21st Century Farmer

  Days like these, I always fancy myself as a farmer. When the temperature is right. When the sun is burning through the chill. When the wind is blowing like running through electric beaters.

   In the early evening, nature is in it's prime and the most beautiful scenes unfold. I really really love walks in the country and there are very very few things that can compare.
  I've always been carried away by spare-of-the-moment dreams. Countless times I've walked into bookshops - my personal dream havens - and looked for every book I could find on one particular subject be it cross-stitch, creating your own business, wildlife conservation or, now, farming. 

  For me, it seems, that the sun has delusional properties. Everything looks better in the sunshine. I feel more optimistic, more ambitious and so now my latest soon-to-be-acted-upon faux pas is; agriculture. 

We were walking down to the pub the other day, through the back streets laced with fields of sheep, horses and donkeys. We passed farm houses with a wooden nest open to the public;

"£2 for a dozen eggs". 

  I love that; the trust. How farmers will put their produce outside their house and trust that people will pay them. Not that I wouldn't pay. I'm just saying. 

  It's old-fashioned too. Just how I like it!! So I've settled on the idea. I love animals - absolutely adore them.

 

It makes sense; I love being outside, animals and selling things I've made myself. That was another innovative idea that came to me; in the summer, this year - I wanted to knit and sew house hold decorations and small gifts for Christmas. I had all the blue prints; sock patterns, sticking patterns, home-made aprons, baby hats, blankets. I was very hopeful that it would work, but, as much of my thinking goes, it never materialised past the excitement of the thrill. All my novels end with the same fate - I must have about 15 unwritten books that have never lived past the third chapter. 

  

Anyway, on a visit to Southampton in the week, I found myself in - yes! You've guessed it - another bookshop. I was browsing the titles, trying to remember my latest craze, when I stumbled upon the gardening and wildlife section. Most teenagers, I'd assume, have crazes like the need to go to driving lessons or the importance of a summer full of music festivals. I'm not sure I'm much like that. 

  The book I picked up seemed just what I need; How to keep happy chickens and other poultry. Perfect! 

  Now I've had pets; guinea pigs, fish, a hamster, a rabbit and a dog but I have absolutely no idea how you would even begin looking after chickens. My uncle has them but I don't know what it entails really. I mean, they eat more or less anything and they don't need walks. They make their own nests but is it that simple? Well, I was about to find out. I flicked through the pages, spurred to fork out the 99p that was needed to buy the guide by the words; collect your own eggs. It sounded brilliant!! And then, I flicked to the back. 

How to cleanly slaughter - or words to that effect. I threw the book down. My stomach started turning. I wanted chickens but I didn't want to kill them. I didn't even want to have a book that told me how to do it! 

  I remember stepping on a dead bird when I was little. The shock of its face and it's limp body; it sent a shock wave through me. And this book was the same. 

I have up on that idea. But I did love the idea of collecting my own eggs. When we walked to the pub, I thought about I again. I love the idea but I don't have the money to keep horses, I don't have the skills to shear sheep - not that I couldn't learn. But I so desperately want to do it. 

I'm taking things one step at a time. I've decided upon growing my own vegetables now. That would both fulfill my ideal of grown your own and much cheaper than animals. I will get there one day, I hope; to the small holding but maybe just with one cow, one sheep, a donkey and 2 chicks.