Billy Fortini of The Sawtooth Ranch

The 591st recipient is Billy Fortini of The Sawtooth Ranch in Joyce, WA. Billy writes:

What self-care and well-being mean to me as a farmer: “We are going so often putting the needs and care of our animals before our own needs that it’s hard to find time or justify spending money on what feel like indulgences, when in reality we should be well rested and cared for ourselves to provide the meaningful care we want our operation to receive.”

How I might use this $100 self-care award: ”Our favorite and rarely utilized restorative tradition is traveling an hour to a nearby hot spring in Olympic National Park for a soak. A day pass and park entry costs enough that we don’t often have extra cash to do so but $100 would cover both and put a little gas in the truck.” 

Most important self-care needs that contribute to my well-being as a farmer: "The physical demands are the most difficult part of working with the sheep we raise - long days working in a local butcher shop give us great connections with a community of ranchers in the area and keeps us thinking about our practices and how all our choices and effort are reflected in the quality of meat, but it’s a physically demanding job. We spend a lot of free time in the gym, at the local public pool and trying to do yoga classes to maintain our physical health because we are always aware that one injury can cost us our livelihood or severely disrupt our operation. Time management or debts are the biggest challenges to maintaining the need for focusing on physical care.”

#realfarmercare