Helping a Friend and Teaching My Sons

I thought I would be writing about the purchase of our new homestead, but someone had more money than we did. Our offer was rejected. Life goes on.

My best friend has just purchased a 40 acre homestead and has asked me to design his farm. It is a great honor.

I took my two youngest sons to help plant his orchard.  They helped me assemble the auger and we planted 16 trees. The design that we made will have blueberries in between each tree and eventually have muscadines. We are creating a food forest environment. It was great experience and my boys worked with me all day.

My youngest drove the tractor most of the afternoon. I am very proud of my boys and they can say that they had a hand in the creation of Grace Farms of Alabama, which will become an organic and sustainable farm based on permaculuture principle.

One thing that I have never understood is how our society has decided that we as a people are too good for manual labor. I cannot tell you the times I have heard parents tell their children that they do not want to do this or that because they deserve something better. Some of the best money I made as a young teen was hauling hay. Very tough work, but when you are done you know you have put in an honest days work for an honest days pay. I wish everyone would learn this lesson. I am proud of my boys, my best friend for embracing organics, and the opportunity to be a part of something that will last for generations.

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