The Wilkes Team

“And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.” (Deut.26:9)

12-15 years ago, our family began to develop a vision for living in the country. Driving down the interstate beyond the city and suburbs and off into the breathtaking countryside of Virginia has long been a memorable past time of our family. The rolling Virginia hills, expansive fields, lush forests, rushing streams, and quaint farmsteads are simply awe-inspiring.

The Lord knew our desire but He also knew the purposes for which He had planted us in the Washington DC suburbs of Fairfax. Many astounding opportunities to buy out in the country were presented to us over the years. However, time after time the Lord would gently lead us otherwise and the opportunity would fade away. At one time, a much desired  piece of land came on the market. It was in our preferred location and at a good price. However, to purchase the property would have required us to ignore a decision the Lord had lead Dad to make years ago – never to go into debt again. But it was such a great opportunity and at a good price. However, satan often brings his best just before God’s best appears. Dad let the opportunity go. The Lord had other plans.

In Proverbs 31, the qualities of a virtuous woman are described. How grateful I am for a mother who is a virtuous woman and one who exemplifies the qualities contained in this beautiful chapter. Verse 16 declares, "She considereth a field, and buyeth it.” On one expedition into the country around 9 years ago, Mom came across a beautiful ‘field’ that was on the market for sale. It was a beautiful rolling piece of property located amidst numerous active farms and offered gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Within a couple days, our whole family drove out to inspect the premises – absolutely stunning!

In the fall of 2001, we placed a contract on the property. We found out there was at least 5 other interested parties. However, the Lord gave us favor in the eyes of the seller. He, having a desire to see our family live on this land, signed off on our contract. Compared to the other property, this lot was much larger, in a better location for our family’s vision, and through a, then recent, change in tax laws, we were able to purchase the property without debt – a further confirmation of the Lord’s will. After a series of perk tests and soil research, we went to settlement in February of 2002. Excitement grew as we began the next step of meeting with contractors for building a house. (Stay tuned for part 2)

3 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101, HIS-story

Many years ago my Grandparents were raised on farms in North Dakota. Their life style back then included raising cattle, hunting birds ,raising chickens (up to 200), and many other things.  Grandpa said that on late nights he could often remember hearing the howls of coyotes on top of hay piles left out in the moon light after being recently gathered.

Both of our Grandparents really remember picking potatoes . Up in North Dakota, many farms would grow acres and acres of potatoes. When it would be the time for picking, they would have a tractor go through all the rows and plow up the potatoes. After this, children from town, including our grandparents, would go and pick up many bushels of potatoes. For every bushel picked, they would earn 5 cents. That was a lot of money for them in those days.

We have been looking forward to having Grandpa and Grandma join us for a day at our land. They have played a key role, through their stories and ideas, in creating within us a love for farming and living in the country. For Fathers Day this year, we gave Grandpa a special gift: an invitation to join us for a day on the land.

The Thursday was set and Grandpa & Grandma came out for  the day! How we enjoyed hearing them talk about their   childhood farming adventures as we walked through the garden, drove through the orchard, ate a scrumptious dinner (including some fruit  freshly cut by Grandpa), and watched the sun set. It was extra memorable having Grandpa and Grandma join us for an inspection of the bee hives. The Lord blessed our time together and we look forward to spending more time out there with them in the future!

6 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101

Early Saturday morning Mom turns to us all and says, “What do you think if we put on a Farmer’s Market today?”.

We talked about it and Mom shared with us how the Lord made if very clear to her the night before that we should do a Farmers Market. Mom’s enthusiasm was very contagious! The success of it was uncertain but we decided to step out and try.

Vegetables, fruit, honey, potatoes, and craft items were prepared for display. Cinnamon rolls were baked and other goodies too!

Matthew, Daniel, and I hopped in the truck and went around and put up signs. Others busily pulled the final things together. There was so much excitement and anticipation for what might happen.

After much team work, diligence, and great encouragement from Mom we were ready to serve the public.

That morning reminded me of the need for us to be willing to step out and do whatever it is that the Lord has called us to do that day. Not knowing what the outcome may be should not stop us from following the leading of the Lord.

He calls us to simply trust Him, obey Him and leave the results in His hands. What joy and peace can come from us doing simply what He has given us the grace to do. 

          May you be encouraged to simply trust and obey the Lord and your authorities today!

Proverbs 3:5~6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

5 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101

      Joel Salatin, the owner and farmer of Polyface farms, located near Staunton VA, truly thrives in the business God has called him to. Last week, we as a family enjoyed a thrilling tour of his farm. All of us were spellbound by his creative innovations, sound philosophy of life, and practical sharing. So often farming is considered an impossible primary vocation. Joel Salatin has thought otherwise. The result of his contrary thinking is a successful agricultural enterprise, enveloped in God’s diversified creation, educating the next generation, ministering to it’s community, and helping spearhead agricultural entrepreneurship.

From my observations of Polyface Farm, I came away with a few very important principles for developing entrepreneurship in a person’s life.

The first principle is found in a fascinating aspect of Salatin’s life. It is his unfettered creativity abounding and rebounding all over his farm. Salatin has studied how God created nature to work and therefore regulates his farm according to his observations. Yet, in the midst of this regulatory process  he always is on the lookout for increasing the practicality and effectiveness of his work. One night while laying in bed, the innovative idea for a new chicken shelter erupted into his thoughts. The result was a shelter multiplying the area for chicken protection and still keeping it small enough to move around easily. This was Creativity freely working.

Another entrepreneurship principle I observed was the turning of his liabilities into assets. For example, animals, though holding the incredible asset of income, decrease the quantity of their future income by their numerous liabilities.  Medical, food, behavior etc. are just a few of them. Salatin is discovering ways to minimize these liabilities. Some of these ways are shared in the post reporting last year’s trip to Polyface.

Though there were many other principles observed ranging from the necessity for independent initiative to the creating of multiple avenues of income, I’ll just share one more. It was the principle of discipleship. At least for myself, when pondering business I can easily become wrapped up in the details and the income and completely forget the people involved. Polyface Farm has not failed in this way. Rather, Joel Salatin, has created multiple avenues in which to disciple his culture. He has both an apprenticeship  and internship, compiled numerous books on his work, speaks all over the country, and then also gives free tours to those, like us, who want to travel to his farm “in the middle of nowhere”. This is definitely the most important principle – one which should not be stalled or forgotten.

While going through the tour, Salatin shared how farming teaches so much about life, whether it’s running a government, business, or family. How true this is!   Without much thought analogies can flow, principles can form, and links can be made. We, as a family found this to be  the case through our visit.  Filled with motivation, we witnessed an enterprise established on biblical principles discipling it’s culture and a business and ministry blended  together in such a harmonious way that to dissolve one would destroy the other.

5 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101

Last year, our family had the joy of beginning the wonderful responsibility of bee keeping. Over the last 16 months, we have begun to appreciate the remarkable process in which bees convert nectar from a variety of sources into honey. There is an abundance of remarkable lessons to be learned from this insect: their sensitivity to the needs of the hive, the instinctive disposition (swarming) of the bees to ‘go into all the world,’ their wholehearted work ethic (some bees only live 6 weeks), and their desire to follow only one leader (one queen).

There have been plenty of learning experiences, mistakes & mishaps, a few stings , but much excitement and anticipation.

A couple weeks ago, we had the blessing of having a few Staddons join us for a work day at the property. Many memories were made working in the garden together, target practicing, exploring, and enjoying wholesome fellowship.

A highlight of the day was having Michael inspect the hives. His expertise and advice from years of beekeeping were much appreciated. And as a result of the hive inspection, an unexpected 8 medium & 2 deep frames of honey were collected – Thank you Michael!

The process of extracting the honey was a memorable family event:

We are thrilled over the harvest the Lord provided and look forward to the many more lessons that will come. And yet, as sweet as honey is to our taste, what does God say is even sweeter than honey? His Word.

"More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10)."

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart (Jer. 15:16a)."

God created this world in such a way that it is constantly pointing us back to Him, the Creator. May we take the time to learn the lessons God has for us in the beautiful world of nature (Job 12:7-8)!

Deuteronomy 26:15  Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

11 Comments » | posted in Farming 101, Outdoor Adventures

The effort, the time, the energy, Hmm… is cleaning garden beds really a profitable undertaking? Getting the hands dirty, pulling nasty weeds, transplanting, planting, mulching, working with the shovel and rake – why do it all?

This may be the thought crossing the worker’s mind when the garden beds look more like the green lawn, the weary mind is carrying too heavy of a load, and the tired hands seem to be covered with plump tiny cherries. The gardener considers: Why not let God’s creation take its natural course  – isn’t there such a concept as wild and natural beauty?

Yes there is beauty in God’s creation, but unfortunately the world we live on is controlled by a law from which deviations cannot occur. It’s titled the law of entropy: best defined as all things are moving from a state of order to disorder.

We, as a family, had an eye witness account of this law being enforced a couple days ago when observing the landscape of our home dwelling. For the flower of yesteryear was now a brown stalk, the once pretty green leaves now a welted gray heap, and the freshly laid mulch a sun bleached disappearing woody mass. This is why natural beauty is not enough. God’s creation needs the Godly stewardship of human brawn and thought. The eye witness account proves this and therefore resulted in good wholesome labor.

Now the question, “Spring cleaning – why?” is answered, but only in part. The rest of the answer lies in a particular period of the lives of Rev. James Bruce and his wife,  Eliza Bruce. Scottish folks from the 1600s were they: He, a faithful and powerful minister of the gospel: she, a mainstay and helpmeet.  Once, upon moving to a new pastorate, Mr. Bruce and his wife, as usual, took up the dwelling of the former pastor. It was an old run down place, broken glass was patched with boards and the landscape horrible; *”To the walls too, clambered the dock and the nettle…the little plot… was so overgrown with brushwood and weeds of every description… the inside of the house was in no better a state…spiders and other vermin had long taken up their abode…. (Yet,) under Mrs. Bruce’s care every thing about the manse soon assumed a livelier and more handsome appearance”

Here we see, while the husband was faithfully ministering to those of his church, his wife was faithfully preparing her home For what purpose? Why was she cleaning up her garden beds and beautifying the landscape? *”So…That the traveler would not have passed it, without wishing to see it’s inhabitants: and the weary wanderer would have approached the door, in confidence of a kind welcome to nourishment and repose. ” Here is the other part to the answer – hospitality.

So, next time the garden needs spring cleaning remember why it’s being done; to develop an hospitable atmosphere from which strangers would deem it a delight to be entertained by.  “For some entertain angels unawares” (Heb 13:2)

*Excerpts taken from The Persecute Family, a narrative of the sufferings of the covenanters in the reign of Charles II By Robert Pollock, A.M. (First published in 1859, last published by Sprinkle publications)

8 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101, Outdoor Adventures

Wheat is so important in today’s world. Have you ever pondered what life would be like without this crop?� It would be quite dreadful, to say the least. Think about it – no more cookies, cakes, muffins, Hotdog buns, spaghetti, Home made bread, cereals – Wow! Life would sure be different. Let’s take a quick look at Modern wheat production and consumption to better appreciate the work that goes into producing this needed grain.

To begin with I’ll first compare 2007 wheat production and consumption rate to two other crops:
(Production Rate = PR, Consumption rate =CR, Measuring unit – bushels)

Wheat
PR – 1.81 Billion
CR – 2.05 Billion

Corn
PR – 10.54 Billion
CR – 11.27 Billion

Soybean
PR – 3.19 Billion
CR – 3.07 Billion

With wheat particularly, 50% is exported, 33 percent is domestically consumed, 8% is livestock feed and 4% is used for seed.

Globally, America is the third largest wheat producer with China and India taking first and second and Russia fourth. It’s interesting to note that the annual world grain production rate will need to increase by 20 to 30 percent according to an Australian food report. The reason for this prediction comes from the fact that 12 Asian countries (representing over � the World’s population) will have a meat consumption increase by the year 2020: beef� 50%, pork- 30%, chicken� 40%, and diary� 55%. Wait a minute!… Might be the words your thinking… this is meat consumption not grain. But once you realize that for every pound of Chicken on the dinner table, it took two pounds of feed (grains) to get it there, your thoughts might change.

Now, don’t be aghast! This is not the worse.

For every pound of pork 4 pounds of feed entered the pig’s digestive system and for every pound of beef a record seven pounds disappeared from the feeding trough. If you start thinking exponentially here there is a magnificent amount of grain consumption. It seems to me an Agricultural crisis is looming in the hazy future. Will the world be able to properly prepare for it? It remains to be seen.

There are many reasons we might not be ready with the continual decrease in good soil for growing the crops and apathy ruling in certain spheres.

A Southern Virginian farmer, Joel Salatin, truly understands the fearful position of U.S farm life. He clearly sees the problem, but what’s even better is that�he has proven solutions.

1. Increase organic matter, through compost piles, crop rotation, animal rotations and manure, etc.

2. Have less grain-fed animals and more grass-fed animals.

These are very general and broad, it could be said they are a summary of some of his major points. He’s written several books all on the subject of agriculture.

I believe if Americans and the rest of the world can better understand how God made this world to work there will be better farmers and more� capable individuals. We’ll be able to meet the near future crisis in global agriculture. It’s incumbent upon us to understand God’s principles and how they work into his creation. In addition we must also have purpose, for it says in the Bible: “my people perish for lack of knowledge” and also “without a vision the people perish”. If were not careful their might come a day, where there will be life without wheat. There will be no cereal, cake, or hotdog buns. Gratefully, it has not happened yet and we still have time to prepare.

7 Comments » | posted in Farming 101, On the Issues