Right now that is the Big Question for us. It would be a huge jump for us
in terms of property size to be managed. Just this year we finally made
use of the entire rented portion; past years it's gotten away from us over the
course of the growing season. But the rented portion is just 1/5 of the
total farm size. We've been invited to consider buying the whole thing.
WOW! That's a heady invitation, and a staggering responsibility. And we're
trying to make the first best use of our home property, which is also a
challenge. There are always questions about how to use/work the land now, vs
how to manage it over time, and whether what we do now is conducive to
long-term goals. Then there's the family we rent from and all their inner
political strife (present in any extended family), and the historical aspect
of taking over and working on a 100 year old working farm, which in this
area is amongst the older properties. Really, really brings the concept of
"humble caretaker" to mind, knowing that we're inheriting someone else's
plans, and we'll do whatever we do, but inevitably leave things unfinished
for
someone down the line. How aquaponics figures into that, in large part or
in small part, is just one drop in the bucket of the issue in general.
Lots to consider. We're on the fence between "too big a job for us, sorry"
and "if not us, who?" The land calls to us to not let it be taken over by
someone who doesn't care about such things as trace mineral balancing and
rotational grazing and water quality and the sight of egrets flying low and
slow over the wetlands. THAT is the context that I try to fit our aquaponics
plans into. If it doesn't fit in that bigger picture, then for us it
doesn't fit.
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA
Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.