A week on a farm

September 04, 2020

A week on a farm

Every week on the farm starts with "Full Oxen" the signature breakfast of Oxen Park Farm including kale, millet and fried or poached eggs depending on who's cooking, followed by a sharing circle. We often appreciate this opportunity as we start a week with a check-in to see where everyone is at in the community and to have a chance to let out what's been going on with each of us.

Sharing circle in the garden

Tuesdays are our veggie box day (see post) so there's a fun but frantic rush around and we start the morning a touch earlier than in the rest of the week. Holly and Tim who are the veggie box champions (Go Teign Greens!) make sure each box gets the love it deserves! These Tuesdays remind me of my childhood when I used to wake up to the smell of the freshly baked pastry and brewing tea, a mum rushing around maybe since 6 am and the non stop ringing of the phone as my mum took her turn at hosting the monthly get together of her friends.

Wednesdays are my day off when I have a chance to take it slightly easy, although I still wake up at 6 am and prepare for my online sessions, do some admin, and reunite with my old love of Ashtanga. I have to say Wednesdays might be my favourite day as I get more time to do my own practices and have a chance to write.

Not a bad view for an office, huh?

Thursdays are also Full Oxen day when we get together as a community. This time it's followed by a team meeting as each person is invited to bring a topic that needs discussing to make the farm,and our community life, better. I do love Monday and Thursday mornings as we go to Tina and Jo's gorgeous house as it feels so homely, and makes me feel like I'm visiting my family!

Oxen Farm community

Friday mornings is sunflower day! (See post ) I do love this change of scene and meeting new people. When I come back I'm exhausted but the energy in the farm is pretty high as we have day volunteers around who come on a regular basis. These are the people who live in Exeter or a town nearby and want to get their hands dirty as a form of therapy : just to have some love from Mother Nature.

My sweet-spot on the farm is of course my cute little caravan which smells of sandalwood and Palo Santo. The evenings are particularly special as I put the candles and sometimes the wood burner on just for the sake of it as I meditate, read or sit there and watch the gorgeous sky filled with bright stars. Once I was left in awe when I saw the full moon rising beyond the hill in all its glory. Some days I wake up to the sound of the rain in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep as each drop that hits the roof creates such loud noise but even then I don't feel agitated as there's so much pleasure in being in nature and witnessing Mother Earth looking after her children. As I rise early morning I catch the glimpses of the dawn beyond the hill colouring the sky red, orange then yellow as I breath in the crispy air in.

There are obviously some challenges in living on a farm and working four full days a week on top of a my fledgeling yoga business that I'm trying to get off the ground while studying. The blessings it brings are priceless e.g. when I need to cook I go to the field and pick my own veggies. No queues, no plastic, no pesticides. Even our wine is organic! I hear the birds all the time and a robin meets me in the kitchen every morning.When I need a change of scene I climb up the hill and wander in the woods among trees or go for a walk in the village or to the sacred land Embercombe.