Busy Season Takes on a Whole New Meaning on the Farm
As a tax and audit professional, Timothy J. Shore, CPA, CGMA, co-managing member of Levine, Jacobs & Company LLC, is used to busy days. In fact, he thrives on it. But even the most weathered accounting professional would have to admit that Tim puts in some of the longest hours — both at his day job in Livingston and at his night job on his farm in Great Meadows.
And just like in accounting, life on the farm is never typical, particularly when taking care of 12 Nigerian Dwarf goats, 12 chickens and ducks, two pigs, eight Great Pyrenees guard dogs and many foster cats and kittens. Animals also have their own “busy seasons.” Making sure they are up-to-date on their shots and that their coat, skin color and eyes look good is all part of maintaining the livestock. Even though the ducks are Tim’s least-favorite animal, they still demand a lot of upkeep. Speaking highly of his guard dogs, however, he says “they bark a lot, but if something did come onto the fields, they would attack it.” That’s a very important feature since the Shores live next to a bear preservation.
Thanks to his wife, Barbara, a Pennsylvania native who worked for years in animal shelters and shares his love of animals and living in wide-open spaces, he manages the demands of accounting with the necessities of running a farm. His children, Nick, age 15, and Nina, age 12, also help in the daily routine of running the farm. His son is so good with the goats that he is affectionately called the “goat whisperer” by his family. Both children have benefited from growing up the last four years on the farm, with one of their favorite memories being the time they held newborn bear cubs.
So how does Tim fit in a CPA firm, a farm and a family? Good time management. His typical routine starts at 4:30 a.m. when he opens the stable doors, gives food and water to the animals, gets ready for work and drives an hour to practice audit, accounting and tax as well as be his firm’s go-to contact for construction, funeral, medical and other client niches. When he comes home in the evening, Tim does the reverse procedure, gathering the animals back into their stables and stalls and preparing them for the night. He remembers to pay close attention to the goats, which often knock over their water.
Calling Tim’s dedication to the farm a “labor of love” would be an understatement. “We are both very animal friendly,” says Tim of why he and his wife chose this kind of lifestyle. To Tim, tending to the animals is a perfect end to his day. “There are two sides of my life. Just taking care of the animals is relaxing in and of itself. While it’s work, it’s pleasurable work.”
His days could get even busier. The Shores plan on adding more animals — a cow, a horse and perhaps even a donkey are on their wish list. “Everybody loves coming to see the animals,” says Tim, who has hosted many family birthday parties and gatherings on the farm.
Giving More
When they are not working on the farm, the Shores, who take in cats about to give birth, work with Eleventh Hour Rescue in Randolph, a volunteer-based animal rescue organization. “It’s a full-time job taking care of these cats,” said Tim discussing his wife’s commitment to the animals and working with the shelter. Barbara works tirelessly to prepare the cats for adoption by transporting the animals to veterinary checks and monitoring their feeding. Since they started working with Eleventh Hour two years ago, Tim and his wife have prepared more than 70 cats for adoption.