08/09/2026
The past brought us to where we are today.
It has shaped us, taught us and made us who we are. But the past is the past, and our focus is on what lies ahead.
As I was potting up these fruit trees just before dusk, I found myself reflecting on what the day had brought us.
We spent a good amount of time with our farm consultant today, who has been walking alongside us on this journey for the past 13 years.
We didn’t spend much time reflecting on where we’ve come from. Instead, our conversations were very much about where we are heading.
Our three children are now entering their teenage and early adult years, with two of them already very keen to pursue a future in agriculture.
Our consultant spent quite a bit of time with each of our two older children, talking with them about their short-term goals, their ideas and the direction they would like to take.
That information then became part of our conversation with Jamie and me, and together we were able to really nut out what the short-term and longer-term future might look like for our family and our farm.
As I pot up these fruit trees, it really resonates with me just how much of what we do today is about what comes next, sometimes unknowingly setting us up for the future.
Not just for ourselves, but for our children too.
We might be the ones who get to enjoy the fruit from some of these trees, but I believe the real bounty they provide may well be for the generations that come after us, and perhaps even for our wider community.
There is something quite special about planting something today, knowing that you may not be the one to enjoy all that it eventually produces.
