want to be Amish (they are fabulous people but I love my technology too!) yet I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie and find knowledge there not just entertainment (my kids also love to watch it).  I believe it's important for young men to know how to hunt for food, start a fire and of course do dishes & laundry.  (That's right we will arrange a marriage for a price.  Joking!!!  I'm a believer in TRUE LOVE).

My boys got the cutest book from a ChickFilA meal a few months ago and I just love it. In the book it's the farmer's birthday and all of the animals are excited about what they can give the farmer:  cow-milk, sheep-wool, pig-sausage, hen-egg, horse-pulling wagon, dog-friendship.  I believe that's what God intended; for us to give the animals a happy life and that they in turn want to give back to us.

What's your favorite recipe and how can you start becoming self sufficient by producing all that's in that recipe?  Salsa is a great place to start or salad because all you need is a small spot on your balcony or backyard to grow all you need for just a few dollars worth of seeds or plants.  I hope your winter days are spent dreaming of small differences you can make in your life that will affect the next generation.  It doesn't even have to be food related.  It could be trying to live more green, starting the habit of an hour a day just talking to your child without the distraction of handheld electronics, calling a good friend once a week.....These practices will all affect your future and your childs.  I'll close with one of the most common sayings you'll hear but it's so true:

Be The Change You Want To See In The World.