My husband, dear sweet, long suffering man, who indulges my farming habit, is the proverbial reluctant farmer….

He did not choose farming, and how he came to be attached to me, a farmer, is a longer story that I won’t chose to share right here, right now, but suffice it to say, he is evolving.

I grew up on a huge farm, we raised sheep, and it was one of those operations that literally took a village to operate, so farming in general is in my blood, it feeds my soul, and Hubs will even say, that since he has been living at the farm with me, he has seen a drive in me that he has not really ever seen in our almost 29 year marriage.  In the past, pre RowanTree Farm, I spent much of my time inside, even when raising babies, but these days, I have so many things to do that I have a constant list that is a moving target, trying to manage farm, school, and children, and even squeezing the occasional shift or two in my Home Health RN job.

Every day that I wake up, its a mental check list of “the weeds cannot win, I must get X planted, the weather is clear for three days, the hay needs to be mowed etc”, but then there are all the obstacles that pop up in any one of those scenarios that test his patience.  The seemingly simple act of mowing three fields of hay, becomes anything but!  In the past I have paid to have it mowed, let it fallow, and brush hog mowed it, and had to buy hay, and this year decided that I would borrow a mower and a rake, and do it myself, just needing to hire out to do the baling, with friend Ben Shugart.

So, I borrow a sickle arm mower, but it won’t fit my L series Kubota tractor unless I buy new lift arms for the three point hitch, so we get that accomplished, then while taking it for a test run, the drive belt to the mower breaks….  on Sunday, the day before memorial day…. forcing us to wait another two days before we can find a belt to fit. After three trips to Messicks that should be accomplished, we will see….

I know very well, that hubs would much rather be snuggled in bed on any one given morning, than getting up and going outside to let out, feed and water dogs, ducks and chickens, and in the winter time feed the sheep grain and hay, he would much rather not be standing out in a snow storm attaching weights to the three point hitch of the tractor so that we can move massive volumes of snow with out sliding around.  He would much rather be fishing, period!

He may be a reluctant farmer, but he is always willing to do what needs to be done, to help me with my goals on the farm, and in all my other endeavors.  I love my reluctant farmer sidekick!

Welcome to Rowantree farm, a place where Rowan posts her musings, as she muddles through farming, catching the occasional baby, and teaching yoga…  All while I further my education in massage therapy, and Functional Medicine. Its an adventure and a journey, and I hope you will follow along!

I was a practicing midwife with a busy home birth practice until about a year ago, when I delivered my last official babe, and retired, only to be called by a friend who begged me to help her with her birth, so I finally agreed.  Since then I have had a couple more friends that I have agreed to help. I must admit I have missed it…. a little!

But, my passion at this time, is my farm.  It is my OASIS, my Sanctuary, my very happy place, that I share with my sweet long-suffering hubby, and three of my five children.  Child number one is the proud parent of my three grand babes, and lives close by, child number two, is a graduate of UC Northridge film school, and loves living in LA.  Child number three is in College locally, and lives at the farm, helping whenever asked.  Child number four is in high school, and when not working at a nearby Organic CSA farm, is willing to help out Ma when asked! Child number five is in middle school, and eats sleeps breaths dance…. Getting her help at the farm is, well, lets say, a challenge!

In May 2015, I completed another passion in my life, I became a certified Kundalini yoga teacher, and putting all these things together, and other things in my life that I am passionate about, has led me to persuing training in massage therapy, and Functional Medicine.  These therapies, along with this farm, can provide to my family and my clients what I feel they need and deserve.

I have spent much of my adult life working as a Registered Nurse, and have become increasingly disgruntled with conventional medicine, particularly since I have spent much of that working life in mental health, most recently with patients with dementia, and every day that I spent doing that, and pushing Big Pharma meds was killing me, because I knew that nutrition and supplements could be more helpful to them than anything else.

Beyond the nourishing veggies this farm can provide, are eggs from our interesting collection of ducks, and our chickens, and at some point, wool/fibre from our increasing collection of sheep.  I grew up with sheep, on a huge farm in the Falkland Islands, they are interesting creatures, smarter than we give them credit for!

We are a farm that is in formation…..  still evolving and finding our niche, but a beautiful, bountiful and blissful place.