It’ll Do Acres

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.

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, “It’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.

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.

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.