Planning - Why?

You must know why you are embarking on the small farm/homestead route. Don't worry, your motivations can change over time. It is good to know why you begin. There will be times when you will need to draw on that seed of motivation. 

Individual motivations can be different than collective motivations. Motivations change with experience and circumstance. Our daughter was born a bit early. She was tiny. My wife fought hard. I had to honor her effort with my own. We made our own baby food. 

Our daughter was graduating to solid food. The pediatrician cautioned that we should introduce eggs gradually. My wife mentioned that brown eggs are best. I was raised on a farm, I showed her that the color of the egg doesn't determine anything. she was intrigued. She asked if we could raise our own hens. I wanted to get my wife hens that would lay a bouquet of colored eggs. So this began. 

In a nutshell, LOVE. That is why we do this. 

To be fair, LOVE is very simplistic. It has to be. Farming in all its facets is difficult and LOVE does not rationalize the expense and experience when farmer's markets are everywhere, but LOVE is how you explain the intangibles that money cannot buy. LOVE explains the mortgage and the move and overcoming ignorance. LOVE is sacrifice and perseverance. LOVE is our why.