Sometimes Farming Is Just a Walk in the Woods

This time of year, I feel like I am treading water, just trying to keep the animals happy and the farm running. Both of my professions - farming and teaching - get pretty intense in June. Something's got to give: right now it's my garden, which is, so far, parsley, two basil plants, the garlic I planted in the fall, and a whole lot of zinnias I scored at my school's plant sale. And don't even ask me when I last cleaned the house.

Sometimes, though, a farm chore leads me into a moment of beauty and appreciation, like last week when we were moving the goats' pasture. My job is the better one: while Farmer Fin pulls the sheds with the truck, I lead the goats uphill so they don't get in the way. On this day, I led them into a corner of dappled shade, where a stand of trees survives. I bent down branches so the goats could eat the leaves and received much caprine affection in return. There were also wild strawberries. I had to try to capture the moment in this photo shoot.

Jasmine decided she wanted to be the star of this blog post. Check her out after the jump.