A family tradition…

For the past year we have been planning, cleaning, managing, cultivating, and preparing for something that is now less than a week away.  We’ve driven hundreds of miles, spent countless hours, and sometimes worried ourselves out of sleep, all in an effort to continue, by the work of our hands, a family tradition.  Here at Sunbird Farms, though many of our nights and weekends are spent in service to our heritage fowl and our kind customers, we’ve also spent the last year nurturing a 30-plus year investment of heart-and-soul in the family orchard, a small stand of heirloom walnut trees.  It’s hard to express the value these trees have in our lives and the lives of those before us.  What began as a gift many decades ago, continues to bear blessings to our family today.  The kids have played in the leaves and had long adventures in our very own “hundred-acre woods.”  We’ve ran, sometimes walked, mile after mile under their protective canopy, trying ever harder to maintain a fit-body and a healthy mind.  They’ve sheltered our chickens from the blazing heat of the California sun, providing a place for pasturing as the birds returned the favor, enriching the soil and harvesting the grasses.  Their mere presence provides a cooling effect for those that live in their shadow, reducing the temperature around our homes by five degrees and offering a pleasant breeze that makes BBQ taste better and conversations last longer.  For me, they’ve provided a connection to my childhood, a worthy place to expend my efforts, and a chance to give back, in some small way, and to say thank you to those who’ve made our days better by giving my family a chance to live a slower life.  So here’s to G.G.-A and Boomp, and to all our family… May the Lord bless this harvest as you have blessed our lives.

Gratefully,

The Yocums @ SBF