Tuesday, September 28, 2010

That's a Wrap

Whew!

We finally finished raising and processing all 213 chickens.  What a summer!

I was standing in the field last Saturday in the early morning hours.  My sons and I were preparing for the day.  The sun was just coming up and the chill of the night was still in the air. I thought about the people who were coming out to help.

I thought about how they always come out to help.

I was tired and ready to be done with chicken processing days.  They are long, messy, and tiring.  I thought about the helpers.  How tired of chicken processing days must they be?  They show up on the days they are able.  They work hard and without complaint.  When they are finished they are rewarded with little to nothing.

And still they come.  Why?

They come because of the love they have in their hearts.  For me and my family, yes, but more importantly because they love God and His people.  That's what Biblical community is all about.  It's about sacrificing your time and resource for your brother or sister...even if they are crazy enough to process chickens.

At that moment, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  Maybe overwhelmed is not the right word.  Maybe humbled is better.  Yes, I think that says it better.  Humbled because I realized anew that I didn't deserve friends like these.  I didn't deserve the blessing of living in the family of God.  Yet I was blessed.  I am blessed.  How could life get any better?








Thank you to all who are supporting this little enterprise.  I appreciate the encouragement and enthusiasm you give toward the service we are providing.  It's been exciting watching as people's faces light up when they realize what we're doing.  Whether you are supporting clean and healthy meat, a local business, a strange new business venture, or all of the above, we thank you.  I'll still be posting updates on our Turkey experiment so stay tuned.  I have a feeling that Turkey processing day will be an adventure!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

It's Almost Time - 4th Batch

IT'S ALMOST TIME


Don't forget that we are processing the fourth batch of chickens on September 25th.  That's is a week from Saturday!  Have your coolers and your final payments ready! Plan to arrive between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.  This will give the chickens time to cool down after processing.  Many people have asked if we have "extras".  Unfortunately, that's hard to determine until we get to processing day.  If you would like to stop by and ask, please feel free.  Extras will also be first come, first served.  

Please note that at this time, we have no more freezer space If you are unable to come on the 25th, and you do not make arrangements in advance, you will forfeit your order.  If you are unable to come on the 25th and you give us advanced notice, you will be charged an additional $2.00 per bird.  If you have any questions regarding your order, don't hesitate to let us know. 

You will need enough cooler space to fit your order.  You should have a little ice or cold water in your cooler so your bird will keep on your drive home.

For your final payment, we only accept cash and check at this time. 

If you have any questions or comments, let us know! We'd love to hear from you.  Keep checking the blog for the most recent information, or follow us on Facebook.  Just type in Legacy Family Farm.

legacyfamilyfarm@gmail.com
http://simplelife-thelegacy.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Entrusted with Arrows - A Movie Review

I recently had an opportunity to preview the film "Entrusted with Arrows".  My wife clued me in to their link on Facebook.  When I watched the trailer I knew this was a "must see" movie for me.  I wasn't disappointed.

The movie is a documentary that focuses on a few families that have something in common; the father of each family has "come home".

When I watch the movie, I get this tingle in the back my neck and it sort of flushes my face.  I think I feel that way because I know exactly why they did what they did.  In every case, they left a stable job with career potential to start a family business.  Some did it voluntarily...others did not.  But in any case, they all recognized that it was time to leave the workplace.

It was time to come home.

This wasn't so foreign a concept even 100 year ago.  In fact, it was the norm.  Families engaged in business together, whether it was operating the family farm, running the local mercantile or grain mill, or renting out rooms to weary passengers.  They had cottage business that arose; jams and jellies, candles, baked goods, and soaps.  They did what they had to do to survive.

And they did it together.

I realize that not every man from the previous centuries was home constantly, nor would I expect him to be. There are jobs that must be done away from home.   Yet the simple fact is that it's a man's God given responsibility to lead his family.  This cannot be done if he does not heavily invest in that family.  And how can he heavily invest in his family if the majority of his time is spent elsewhere?  The 20th Century, and the continued propagation of the Industrial Age, has embedded into the minds of men that we must leave home for at least 40 hours per week in order to "work".  Anything less is considered lazy.  But it's not so.  A man does not have to leave his homestead to be productive.  Having a job away from the home is no sin.  But have we given into the lie that says our corporation, our place of employment, is what defines our productivity?

Again I say it is not so.  With the advent of technology, it seems that we are learning.  Men are coming home, with home as their base of operations.  Whole families are able to work from home.  There are some who are heeding the call to transition from a decentralized family model to a centralized one.

I think that is what I was most impressed with as I watched Entrusted with Arrows.  This movie highlighted candid conversations about the transition and the fear involved.  Each man addresses the fact that he struggled, to one extent or other, with fear.  Yet each overcame that fear.  How joyous to the ears to hear that a man was indeed fearful, as all men will be, but trusted God.  In so doing a man becomes brave.  I need to hear that.  It's like a shot of courage in the arm.

I've heard of similar stories from men whose hearts have been turned toward home.  At times, the stories do not mention fear and I have been left to wonder if they did not struggle at all with this sort of transition.  This was not the case with Entrusted with Arrows.  The leading men were open about their fears and their conquests.

In all, I'd like to say thank you to the Movie Makers.  Like a fire on a winter's day, they brought cheer and inspiration to me, reminding me that with God, all things are possible.

For more information, check them out here.

Monday, September 6, 2010

It's Almost Time - 3rd Batch

Don't forget that we are processing the third batch of chickens on September 11th.  That's this coming Saturday!  Have your coolers and your final payments ready! Plan to arrive between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.  This will give the chickens time to cool down after processing.  We don't have a lot of freezer space so it's important that you, or a representative for you, is there.  If you have any questions regarding your order, don't hesitate to let us know.

You will need enough cooler space to fit your order.  You should have a little ice or cold water in your cooler so your bird will keep on your drive home.

For your final payment, we only accept cash and check at this time. We are REALLY excited to see you there!!


FUTURE PLANS

We plan to process the fourth batch of chickens on September 25th. Again, mark it on your calendar!  This will be our final batch for the year. 

If you have any questions or comments, let us know! We'd love to hear from you.  Keep checking the blog for the most recent information, or follow us on Facebook.  Just type in Legacy Family Farm.