How We Keep Our Hobby Farm Organized & Clean

If you don’t count the first five years of my life, I am a country kid. I mean, my access to animals was limited, but we did live beside a farm, so I spent a lot of time trying to figure out ways to break into the farmyard next door, even if it meant getting pinned by a goose or ram. For me, it was totally worth it.

I really like animals, in case you didn’t know. I have my limits, though. I like my home to be clean, I like things to smell nice. The barn to be relatively cobweb free. I don’t love dog hair everywhere or unnecessary manure piles. Poop on the boots isn’t my favourite unless it’s horse poop and then I don’t mind so much.

So how do I manage this with three children? Living relatively solo in the country (travelling husband)?

The thing is:

• I set boundaries in terms of what I can handle. At this point in my life, I am not unrealistic about what I can manage. If I can’t keep it mucked and clean now, I certainly won’t be able to later…or if I add more animals to the mix. Via trial and error, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. These days I try not to kid myself.

• I measure my happiness. If I feel defeated every time I head out to muck, I need to figure out something that works a little more efficiently. In my case, this meant building more shelters and automating the water outside. My workload decreased by nearly 70%, which means that I had more time to spend doing other things.

• I always consider time versus money. Installing a water hydrant was an initial cost, but it has saved me hours of time and a considerable amount of crying. Sometimes you have to take the leap and spend the money.

• Risk and safety. Learning how to work with pigs was a considerable leap for me. I was reckless at the time and I’m grateful for what I learned, because I know now how time consuming the entire process was, from beginning to end. I have learned that I am better off entrusting pork raising to another farmer, while I focus my energy on something that doesn’t deplete me entirely. In my case, when the sows farrowed I was often alone, which meant I had to bring the children out to the barn with me, making the entire process a beautiful, albeit stressful learning experience.

• I make time for exercise. Taking on more will make you tired. It will eat at your time, your energy. Staying strong keeps my head on straight. Running out a problem brings it back to me, peacefully. Strength training reminds me of how strong I am, while yoga brings me back to the world.

• Food. I can’t tell you enough how much this influences me. Tracking the amount of food going into my body, the amount of protein, fat and carbs, has been life-changing. My energy has gone up, my attention is sharper, my reflexes quicker. More on this here.

• Alcohol Consumption. Last year, I battled with an unidentified “autoimmune” issue that was later thought to be a viral attack. While I only drank occasionally in the first place, I gave up drinking. It changed my body and mind entirely. This year, I only drank prosecco, but I noticed a change, a slowness in my body that wasn’t there last year (I write an entire post on this here if you want to read more about this). Going into 2024, we’ve decided that, as a family, drinking very rarely, if at all, is the best fit for us.