Northern Farmer

Almost done hauling hay bales home for the year as of today. We’ve been hauling every available moment in daylight. I think we only have eighty more round bales to go, but they’re five miles away so it’ll take a full day hauling them home, and I hate to think of the amount of gas the old three quarter ton pickup will use pulling the trailer down the county road. Will have to get that still up and running over winter and the three quarter ton Chev is the first thing that gets converted.

I’ve burned wood to heat my home for going on five winters now with an outdoor wood furnace and it’s a dream. At my parents place we are installing the same but newer model for their home and two workshops. Should be done tommorrow. I’ll be tending both and making wood for both, but it’s incredible the savings that this route gives. And it’ll be nice to have good heated workshops all winter in the frigid north country. Then we can make the still for brewing some fuel in short sleeve comfort.

About a year ago I went to a neighboring town to buy a couple of chains for the chain saw and as is my normal custom when giving business to small town shops I have to visit. Last year the owner was telling me how chain saw sales were next to nothing and I asked why. Well, he said he figures people were just getting to lazy nowdays to demean themselves doing labor. I certainly agree with that! As with so many other times and cases involving a simpler life style we are often belittled for doing things like making firewood and passing up propane or electric heat, living the way we are “supposed” to. Well, anyway that’s how it’s been up to this fall. Now we are getting that look from the naysayers and they say we’re so “lucky” to have our wood furnace. They’ve been calling all the dealers around and they can’t even get any furnaces this winter anymore they’re so backordered. And if you can get the furnace chances are they won’t have the heat exchangers available.

I figure this is just a small look at the future, when there will be massive shortages of what the world takes for granted now. And then how will prepared people be looked at. I don’t think it will be with respect for their wise desisions. It’ll be in anger. It will be interesting to say the least. I would hope that at least here in the upper midwest enough people would get out and do something for themselves, but I don’t know. So many have never wanted for anything important. My family always gets a kick out of me because my dream is to farm with horses, for real.That’s not what you’d call marching in lockstep with the “modern” society. I truely love it out here on the farm, I pray that more people would realize how good life is living simpler. We’ve got a ways to go even, but we’re getting there. The modern culture has sunk it’s claws deep in everyone, but it’s up to us to pull free from it. And as a person does pull more and more free, we get them looks from people we know, they know deep in their heart that what we,(by that I mean anyone choosing the simpler life), are doing is right, but it’s hard, very hard for them to admit it. But here and there people are coming to their senses. Let’s pray more do.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 21st, 2005 at 8:30 pm and is filed under Northern Farmer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.