What do you do in the off-season?
Well, this will be my first winter as a farmer (as opposed to a gardener) but I’m sure for a lot of farmers it’s planning, resting and working on other aspects of our business… And re-watching a lot of YouTube farm videos. But I discovered a hobby last winter that saved me when growing was over. It’s Bushcrafting. (You may YouTube it at your leisure ;) )
I think many of you have heard me say by now that I’m afraid of bugs. But I love the outdoors! So Bushcrafting was the perfect solution for me. And it gave me a reason to love the cold. It was an entirely new skill set that I could get into - I need something that can occupy my obsessive mind. I came to prefer freezing weather for hikes. It would guarantee that I wouldn’t see any insects I didn’t want to. And because I sweat A LOT it also took care of that.
It started when I went on vacation in January with a friend and we tried to use the fire pit. I could not believe that we could not maintain a fire! I wondered how this had passed me by! Surely I knew how to do it… but I didn’t. The best video I found was “How to Make and Sustain a Fire in The Rain” @ Corporals Corner on YouTube. And then I became the fire-making queen.
I slowly started watching other channels and got into knot tying, how to set up tarp configurations, the 10 C’s, identifying trees, processing wood, outdoor cooking... I have since kept a metal matchstick on my keychain and a fire kit in my glove box. I always have my hiking backpack in the car, so I have the 10 C’s with me at all times. It was lovely. Best of all, when I was in the woods I didn’t feel lonely. I could spend hours in there and not be aware of my isolation. When I needed more support than I could get, the woods helped.
Maryland is a tough state to try to Bushcraft though. If you want to camp you either have to have land you can get lost on, or book a place at a designated campsite. And if you’re trying to do primitive camping – which is what bushcrafting is – your options are even narrower. I looked with longing at other bushcrafters. But I did my best to practice in my backyard. On days when my depression would make it hard to leave the house I could drag myself outside in my pajamas, my hair sticking up in all directions and make myself light a fire. It got me outside when all I could do was lie next to the hole from which I crawled.
I made wishlists of the gear I wanted - and made do with what I had lol. I walked the aisles of the outdoor gear at Walmart over and over. I bought some of their stuff and then had to return it. I cannot comment on the quality of all their gear but I did not find their machete and hatchet kit competent for any real woodsy tasks.
When the weather became warm enough that I started sweating uncomfortably while hiking (and it didn’t take much for that to happen), I was dismayed. But by then seed-starting was requiring my full attention and I got access to the land for my farm. Gears shifted. But I am looking forward to throwing myself into it again.
Right now, everything that could reasonably be expected to sprout in my indoor 76 degree weather has sprouted. Other things are taking longer. Currently I’m still waiting on Nigella, Delphinium and Bupleurum. There’s a chance that I may not have started some things the right way but I’m not too worried about it. If I see no signs of life after another week I’ll just start them again. I got a tip about planting Delphiniums on the Let’s Grow Girls Podcast last week. Apparently they germinate better if you stick them in the freezer for a week. So I’ll definitely be trying that.
What do you do when winter hits? Let me know over on IG or FB @lovelyrainflowerfarmmd. See you next week!
Toodles!
Kerri
