I recently turned on paid subscriptions. I thought long and hard about this, and after much grappling with values and self-worth, along with some gratefully received encouragement from your subscription pledges, I am comfortable with the decision. I put a lot of time and energy into my writing, I hope it shows, and I hope this will enable me to give more while receiving something back in return.
Within hours of setting it up, your subscriptions began trickling in. I am quite overwhelmed. Somehow, “thank you” doesn't seem enough to express my gratitude and joy that you find something worthy in my words, my work, or that at least something I’m writing about strikes a chord with you. I am humbled and beholden.
I am immensely grateful for all of your support, and I understand that a paid subscription is not for everyone—and nor should it be. I intend to continue publishing a fortnightly public post on the broader topics of farming and our connection to the land that will always be offered freely. But I will save the more personal and “behind the scenes” content for additional connection letters to my paid subscribers, and I have archived a couple of my more personal previous posts behind the paywall. This move is in part to protect our privacy as my presence on here grows, but also to keep something back for those of you who can and choose to reciprocate my writing with a paid subscription. I might sometimes use the Chat function for that—I’d love to get some conversation going and hear from my readers, so I invite you to join in (it will be a private space where only paid subscribers can read and reply to each other's comments).
This is an evolving space. I'm figuring out how to make it work, find time to write consistently here and on some bigger projects, and fit it all in with my work on the land and livestock while also making a living. Your subscriptions make a very real difference. Thank you.
Thank you, all, for reading. A more personal note follows for my paid subscribers.
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