Growing a Farmer: Book 1, Blog Post 2

I read Growing a Farmer: How I Learned to Live Off the Land by Kurt Timmermeister, and although this book is not for everyone, it turned out to be exactly what I hoped it would be. In our modern world of immediate gratification and seemingly never-ending sources of stress, I have found myself searching for a happier and more peaceful perspective on life. Paradoxically, I was drawn to this book due to its “boring” premise: how can someone from a big city in the 21st-century move to an isolated farm, perform the dull duties of a farmer, and be happy with their life? Along with the wealth of agricultural wisdom he passes to his readers, Kurt answers that exact question. This is Kurt’s story about moving from a bustling life in downtown Seattle to rural life on a farm in Vashon, Washington. After discussing the decision and process of the move, Kurt spends the rest of the book diving into his experiences raising apple trees, bees, cows, sheep, and other trappings of a typical farm. Every chapter is dedicated to a unique category of plant or animal that Kurt raised in his farming experience, and he incorporated interesting insights and life lessons into the agricultural advice. I’ll dive deeper into some of my favorite lessons and takeaways below.

 

The biggest factors behind Kurt’s contentment with his life are his wonder and appreciation of nature, his focus on relationships, and an understanding of his purpose. Kurt constantly describes his appreciation for what his land can produce. In his words, he was “content to revel in the wonders [his] land had produced.” This was never more evident than in his appreciation for his bees. Beekeeping was a focus of a chapter, and Kurt made a point that he did not raise honey for commercial gain. Rather, he says he looked forward all year to April 15^th, the day that his bees would arrive. He would then savor the arduous (and sometimes painful) experience of tending to his bees, and the satisfaction he received from caring for them. He then goes into detail about the many uses he gets out of the honey, and the way that he fully savors every drop of that honey is inspiring. 

 

In terms of farms, Kurt’s is small with about 12 acres to his name. He describes an experience early in his farming venture when the opportunity arose to buy a 100-acre farm for an amazing price. However, when Kurt visited he found that the surrounding community of the 100-acre farm sported Confederate flags and harbored completely different beliefs than he did. Financially, the 100-acre property would have been a home run, and earning profits would have been exponentially easier. But Kurt stuck to his values and chose to stick with his smaller property in his more welcoming community. Kurt valued personal connections and relationships over financial gain, and I found this as a primary reason behind his down-to-Earth and happy mindset on life.

 

Finally, Kurt has put immense thought into his purpose and is completely satisfied with it. He wants to cherish, care for, and improve his portion of the Earth and his livestock while he is here. While most people think of a 401(k) when it comes to retirement, Kurt thinks of a dairy cow. In his words: “My retirement plan is now to always have a dairy cow… I like the idea of needing to be out of bed in the morning for a specific reason, every day, even if it is raining or snowing or if I am just tired.” Since he constantly has a purpose and is constantly needed, he does not need to worry himself with the wallowing and philosophizing that can depress people with too much time on their hands. Overall, as long as you go into this book with the curiosity and appreciation for a simpler way of life, then you will love Kurt’s down-to-Earth and surprisingly entertaining book.