"Could you see yourself living on a farm?"
This was one of the first questions Chris asked me when we started dating. Of course I could, but it was a dream I'd almost given up on. For Chris though, the drive to farm was strong and permanent. So needless to say, farming became an inevitable part of our future.
Even as a teenager, Chris told his dad that he would buy a farm one day, and that his dad could live and work on it with him. Seventeen years later, not to be steered from his plan, this prediction is now a reality.
But sometimes life gives you a bitter lemon when you least expect it, when you are at your busiest and most excited. This post gets a little personal; if you don’t know us directly and you’re wondering why we’re sharing this, it’s because the events of the past few weeks have impacted us significantly as people, and also as farmers on the brink of our business. It would be impossible for me to write anything in the near future without addressing it.
Four weeks ago, Chris went to hospital with a bad cough and chest pain. They thought it was pneumonia.
A few days later, he was diagnosed with non-Hogkin’s lymphoma. And a few days after that he started chemotherapy.
We would like to think that eating organic food and minimising our chemical use would protect us from certain health issues, but when it comes to cancer, of course this is just not possible. However, this is not the only reason to advocate for organic living, and it'll certainly help in the recovery process.
Cruelly, one of the many downsides of chemo is that Chris is not allowed to work in the garden, as exposure to any type of microbe can compromise his immune system. Combine this with the fact that he has to be admitted to hospital every three weeks for treatment, and we’ve got ourselves a problem with the farm plan. Fortunately, we have amazing neighbours – they have been running some cattle on our overgrown pasture for a few weeks now – and Chris's dad who is keeping the place running when we can’t be there.
So what about the upcoming growing season? What about our tree planting goals and infrastructure needs?
We have to make a few adjustments for this year, but we still plan to have some veggies ready for harvest in spring. Chris is pictured below, hooked up to his chemo, making changes to our growing schedule from hospital. I swear, it’s hard to keep that man down. He even insisted on doing small handyman tasks in his ward when the nurses weren’t looking.
Despite the shock of his diagnosis, Chris has remained very pragmatic about the whole ordeal. His perseverance has encouraged me to stay positive. But it’s tough, as anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis or loved someone with a cancer diagnosis will know. Both emotionally and practically, it’s bloody tough. But we’re lucky, because this particular lymphoma should respond well to treatment, and at 33 Chris has a lot of strength to fight with.
This is just a scary and painful bump in the road that will probably influence the way we live for a very long time, but we’ll be back on track as soon as we can. In the meantime we're already sourcing new additions to the flock that the rest of us can manage for now.
Thank you to the family and friends who have been so helpful during this time. We’re also so grateful to the hospital staff and volunteers who have looked after Chris so well.