Meet "Bear" and "Thistle"
As with any new enterprise, there has to be a beginning. After all, great
things don't just happen overnight; ya' gotta start somewhere.
In January 2006, that is exactly what we did. Following an intense Internet search and several site visits
to see properties, we were very fortunate to find and purchase a beautiful 128-acre hilltop pasture farm surrounded by hardwood
forests in south-central Kentucky, which is destined to become a small-scale, sustainable, horse-powered family farm.
It has until just recently been lived on and lovingly cared for by the previous owners, Bobby and Alene, who were
keeping the grass mowed and the lights on until we could finish our "regular" jobs and begin the next phase
of our lives as farmers.
Well,
only one of us wants to be a farmer, actually. The other is a tool guy and handyman extraordinaire, capable
of fixing anything and figuring out solutions to the toughest problems. He'll certainly lend a hand when the
task is too large for even the most determined Scotswoman, but he's happiest left alone in his shop with something to
build or repair. I'm the Taurus, the digger of earth and maker of compost, the lover of chickens and cows and draft
horses, and the workaholic. We figure it's a good combination.
Our farm's name is a derivative of our combined cultural heritages.
I wanted a name for the farm that was unusual, memorable, and had symbolic meaning to us. I ran through lists and lists
of potential farm names without any of them striking quite the right tone, and then one night, searching for words that
included parts of both of us, I hit upon "Bear" as the Old English meaning of Derril's middle name,
Arthur, and "Thistle" which represents my Scottish roots. It stuck, and the Farm had a name.
Our home
is in San Diego, where we are both counting the few years remaining to our retirement -- his from civil service, mine from
the Navy. Meanwhile, we make working visits to the Farm when we can, tackling projects that can be accomplished in about
a week, and managing the beginnings of an ongoing pasture improvement program. Advancing age and
a desire to be nearer their family in Oklahoma spurred our caretakers to move this Fall, so our working visits will now be
more frequent, and timed to coincide with pasture mowing and all the seasonal tasks required to keep the place in good condition.
But the years are moving fast, and only two remain until I will pack the big moving truck and head east, finally, to my farm.
