Winter is a risky time here at little sprouts. Predators are on the prowl in a big way. It seems everyday we find new tracks of coyote, cougar, racoon, fox, skunk, you name it! (No bears yet thank goodness!) So far losses have been minimal with the new coops, but not at zero.
The world of nature is filled with diversity, beauty, peace, and balance, BUT also a harsh reality that life in the wild depends on death. It cannot be avoided completely. Whether we approve or not, nature uses death to maintain health and balance. Some species of animals control populations of others through consumption. It is an intricate system of balance and interdependence that has worked since the beginning of life as we know it. But it is still harsh to the individual in the moment.
Nature is beautiful, but real. It is more awesome than any photo or painting can ever capture, more complex.... more simple. But nature is real, it is life and death. It is a circle the repeats each season.the incomprehensible balance between all living things is in fact the most beautiful aspect of nature, making music like a fine orchestra under skilled direction, each individual following the musical score to add a tiny piece to an overall performance of vast diversity and beauty. But alas, the enforcement of that balance is a harsh system of survival of the fittest, population control through death, and an order of top to bottom. The same system of nature has both sides.
This is why, in my humble opinion, man must stop trying to alter this intricate balance for his own short sided gain. It is such a complex interdependence that we are just beginning to understand how vast it is. Anything we change, anything, has wide and deep consequences in ways we can not predict or manage. The man made practices I refer to are conventinal farming based on chemical support, factory animal production based on chemical support, and of course genetic alteration of organisms, the epitome of permenant imbalance. These three together represent the pride of mans accomplishment and his downfall.
as you know, we work very hard to follow natures rythmn at little sprouts. To shun the use of any chemicals, offer protection to our animals through natural means, and to support the diversity and balance of life from bacteria to plant to animal.
So... we spend the cold winter months with one watchful, eye on everything, guard animals in place, fences constantly mended, and a good amount of prayer for protection. This year we have added "predator eyes" to this mix, which seem to be helping. That's another blog post in itself. Coming soon!
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