DECEMBER 2024 vol. 1 I’ve always struggled with asking for help, but there are a lot of chores on the farm that go a lot easier with a helping hand. We’ve been fortunate to have numerous individuals offer their help, but the reality is, untrained labor requires a significant amount of supervision. Unfortunately I just
November 2024 vol. 2 I started feeding hay this week! All of the summer grass has been consumed, and I’m having to dip into my hay stockpiles to keep the animals satisfied. Though it’s technically not winter yet, the feeding of hay is a clear indicator that we’re into the dormant season. Ideally, we wouldn’t
November 2024 vol. 1 Molly reminds me that it’s been several weeks since I’ve written a newsletter. My apologies! Just a quick reminder, our previous newsletters are archived on our website, and a select few are available on Substack. If you’re a fan of visual content, we have a YouTube channel where I share snippets
October 2024 vol. 1 We’re very excited about the forthcoming fall weather. The little taste we’ve had so far is quite refreshing. However, the cool winds are stirring up a significant amount of dust, serving as a stark reminder of the prolonged dry spell we’ve been enduring. It’s been several months since the last rainfall,
September 2024 vol. 3 Now that we’ve undertaken a few markets closer to Austin, we’ve been selling a lot more eggs. We get a lot of questions around how we raise our hens, and notably about the color of the yolk, and whether we wash them. I’ve previously written a newsletter addressing these things, but
September 2024 vol. 1 September has arrived, and as the temperatures start to cool, we’re re-sharing John’s recipe for beef bone broth, a fundamental ingredient for your hearty soups and stews. Contrary to what you might think, making homemade bone broth isn’t as challenging as it seems. It merely requires a bit of time and
August 2024 vol. 4 Our son Jacob, a Captain in the Army, and his family recently moved to Tennessee, and this holiday weekend we were able to pay them a visit. It’s always delightful to get to spend time with the grandkids, but it seems like no vacation is complete without a trip to the
August 2024 vol. 3 While roasts are traditionally associated with hearty cold-weather meals, I’m a firm believer that it’s never too hot for a good beef roast, even if the mercury hits 100 degrees outside. One of my personal favorites is the Seven Bone Roast. Don’t be misled by the name – it doesn’t actually contain
August 2024 vol. 2 For the past several years, we’ve happily raised Thanksgiving turkeys. Turkeys are precocious little critters and though they’re less than cute, they’re a welcome addition to our menagerie. As we sell our turkeys FRESH, it’s very important that we get our production just right – ensuring they reach market weight a
August 2024 vol. 1 Farming is learning. Regardless of age, I can’t imagine anyone claiming to be an expert. It’s an ongoing process of learning and adapting, drawing on past experience, and tweaking for today’s reality. But in order to make adjustments, it’s necessary to understand the variables and their effect on the outcome. Unlike
July 2024 vol. 5 Last week, I shared the story of our pickup truck’s catastrophic failure. Out of necessity, I was forced to find a replacement. It’s never advantageous to be FORCED to make a major purchase. It takes a lot of time to do due diligence on what is the right product and the
July 2024 vol. 4 Ranching is a capital-intensive endeavor. With the costs of land and livestock, just to get started will set you back a few hundred thousand! So, it should come as no surprise that we buy a lot of second-hand equipment, much of which I’ve featured in these newsletters. As a pretty good
