Birch Creek Farm

This is what I prayed for: A piece of land – not so very big, with a garden and, near the house, a spring that never fails, and a bit of wood to round it off. – Horace

A New Beginning

For those of you who don’t know, we are moving next weekend (February 15-17). We have found a lovely two-acre property out past Ririe on the Swan Valley Road. For some time now, we have been looking for more land, a place in the country with a sense of place and permanence. Then all of a sudden, there it was on Zillow, and it fits the bill perfectly. It sits in a little valley amidst wheat and potato fields, with Birch Creek running by, about forty mature trees shading the property, and a dining room bay window that looks directly out to the mountains.

Best of all, it’s mostly a blank slate. Those who know me well know that I’m a passionate gardener, mostly of the landscape variety. The garden we have now simply doesn’t have the room we need, and I’ve reached the point where I either need to start over somewhere else or plow this one under and start fresh. Birch Creek Farm is the next step in that journey.

When I tell people about the place, they often say, “This sounds like you’re getting ready to retire.” I am, but not immediately. I still have much I want to accomplish at BYU-Idaho, so I’ll be commuting from out of town. But it’s not too far—just about 30 minutes from campus—and besides that, my son Thomas and I can carpool. It might have been more convenient to wait a couple of years before buying, but this place was available, and we loved it so much we made an offer. Carpe diem, right? Sometimes, the right place comes along at the right time, and you have to take the leap.

All the same, this represents a time of transition for us. We have lived in Rexburg, in the 12th Ward, for 21 years now. It’s hard to say goodbye. The only comfort is the relative proximity and the open invitation for friends to come out and visit. For years, I’ve joked about moving to the South of France. It turns out that we are moving to the South of Rigby.

Why Floydegast the Green?

With this transition, it seemed appropriate to start publishing a blog. Some of you may be wondering about the eccentric title. Those who have known me the longest know that my middle name is Floyd. Radagast the Brown was a Tolkien wizard. I’m not actually a wizard, but gardening is a kind of wizardry, and that’s where this name comes from. Floydegasthas long been part of my personal and family mythos, a name tied to stories, ideas, and a sense of creative play. By adding the Green, it becomes something new—a symbol of growth, of planting ideas as well as gardens, of fostering creativity in both words and landscape.

In a way, this name represents exactly what I hope this place, and this blog, will be: a space where things grow.

What Readers Can Expect

This blog will feature gardening updates, warm reflections, and philosophical musings about nature, work, and personal growth. I’ll share thoughts on technology, history, and the future as they relate to cultivating a meaningful life. My hope is that this space will allow ideas to take root and flourish, just as I plan for Birch Creek Farm to do. For instance, having an AI assistant has made creating and publishing a blog so much easier and better—I hope for many lively discussions about technology and human creativity.

Looking Ahead

The next steps are settling into Birch Creek, shaping the land, and embracing the seasons of growth and change. The work ahead is exciting, and I hope you’ll follow along in this journey of cultivating both soil and spirit.

Closing Thoughts

Birch Creek Farm is more than a new home—it’s the beginning of something I’ve long dreamed of. A place where land, ideas, and life can take root and grow. Floydegast the Green will be my way of chronicling that journey, sharing thoughts on the garden, on the lessons the land teaches, and on the deeper rhythms of work and creation. If you find joy in cultivating beauty—whether in the soil, in words, or in life itself—I hope you’ll follow along. There’s much to do, and much to discover. Let’s get started.