It’s January 1st here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and it barely feels like winter. The chickens are laying so many eggs that we feel like we’re drowning in them. I’ve made quiche, AJ made bread pudding, we have scrambled eggs almost daily and it’s still not enough to get through the eggs we have. The worst part is how muddy the eggs are, because this winter just hasn’t been wintry at all and our chicken run is incredibly muddy. This winter has felt like a really long spring.
Naturally the girls are always proving that Fancy is in fact, not a farm dog. She’s tolerating the backwards Happy New Years tiara like a champ. If you’re looking for a dog that protects livestock, Fancy is not it, if you’re looking for a dog to protect your daughters, Fancy is your girl.
We’re currently in full planning mode for our little farm. AJ has his garden planner out and he’s carefully graphing out each row and taking seed inventory. I need to work on researching a flower garden, one of my goals this year is to start a cut flower garden, not only would it bring so much joy to have flowers (our daughters will love it) I think it would be something wonderful to sell at our farm stand. Who doesn’t want a dreamy hobby like growing and gathering flowers in to beautiful bouquets.
We have to build a new farm stand too, I really want to work on providing affordable local produce for our community this year. So I we have to build something bigger that can withstand the elements and will be eye catching to those who drive past our homestead. I think we can design something that will work well. After all our very first chicken coop, the one we had when we lived in the middle of town looked like something you would see on Magnolia Network. There she is below in all of her glory. We have not built anything nearly as pretty for our current homestead and we’re heading into our 4th growing season.
Also on the docket I really want to teach myself how to sew. I’m artsy, but I’m not very crafty, so we’ll see what I can do. Why do I really want to sew? Because years ago I bought homemade pot holders at a Farmer’s Market and they worked better than anything I’ve ever bought. So I’m determined to make pot holders. I can even sell them in our farm stand. I also want to take up soap making, but I’m so nervous about the process. I’m also procrastinating, because buying the ingredients is going to add up, but if I think about it that way it’s going to cost far less than spending $9/bar for handmade soap from our local shop. I just have to make a batch and see what happens. We have tons of frozen goats milk to use up and I think it’ll be great once I figure it out.
I feel like we have so many things on our to-do, but we’re also enjoying the slow season. Only 5 more months until spring, and then we’ll be busy from sun up ’til sun down. I can’t wait.
If you want to see cute animals on the daily, head to my Instagram page!
Written by, Brittany, the geek behind the blog. Sharing tips and stories from the trenches on navigating life homeschooling and homesteading as a stay at home mom.