In a lot of the farm business planning workbooks and guides, they talk about identifying your *why* of farming. It has been a really helpful exercise to think through that, and also what my ideal looks like.

Why do I want to farm?

• I want time outside and being active to be built into my lifestyle
• I want to be around animals, particularly sheep, ducks, and goats
• I want clean, fresh food to be integrated into my life
• I want to be in an environment where I am constantly learning
• I want to contribute to something that feels like it isn’t about consumerism and capital, but instead preserves, improves, or contributes to the land and community that I am a part of even if it is in a small way

What does my ideal look like?

• I want my photography to be incorporated into my life again. I would love to be surrounded by an environment and a life that inspires me and to create a photography book
• Working with different kinds of raw fleeces every day
• Host classes/events in a dedicated space on the farm
• Provide wool related products – fleece, batts, sweater patterns, weaving patterns, woven products
• I want there to be something special about the animals and flowers we raise – focusing on heritage and endangered breeds of livestock and species of flowers
• Find a way to make use of my technical/web dev skills to help other farmers. Knowledge and skill sharing to contribute to the community – I learn farming directly or through osmosis from them, so what can I provide back from my unique skills?

I know this will keep evolving, but it is energizing to think about and write it down from time to time as the process of moving and transitioning is slow and overwhelming at times.