What's an Adventure Without Hurdles?
The path towards Brimwood Farm has been fraught with difficulties. Almost 10 years in the planning, the land may have sat waiting but life has had other ideas. A hostile British government has meant that my husband's visa has taken five years and almost £10,000 to get. It has also required us to work full time, lessening our ability to develop the farm in parallel with everything else. We worked towards our dream and then, when most hurdles had been surpassed, COVID19 reared its head. Finally, we sold our house, took out a tenancy, quit our jobs and then the house sale fell through. I mean, these things are sent to test us and make us stronger right?
Unfortunately, making me 'stronger' has not been the desired effect. Instead, my battle with the blackening has spiralled and made it difficult to do anything. But more on the state of my mental health another time.
If 2020 hadn't been troublesome enough, a spring drought has also played havoc. The woodland I planted last year, near-on 400 trees, is dead. No rain and unable to access the site because of lockdown meant the poor baby saplings just frazzled. Two attempts at the willow dome have failed. The potential swale (a permaculture irrigation system) has dried out and all that remains is mud. We’ve had upset from our neighbours because we actually want to come and use the farm as a farm, and it’s looking increasingly likely we’ll be in rented accommodation far longer than we wanted.
The spring drought was long, and unfortunately it meant that many projects that had been started, failed due to lack of water.
However … this is NOT a woe-is-me post. More of an open, honest letter to say that moving to the countryside and starting a farm business is not all goats, straw bales and butterflies. Though, of course, there are those too.
Work on the ornamental pheasant aviaries has begun.
Whilst the hurdles are not welcome, they are making each step forward more rewarding. And the adventure has had many positives too. The pond restoration project saw successful frogspawn maturation this year, with froglets rife amongst the bog plants. Dragonflies have been appearing there too, and we continue to spot and identify new wildlife species.
The buddliea grove, though in it’s infancy, is already providing nectar. 29 tonnes of organic compost has been delivered and the ornamental pheasant aviaries are currently under construction. And at home, with new chicks and ducklings hatched this year, I now have a nice flock of rare breed Silver Appleyard ducks, some new Ixworth pullets and my first ever muscovies. All of which I’m looking forward to moving to the farm and getting onto some lush pasture - I have to say, despite the drought, our fields are looking very green!
So, perhaps, though hurdles might seem like a complete breakdown-worthy incident at the time, they are actually part of the journey. We’re not even at the farm yet, but the adventure seems to have already begun.