Gifts from Polyface

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I decided to list several reasons that I am grateful for Polyface and my experiences here. What would you add to the list? 

-The many kindred friendships I have found.

Finding people who hold the same values and are on the same path as me has been invaluable. Not to mention the many core memories I have made in working long days on the farm together with these people and, of course, having fun too! Polyface draws so many quality people who will be friends for life. 

-The mouth-watering food.

You haven’t had bacon until you have had Polyface bacon! There are some cuts of meat that I never had until trying them at Polyface, and now they are favorites. Pork backbone and beef shank are two of my best finds. 

We eat a lot at Polyface, often together as a team; those meals have been sweet times of fellowship but also thoroughly delicious. Our ground beef, meat sticks, and breakfast links have been the basis of quick meals that have given me energy on long days.

-The countless valuable skills I was taught.

Only at Polyface can you start out as a complete newbie and be coached with love and patience until you are cutting up chicken like a pro, troubleshooting a well pump out in the field, and driving a tractor. 

Through the stewardship and apprenticeship program, I was given training to learn things I had never even thought of trying before. I now have a solid list of skills in which I am competent, and which I can carry with me through life.

-The opportunity to fail in a loving environment.

To piggyback off of my last point, those skills didn’t always come naturally or easily. I can come up with a list (even longer than the new skills list) of times I messed up, broke something, made a bad decision, etc. 

But at Polyface, I was also taught crucial leadership skills: how to own my decisions, fail honestly, and then fix it. I haven’t just learned valuable farm skills, but life skills and character that will impact me forever.

-Time and repetition with a large variety of animals.

Through Polyface, I was able to learn grazing, animal husbandry, sorting animals, and taking birds from chick days to the dinner table. By opening up their farm for others to learn, the Salatins have created a "microwave effect" of learning farming. Rather than starting slow and adding a cow here, a pig there into a homestead system, I was able to intuitively learn all their animal systems from ruminants to poultry.

-The opportunity to network and meet the best of the best.

Polyface hosts events and visitors all the time. Through participating in that hospitality, I have been able to meet so many interesting people who are doing great things in this world. I have been able to listen to amazing speakers and hear workshops, talks, testimonies, and personal stories that have challenged me and given me resources to live out my own story.

-The moments of beauty curated from the beautiful farm.

If you have visited, you know that Polyface is a beautiful place. Gazing at an open sky full of stars after catching chickens in the dark, or taking in the mountain view after moving cows, makes my soul expand.

Our souls were made for beauty, and the wildflowers, native grasses, mountain laurel, sunsets and sunrises, wildlife, and ponds are the perfect spot to receive those little gifts.

-The fun that was had.

Whether it was playing volleyball after a team dinner or stacking hay bales in the barn, the many moments of joy have created beautiful memories in my mind that I will never forget.

-An example to follow.

Most importantly, at Polyface, I was given an example of how to live a life of joy, integrity, and contentment. 

I have seen a commitment to excellence, a solid work ethic, a sense of adventure, curiosity, and inventiveness lived out in the lives of those who have led me. Not only was I taught how to farm, but also how to live well, to love the land and those around you, and how to be a good neighbor.

This list could continue on and on, but I shall bring it to a landing here and ask you to take a moment to reflect.

How has Polyface impacted your life? What are some of the gifts you have received by being a part of our community? It may look different for everyone, but we would love to know what Polyface has meant to your life.

Don't ever forget: we are thankful for you, too! 

Priscilla