A lot can change in 5 years.
5 years isn’t all that much time, but it can also feel like a lifetime.
5 years ago, in 2020, I had some big dreams. I wanted to not only feed my family but also my community. I had decided to start the farm business before the pandemic started and had a vision for what I thought that would look like. The pandemic hit and created what was a pretty incredible tidal wave of support for local businesses. I remember Facebook page went from 100 followers to over 800 in about a week, and then it kept growing after that.
As the interest in our farm grew and grew, I found myself wanting to be everything for everyone. There were days in August 2020 where I would harvest, can, and bake all in the same day. I figured out pretty quickly that this was a one-way path to burnout, and as the years have progressed I’ve found myself continuing to streamline my business to make it as efficient as possible.
Hiring my part time employee Kristen in 2021 made a huge, positive impact as that freed up so much of my time to focus on other things. She has been an integral part of our farm since then.
As I’ve been reflecting on our upcoming 2025 season, I realize that these days things look a lot different than that dream I had in 2020. 2025 will look different for us, and that’s not a bad thing.
In the past year, my family has dealt with a lot of really challenging health issues. I myself deal with a chronic autoimmune condition that has required more time and focus in recent months. I’m with the right doctors and doing overall better these days, but the degree of energy and time that it has required makes me realize I can’t sustain what I’ve been doing for the past 5 years.
We are excited to continue to grow your veggie plants, and provide our signature 4 week harvest bags this season. However, I will be scaling back significantly on my canning projects. Canning is one of my absolute favorite things, but it takes a substantial amount of time and energy. I don’t plan on eliminating it entirely, but we won’t be restocking a number of our products.
One valuable lesson I’ve learned in business is that I can - and should - refocus my energy and efforts when needed. This year I’m feel a pull to allow myself more breathing room over the beautiful summer months in Minnesota. You might find me on the trails with Sadie, hitting up local wineries or breweries, or sitting on my patio reading my latest book.
I don’t know what things will look like in future years. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still plant over 200 tomato plants. I’ll probably still buy another fruit tree or two. But, this year I’m going to lean into joy, rest, and rejuvenation.