Why we are stopping homesteading for a year.

"Time and space are interrelated. To overlook either of them is to be partially blind. What we plead against is man’s unconditional surrender to space, his enslavement to things. We must not forget that it is not a thing that lends significance to a moment; it is the moment that lends significance to things."
― Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath

This week marks a month of us Shmitaing (releasing) the year of no homesteading. First I don't think I can really say no homesteading because we still live here.

We are still doing outside projects

We still have animals to take care of

BUT we are not planting a fall garden, and next year we won't plant a garden at all. (that honestly terrifies me)

Oh! also we won't be preserving food next year. We will eat what grows from all our perennials.

We'll eat from volunteers that come up and we'll wild forage. BUT that's it.

This idea comes from the bible in the old testament the Israelites were commanded to let the land rest every seven years.

In that seven years, it's kind of a time to let things equal back out. Make sure we are taking care of the poor, the widow, the orphan. So you would take down your fences, people would eat what they could find and we would all celebrate for a year.

It even goes as far as to say that if you do this, abundance is promised.

Ok, so no matter where you are with the Bible there's a great lesson for all of us.

When the world seems like it's on fire, like everything we loved is getting harder to do, we need to let go of the control.

I really don't think that it's a coincidence that the Shmita year fell on this year.

Maybe you aren't ready to let go. It's totally ok I get that.

But maybe you could do something smaller. Here are some ideas:

Take a part of the homestead and make it a small Shmita plot. Just rope it off and see what happens. Let nature emerge and grow for the next year until September.

Maybe just grow less in the garden

Don't preserve next year

Find a friend with a farm and ask for a Shmita plot there.

No matter what you do, just sit with the idea that nature happens with or without you. That ultimately survival is out of your hands.

Then ask the question "what happens if I release the control I think I have?"

Peace and Love,
Drew and Lacey