02/04/2024
There was an old shed on the Tennessee property we purchased in 2020 that I planned to turn into a chicken coop. It was filled with an assortment of unsettling objects and cleaning it out was one the greatest tests of perseverance I've ever faced.
I shoveled wheelbarrows full of horror out of damp, murky corners - years-old soaked, filthy clothes, shoes, pillows, blankets, lingerie, dirty diapers - and stumbled over a birdcage containing an empty butter tub and a BIRD SKELETON. Did someone live out here? With a pet bird? There was a shelf dotted with superhero stickers and the name Michael neatly lined across the front. I pray for Michael's sake that this was once his club house, but the vibes were dark, much like this welcome is becoming. Thanks for tuning in to my first post on why I love farming and you should too!
I began this journey with absolutely no experience in any aspect of farming and learned the hard way most days. The chickens and I trudged through trial and error until we eventually fell into a beautiful symbiotic relationship. The simple life that farming demands became an escape from the uncertainty all around us and represented a much more hopeful microchasm of life.
Drinking coffee on a warm summer morning with a chicken in my lap listening to the sounds of nature already busy with the work of the day was an experience on a spiritual level. I was reminded often of Matthew 6:26: Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? I grew as a person, a wife, a mother, a soul.
Though the work was hard and not always fun (p**p), the reward was a centered peace that flowed into all aspects of my life. The shed is an important beginning because it showed me I could do hard things and surpass goals I never thought I could even meet before. I had conquered a putrid force of evil and learned that I was braver and stronger than I believed.
The flock grew and Delta Moon Farm began delivering free-range eggs to the local community. The farm's expansion created a dream of owning a simple farm stand that provided fresh, nutritious food and homemade goods.
As it tends to do, life changed. We moved back home, back to the namesake of our farm: the Mississippi Delta. Farming was paused while we began our journey with Hopson Hospitality, but never forgotten. I am so excited to announce that this spring, Delta Moon Farm will be moving to the historic grounds of Hopson Farm.
With the help of the Coahoma County Mississippi State Extension office, we are beginning ground preparation for a community garden. Our hope is provide education and fresh, affordable food to our community.
Follow along here for tips and tricks I learn along the way, schedule updates, and chicken fun!
