Learning Goals

Last year, as this trip was taking shape, I realized that the central theme--the most important thread that was woven through all the ideas I had--was learning. Above all, I set out to learn about myself; having passed this far into my adult life, I had become acutely aware that I haven’t devoted nearly enough time to that exceptionally important undertaking.

Beyond that, I was, and am, as you know by now, very keen on learning, in essence, “how to do all the things that people have been doing for centuries,” but which most people don’t do for themselves anymore: producing their own food, building their homes, etc. And as the months have passed, I’ve been learning a ton about myself, without even trying, and I’ve found more and more things that I want to learn how to do.

At Rincon del Sur, the opportunities for learning are unavoidable. Since establishing herself and her family here ten or eleven years ago, Cynthia has dedicated each year of her life to studying some subject, with a mentor or in a formal course, that enhances or makes possible her homemade life. The first year, she wisely chose to apprentice with a veterinarian, learning all she needed to know about raising cows and sheep and poultry, etc Since then, she has done year-long studies in cheese making, bread and pastry, beer and liquor, apiculture (beekeeping), gardening and landscape architecture, and weaving, among others. Each day our activities are varied, and often they include one of these subjects, and if any of us express interest in something she knows, she readily offers to teach us.

Which brings me to the situation I find myself in now. Having come back to this lovely little farm in northern Patagonia, with a hostess and teacher whose goal it is to teach what she knows to those who want to learn, I’m feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities, and trying to carve out more of a focused period of study while I’m here. It’s been wonderful to learn a little bit about a lot of things while I’ve been here, but when planning my return to the farm, I knew that I wanted to have a bit more of a focus, either undertaking a project of my own and seeing it through, or dedicating myself to studying one or two things, beyond just a one afternoon introduction.

Little by little, my farm school study is taking shape. Inspired by my friend Darcy’s goal-setting activities, I’ve started making lists of the things I want to do, trying to prioritize and define each study by determining a desired number of sessions or lessons in each before I leave. So far, this is what I’m working on:

1) Breadmaking, 7 sessions: I’ve fallen in love with making bread. There’s something incredibly satisfying about kneading dough that has made me seriously consider enrolling in a professional baking school when I get back to the real world. We are blessed to have homemade bread every day, and each time it comes out of the oven, it’s a little miracle to me. I don’t even eat that much of it, but I could knead dough all day long. Normally, there are four of us partaking in the making process, but yesterday I was able to finagle a solo session, start to finish, and it was heaven. I’m hoping to make that a regular happening.

2) Driving lessons, 5 sessions: While not explicitly a farm activity, learning to drive stick is something I’ve wanted to learn for years, but which was put off due to lack of necessity, especially while living in New York City and essentially not needing to drive for five years. Down here, a car with an automatic gear shift virtually doesn’t exist--Nacho told me that only handicapped people drive them. I feel kind of handicapped, myself, being 27 years old and not knowing how, so Nacho has started giving me lessons. So far, I’ve had two, and it’s going pretty well, considering I have a deserted dirt road to practice on. I’ve set out a goal of five sessions before I leave. More would be great, as I know I’ll need more practice to really feel comfortable with it, but I don‘t want to take advantage of Nacho‘s generosity.

3) Weaving, 5 sessions: Cynthia has this beautiful table loom, on which she makes elaborate table runners, belts, pouches, and wall hangings, seemingly in no time. She’s begun teaching us how to use it, and it’s become another favorite of mine. I’ve rediscovered my love for yarn crafts, in general, and relearned how to crochet the other day, after many fits and starts, and a bit of research, and am trying to get the hang of spinning the wool we’ve spent our rainy afternoons cleaning. Again, weaving sessions are group sessions at this point, but I bought some yarn this weekend to start a project of my own, so I can get some more solo loom time.

In addition to these things, Cynthia wants to set up some hydroponic growing channels, and has enlisted me, with my one summer’s experience in hydroponic growing, to help her do it. We’ve done some research together, and I’m really excited about seeing this project through. Even if I’m gone by the time the lettuce is ready for harvest, I know I’ll get to see the pictures.

One of the difficulties in pursuing these activities here is that there are three or four of us, always, and most often we’re all interested in doing and learning everything. Cynthia already spends six hours a day with us, so I don’t like to take up her time or space during our midday break or in the evenings, although she is always very gracious about letting us stay longer to finish a baking or weaving project, or to use her wireless internet. She’s always very supportive of our own personal goals and interests, though, so I’m sure she’d be willing to work something out.

I’m trying to stay present and put my energy towards these efforts, as much as possible, but at the same time, I’m trying to figure out what’s up next for my adventures, with a tentative departure date from this farm set for mid-March. It’s looking like I’ll head to another farm, either in Argentina, or perhaps Brazil. I’ll be in touch about how that takes shape, and will put up some photos of my projects soon, too.

PS The photo at the top is just-baked "pan de leche" we made the other day in Cynthia's kitchen. Brioche-y goodness with pastry cream on top.