Teresa Brouillette

Life and Learning through Tears and Laughter

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It’ll Do Acres

by Teresa Brouillette 10 Comments

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If you follow me on social media, you may have seen posts with a hashtag that referred to our hobby farm. There’s usually a story behind how a farm gets its name, and that is the case with It’ll Do Acres.

My husband and I had both grown up in rural communities. Although we were content in our comfortable suburban home on an oversized lot, we always wanted to live on an acre or two. We dreamt of a country home with space for a large garden and fruit trees. I had a wonderful vision of a big open country kitchen.

Hobby Farm

Several years ago my husband was offered a position in a rural area. With much prayer, we felt it was time to pursue the dream. Although our house sold quickly, we didn’t immediately find a new home. There just weren’t any on the market with property. We lived in a hotel for a month, before settling into a small rental house for the winter. It was a really hard season for our family. The kids missed friends and the space of the home we left.

It was early spring when our new home came on the market. As we walked through the house I tried to imagine how I could turn it into our home. Such an old structure that looked to have experienced many add ons with time and the advancement of modern technology.

My husband was anxious to walk the five-acre property, so we strolled the dirt road that runs between two fields. The kids were excited to explore outside. As we walked around, Jacob ran. Not limited by a small rental with a tiny yard, he dashed all over the place.

Standing in the middle of the dirt road, in the center of the property, my husband asked what I thought. I glanced around at the gray day and the field space that didn’t yet show signs of spring growth, and I responded, β€œIt’ll do.”

It was early summer before the sale closed. By then the fields were full of growth. Alfalfa that was so full of weeds it was unusable. Weeds that were impressively taller than me.

Hobby farm

The property was part of an estate sale. In its glory days, it was an active farm and housed a sweet family for generations. One of the family members shared memories of when the house got indoor plumbing and electricity. When entering most every room, I have to shut the door to turn on the light. We learned the switches were thought to be odd-looking, so when they put in the electricity they hid them behind the doors. Although it’s a quaint story, the reality of reaching for a switch is annoying.

Some say the kitchen is the heart of a home. My kitchen looks like a hallway with cupboards on one wall. The sink is at one end, and the dishwasher at the other. The washer and dryer set at the end of the room. I can fill the dishwasher and do laundry at the same time if I want to multitask. That is as long as nobody needs something from the refrigerator while the dishwasher door is open.

We love our little farm. We have spent the last few years clearing weeds, raising animals, growing a garden, and teaching our children. It is a lot of hard work, but it is good work.

Hobby Farm Hobby Farm Hobby Farm

Occasionally I grumble as I carry a tub filled with dirty dishes down my hallway kitchen to the dishwasher, but I’m so thankful I have a dishwasher. I’m convinced I will forevermore battle the noxious goat head weeds that plague the property, but I delight in the wonderful little farm it is becoming. Yes, it’ll do.

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Comments

  1. Annette says

    October 12, 2020 at 9:09 pm

    i would love to have a small farm like that. I’d have haired sheep instead of wooled and a few goats as well. A pig to root around and a small beef. If I didn’t love where I live now I’d be jealous of you! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Teresa Brouillette says

      October 13, 2020 at 1:30 pm

      We raised pigs this year and boy do they stink. No need to be jealous. πŸ˜‰ I’d love a milk cow.

      Reply
  2. Yvonne Billian says

    October 12, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    My washing machine is in my kitchen too! Apparently though that is quite popular in Europe πŸ˜‰ My dryer is outside on our porch. It’s not ideal but it’s ours and we make it work. Five acres sounds lovely!

    Reply
    • Teresa Brouillette says

      October 13, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      Now I don’t feel so bad having my sink and dishwasher on opposite ends of my kitchen. My washer and dryer are at least next to each other. Homes with character. πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  3. Lori says

    October 12, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    What a neat story. I really like the name.

    Reply
    • Teresa Brouillette says

      October 12, 2020 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks Lori! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Dawn says

    October 12, 2020 at 11:53 am

    Having space for children to run and play is such a blessing. We live on 4 acres and this pandemic reminded us of how blessed we are to have the space.

    Reply
    • Teresa Brouillette says

      October 12, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      I could not agree with you more. I have thought the same and am so thankful during this extended time at home.

      Reply
  5. Vickie Butterfield says

    October 9, 2020 at 7:30 am

    What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
    When we lived really rural, we named our property….. Tumbleweed Acres. We were forever herding tumbleweeds. As we were herding them over the fence out of the yard so the wind could take them elsewhere, we made up our own little ditty to the tune of Home on the Range. I sure wish I could remember those words today.

    God’s Blessings,
    vickie

    Reply
    • Teresa Brouillette says

      October 9, 2020 at 9:32 am

      Tumbleweed Acres sounds like it had a lot of wonderful memories. We see our share of tumbleweeds, but thankfully not enough to incorporate into our own tune. We have sang It’ll Do Acres to the tune of Green Acres. I love hearing we’re not the only ones to create our own little ditty! πŸ˜‰

      Reply
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