Day 1

Day 1...again. I'm at The Ranch, located in my home state Vermont. Day 1 wasn't to exciting. I'm working in the other departments and next week I'll be on the Farm Crew. I'm just excited to get to the point where I'm not new, I know my job, and I have friends. All that takes time, but I just am feeling a little impatient.

I am a little worried that I'm not terribly excited about what I'm doing. Don't get me wrong! I still love farming! But I miss dairy cows. The Ranch has about 20 beef cows, 6 pigs that they buy weaned, some chickens (not even enough to supply 100% of the eggs) and 6 sheep. I just came from a place where we had 206 animals! That was a little too many. This number will be good, but I want more involvement of residents with animals. That's why I believe so much in dairy as a therapeutic program for people. But, good things take time, and after I've been here for a year I can start (hopefully) increasing the program. Of course that cost money, so it'll have to make sense. But what about bees!? What about more chickens so we can eat our own eggs? I think I said this all before so I won't repeat myself. I understand that first priority is the residents. But there could be more to add to their experience!

But, I'm not going to lie: I'm missing The Farm right now. There is so much potential there that in my opinion, is not being tapped into. I'm also not going to lie and wish that I was there. And I'm not going to lie again and say that there are still problems there that I cannot get back into - A LOT needs to change before i could ever work there again. And if I'm meant to be there, it'll happen.

In the meantime, I'm going to make The Ranch home. It'll be home eventually. And I'm going to take the time to put into things I never got to do or avoided:

1) mechanics! HUGE.
2) learn more about budgeting (in a more supportive environment)
3) bees!
4) understand more about sheep
5) invest more energy into haying/plants

I'm here. I'm invested.