Thank you! + Happy 2023

Friends,

The New Year is almost upon us, and it has me in reflection mode (like many people, I’m sure!). I spent much of this year in discernment. Since we closed shop on our full-time commercial vegetable farm two years ago, I’ve been unsure of the best possible direction for the energy and time I used to put into that work. I knew I felt called to “make things” again, but I also am part of a household that needs reliable income, and honestly it didn’t feel like a secure choice to pursue writing and illustrating as a “career.”

So I’ve spent a lot of time putting in work toward that goal while also doubting whether it was the appropriate path. Should I just pursue something more predictable? But, even though it feels like a slow process building an actual career, 2022 has shown me that I’m headed in the right direction. I have published many articles in wonderful publications, signed two book contracts and launched the start of a small product line — all of which exceeds my wildest expectations for the year.

Thank you

Exceeding those expectations wouldn’t have been possible without you. Thank you for your support this year, through comments on social media, emails and mug and sticker purchases. Thank you to all of the farmers who answered my many questions and generously shared their experiences. My goal with all of my work is to tell stories and make images that enrich others’ lives. I hope that my writing will inform and empower and help people feel “seen.”

This was especially my goal with my series of Growing for Market articles about farming and parenting, pregnancy and postpartum healing (all available free here) — these articles are one of my proudest accomplishments of 2022. Farmers are sometimes parents too, and I hadn’t seen farmer-parent stories told before in a real, honest way. I’m excited to be diving deeper into these same topics as I work on my book-in-progress about all aspects of farming and parenting. I’m interviewing farmers around the country right now to learn more about the diversity of experiences. These Zoom conversations have been great fun and good reminders of all the things I love about raising children while farming/homesteading.

And yes, I am still looking for more folks to contribute to this book! I’m specifically looking for families with older kids or teens, families who moved to their farm after kids were born, and another younger adult who was raised on a homestead and would be willing to talk about how that experience shaped them! If you or anyone you know is interested in chatting with me, you can learn more here or email me directly.

New projects

I’m ending 2022 with a few fun projects newly in the world. I have a personal essay, “Farming with the Flood,” in the December issue of Taproot magazine. It’s a reflection on learning how to live with the seasonal flooding of our land and a meditation on resilience and family. You can buy the issue here.

I also have a new graphic essay, “Home is Work,” in Farmer-ish journal’s 2022 Winter Solstice issue. This one is about learning how to feel “at home” on our farm — a place full of complications and ever-pressing work — and how that required rethinking how I fundamentally understand the nature of “home.” In many ways, it addresses similar themes to the Taproot essay but using different specifics and in a very different format. You can read “Home is Work” (along with many other wonderful pieces) for free now at Farmer-ish’s website.

In the upcoming winter issue of Geez magazine I have a piece about my lifelong relationship with knitting and how it got complicated during the pandemic (the issue’s theme is “Crafting at the End of the World”!). And, Growing for Market’s forthcoming January issue will feature a profile I wrote about a local Yamhill County farm, Pollinate Flowers, and their unique growing and marketing methods. I’m excited to have these magazine pieces coming out, and then in 2023 I’m shifting focus for a few months …

Looking to 2023

What are your big wild dreams for this coming year?

The older I get, the more I realize the potential within a whole year. I once heard that people tend to over-estimate what they can do in a day, but they also under-estimate what they can accomplish in a year. I don’t know if that’s totally true, but it’s an idea that I’ve held on to as I plan and dream and set long-term goals. It turns out that 365 days is actually quite a lot. I now look to each new year with a sense of wonder and curiosity — what unexpected turns will my life take this year? There have been many twists in recent years, some delightful and some of them much harder to navigate. But as we approach January, I feel an overriding sense of potential. Potential changes, growth, opportunities.

And yet, for all my extolling the value of big wild dreams, when I’ve sat down to write my own goals for 2023, I find myself focusing on one thing. Specifically, I am going to complete these two existing book contracts successfully. (One is almost done, but not quite, so it gets to be part of my 2023!) That’s my One Big Goal — because it’s A Very Big Thing to actually have these kind of large projects now on my plate! There are publishers and a whole team of people relying on me to complete my writing and illustration for these books — and to do it well. Working on books like this is what I’ve always wanted, and it’s also just plain HUGE! But I’m holding my heart open for what else might come along with this One Big Goal … new ways of spending time with my family, other as-of-yet unknown future writing and illustration projects, more magazine work, and many simple joys.

I know there will be inevitable losses and trials too in 2023. Life is a mixed journey. But here we are, walking our paths even when they take strange turns and bring us the unexpected. I am happy to be journeying with people I love and a community of others who are doing their best. May you find joy and growth on your path this year as well. Happy New Year!

With gratitude,

Katie

P.S. Need a way to track your plans and dreams in 2023? My plant-themed Around the Green Wheel calendars are still available for sale as a digital download here or in print at several local Oregon stores.