A Perfectly Imperfect Farm

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Getting it from my brain to "paper" is sometimes a task, but I feel it is an important one.

What makes a perfect farm?

Is it the infrastructure? The large-scale equipment? The bank account? The rolling meadows with hundreds of happy cows?

Maybe, for some folks. The idea of the perfect farm is always at the back of my mind and on the cover of every farm magazine and rural lifestyle blog you see.

You see massive barns with miles of fencing, new trough feeders and gravity feed bins to go with them, automatic watering systems and covered shelters in every field.

I see debt.

I recently toured a friend's horse-focused farm where they have built a huge riding arena and have miles of trails. They were focused on creating a business that would of course bring a profit, so they approached a local banker who was more than happy to get them into a large loan at a good interest rate. Great! Now they could create their "dream farm". I see the stress in her eyes every time we meet and I can only imagine the constant strain of making enough profit every month to p[ay back that loan balance. Don't misunderstand me, I think their farm is beautiful, and their camping spots and cabins are great. Everything is top of the line, new and shiny and has wonderful curb appeal. They stay busy most of the year and even offer a wedding barn venue. But that bank debt with all of those zeros is a constant shadow on what would otherwise be "the perfect farm". My heart breaks for her.

Each time I think of their facilities (and a bit of envy creeps in), I look around at this little place and remind myself that everything is paid for. We owe nothing. There are not large, perfectly appointed barns with straw covered stalls, nor do I see neat rows of gravel RV pads with full electric and water hookups. Our little cabins are not equipped with a/c and TVs, nor is there a large his and hers shower facility with on demand hot water, but our dreams are large and our wallets are small so give it a few years. We might get there. Then again, we might not. What matters in the end is that we stay within our means while offering our guests the very best experience we possibly can. So far, our guests have enjoyed what we have to offer, and many have returned again and again!

So with all of this in mind, I have decided to start a new blog series called " the perfectly imperfect farm". Over the next months we will share pictures, video, and stories about what makes our farm perfect...in our eyes. You can also follow us on Rumble at "D'ranch Life". Stay tuned!