As each new year rolls around many see it as a time of reflection, an evaluation of sorts – Did I reach my new years resolutions? Did I earn more money? Did I learn that new language? – things like that. Some see it as an opportunity for a fresh start. High schoolers are starting college and reinventing themselves with a new peer group. Taxpayers are taking earnings to add to savings for that dream vacation or dream car. Others invest monies back into their homes for home improvement projects. For others one year merges into the next, seamlessly. A new year, is just another day. No changes. Nothing new except removing debris from the neighbors New Years celebration. I have no judgement for any of these philosophies. In fact, if you were to ask me, I would say I am an eclectic amalgam of all three lines of thought; each valued for different reasons.
Reflection
I would hate to say that 2025 was a tough year considering how the entire world is in disarray right now. It truthfully makes our problems feel small maybe even insignificant. However, I will indulge for the sake of this newsletter and say 2025 WAS TOUGH! Our family lost dear friends and family to “the last enemy death”, some so suddenly that it took our breath. Others, we prayed for their relief. We have witnessed the sharp physical and mental decline of family matriarchs and patriarchs as we have hurriedly attempted to absorb every bit of wisdom we can from them before it is too late. I know that many of you have experienced the same and from one grieving to another, please accept our condolences.
We had disappointing earnings on the farm this year. It is interesting as the aforementioned circumstances undoubtably played a large part in this. The farm is my work and respite. It is my stress and peace. As oxymoronic as it may seem this is my reality. When I am in pain, I run to the fur of my rabbits. When I’m stressed the warm soil under my hands sends serotonin and dopamine through my body until calmness is attained. Often times this is where I find myself in deep meditation and prayer. What though when the source of the peace is the source of the pain? Maybe my expectations were too high. With my new hips I felt this year would be the year for excelling on all fronts – farm (veggie & animal), social media, YouTube, farmers markets – all of it. Though I did not fail, I most certainly did not excel.
Harvests were fair this farm season. As hard as I can be on myself, I do realize the blessings in being able to grow even a little of our own food – from veggies to our eggs, and occasional meat. The issue becomes processing the food efficiently before it seeks to return to the source. In 2025 the rabbits and the chickens feasted on many refrigerated items I never found the energy to care for or completely forgot existed. That is until a strange smell or an odd fluid would begin to reveal what I had inconveniently forgotten. Sticky. Stinky. Disgusting. Sigh. I hate food waste and when this occurs, I feel more than frustrated. The whole idea of growing the food is to eat it or sustain the farm by selling it to our community. With sales down and my energy as well, it was just not ideal. The late Spring and Summer are notorious for this issue every single year as there are so many tasks tugging at my mental and physical energy. Overwhelmed is a word you will often hear me use during the months of May through August. Things that need regular attention on the farm will often demand it during these months and if it is not given, disaster results nearly immediately. From pest & disease control with the vegetables to weight and ear monitoring with the rabbits – it can be a lot! This is the homesteading life. However, when it is good, it is so good that I cannot crawl away. You could not drag me away. I am an optimistic addict and I hold out for the dopamine boosts. They are as certain and the summer heat.
Good things are also a big part of my yearly reflection. Positivity is a primary tool of how I cope with loss and disappointment. Looking at 2025 through lenses of positivity centers me. Our egg sales for the year were admittedly higher than they had been in previous years. I reckon that is because of the farmers markets but also the unpredictability in the market. Price increases and egg shortages due to bird flu and other causes drove crowds to the farmers market and to our website in the search of fresh farm eggs. We appreciated having the boost to sustain the feed bill as feed costs continue to rise.
We lost several rabbits this year. Some were lost due to a feed change that was not tolerated and others, well, I’m not certain of what actually happened. I couldn’t bring myself to do a necropsy, though I’ve been studying up on the subject. One day I will gain the nerve to add this skill to my homesteading resume but it was not in 2025 and likely will not be in 2026 either.
Breeding the rabbits for 2025 was an epic fail! I do believe some of the issue was the feed, thus the aforementioned change. However 2026 will lend more data to work with in that division of the farm. Thankfully, this month we did have a successful pairing of our Giant Chinchilla doe, Cher and Flemish Giant buck, Peter. By the end of February Cher should be kindling.
In reflection on 2025, I think the most influential blessing was a Builders and Backers grant that funded our freeze-drying initiative. This grant allowed us to purchase a freeze dryer, advertising materials, video editing hardware and software, and benefit from excellent mentorship. We have many tasks yet to reach in connection with our freeze drying initiative. There are tests that must be completed by the Alabama Department of Agriculture. As we wait for these to result we are running experiments with processes and recipes to ensure that we are producing the freeze dried candies, fruits, vegetables, and other items in the most efficient way possible to yield the tastiest product. Longevity of shelf life is also a vital aspect we are striving for. Although a freeze-dried item can be safe to eat for 25 to 30 years after it is stored, the way that the item is stored impacts that heavily. I have learned so much in the few months since the freeze dryer was delivered! What to freeze-dry, what can’t be freeze-dried, what explodes in the freeze dryer – oh yeah, that is a thing! You can catch up on the adventure here.
A Fresh Start to Nothing’s New
The clock has reset and a new year begins. All things 2025 are over. Or is it? It depends on the prescription of your lenses. If you are farsighted you may reason that farming is cyclical. How we tend to the soil in 2025 will affect 2026’s outcome. Seeds we plant in 2025 will be harvested in 2026. Uninterrupted life cycles of pests will impact crops for seasons to come. However, if you are near sighted, you may see a fresh start within the fiscal year. Perhaps there is hope that this will be the year that the business ends in the green for a change, rather than the red. Staring down the barrel of website fees, business licenses, and other yearly membership dues does not inspire confidence in profit but that is the way of the small business owner.
We worked diligently to nourish our soil over the past year. We utilized cover cropping and fed with molasses throughout the year. We used leaf mulch from our own fallen leaves to retain moisture and as these breakdown more nutrients are released into the soil. Most of our planting areas are rich with organic matter for these reasons. It is odd to be so protective over the very thing we sweep out of the doors, clean from under our fingernails, and dust off our shoes. A shift in the paradigm? Certainly.
The high tunnel is full of seedlings started in 2025. Trays of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, moringa and more fill the shelves of Meenie, Hoopty’s grow room. This sight fills me with excitement and teleports my mind to the future when we are harvesting the fruits of our labor. To the moment we reap the benefits of our early start. As early as we start, we have found that others start even earlier. This makes us feel less overzealous and more normal – whatever that is.
We continue to invest time, money and energy into educating ourselves on how to successfully care for our stone fruit trees. The hard frost and snow in January may be problematic for our fruit production in 2026. The peach & nectarine trees had already put on new leaves and buds and now they are, in truth, a hot mess. The lemon trees seem to have a little damage, however, their dense canopy of leaves serves as a significant protection. The apple and pear trees remain dormant so we think they will be unaffected. It would be really nice to freeze dry our own peaches and nectarines this coming summer as we did with our large lemon harvest. That indeed would be a fresh start.
Well, today is a new day and I choose to see it as such. In fact, everyday wakens anew. A new sunrise on opportunities missed yesterday and unrealized dreams germinating in the warmth of the soil, awaiting the day they are welcomed to the surface where they will bask in the suns warmth and flourish in spring rains. So whether it be your aspirations, livestock, pantry, bank account or garden – grow big from home! We are growing with you.