December 4, 2008 – You sometimes feel very needed on a farm, as when you turn out in the morning or late afternoon and every animal in the place is waiting for you, staring at you, and looking at the barn doors where the hay is stored. Farms are complex places, with all sorts of elements, but I think none is more central than food. I love hearing the chorus of brays, baaahs and grunts when I appear.

__

 I enjoyed sorting through some of the messages about change and the farm. Many were encouraging and sympathetic. Some were anxious, worried about some of the animals. It is true, I know, that when I talk about change I usually do it. My goal is for the farm to be a peaceful, manageable place, but I don’t think I would give up on the notion of bedlam, the core idea.
  I think the farm should reflect some of the life I want, rather than react to it. I appreciate the messages. When I make decisions, I usually follow the Hannah Arendt rule: it’s not about what others would do or think, but what you would do or think. It’s about self-respect.
  A farm is a dynamic, complex place, and you either run it, or it runs you, or runs away with you. I don’t want mine to run away from me, or me from it. The messages always remind me that the place stands for something other than me.