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The 6 January is probably my favourite date of the year. It is the day we finally see a stretch in the evenings and can be certain that another spring is dawning. It is not an accident that this important date is deeply marked in our traditions as little Christmas, Nollaig na mBan, and the arrival of the three Kings. It is a pity that even schools are not celebrating it anymore. For a farmer, it is probably a better day than any other for making resolutions and for setting goals.
We are blessed to work in nature, more than any other walk of life. However, it is so easy to take that gift for granted, to keep our nose to the grindstone and not to lift an ear to a bird singing or an eye to a passing cloud. Nevertheless, I doubt if there is any farmer who does not lift his head and heart when he first spots “the stretch in the day”.
The fields reawaken
As life reawakens in the fields, we can start to see the year unfold and envisage the year ahead. For farmers, the major obstacle to goal setting is the growing unpredictability of weather and the total unpredictability of markets. Many goals that we set have to be fudged around by “best-case scenarios” and “guesstimates”.
A dismal fact of farming life is that 2016 farm outputs and farm income are a mystery that will only be revealed when the days shorten next winter. It is possible to become depressed by putting too much of oneself into the attainment of such unreliable goals.
Simple goals
A happier path may be found by setting a few simpler, more achievable goals as well. Select a few spots around the farm that could maintain a tree, and then resolve to plant it. Put up a nest box for pigeons or jackdaws or bats. Leave an old woodpile or pile of hedge trimmings in a field corner for birds, insects and wild bees. Call into a neighbour for a chat. Produce a food item for the house – a few onions, tomatoes or greens. Get the bike back in action for herding or a pop to the shop.
Such little things can add hugely to the joy of farm life. They also help balance the three legged milking stool – social, environmental and economic – which a sustainable family farm must rest upon. When the final accounts get done, it may be that the achievements of such simple goals are the “small change” that tips the balance towards success and will make 2016 a happy new year.
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