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Jun 19, 2026
Introducing "Cultivating Joy"
Welcome to Cultivating Joy, where I’ll attempt to share honest and heartfelt reflections of life here at Mohaka River Farm.
Hi there. My name is Tressa. Welcome to Cultivating Joy, where I’ll attempt to share honest and heartfelt reflections of life here at Mohaka River Farm. I hope you find my writings engaging and fun, perhaps even inspiring. These vignettes (that’s a fancy word for brief sketches aimed to share a “slice” of our rural lives) will be unapologetically geared toward folks like you, who might be considering us as a venue for an upcoming gathering, retreat or event. Through regular postings, I hope to convey who we are as a people and what we feel we can offer you, your friends and family.
If you were to visit us long enough, you would see us living surprisingly fast-paced, sometimes non-idyllic lives. My roof needs painting and the garden needs weeding and my obstinately non-laying chickens keep escaping into my neighbour’s garden. My husband jokes that his “re-tyre-ment” fund has taken a beating due to these bumpy metal roads. My son Boone (pictured) has an all too intimate relationship with the farm’s water pump which tends to break down every few months at the worst possible times. If not the pump itself, he and other boys are on a hunt for the leak caused by the dairy cow or by a garden hose left on or by an enthusiastic young lad with a mower. Probably just like your life, there is never enough time and the to-do list is unending.
But in spite of our limitations, we try not to be ruled by such occasional frustrations. My children, like many of our neighbours, grew up asking me the question, “Who is coming to dinner tonight?” Most evenings, we enjoy hosting both old and new friends. Building and strengthening relationships are the heart of who we are and somehow, being gathered around a table with others, is more fulfilling and energising than any other evening pastime. And of course, when the demands of rural life seem overwhelming, we are reminded that we can’t do it all on our own. Rather than trying to, we reach out to our neighbours for help. “Please help me wring these noncompliant chicken’s necks and get them in the stock pot!” And amongst the squawks and feathers, there is laughter and camaraderie.
The context of this rural, community-focused life has encouraged us to make certain choices, forsaking some options in order to embrace others. We believe the most important aspect of a whole, sustainable life, the greatest “asset” if you will, is found in our enduring and deepening relationships, both within the local community, as well as with friends further afield. Because most of us both live and work on the farm, we don’t necessarily always see a clear distinction between home life and work life. We desire the output and expression of our working lives to sincerely reflect our hearts. So whether it’s around the dinner table, or through a business connection, or a bit of both, we are hoping our lives might become intertwined with yours and that a friendship might be born.
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