GOD SPEED THE PLOUGH
(from an old English cup)
Let the wealthy and great
Roll in splendour and state.
I envy them not, I declare it.
I eat my own lamb,
My own chickens and ham;
I shear my own fleece
and I wear it.
I have lawns; I have bowers.
I have fruits; I have flowers.
The lark is my morning alarmer
So jolly boys now,
Here’s God speed the plough.
Long life and success to the farmer.
_______________________________________________________
No, that’s not a plow behind that horse; it’s a drag harrow. And no, that’s not me, that’s Mel driving “the ‘J’ mare” as Jason calls her, working the garden on Ridgewind Farm. But I stumbled across the poem the same day he sent the picture of Mel and J, and for that reason they go together in my mind.
“God speed the plough, ‘a wish for success or prosperity,’ was originally a phrase in a 15th-century song sung by ploughmen on Plough Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Day, which is the end of the Christmas holidays, when farm laborers returned to the plough. On this day ploughmen customarily went from door to door dressed in white and drawing a plough, soliciting ‘plough money’ to spend in celebration. “Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins” by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).
I found the poem on Hollin Farms website; another good Virginia farm worth taking a look at.
Thistledog's Farm 
Maybe you could have the poem executed in metal by a blacksmith and hang it over the entrance to your farm? The poem sounds like it summarizes your life dreams. I’ll have to go do some research on Plough Monday – I’ve not heard of it before.
Have you been to Ginger Hillary’s blog? It’s landuvmilknhoney, something like that. The link is on the left side of my blog. I think you’ll really like it. They live on an old farm and raise their own food and shear sheep, bake bread, the whole bit. Back to nature like in the old days.
http://www.GreenerPastures–ACityGirlGoesCountry.blogspot.com