Slow is Fast

There are 45 piglets getting the zoomies right now in the field across from our house. We like watching them from the front porch as they roughhouse, run around, and snuggle down in the hay together.

The other day as CJ and I watched them playing and then went to move the cattle, two of whom were playfully headbutting each other, we were struck by how most mammals play. What’s the purpose of this playfulness? My hunch says that we mammals are social creatures who depend on clear and peaceful social structures — playing together helps us strengthen our relationships and sort out the pecking order. At least that’s my hypothesis as an untrained animal observer.

It made me pause and ask myself, when was the last time I played? CJ and I have been going hard these last couple weeks. We’re leasing new ground and converting 20 acres of row crops to pasture, scaling up our pork enterprise to twice as big as last year, and preparing for our farm’s event season with our Summer Solstice Show coming up on June 28th.

While we’re typically good about taking Sundays off to rest, last Memorial Day weekend we pushed through and worked every day, mowing and discing the field we’re trying to convert before the big rain in the forecast. Aaaaand both of us got sick.

This brings me to my favorite farm phrase: slow is fast.

My dad first said this to me when I was learning to drive the tractor in my teens. Since tractors are so powerful, it’s easy to get into a dicey situation fast. So if you’re in a tight spot, you’ll get the job done faster if you move slowly.

Now this phrase comes to mind in so many aspects of farm life. Trying to get more done on a Sunday instead of taking time off, only to get sick and be knocked out from being able to do much of anything for several days? Slow is fast. Rushing to the next chore only to have forgotten half of your tools and have to go back and get them? Slow is fast. Backing a trailer? Slow is fast. Deciding on whether to add yet another thing to the business? Slow is fast.

Playing helps us slow down. One of my favorite times of the week is practicing music during our family band rehearsal. The main reason I started our on-farm concerts was to carve out a reason to play live music. The show itself is a boatload of fun, but the rehearsals leading up to it have become my weekly scheduled time to play.

When was the last time you played?

Maybe now is the time to invite friends over for a cookout and throw the old frisbee around. Check out our grass-fed beef and pastured pork for all your grilling needs.