What in this world is truly yours? I mean, what do you really own? Your face? Your car? Would you say the clothes you are currently wearing as you secured them with your own hard earned pennies? Perhaps the home you are locked into buying over the next 30 years? If you are fortunate enough, maybe your home is paid in full. However, what happens if you the owner choose not to pay the property tax?
Ownership is not a new concept. Interestingly, though, over the centuries the lines of ownership have been pushed back considerably. Figuratively and sadly in some cases, literally. We live in a world where the advent of the internet has unlocked knowledge of nearly everything to anyone. It is the greatest and worst encyclopedia of all time. Sadly, ideas, intellectual property, concepts are purloined, now more than ever from their innovators. They are then often enhanced with the use of AI and then a product is presented to the world for its benefit. The world accepts it and as a result the world improves even! Everyone wins – right?
Most scientific advancement throughout humankinds existence has been made due to the sharing of ideas, designs, theories, etc. One learns from the previous designers’ error – progress. One picks up incomplete research and development of another researcher & makes it whole. One improves the chemical composition of a pharmaceutical limiting side effects and enhancing absorption. Without some flexibility of the term ownership, could this advancement be possible? I would say yes, however, much slower. Any reasonable person can see the benefits of this collective insight. Yet, the question remains, how far back must the line of ownership be towed for the sake the greater good?
There seems to always be an innovator whom will go unacknowledged for the greater good, whose voice will be unheard, to whom the credit will go unattributed, and to whom the royalties will go unattained. If you have ever experienced this you are fully aware that this is no mere nuisance, it is full on torment.
In the world of farming there were countless innovators before us. They have created a space for us to exist and grow. Without them there would be no modern farm tools, techniques, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. Although I may not personally agree with all of these breakthroughs, I do respect the endeavor, ingenuity, and diligence that went into them.
As a young farmer myself I often meditate on what I will offer to the advancement of agriculture, technology, education, even content creation. What will I offer to my community that it hasn’t had before? What ideas will I, not just emulate, but enhance for the greater good? I do know all too well the torment having conceptual ideas snatched & swiftly rebranded as something new, when the reality is the concept is unimproved, unchanged, unaltered and not because the idea has reached its plateau but because of a lack of the rebranders’ own originality, artistry, inventiveness. Put simply, a lack of imagination. So if during my farming sojourn, I reach no mountains tops, ascend to no agricultural peaks, or leave no mark on this growing homesteading community, it will at least be of my own inability and that is acceptable.
It would be self righteous to say one has never replicated the ideas of another. A wise man was inspired to write that “there is nothing new under the sun”. Funny that. So what does any moral individual do? To each his own. I personally am resolved to show respect to those before me, to honestly give credit where credit is due, not being selective in where I think it should go but where it is rightly deserved. By doing so, I can grow big from home with a clean conscience, steady heart, and peace of mind.
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.
defaultdefaultdefault
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.
By the time March has marched on and April has arrived, we are looking forward to the rain to wash away the yellow sins of yesterday and water the seeds of hope we planted. Thankfully our earth’s cycle continues despite her injury, despite change. She is resilient to say the least. We chose to follow her stead. The month of April definitely tested that.
Allergies On Another Level
This year allergies have required us to tap into every single home remedy in our apothecary. Personally allergy season isn’t usually rough for me. This year even I have fallen victim to spring’s unintentional weapon. I do feel for anyone who has to regularly deal with such issues. This is why our tea garden continues to expand year after year. Our family needs all of the help the soil can offer! In light of the struggle all of us were having. I decided to make a Goldenrod Lemonade. The hope was that having the medicinal rich herb at our fingertips, just a pour away would help aid us to intake it more regularly and in turn help our systems fight the chaotic, unnecessary immune response to pollen, histamine. It seems to have worked to some degree. If nothing else, it was refreshing. Next time I’ll make more. It’s a good thing that Goldenrod grows so freely here.
Goldenrod tea is a favorite of our customers this time of the year for this very reason. I’m thankful to have had the guidance to help me appreciate its benefits a few years back. If you are interested in trying it our for yourself you may purchase it from us here. One thing we tell anyone who is interested in our herbal teas is to research the ingredients before ingesting. Although organic, many herbs interact with prescription medications. Remember most meds are plant based. The point is to be careful and do your research!
If you have ever tried doing anything while having an allergy attack, you can likely imagine how difficult it is to complete farm chores while sneezing, coughing, and trying to maintain a level of dignity. It is not pretty. Mornings tend to be the most difficult so we found ourselves doing farm chores later in the day. Unfortunately, April brings much warmer temperatures and by the time the allergy symptoms let up around mid morning, the heat was also UP! This created a vicious cycle throughout the month. It was be taken out by allergies or the heat. Our choices were few. The heat was as unrelenting as the allergies. Either choice we made resulted in a shower and a long nap. Needless to say, things moved a bit slower than we would have preferred as a result. This was concerning since May brings farmers market season and we needed to keep to our schedules if we wanted a chance to have produce items for our customers.
Experiment Pay-Offs & Fails
You’ve likely followed our early planting of okra. This trial has been rather exciting. Feel free to catch up here, here and here. We harvested our first okra for 2025 on April 21st by utilizing our high tunnel. I wish this had been something we had been doing not just for okra but other summer items. Next year we will definitely add more crops to the early planting schedule.
Our experiment included watermelon as well, however the watermelon did not do very well with remaining in the starter pots for the long time period. Since we decided not to plant them in the high tunnel we were forced to wait until danger of frost had passed to plant them outdoors. It is unclear where we errored or if watermelon simply will not be rushed but those results are a complete and utter FAIL. We did try with an heirloom variety. Perhaps that is where our error was. Next time we will use a hybrid variety instead.
Not so much as a trial, more a last ditch effort, was our attempt to stop the life cycle of the fungus destroying our nectarine harvest and the insects causing damage as well. More details here. Unfortunately, our attempts here also failed. This is so very disheartening. Our trees are like an extension of our farm. They each reflect an investment of time and love. The harvest is the return on that investment. To have it stolen year after year by pests and fungus is hurtful. We think the best option at this point is to do a deep cutting back of the nectarine tree to protect the peach trees. This will mean we won’t have a harvest for at least another year. If it works, the sacrifice will have been worth it.
In other orchard news, we have successfully rooted Mulberry & lemon tree cuttings! We used rooting hormone for the first time. That along with scratching off a small section of the bark, which exposes the cambium layer, of the cutting seemed to be the missing ingredient. We simply:
Cut the ends on a 45 degree angle
Removed bark to cambium layer on bottom half inch of the cutting
Dipped the aforementioned end in rooting hormone
Allowed to dry for about 5 minutes
Stuck cutting into moist medium ( we used seed starting mix)
We hope to use this same technique to clone our fig tree later this fall. Stay tuned!
Managing The Harvests
Garlic scapes were among the first things we harvested this month. They have become something we look forward to each season. One reason is of course the wonderful flavor. Who can resist the child of a green bean and garlic? Not us! Another reason we look forward to garlic scapes is they mark the time we assist the plant to stop its focus on reproduction. If left, the scapes will create flowers then bulbils for reproduction. By cutting the scapes, energy that would go into the production of flowers is now diverted to the bulb.
We began to harvest our cabbage earlier than we had planned due pest issues. I have mixed feelings about that as those were among items we planned to have on our tables for the farmers market in May. On the otherhand, I always welcome the opportunity to have more fresh produce for the family. We have some real exciting plans for this cabbage harvest. So far we have enjoyed using it in a cabbage soup, of sorts. Along with it we added home grown carrots, fennel, garlic and onion.
Speaking of onions several of our late planted onions have already began to fall over! Considering how late they were planted, this was surprising. What’s even more shocking is that some were even decently sized! There are many yet to be pulled from various areas of the farm. In raised beds, in ground, and in the high tunnel. We will have just enough for farmers market season and perhaps enough to last us until at least October. Well, that was rather generous. August is more reasonable. What can we say – WE LOVE ONIONS!
If you look at our photo gallery from the month of April you’ll find that our nasturtium plants are continuing to grow well, we planted amaryllis bulbs along the outside of our fence line, eggs are in large supply, chicks were moved out to their own beach, we grew pink oyster mushrooms on our kitchen table again, the knock out rose is in full bloom, peas, greens, beans, tomatoes, honeysuckle – AND THEN SOME!
By the time we commence to blogging again we will have experienced our first farmers market in over a year! We will have plenty to share. Until then, grow big from home – from our family to yours!
The Farmer’s experience is something of wonder to me. As much as you learn as each growing season progresses you seem to always be grasping for more – more stability, more growth, more sustainability, more knowledge! Is it because the farmer is greedy and may never be satisfied? No. It is because Mother Nature is at a constant state of flux. She is always changing much to her own chagrin. As I watched the dime size hailstones fall fast & heavy, I flinched at the thought of the destruction happening before me, what’s more, to the crops growing in the fields around the area. Although just beginning, this growing season does not feel like any other. It is changed. New. So we must, too, be brand new.
New Crop Investments
My desire to grow as many types of vegetation often over shadows a need for said vegetation. I’ve attempted to become more balanced in this area, really meditating on new fruit trees, bushes and vines before making them a permanent addition to our homestead. Some choices are better than others. This year however we have made a conscious decision to add few more interesting items to our everchanging homestead.
Seedless Grapes – After experiencing our very first harvest of table grapes in 2024 we learned quite a bit! First, and oddly enough, chickens like ripe grapes! Second, these grapes tend to last quite a while if stored properly. This was very refreshing to learn. Finally, grapes with seeds require more time to process into the various goods that our family utilizes them for. Please, don’t misunderstand, any homegrown food is going to be superior to the store brought. Still, time is a valuable commodity that, unfortunately, we can not grow in the garden. So we must manage the time we have wisely. Seedless grapes will help us to do just that. One less step in the process will free up energy and time for other endeavors. This years new grape selection is in the ground and growing well. If you missed our video with all the details, you may view that here.
Goji Berry – With all its claim to fame, there is no wonder that we have added this incredible super food to our apothecary.
Blueberry Bushes (Again) – Once upon a time, our homestead had three blueberry bushes. They grew. However, they didn’t thrive. They did produce a small fruit harvest but not large. We eventually moved them to what we thought would be a more appropriate location, which quickly became their graveyard. So here we go again. We only invested in two bushes this year. If they do well, we may install more in the upcoming seasons. While we will likely never have enough blueberries for the community (with our current space), we would like to eventually grow enough for our family’s needs.
New Flock Additions
We really had no plans to hatch any chicks out this year as our flock is already quite large for our family of five. However, we had so many inquiries about hatching eggs and chicks in lieu of the egg prices that we gave into the pressure. It actually wasn’t so much the pressure because who doesn’t love the cute, little, fluffy, adorable chicks!?
We determined that we would do two hatches this spring with our barnyard mixes. The first hatch went really well coming in on the last two days of the month. This hatch was offered to our community. A sense of pride fills me knowing these chicks have been cared for with love and fed organically while in our care.
There are numerous stories online of potential chicken tenders entering big box stores to find chicks lethargic, dead, or worse – decomposing! It’s sad. We are thankful to have been able to acquire our initial flock from a trusted source. To be able to pay that forward a few years later is rewarding, to say the least. Eventually we plan on separating our flocks by breed. Much infrastructure is needed before that will be possible but it is in our future.
Harvests Remain The Same
March was full of leafy greens! We harvested so many collards for ourselves and our friends. Last count we have harvested around 12lbs from one the one row. It became the gift that kept on giving! Along with the collards, Swiss Chard has also been in good supply. We have noticed some issues with it though that has limited how much we have been able to eat ourselves or sell. It is the dreaded leaf spot! Fortunately, the flocks do not seem to mind and they have readily transformed these leaves into fertilizer for us.
Lettuce has also been in large supply for us. We love a homegrown salad! Here in zone nine, though, it’s rare to harvest lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers simultaneously. Lettuce prefers cool temperatures while the other ingredients like it hot! This year, we are toying with some new varieties of lettuce in hopes of sorting this dilemma once and for all! If it results in year round lettuce for the family – all the better! If not, we have only used a few seeds and the rabbits happen to love bolting lettuce. Win-win!
Spring onions have literally sprung out of the ground. They are growing faster than we can use and it seems the community is not as interested in buying them this season. However it is still money in the farm piggy bank for a couple of reasons. First, we will process these green onions with other items from the farm to make a nice veggie broth that will be used in place of store bough broths. Money saved is as good as money earned these days. Second, we will get the dehydrator working for us to make some value added products. Our spice blends tend to be a hit at the farmers markets when we have the pleasure to attend. We also make use of the dehydrated chunks in our breads that we make for the market as well. Its nice to have the farm work for us for a change!
Asparagus has really preformed well this year. We have harvest a couple of handfuls and could have harvested more had I been paying closer attention. When will I learn!
New Knowledge & Familiar Sights
While our stone fruit trees are very early to awaken from winter slumber, others are not such morning plants. This month we did see the muscadine and table grape vines make their presence known with beautiful leave sprouting from the seemingly dead vines. The green leaves trimmed in pink are just the most darling thing.
Our fig tree, Iggy, also woke up. Oddly putting on a few random figs before any leaves! Perhaps it was in case Jesus walked by? Each year it seems that this tree doubles in size. I am beginning to wonder if we should have put it in a different location. We did attempt to clone Iggy by propagating cuttings over the fall. We did not have any success. We have to look into more techniques. I have researched air pruning and it seems to have good results. Of course, those result do not account for my forgetfulness and the chaos that is my life. We will see.
Wild black berries are EVERYWHERE! We enjoy seeing the bees explore the white delicate flowers. Those thorns however are NOT SO DELICATE! This year we will be cutting down many of the vines after they produce. We will then apply some vinegar and salt in the areas where no other produce is growing, to keep them from growing back. If they decide to, hopefully it will be after we get the landscape fabric and rocks down around the perimeter of our home.
In yet another case of “I did not know that” one of our pear trees has pears! Welp, guess it also establishes fruit early! The blossoms do have an marvelous aroma and they are pretty. However, they cannot out-scent the lemon blossoms! Just sitting under the lemon trees is an intoxicating experience! So much nicer than the chicken poo smell that permeates the hill on rainy days.
As quickly as it came, March was over. She left us we tons of work and high expectations! Would the blooms and blossoms actually yield? It will take months to see if our faith is miss placed. We only shared a little here. For a more detailed look at what is growing on, check out our Spring Garden Tour Video. Till then, grab your umbrella, here comes April with her showers…
Writers block is a real issue. You sit down to a computer with the goal of expressing a thought only to find the words are not there. As the writer of this blog, poetry and many short stories this is something I have often experienced. Frustrating, though it is, I have found yet another hindrance to writing – TOO MANY WORDS! There is an abundance of information to share, a plethora of anecdotes that have transpired over the last 59 days, a torrent of goals set and met, and yes, a copious measure of characters which create the words that establish the blog you are currently reading. Alas, it cannot all be shared. Narrowing it down feels like such an impossible mental task that I just don’t do it! Nike would be ashamed. All is not lost. Today I have found the mental strength to type this blog! As the power trickles from the brain to my fingers the alphabets become words, sentences, paragraphs – The Goings On. Enjoy.
PLANTING
January was a huge blur of planting. I planted so many seeds that I ran out of trays, cells and cups to do further planting in. I was big planting! With good reason. See, I knew last year what 2025 would mean for our farm. Getting back into the community! This means that for the bulk of the summer we would need to be harvesting enough produce to supplement our own grocery bill but also to have plenty to attempt to turn a profit with at the markets. Yes, big planting! Not only big planting early planting as well.
The expectations of your average Farmers Market attendee are not always realistic. At times there’s the search for the early tomato, the early okra, and the non-existent veggie that no one around here seems to grow. I have taken all these notes from previous years and compiled them into my fantasy farmers market table. Yes, I said fantasy. A girl can dream. According to my notes, we should have cucumbers, okra, tomatoes, squash and eggplant all by May 24th. This is our first farmers market date of 2025. Therefore, my planting reflected this fantasy goal, if you will.
All this planting needed a safe space to reside as there were copious amounts of trays! So to the drawing board I went. I’ve been in dired need of a green house for years and this year the need grew exponentially with my planting so it had to happen. I mentally mapped out a corner inside of our existing high tunnel that could potentially framed out. I tossed the idea around with my garden buddies,of course. Then bounced the mental draft up the chain to Mr. Bain Home Gardener. With his approval I then discussed the plans with our son and in just a few hours Teenie stepped out of mt dream an into reality. Teenie is the name I’ve come to call our greenhouse within our high tunnel. Why not a high tunnel within a high tunnel? Well, a greenhouse is climate controlled. That really is the primary difference between it and a high tunnel. We have used various means to keep Teenie heated on nights when the temperatures hovered around the 30s and days where it remained cloudy and in the 40s.
Teenie had been an absolute life saver & dreamer enabler! I was so set on making my fantasy table a reality that I even started watermelon and okra in December! It’s been a rather interesting trial. Here is a video on that fun. Needless to say, Teenie was filled to the brim within a week of completion!
Among the things planted was Moringa. I actually attempted this once before but lost focus and allowed the seeds to soak far too long. I do believe that is why they never germinated. This time, however, I’ve paid close attention in hopes for a better result.
COOP CLEAN UP & FLOCK MAINTENANCE
The new year brings around regular tasks that must be tackled with our rabbits as well as chickens. Since we began practicing the deep litter method, we use January to clean out the coops. This is the real pretty litter, as we like to call it. It has composted in place and is mostly rich dirt and chips from bedding by the time it is relocated to the compost.
Next its time to clip wings. The girls always protest this particular chore. It is necessary for our Dino escape artists to be safe. While clipping wings, we do a good inspection of each chicken. We check for wounds, mites, growth etc while we have hands on them. This helps us catch any potential issues ahead of time. Once we found that one of our girls was outgrowing her leg band. We were able to take the opportunity to cut it off and apply a looser one. Catastrophe averted.
WINTER SOWING
I finally jumped on the bandwagon and tried winter sowing. The was no real need to do a video on the technique but I wanted to share our reasons for trying it.
In 2023 our farm was gifted a large amount of seeds. Many of these were organic and medicinal. We were very thankful for the blessing and have passed many of those seeds on to friends, family and community. Some, however, I realized could be very beneficial for the sustainability of our farm. So I chose a few for winter sowing. Mullein and Ashwagandha are the two I am most excited about. The health benefits of these two are outstanding! For more details, see our video.
Speaking of winter… it snowed! Not to bury the lead or anything but I’ve already posted so much about it as it was highly unusual for our area. Here’s a video on that as well.
NEW GOALS
Goal is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as, “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result”. In this particular context it is the object of this business’ ambition or effort that is, in fact, new. In previous years we have been very content to share our journey with the public as our journey is rather unique. A disabled wife, mother, caretaker, minister, nurse turned farmer – whew! I’m sure somewhere in the billions of people on earth there is a doppelganger family. Although, I have yet to meet them. The drive to share a farm dynamic that isn’t perfect, that’s flawed, that’s messy, as ours often is, is strong. This journey is also overflowing with joy, appreciation for the ability to learn about the earth we live on and how to steward it. It’s a life I am so proud to call ours. As we’ve added to our knowledge, our resolve to share has only intensified. From a Facebook page to an Instagram page to our YouTube channel we have reached out on all these platforms to help the public see every journey isn’t the same. The key is to grow how YOU grow! Not in comparison to any other farm or family but doing what works for your needs. As I’ve analyzed our needs and that of our growing farm, I realize we need to more sustainability. Not horticultural sustainability but financial sustainability.
There are a wealth of techniques that one could use to attain such a worthwhile goal. However it is as my mother used to say, “Work with what ya got.” What do we have? We have a farm! Complete with bunnies, chickens, a high tunnel and an orchard. Yes, this near acre is teeming with life and high hopes! Our potential for financial sustainability is well within reach. We simply have to strive towards it. Thus our new goals.
In January I took stock in what we have and explored ways to reach such a worthwhile goal. Our chickens and rabbits will definitely be an asset however, as they are currently requiring additional infrastructure, it may take more time for them to fully fund our mission. Well, what else do we “got” (in my mama’s sassiest tone)? Enter social media. Today it is a necessary hub for small business. Admittedly, we have not used our outlets to the full. We post regularly and seek engagement with our community and that has been enough. Until now. Going forward I will be working diligently to develop our social media outlets with the goal of reaching even more like minded folks, building business relationships and of course, reaching monetization. Exactly what that looks like, I’m not even sure. The uncertainty is a tad unnerving and exciting all at once. Please don’t get sick of us as they say. This is our opening. The next moves are crucial. We will most certainly need the support of our community, our friends and long time supporters – YOU. So … here we grow!
