Dear Curiosity Journal,
If my former self knew how jacked I was for a water tank, she would surely think I’ve evolved into something unrecognizable. Joy in her 20s had no intentions of becoming a sheep farmer. However, as a shepherdess, an upgrade to a 40-gallon water tank with a heating element is a pretty big deal – especially during the coldest months, when the water line to the barn is shut down, and 5-gallon buckets must be carried from the basement of the farmhouse multiple times a day. It feels like a literal luxury. It means better water access for my babies and reduced risk of injury while hauling heavy buckets across the ice and snow. The buckets worked okay when I just had a handful of sheep, but with 18 animals and more lambs on the way, we were due for an upgrade. So, yes, I was pretty excited to get our new tank set up this week. For me, it’s also another marker of transitioning from doing this as a “hobby” to making it more of a “business” as I learn, grow the flock, improve the fiber, invest in infrastructure, and begin selling lambs in the spring.
~Joy