In this series we are asking doomer optimists to give us a little taste of the kinds of actions they are taking in the face of the doom. The idea here is to start to map the breadth of the available activities out there that could get one started on a path toward something optimistic.
Just like our mini-manifestos, we all don’t have to agree about the best activities to pursue, or the ways in which we pursue them. What we agree on is that we should all be taking steps toward action.
It’s a coincidence that doomer optimism shortens to DO, but it could be our mantra, “do!”
Part 1: Small lot urban edible garden by Prasan (dhanuraashi@)
Part 2: How to start a micro-nursery for free by Sim
Part 3: Introducing Parents’ Nook by Parents Nook
Part 4: DIY decentralized water supply and treatment by Josh
Part 5: DO Perennials by Grant
Growth Through Death
BY JAMES STRAND – 11 MAR 2022 – VIEW ONLINE →
Growth Through Death
Having spent 7 years working in the ICU, I have not been a stranger to death and dying. Does exposure to death and dying make dealing with the two easier now that I am on the homestead around animals instead of people? Absolutely! Do I say this because the life of an animal or pet is worth less than a person? Nope! This would be like comparing apples to oranges. What does the death of a human and death of any living thing have in common besides the end of life? They both present the living with an opportunity for growth or destruction.
To Grow or Not to Grow? That is the Question
When faced with death, we have a tremendous opportunity for growth. If you are reading this article, you are likely a Doomer Optimist with a growth mindset. It's not that simple though. Like Mr. Tyson says, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." Death counts as a face punch. In my hospital career, I've seen a patient's death smack their family members, their nursing staff and the doctor right upside the soul. I have witnessed the full gamut of reactions surrounding such deaths. I've seen depression, screaming, arguing, hitting, shell-shock, laughter, sobbing, smiles, hugs, kisses, singing and even chanting. I've seen families come together and I've seen death tear families apart.
Growth is possible from death! There are people that grow from a death. I am one of them. My wife is one of them. Mushrooms grow from death. Compost grows from death. The greatest thing about the experience of death is that (if it is not you, of course) you have the choice whether it destroys or grows your health. This article will demonstrate how we grow through death at Strand Farm. To start, let me introduce the two types of death on the homestead.
The Two Types of Homestead Death
Purposeful: butchering an animal, cutting a tree down, dispatching a predator or a suffering animal, killing a spider, hunting & fishing
Incidental: animal loses life in birth process, killed by predator, unknown cause of death, crop/garden destroyed by a pest
We created a specific process for each type of death to ensure we grow from the experience. I learned how to grow from purposeful death later than I learned how to grow from incidental death. Therefore, let us go over purposeful death first.
How to Grow from a Purposeful Death
Let's use an example. A few days ago, during our visit to our friends down at Perma Pastures Farm (click this link to watch the video) we assisted with processing two guinea hogs. To enter myself into a growth mindset for this task, I went through the following mental process before partaking in the activity.
Why are we going to dispatch this animal?
The pigs reached their age for optimal protein and fat harvesting. It completed its task of brush clearing. I need lard for my homestead. The pigs were scheduled for processing regardless of my involvement.How can I grow from this death?
I will be guided on the most ethical method of dispatchment for pigs. I am going to be taught hands-on step-by-step pig processing from THE master butcher. I will help share the methods I learn with others and be able to point them to an excellent class.What if things go wrong?
I will have learned how not to do something. I will reflect to determine the point of failure. I will research alternative methods. Learning how not to do something is one of the most valuable lessons for long term personal growth.
Upon completion of the this process, my mind, heart and soul were aligned. Therefore, I could partake in this purposeful death and grow from it. Had I completed the process and did not feel alignment, I would have declined to participate in the activity. At the end of the day, if you are not growing from a purposeful death then do not partake in it. This type of death would fit under the category of purposeless death. This type of death will damage your soul. Take the time to go through these three steps and you will grow from a purposeful death on your homestead!
How to Grow from Incidental Death
The process for growth from incidental death is different from that of a purposeful death but is as important to master. Let's use a recent example from Strand Farm. Last week we found one of our chickens had flown the coop and been caught by our dog. Let's go through the steps of growth we went through for this incidental death.
Allow yourself to feel the loss.
There will be many feelings and they will hit you simultaneously. I felt sadness, guilt, and shame, with a touch of anger. I felt sad that we lost a valuable asset to our homestead. I felt guilt because I knew it was getting to be time for our chickens to have their wings clipped. I felt shame because I had trained Moose to fetch ducks for hunting and hadn't made a strong enough effort in untraining her for chickens. I felt anger because I assumed I was being blamed by my spouse for this death. Acute feelings identify specific areas for personal/relationship growth. Always take note of them.
*** Allow those around you to feel the loss.
Remember that you are not responsible for controlling their feelings. You are responsible for accepting their feelings. You are responsible for honoring them and listening to them. You are not required to feel their specific feelings.
"We see the world as we are, not as it is." - Anthony De MelloAccept the death.
Dwelling upon feelings will not bring the dead back to life. Energy focused on the past detracts from energy you can apply to present. Accept what is and move to step 3 when you are ready.How do I grow from this death?
This is where loss begins its transmutation to gain. Brainstorm ways to mitigate a future incidental death and a way to honor the deceased. Take action upon these ideas (Be sure to honor and include the ideas from others involved). We clipped the wings of our chickens. We moved the poultry fence further away from the compost roost to help prevent fly-outs. We quickly researched how to process a chicken so when the time comes for a purposeful poultry death we are more prepared and efficient. We found this article to be a great processing guide. We harvested the organ meat, breasts, thighs, legs. Since this was a mangled bird, we prepared that meat for our cats and dog. We then decided to commemorate a garden bed to our late Sapphire Gem (hen) and built a monument. This garden bed will be used to grow food for chickens (stay tuned for the plant list). And then finally, we decided to share this process of dealing with death to you, our reader.
Although it was sad to incidentally lose one of our birds, we learned so much from it. We grew in our marriage, in our understanding of our dog, in our ability to process chickens, and we returned to the land what it had given to us. If you take these steps when you encounter an incidental death, you will grow from the experience. The more you use this process the better you will get at at.
Practice Makes Perfect
Death is a large component of life and your handling of it will make or break you. Those who are afraid of death, will also be afraid to live. Many people give up cooking after burning a meal. Just as many have never planted a garden because their houseplants always die. Great achievements are built upon mountains of failures. Homesteading is a wonderful way to become acquainted with death because you will encounter plenty of it. If you practice the processes outlined in this article, I am certain you will find a way to grow from this difficult experience. Wanna know a secret? I'll tell you anyway. This technique applies to all purposeful and incidental life experience, not just death. If you can grow through death then you grow through any challenge. Now get out there and let's Grow Independent Together!
One of my homesteading friends recently experienced a homestead hardship. This is a prime example dealing with incidental loss. If you follow them, you can tell they have a "Growth Through Death" mindset too. *Miraculously, their hen ended up surviving the attack!
If you are suffering from a death that happened in your life, it is not too late to grow from it. These steps are just as applicable to past events as they are for now. Please write to me at james@strand.farm if you are still suffering from a death and I will help you look for ways flourish from it. Also, The Homesteading Pastor Youtube Channel is a valuable resource. Perhaps Psalm 51 is a good place to start.
Beautiful post! Sitting with the feelings you describe is so difficult and so necessary if we're going to grow and do better in the future. I learned a lot from this--thanks.