The biggest story of the farm so far is the outrageous generosity people have shown me.  I’ll try to tell some of the stories in these pages, but I’m sure my descriptions will fall short of their kindnesses.  One of my most steadfast helpers and saviors is Bob Jones, a neighbor in Nelson, NH.  I met Bob 6 years ago in the course of a previous, failed, attempt to find a farm.  When it looked like the place in Sullivan might come through this summer, I got in touch again with Bob; he not only remembered me, but he immediately sprang into action helping make my crazy farm idea a reality.

Bob grew up on a cattle and hog farm in Illinois, so his knowledge of farms and farm equipment goes back more than 60 years.  He’s also worked as a diesel/heavy equipment mechanic most of his life.  He served as my equipment-buying chaperone, taught me to use a tractor (still teaching…), fixed broken things on the farm, and generally steps into the breach whenever things start to spin out of control for me.  The last couple of weeks, he’s been sharing wisdom about the intersection between felling trees and living a long healthy life.  I’m mostly still watching and absorbing.  Today’s lesson also included a section on the surprising things a tractor can do for you.