2455. Lifestyle block © Bruce Goodman 12 June 2022

Judith and Stanislaw lived on a small lifestyle property. They were as self-sufficient as they could possibly get. They worked as a team. Every morning Stanislaw milked by hand the six cows and three goats. On Thursdays he took the cheese and butter hand-crafted by Judith into the market in town. It brought in their only finance, but it was sufficient to live on if coupled with other things such as vegetables that their lifestyle produced. Judith had never milked a cow or a goat in her life, and Stanislaw had never made the tiniest block of cheese. Each had their talent and the team worked. And then early one morning Stanislaw underwent a medical event – as the newspapers like to put a heart attack. He was dead. There was nothing further Judith could do. She went out to milk the cows and goats. It couldn’t be put off. At midday she was still trying to extract a drop of milk from the first cow. Freddie, a neighbouring life-styler who had a nectarine orchard, came to the rescue. He didn’t know much about milking cows either but together they managed. All that happened a year ago. These days Judith and Freddie produce a very successful brand of nectarine-infused cheeses. Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story