Last June, I got myself into something totally new. I was listening to the “Like a Farmer Podcast,” and boom, there’s Josh Allen talking about his farm. You know, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills? Turns out, he’s not just about football; the guy’s got a farm thing going on with his dad.
So, they started with cotton, cantaloupe, and wheat, you know, the usual stuff. But here’s the kicker – they’re shifting to pistachios. Yeah, those tasty green nuts. I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” I mean, if a quarterback can do it, so can I, right?
I did some digging, and guess what? Allen’s got places in California and New York. I started small, just a little patch of land to see how things go. I planted a few pistachio trees, following what I learned from Allen’s story. It wasn’t easy, I’ll tell you that. There’s a whole lot more to farming than I thought.
- First off, getting the land ready was a hustle.
- Then, planting those little trees and hoping for the best.
- Watering them, keeping the weeds away – it’s a full-time job!
But you know what? It’s pretty cool to see something grow from scratch. And being a Christian man myself, just like Josh mentioned, I felt a connection to the land, to creating something, you know?
The Waiting Game
Pistachios take time. It’s not like planting flowers and seeing them bloom the next week. We’re talking years here. But I’m patient. I kept at it, learning as I went. There were challenges, for sure. Pests, unpredictable weather – you name it. I even found this article online, saying California makes like 98% of all pistachios in the U.S. That’s wild!
Seeing those first few pistachios pop up, man, that was a feeling. All that hard work, and there it was, something I grew with my own hands. It’s not just about the nuts, though. It’s about the process, the connection to nature, and yeah, a bit of that passion Josh Allen talked about.
I’m not saying I’m some big-time farmer now. Far from it. But I’m learning, and it’s fulfilling. Plus, it’s a nice break from the usual grind. Who knows where this will go? Maybe I’ll expand, maybe I’ll just keep it as a hobby. But one thing’s for sure, it’s been one heck of a ride so far. And honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This whole pistachio adventure, it’s become a part of me now, and I’m excited to see what’s next.
