Last Saturday (the 12th) we decided to take a family trip out to one of the farms we buy from. They were having a tour day, and while we frequently order meat and eggs from them through our local food exchange, we'd never seen the farm. So, off we went. It was a bit of a drive!
Billy's Goat Hill is primarily a goat meat farm. (Yes, goat meat is good. Try it!) When we arrived at this sustainable family farm, I was expecting to find an elderly bearded man by the name of Billy who took care of these goats. Isn't that what you would expect? Maybe it's just me. Anyway, I was surprised and impressed when the one of the owners of the farm introduced her 13-year-old son, Billy, who takes care of the goats, does all sorts of other work on the farm, and is its namesake. Apparently he is South Carolina's 2011 Junior Beekeeper of the Year. They moved to South Carolina from Washington State a few years ago, bringing some chickens with them. It's awesome what they've built in that time.
First thing Suzi did was find this feather. It made her day.
Then we met some goats. The little ones were hard to catch up with and pet, but this lady didn't mind at all!
There are dogs who look after the goats and keep them safe from predators such as coyotes.
The girls loved this mule--I think her name is Sally. She gave sweet slobbery kisses and Suzi got to feed her a treat.
We were excited to see this turkey, too--he may be where Suzi's feather came from. He was beautiful and looked so proud of his feathers!
I was excited to be able to say "see girls?! These chickens lay our eggs!" While we were looking at the chickens, we heard a loud cackle nearby. The owner said that chicken was announcing that she'd just laid an egg and was very happy! Since these chickens are free range, they get to eat a varied diet, which makes for a better, more nutritious egg. I've noticed brighter yolks and harder shells on the eggs we buy from here and other farms with free range chickens. It also means the the folks at this farm get to "have an Easter egg hunt every day!" Funny.
We ate lunch at the farm--goat burgers--and during lunch the girls got to have a "pony ride." It wasn't a real pony, but it was just as much fun!
Suzi's one complaint was that the "goat shop" did not carry toy goats. She was just certain they would have some, even though I told her they probably wouldn't. The girls got tiny honey bears instead.There was all manner of interesting, useful information given about the animals, farming, gardening, etc. Unfortunately, we didn't get to hear much of it because Suzi was begging to go to the goat shop, Ivey was singing songs, and Robert was crying. Oh well. That's how it goes, and we went mostly for the children anyway.
But before we left there was something I had to know. I asked Billy's mom if he was homeschooled. She said yes. (Knew it!) They incorporate the farm activities into their curriculum. Some of the tasks on the farm, such as vaccinations and fecal testing for parasites, make for some pretty advanced science material. But I don't think that is the best part. Billy is incredibly knowledgeable. He answered lots of questions people had on the tour about the plants and animals. He is accomplished. How awesome to spend your time working on something so worthwhile, helping build a business that offers something of value to others, and making a name for yourself and your family.
In my mind, it boils down to finding your relevance in the world. How and where do your gifts and talents fit in? I'd say you're incredibly lucky to figure that out at any age, but at 13? What a wonderful blessing.
This farm trip has brought me clarity on my #1 reason to homeschool. I want to help my children find their thing. I want them to have plenty of time, almost unlimited time, to figure out what they love and do it. I want that thing, whatever it may be, to get the best of their energy and focus. That means working on it during the day, possibly right after they wake up, or whenever inspiration hits. We will work everything else around it. When they arrive at adulthood, they will not just be filled with general knowledge across all the usual subjects. That too, perhaps, but more importantly, they will have spent years learning about and hopefully diving into their passion. They will have already begun their life's work. Their spiritual, intellectual, and physical gifts will be doing something of real value.
Because of this, they will stand out. They will have something valuable to show for their first 18 years of life. Something impressive to mention on college applications and in job interviews. Whatever they choose to do, they will already be on their way.
That is my vision. My recovering perfectionist self needs to remember this when, perhaps someday, not all of my children are excelling in every single subject. No one is great at everything, but we are all great at something. What could make someone happier than finding her God-given gift and throwing her heart and soul into it? Yes, I am inspired. Thank you Billy's Goat Hill.
One more thing. As Billy's mom and I talked about homeschooling, she gave me some advice. My favorite thing she said was that if you ever get stuck on something, you should just put it down and go in the kitchen to make cookies. With the measurement, there's your math, and it involves science too! She is so right. It was a good day meeting this lovely family and hearing a little of their story.
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