The Big Sad on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/jesssowards/p/the-big-sad?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Come see us LIVE with Gold Shaw Farm in Boston and Charlotte: Tickets available here:
https://subscribepage.io/SomethingReal

WHERE TO FIND US:

– read my writing on substack: https://jesssowards.substack.com
-Our Website: https://rootsandrefuge.com
-Miah’s Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@miahsworkshop
-My Cooking Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Farmers_Table
– Sign up for our newsletter: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-signup
-Order Coffee & Tea from our roaster: https://www.beulahroastingco.com
-Our Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/SFA0IZHZRCOZ?ref_=wl_share
-The Roots and Refuge Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/roots-and-refuge-podcast/id1669328823
-Merch sales: Real Food Comes Dirty Shirts: https://roots-and-refuge-farm-shop.fourthwall.com/products/real-food-comfort-color

PRODUCTS I LOVE AND SUPPORT:
Greenstalk Vertical Gardens(Use code ROOTS10 for discount): https://greenstalkgarden.com/?rstr=ROOTS10

The white beds in my tea garden (Birdies Beds from Epic Gardening): https://shop.epicgardening.com/ROOTSANDREFUGE

BootstrapFarmer Site: https://shrsl.com/3w46t

The Roots and Refuge Shop: https://roots-refuge.myshopify.com

Order our T-Shirts and Sweatshirts https://roots-and-refuge-farm-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/all

Dramm Watering head: https://amzn.to/3Djs9yF
Long neck Dramm watering wand (for more established plants): https://amzn.to/41xxcoH
Heat mats: https://amzn.to/3QCyhVX
Grow lights: https://amzn.to/41yscAd

(Some of these thinks are affiliate links which means I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Using my affiliate links helps me buy seeds and soil and goats, so thank you.)

26 Comments

  1. Keep it up family. Let the wallflowers watch. We just got 3 goats, 2 are pregnant, and we know death comes with life, it's inevitable, it's just sad when it hasn't reach our expectation of completion. But life is from YAH, and he knows what is complete.

    Chadley's/Thadley Theme song: is Infinity Song – "Haters Anthem"

    'I love the way it feels to be a hater
    Something so sweet about thinking that I’m better
    Just to wake up every morning
    Lay in bed and somehow never ever rise to the occasion
    Or even hold up under pressure
    But we all know that it doesn't even matter
    If I waste away and no one thinks I'm clever
    Just as long I’ve got my ego
    And it tells me I’m superior
    I could probably go a lifetime
    Being barely mediocre
    I’d still convince myself every time that I'm better'

    …. so on. I used to feel frustrated, now I feel pity for them. I pray they experience life in 3D. It's so much more purposeful.

  2. Jess, please don't EVER change your caring heart.
    It IS your GREATEST strength.

    Please don't be hard on yourself. 💖🙏🏾

  3. Without being cruel, I would cull any mothers that reject lambs more than once, or have issues with udders, birthing, etc. You're life will be easier, better quality sheep, and fewer lambs will need intervention in the future. We raise katahdins, and other than triplets, or occasionally a first time mom that may have been disturbed by us during birthing, or something else, or the very infrequent weak one born, we very rarely have to bottle feed. We breed for mothering ability, twinning, size, temperament, and low input.

  4. Jess thank you for this video. I am a city girl moved into the country 8 years ago. I have farms around me. Neighbour farmer has cows. When baby cow was down I was criticising why not call the wet when they were down. He told me a call out is $450. I was still upset and did not understud why he did not pay the vet fee. Now I get it. I really did not understand before but I do now. Not because of hartlessness but really logic and money. Hope all littleones make it. 🫶❤🫂

  5. You will always feel sad when you lose an animal. This shows that you have love for your animals and that is a good thing. All you can do is your best to doctor them. Try not to be hard on yourself. You seem to be doing everything that you can.

  6. Honestly, with as well as that first milking went, and as kindly as you handle your animals, I’m certain that you could get them used to being milked. It might help them become accustomed to you and be more social.

  7. Pam here…I encourage you to have a comment monitor and delete the awful people. They speck from ignorance and negativity. Buhbye baby….don’t need that noise in your head.

  8. I’m so sorry to hear about the goats. Sometimes things happen and it is completely out of your control. You take excellent care of your animals.

  9. I admire your courage to stay in the 'game'. Thanks for putting into words the lessons we all need to learn about life and sometimes, yes, death.

  10. In the UK we have a saying a sheep's mission in life is to die! I have spent many times in my life trying to keep weak lambs alive and you go out some morning and the strongest lamb on the farm has died! Zero logic still hurts. It is not bad stewardship on your behalf, we all do our best.

  11. So I’ve never commented on a youtube video before… not that I haven’t had plenty of thoughts in my head. I’ve watched you for so long that I feel like I truly know you and your heart. I’ve laughed with you, worried with you, and cried with you… but realize you have no idea who I am. And I think of my experience with YouTube as being an observer and student…. But for some reason I feel so compelled to share my thoughts today. When you started to talk about “the critics” all I could hear in my head was “The Man in the Arena “ by Theodore Rosevelt. I appreciate that you are willing to share your experiences. The good the bad and the ugly. I appreciate that you share your heart and teach people how to share theirs whether you realize that’s what you’re doing or not. In a world where people put up walls, myself included, and try to make everything look perfect you are showing up and exposing yourself as human! There really are no words I can say to make you understand how much that means to me and how much the world needs more people like you! And now that I feel like I’ve gone on forever I would like to add how much I love seeing how much Jeremiah loves you and wants to protect you while being gentle and using humor to give you space for your thoughts and feelings! He is an exceptional example of a man and husband! I truly do love you both, which sounds crazy but it’s true! Thank you for being you!

  12. Oh my sweet girl, I'm so sorry. There is a learning curve for everything. Growth can be difficult to the point of questioning your own choices. Have faith that the Lord will lead you. You have a very honest process, trust in it. We love you!!

  13. OMG Jess….NO ONE cares more about their animals than YOU and MIAH do!!! Block the idiots who don’t understand LIFE! All of yours animals have known your love….NONE would want to be anywhere else!!! You’re my hero’s! It doesn’t get any better than the two of you!! Block….delete….whatever! You deserve praise, not idiots who don’t know farm life who don’t know how precious your love for your animals is!!! I trust you more than anyone else I follow who is homesteading!!! Never stop!!! Never give up!!! You’re meant to be doing all you do!!! I love all of your family!!!! You’re bringing your children up the RIGHT WAY!!! God bless y’all…..I am privileged to be able to follow you…..❤❤❤

  14. First thing first…thank you for sharing and living in a glass house. You have no idea how much this one particular video has changed me and has given me my "ah ha! " moment to get out of a funk. Secondly, thank you for being you. Dont ever change and especially never for a "Chadley". ❤

  15. "I want to be all the way in my life" Man, I feel that! I'm 11 weeks out of a stroke. I'm mostly fine, but even though I've graduated from physical and speech therapy and cleared from the Neuro, my family won't let me drive until I've been cleared by an eye specialist (depth perception, but at near distance, not far) and I feel trapped in my own home, dependent on everybody else. I've always been a very independent person, and this is SO hard. I want to be all the way in my life!

  16. This was just lovely, Jess. There's a truth that just shines through you! Your beautifully-spontaneous, deeply-felt ramblings remind us all how possible (and OK) it is to be both devastated yet still aware, gentle yet also tough, logical while following our hearts. To be aware of both life and the death that is attached, yet to still insist on fully experiencing and loving life, in all its contradictions; caring for people, animals, vegetables, worms, mud, and all the rest! . . . While also searching for a sense of how much to feel responsible for—wrestling with the inner–and outer!–judges, or other characters in our multifaceted human lives! Thank you for this video. And thank you for just being you!

  17. Why does the one matter so much? Indeed, He leaves the 99 to go find and help the one. 💗 because every single one is loved and matters.

  18. 🕊️💔📖 "The Big Sad" resonated deeply with me. Thank you for sharing.
    As to your stewardship; and the 'armchair quarterbacks' (well titled 😁), ~ some people are shallow, petty, callous, critical, jealous and just downright mean.

    Most likely, 99.999%(at least) of those harpies have never stepped foot on a farm, let alone endured the heart-wrenching vigils you have, nurturing and nursing the livestock you so carefully tend, in addition to your being a full-time wife, partner, keeper of the cheerios, fruitful gardener & excellent steward of all God has blessed you with.

    Let the naysayers have not the slightest victory of kindling even a niggling of a doubt within yourself, that you are so strong, passionate, dedicated & competent.

    I pray God's Spirit within you, comfort you with His peace beyond all human understanding & give you peace of mind, to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy cast at you, including the sharp tongues of trolls.

    I have followed Roots & Refuge from your Arkansas days. Love you & your family & have learned so much from your patient teaching Jess.

    Praying God's continued blessings upon you, Jeremiah & all your sweet family; as well as His all-encompassing favor upon everything you each put your hearts & hands to.
    👑💞 Sisters in Christ~
    ~ From deep in the NW Arkansas Ozark mountains. 👣🌿
    You are a kindred spirit and a bosom friend from afar.

Pin