A month or so ago, I wrote a post questioning what it means to be a feminist when living “back to the land.”
I got a lot of feedback from that article, and a fair amount of flak.
Some commenters didn’t understand where I was coming from, some intellectualized the bejesus out of what I was trying to say (note to self: refrain from using the word “feminist” in future articles).
My “dilemma,” as it were, really boils down to not being able to perform key physical tasks that living a more agrarian lifestyle demands. There’s nothing intellectually rigorous or theoretical about it. Rather, it’s a practical, tangible, day-to-day issue that I deal with. It’s also a pain in my ass.
Witness: The chicken tractor.
Jake spent the last couple of days fashioning this cool new chicken tractor prototype that will be used to house 50 new chicks. The design protects the birds from predators while the open bottom means they’ll have a constant supply of fresh grass to munch on. Each day, my job is to manually pull the tractor to a fresh patch of grass. Easy, right?
Only there’s one small problem.
The damn thing is too heavy for me to pull.
Jake meanwhile can pull it fine.
Some might say…..”AND?? He’s a man! You’re a woman! Dudes are stronger! Get over it, whiner!”
But for someone like me, this seemingly inconsequential scenario has, in many ways, shaped my rural existence. It seems I am constantly faced with another task I suck at or can’t perform because it’s either too heavy or too hard. The cumulative effect is that I’m often left feeling that maybe I should go back inside and watch reruns of Supermarket Sweep and fold laundry while my husband takes care of all the outdoor stuff…..which pretty much makes up our entire lives down here.
For someone who has always prided herself on her self-sufficiency and independence — at least that’s how I defined myself in New York City – this has been a manure-stained pill to swallow. A “niggling purposefulness” sets in; I’ve often felt helpless; I start questioning who I am, both as a woman and a wife, and, um, why the hell do I live here?, and before I know it I’m having a meltdown in the laundry room because I’m folding my husband’s socks because it appears that’s the only household task I can handle with any real proficiency, along with cleaning the bathtub and — holy sh$*, I really am June Cleaver.
On some level, my consternation is the result of my own physical competitiveness. I’ve run marathons, I exercise religiously. Pulling a chicken tractor around the yard seems like something I should be able to do. Yet I can’t. It also doesn’t help that my husband places a high premium on one’s physicality….this is to be expected from someone who’s been horned in the face by a bull.
So it’s either back to the drawing board for a more lady-friendly version of the prototype OR Jake will have to pull it around the yard. Either way, I’ll probably be inside, fending off waves of guilt for not doing my part and/or wishing I still possessed that free and easy sense of self I took for granted in New York, when the heaviest thing I had to lift was a 5 pound weight at Chelsea Piers.
All original content © 2012 by Jessie Knadler
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I think it is great that you at least try to do those tasks and if you can’t…no big deal. I work out all the time too…but am on the thin side and will always have noodle arms. It gets frustrating when you have physical limitations but then I think about all the groovy stuff I can do without asking for help
I think it is awesome that you have all these adventures on your farm with the stuff you are able to do.
I feel the same way you do! My husband, a full 80 pounds heaverier and 1 foot taller than me, takes care of so many tasks. It doesn’t help that he built the tractor and organized the tools so of course they fit him but not me.
The thing is, if I were to somehow be on my own, I would adapt to the challenges. I would rebuild the chicken tractor, re-organize the tools, and, likely, not store anything in the rafters of the garage. I’m confident that if I had to, I could survive without him. I’m betting you would find ways to adapt your farm to your own physicality too if you had to.
Have you given thought to changing how you’re trying to move it? From your photo (props for posting that, even though you’re feeling humiliated), you’re pulling with your arms. Upper body strength for us gals pales by comparison to guys. Never fear, though, your arms will develop as you’re lugging a kid around! In the meantime, what if you fashion a harness or something so that you put the straps around your shoulders (kind of like a back pack) so the burden is placed on your legs? You’re a runner. Your legs are more heavily muscled. You might get more leverage that way.
I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it work. In the meantime, remember that you’re in a new environment for you. Jake’s been at this life a lot longer than you. Yes, you’re a type A competitive person. And yes, you’re used to being successful. But cut yourself some slack and give yourself some time. You’re doing great & you’ll be even better as time goes on.
I know nothing of the subject (yet!), but some farms put wheels on the corners of chicken tractors for ease of moving…
also, aren’t you growing a small human in your body? Cut yourself some slack!
Good points. I’ve been told I can be a little neurotic and crazy so maybe the ultimate solution is to get over myself.
Boys are boys and girls are girls. Boys do some things better than girls. And girls do some things better than boys. I would never expect to see my husband with knitting needles making mittens and he would never want me to attempt to use the chain saw. He likes his wife with two arms.
That said, it totally sucks. It sucks to have to wait for someone to help with yard work or projects, or pulling chicken tractors. (Which you will totally be able to do after you have your baby and build your muscles back up).
It also sucks because when I find I just can’t quite hoist the metal extension ladder, I have to admit defeat and ask for help, which is number 1 on my annoyance list.
As for the feminism thing – that is a slippery line. Personally, every time I hear that word I get these pictures in my mind of loud, obnoxious women shouting about one thing or another. And I don’t want any part of that. Without assuming too much here, I want to say that we are both self-sufficient people who live our lives the best we can and do what makes us happy. Feminism has nothing to do with it. I understand that the feminist way of thinking has its place but I just don’t think it should be applied to ‘homesteading’.
I am alone on my homestead and have to try to figure out ways to do things without alot of help – be it an extra pair of hands or brute strength to move something. If it were my chicken tractor, I would hook it up to my lawn tractor and pull it with that. Aren’t you pregnant? Should you be even trying to pull something that heavy right now? Pregnancy trumps feminism any day in my book
Kitty
This “feminist” stuff sure is stressful isnt it? i think you will find that your relationship will get srtronger because of the things you CANT do. Men love to feel strong and love to feel needed. i guess i dont see anything wrong with letting a man be strong and useful. there are a lot of things i can do for myself (like change a flat for instance) but why not let a guy do something he enjoys while i refrain from ruining my outfit? you will find a way to move the chicken tractor, but i say, let him do it once in awhile. we are equal, just different, women need to stop trying to be men.
I also think wheels would help. I think it would be possible to mount two wheels on the back of the tractor. I would mount them like wheels on a large ladder so that you have to step on a plate to lower the wheels. Once the tractor is moved, you would step on the plate again to raise the wheels/lower the tractor.
My other thought would be to use a stake and pulley system or connect the tractor a quad or riding lawn mower if you have one.
Jake will never be able to produce milk from his man breasts (although they say it IS possible). And for as manly as he is, I bet he’d run for cover if he had to birth a baby.
I’m the same way with Tom, he’s much more physically adept than I am but sometimes I figure out a way to not have to take the longest distance between two points that he doesn’t realize and cut out half the unnecessary work. And I think I’m better with a chainsaw than he is.
He has had more time to hone his country livin’ skills, and you’ll become more proficient as you live the life. You’re taking on more than even a lot of farm women tend to and the fact that you’ve jumped in with both feet after a city existence is even more commendable.
Ease off the chicken tractor though. Don’t give that baby girl a reason to make an appearance early!
June Cleaver never sported muck boots and a cute cardigan while trying to move a chicken tractor. You rock!
Wheels. Wheels on everything. Wheels are your friend. I moved 100lb mats for my horse’s stall in a wheelbarrow. I tote multiple 50lb bags of grain the same way. If wheels won’t work for your model of chicken tractor, scoots might help (see Chicken Tractor by Andy Lee on use of scoots).
But there are all sorts of tools and implements that come in smaller/lighter sizes, or with a bit of modification can be made more user-friendly for the less brawny. For example, we have two fence post pounders – one that I can easily lift and pound posts with, and a heavier one that I can’t.
Feminism merely means that you believe a woman’s worth is equal to a man’s. It has nothing to do with physical capabilities, hairy armpits, or any of the negative terms and labels thrown at “feminists.” Just be confident in your own worth, relish the skills you have and take pride the contributions you make. Unlike homesteaders of the past, you can choose your lifestyle, you contribute to the family income and you run marathons! All decisions women of yore weren’t able to make for themselves.
Hi, I found this blog through a friend, and have three suggestions from a skinny wee girl who’s spent her life on farms.
1. Technique trumps strength. If you can’t shift it with brute force, use your brain to figure out an easier way.
2. Ask Jake to put wheels on this one to save a total rebuild.
3. Have a chat with him about what you’re feeling and suggest to him that in future, when he builds things, it’s a good idea for him to consider the fact that you are smaller than him and make them lighter.
There’s an old saying: “man is a tool using animal”. These days I think we’re all agree that “woman is a tool using animal” too.
Solve the problem. Use a tool. Make some modifications to the feeder. Set up pulleys somewhere. Replace the chicken feeder. Use a 4 wheel bike to pull it.
Stop blogging and get solving!
You are not trying to perform a task in the same way as a man. You are trying to perform a task. Your problems are technical. Trying to make them philosophical just slows down the problem-solving process, and encourages sexists, both male and female.
You might consider:
Putting the device on large wheels, and filling in the gaps with chicken wire, with just enough of a narrow gap that it will not be caught on the ground, while not allowing the birds to squeeze under it.
Wheels that can be lowered when you want to move it (thus raising the entire edifice) and then lowered when it has been re-positioned.
Or making it out of a lighter material like plastic, with separate weights at the corners and along the sides that can be removed individually when you want to move it and put back when it has been re-positioned.
Likewise the water for the chickens can also be transported in a plastic barrel, such as a rain storage barrel, on wheels. The sort that has a tap inserted makes draining it much easier too.
In general:
Don’t assume that the customary method of doing things in your area is the only way. Since your strength and skill/familiarity level may not be within the parameters of those methods, adjust your parameters and look for other ways of accomplishing the same thing. A method that requires brute force is usually an inefficient method.
Make sure that your tools fit your size and keep them sharp.
I note that marathons prioritise endurance, not strength.
Thanks, Anna!
I agree with Anna, and others. What you are seeing as (mildly neurotic, as you say) a “Can’t Do Without Jake’s Strength” is something I think needs a change in perspective. If I got a job that was 45 miles away, I sure as heck wouldn’t want to drive my beloved 20 year old Subaru there every day. I think she’s tough enough, but she shouldn’t have to do it. She’s a retiree that has worked hard and gets to play in the occassional autocross. I’d get a newer car (ok, less than 6 years old if I could afford it)
Sooooo, if my honey made a chicken coop that was meant to be moved, I’d hitch it to the cheapest tractor I could find (age unimportant), and maybe even find thos spiked wheel/tire thingies that will aerate as you move it along. I’m just sayin’. Guys see these as perfect opportunities for More Tools (pound chest now!). Here – borrow my rose-colored glasses for a sec, I don’t wear them very often myself….