What contributes to a meaningful life and how do you hope this apprenticeship will help you explore that?
May 2025
A meaningful life and an interest in agriculture go hand in hand. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a farmer and a veterinarian. As the years went on, I forgot about those dreams and set my sights elsewhere. Over the past few years I experienced some major life changes, and I have been driven down a path by the desire to live a good life: one guided by love. I kept drifting towards ranching and have decided to see it through
A meaningful life is something different for everybody.I am drawn to a life rooted in simplicity and happiness. Working outside day after day with the land and animals is a chance to observe this beautiful planet and how its intuitive systems work and an opportunity to be a part of a timeless cycle. Through ranching, I have the privilege to experience the way life runs its course, witnessing birth and death, maybe all in one day. Through agriculture, one gets to live close to the land, noting the day when the first little blades of green grass appear or spotting the moon rising over the horizon while checking the mother herd in the dark of night.
In my first few weeks as an apprentice at San Juan Ranch, I have found myself tremendously fulfilled and at peace. The opportunity to live each day centered around observation is truly a gift. One of the things that we joke about here is the idea of time. In a meaningful life, time does not matter. Light and dark are more major landmarks in a day than 9-5. Tasks take as long as they take, and while there is always something to do, completion is not dictated by a watch. Presence is key in agriculture, for the day is unpredictable no matter how well you plan. And so it is presence that is key in a meaningful life. Everyday of this apprenticeship has been filled with lessons and experiences, each adding to the handbook of a meaningful life in its own way.