The Purpose of Farm Hand’s Companion

“Through demonstrating the skills and knowledge of the traditional small farm, Farm Hands Companion resolves to aid folks of all ages and walks of life by inspiring them to resourcefulness and self-sufficiency.”

Do you like biscuits?
Well I do, and I don’t mind telling you that I’m not too bad at making ‘em; but not like my grandma, Nanny.

Nanny had a special way of making biscuits that have not been duplicated since she passed away. They were uniquely hers—put together with great care and detail—and were the daily beginning of my grandpa’s day.

I think of Farm Hand’s Companion (FHC) like making biscuits. There are certain “ingredients” that give FHC its purpose, and keeping the recipe in mind helps me stay focused on the main things I write and talk about.

Self-sufficiency is the “flour” (enough for however big your skillet is) of the FHC biscuits. “Doing” for one’s self instead of waiting for someone to “do” for you seems more of a rarity all the time; this should not be. Being self-sufficient is the heart of liberty, and liberty is a gift of God…a hallmark of America. Remember though: its self-sufficiency—not sole-sufficiency, or what I sometimes call “selfish-sufficiency”. You’re not a hermit, and farmers know they can count on one another better when each lives self-sufficiently.

“Salt” – just a pinch of knowledge to get you going. This is the “how-to” part of FHC that you’ll find everywhere on the website and in the show. Knowing how to build a barn, how to set a hen…that’s some pretty fascinatin’ stuff to me…and I hope to you, too. However, it’s really not the central theme to FHC, because I’m not the definitive expert on all things farm-related. The biscuits could be made without salt, altogether…but who’d enjoy eatin’ ‘em? Besides, you don’t need an expert, you need…

… a pinch of motivation and perseverance, or “baking powder and baking soda.” If I had to choose between motivation and perseverance or a library of knowledge, I’d pick motivation and perseverance—because with these I’d soon have the knowledge—but I would be helpless the other way around. Without baking powder and soda the biscuits wouldn’t rise, and all would be kind of pointless. Remember also: whatever you’re trying to accomplish, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be. If you’re prone being to a perfectionist, it can slow you down…and it will. There’s a difference between striving for better and obsessing over it.

Then “buttermilk” (enough to make the dough keep its form and not be runny) This is what I liken to resourcefulness. Sometimes I call it “handy”, sometimes “make-do”, but it’s a mindset or an attitude. Whatever you call it, it’s such a part of traditional farming that I’m not sure where resourcefulness stops and farming begins. If FHC can encourage anyone that they’re not alone in aspiring to more resourcefulness then I’ll figure the destination was worth the trip.

A proper perspective of history is like the “grease” that covers the bottom of the skillet; biscuits could cook without grease, but not nearly as well; they wouldn’t be as nice and crispy, and they’d be stuck to the skillet. So it is with an appreciation of our past American culture of traditional farming. Knowing the history of it helps us know where we’ve come from, and where we’re going. It’s harmful to live in the past, but it’s harmful to forget it, too.

Did you notice I’m not giving exact measurements for these biscuits? That’s up to you. Your little corner of the world is different from mine, and nobody’s gonna take care of your farm or homestead with the detail and devotion that you will. Now, you mix everything up inside your favorite “wooden bowl”—and this reminds us of creation (in which you have a theatre to live and work) as well as your love for it. Consider: it’s God’s creation, without which none of us would have even a pot to plant in. Who but a farmer or homesteader is in such a position to see, hear, smell, touch, and really appreciate God’s green Earth more than someone close to the dirt and what grows out of it?

So when the “oven” gets hot (about 400 degrees), i.e., the garden’s too dry, the chickens quit laying, the cow gets in the corn, etc…that’s when you wonder why you’ve even bothered. Nevertheless, from the heat of the oven comes character and a forward hope toward the next morning. There’s always tomorrow, and you’re gonna need another skillet of biscuits.

One last thing: In mixing up her biscuits, Nanny had to use her hands. It was quite a messy thing to behold; but to her, it was a labor of duty, skill, and love. It will be our hands that get things done, both symbolically and literally. We can’t forget, though, to Whom we owe our hands…as well as our faculty to use them. Farm Hand’s Companion seeks to be just that…a companion to the hands that labor daily in duty, skill, and love.

That pretty much says it all. And if that weren’t enough you’ve now got a working recipe for actual biscuits. You are surely welcome to go on back and enjoy other parts of the site now.

Go on.

Have fun.

For those of you who don’t necessarily enjoy contemplating the finer philosophical points of farming and homesteading, you’d probably want to stop reading here and just look at a picture of a chicken.
But for the few of you that like pondering these things, I can plow even closer to the corn. In fact, in trying to wrap my brain around the purpose of Farm Hands Companion, I’ve elaborated on it below in greater detail. This was just for my own benefit, so I don’t go runnin’ off the track in the things that I write or focus on.
It’s here for you to look over if you wish, but even if you don’t I’m hopin’ you’ll perceive it oozing out of the website and show, and that’s what truly matters to me.

Farm Hand’s Companion seeks to:

1 – encourage folks to aim for and anticipate as much success as possible, develop a fearlessness toward failure, and allow setbacks to spur a motivation to achieve.

2 – restore and maintain a culture of common sense, perseverance in spite of hardship, humble integrity, and national pride that is as valuable to everyday living for all Americans as they are and always have been to those who’ve lived the farm life.

3 – foster a desire to take up and improve the craft of traditional farming by building on the success of others, and developing it further within the bounds of good sense and practicality.

4 – retain and guard from loss as much wisdom and knowledge of traditional farming as possible, ensuring its endurance with more and more young folks who will one day live the lifestyle, if not merely appreciate its value.

5 – endorse sensible living, enrich the lives of family and community, and promote the enjoyment of the God-given journey of life to the fullest.

6 – explore the beauty and structured design of God’s creation, and at the same time demonstrate how the land can be productively worked while improving its quality.

7 – aid in replacing the culture’s ignorance with appreciation regarding the simple basics of life.

8 – celebrate the passion that God built into mankind for working with one’s hands and enjoying the fruits of one’s labor.

9 – inspire folks to simply live a simple life.

10 – *

*For all of you obsessive-compulsive disorder folks I apologize for not comin’ up with an even “10” of these but it just wasn’t necessary to work up another one. If another one ever comes to me, I’ll insert it as quick as I think of it.

Sincerely and ever yours,
Pa Mac