I’m new to farms. Moved here after I got married in 2021.

I spent the past 15 years moving from city to city: DC, Chicago, SF, Seattle, etc. I did also live in a few of America’s most beautiful small towns: Santa Barbara, CA; Ithaca, NY; etc.

I grew up on the Outer Banks NC, which isn’t a city and it’s not a farm. It’s most similar to living on an island. Everyone surfs. The world outside seems “out there” and we’re “in here”.

It had all the same problems every small town has, though. Drugs, fights, alcohol, kids with nothing to do, you know the story…

So in 2021 when we moved here, I had no idea what to expect. And I somewhat still don’t.

But, here’s what I’ve learned so far:

-Time and effect are non-linear. The work you put in today won’t show up for months, and possibly: years. We all know that, yes, but then why do we not act accordingly? “I want to see the result tomorrow”. We all think that way, as do I. We need to flip it: “I expect to not see result of this for 1 full season”.

-Complacency is the biggest enemy. Neglect ruins things on the farm: buildings, equipment, planting, animals, everything. If you neglect it, it will soon cease to exist. Never neglect anything (including your inputs: garbage in, garbage out).

-Tools matter. The right farmer without the right tools, often can’t execute as well as a mediocre farmer with the right tools. I know we don’t like that idea, but it seems true to me. It’s worth renting a tool, if you don’t have it. For the love of god, don’t do a job without the tool you need.

-Constraints are more important than goals. What the season will be, is far more important than what you want to plant or do. Nature abhors a vacuum and so do farms – they’re constrained in almost every way. Learn to live within it.

-System dynamics are real. You can watch, in nearly real-time how the bees effect the plants, which effect the animals, which effect the pollen, which effects the people, and around it goes. Everything is interconnected; which is the same as life. We just don’t always want to believe it.

And 2 bonuses:

-You don’t have to sacrifice connection for disconnection. I have the fastest internet (fiber) I’ve ever had on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes I think about living in SF with slow internet, and then living here with fiber, and just laugh.

-Think in seasons. I used to think in quarters, like most business folks, but now I think in seasons and it helps me stay calm and grounded so much more. Winter, spring, summer, fall. That’s it. Planning happens at seasonal level. Also, btw, you only have 75 falls, 75 springs, 75 summers, & 75 winters. Go enjoy them.

This is the best place I’ve ever lived by a country mile.