Owen Tatum of Makeshift Farm

The 540th recipient is Owen Tatum of Makeshift Farm in Derby, VT. Owen writes:

What self-care and well-being mean to me as a farmer: “For me right now I'm working on trying to develop a good work/life balance, holding myself to a schedule and stopping on time and taking days off instead of just allowing the work to expand and fill most all of my time. Self care, then, might actually be one rather radical step towards addressing those social and economic pressures that are impacting our well-being.  Choosing to prioritize our own well-being probably is not just an act of taking care of ourselves - it is an act of trying to create a better world for all. I sure struggle with seeing it that way, as I imagine a lot of other do-gooder farmer types do.  Folks who set out to grow food for others knowing very well that this is not something that's done for the money, especially in this world, may find it hard to see how prioritizing themselves could be of any use to anyone else, say nothing of translating that understanding into some kind of routine or practice.  I also feel those productivity pressures.  A lot of it is maybe not so political, having more to do with "staying on top of things", like weed pressure or catching ideal weather windows so as to avoid future "disasters", and that has its place - it certainly is useful and practical and gets stuff done.  I do still need to remind myself of the bigger picture.  I think at the end of the day, finding balance is just a never-ending, never quite resolved conversation we have to be having with ourselves and with the world.  Among the many things I think I've learned from farming is that much of life - or basically all of it? - is maintenance.  Things are never finished, just always in conversation, always in flux, always wearing down a bit and in need of tuning and re-tuning and sometimes changing instruments entirely.  Much as I might hope for a balance point where I can remain indefinitely, I suppose the thing to aim for in caring for myself and various "others" in the world might be to just keep listening and conversing.”

How I might use this $100 self-care award: ”I'd get a watch!  Hopefully would help me keep track of time better and regulate my time/energy better. Might also get some sort of electrolyte supplement... Have had some bad days in the heat that can really knock me down if I'm not careful to hydrate well.” 

Most important self-care needs that contribute to my well-being as a farmer: "Eating full meals on a regular basis, hydrating, going to bed early, taking time off on a regular basis, unplugging from farm needs and happenings and problems.”

#realfarmercare