The astrologer, Pam Gregory, said last December that the pace of 2025 would be fast and that by June time would feel like it was flying along. Here we are in late July already and I must agree with her; time is flying by very fast indeed.

July started with Groundswell, the agricultural show based around regeneration and all things more sustainable. There were some good talks and, as usual at these things, I met some interesting, thought-provoking people, one of whom I met in a lunch queue and after an interesting conversation about how I feed my pigs beans, he quizzed me directly on how I was running the farm and encouraging me to focus on and work out how to make a profit. After a good half hour’s conversation I told him he was so helpful and knowledgeable that he should write a book – it turned out he already had and it was called ‘how to make a farm profitable’. Needless to say, I went off to the bookshop after lunch and bought myself a copy.

Another lady, Nikki Trott, I stumbled upon talking about her book which, coincidentally, I had been compelled to buy earlier in the day. Her book called ‘Sacred Business’ feels as though it was written directly for me. It is everything I believe in, what I perceive and what I am trying to do. I spent my holiday reading it and completing its exercises and it has been good for honing my focus, helping me to be less scattered as well as the joy of feeling part of a small but global movement. Realising that others whom I have never met and from completely different backgrounds, are making similar conclusions and shifts, is reassuring as well as encouraging. This book is about establishing and then embodying one’s soul’s purpose and then, within the workplace or business, making it part of a balanced system where business thrives because it is aligned with the greater good. This is just what I believe and it has been so uplifting reading someone else echoing your own thoughts while expressing them so well in the written word.

Enjoying a two-week break without the usual chores and structure of my day was a welcome and much needed rest. I truly stopped my brain whirring with the constant juggling of too many balls in the air at once and felt the benefit of just being and not doing. Family bonding time is so important and the Scilly Isles is the perfect place to stop and deeply connect to those you love most. A collective daily sea swim helped to strengthen our bonds as we each challenged ourselves to spend time together in the freezing cold Atlantic. Some days this was more challenging than others but the rewards for achieving it were felt for a long time afterwards; having friends and family experiencing it together made the difficulty of choosing to embrace such discomfort a collective and more enjoyable experience and we laughed and joked so much that the memories are likely to last a lifetime.

Back to the farm and the ups and downs of all the challenges that it brings. Excitingly we are ready to harvest the arable crop we planted in April and see how well it works for feeding the pigs. The rain has brought the grass back to green so the cattle and ponies are happy that there is green grass to eat again. The rain has also softened the ground, watered the suffering new trees and hedges and introduced moisture to the new wetland scrapes that David and Jack expertly designed and created while I was away. I am looking forward to seeing how these hold water once the floods come this winter and hopefully, lots of species will benefit from the newly created habitat. With time flying as fast as it is, winter will be here before I know it. I must remember to stay as present as possible to enjoy the moments as they pass by and to embody all that I believe in along the way.