No easing into chicken season this year. Amy picked up over 1000 baby chicks from the post office this morning. We just finished getting them settled into the brooder where it’s warm and dry with plenty of feed and water. The chicks will stay there for the next couple weeks until they’re big enough to move out to the shelters in the field…

It’s hard to believe March has come and gone. Thankful for Monday’s rain. I haven’t been tracking rainfall, but it doesn’t feel like we’ve gotten as much rain compared to most March months in the past. Just a few rolls of hay were fed to the cows this week as the grass greens and grows…

Not too much out of the ordinary to update on this week. With many tasks calling for attention at once, it’s an ongoing struggle to prioritize which direction to go. Sorting meat in the freezers is never at the top of my wanna do list, but with a load of ORVF beef and pork arriving Wednesday…

Typical March weather, almost 80 on one day, a dusting of snow on another. Rain, then winds, then sunshine. A little bit greener each day. The grass isn’t growing fast enough to stop feeding the cows all together, but thankfully I’m not needing to feed nearly as much. Lots of firewood cutting and fence fixing…

A beautiful week. I’m never “caught up on my work,” but it feels good to at least put a dent in it. I’m always grateful for the seasonal changes that farm work entails, but I especially love working this time of year…

A beautiful start to the week followed by a windy return of winter. Although I love the change in seasons and am definitely ready for spring, I wish I could press pause on the calendar and cram 6 months worth of work into the month of March. We’re a few weeks out from chicken season and a lot to do between now and then…

A beautiful week to end February which has allowed for more productivity than the month of January. But not productive enough with much of February’s to-do list now being pushed forward into March’s already full calendar. Farm work changes with the seasons…

My goodness what a week of weather we’ve had. Hard rains and floods with water flowing in places we’ve never seen before. Lots of mud and high winds. Then sunny skies and beautiful sunsets. Followed by 3-4 inches of snow and cold. By the way it’s Amy here talking to you today..

More wintry weather. Probably 4 inches of snow. Then ice. Then rain. Then mud. The kids enjoyed building a snow man while it lasted. Still keeping the cows, pigs, and chickens fed. A dead battery and a flat tire on the tractor…

It’s starting to feel like spring. I’m sure there’s plenty of winter yet to be had, but we’re loving these warmer days and trying to make the most of them. Lots of rain and lots to do…

With highs in the 30s and 40s, this week has felt like a heat wave. Though windy, it’s nice to have some weather to work in. The snow that had been covering the ground for most of the month is finally disappearing…

Another chilly week. Temps dropped down to zero Tuesday night. Looks like warmer days are ahead. I continued to keep the cows, pigs, and chickens, fed and watered. Took advantage of these cold days to run a few errands I had been putting off…

No major updates this week. Sometimes no news is good news. Still coping with winter weather and keeping the cows, pigs, and chickens fed and watered. Looks like some harsh temperatures ahead next week…

Winter is here. And apparently insistent on staying. The ground is covered with a layer of snow. Another layer to be added tonight. I’m taking cows and pigs to the processor on Monday. A touch of nervousness and uncertainty are always present when it comes to rounding up and loading animals. Even more so this time…

A slower pace to end 2024. Amy and the kids have enjoyed a pause on homeschooling through the holidays. While pushing pause with farming through the holidays is not an option…

After a big day of meat deliveries on Saturday to Marion and the Abingdon Farmers Market, we took off to Knoxville to spend Sunday with Amy’s family. I set extra hay out for the cows and extra feed for the hogs before we left. My aunt and uncle collected eggs and kept an eye on the chickens. We came back to the valley Monday morning to catch up on chores…

Monday was the highlight of the week for Hallie and Hasten as we helped my dad and brother tag and work about 80 cow/calf pairs. It was Carter and Wren’s job to restock the ear tagger as they were being used. Hallie and Hasten worked together to push the calves down the shoot to the head gate, bringing back memories of my brother and myself wrestling calves…

After multiple unsuccessful attempts over the weekend to haul the remaining pigs from the woods back to the barn, on Monday we finally accomplished our task. It took three trips and a lot of walking up and down the hillside in the woods, but we got them. I doubt we could’ve without Hallie and Hasten. Our third trip was for a sole stubborn hog…

Temperatures fell below freezing Sunday afternoon. Barely a few hours of above freezing temperatures since then. Hard to get motivated to do more than what is necessary. Keeping cows, pigs, and chickens watered has obviously been a more intentional chore than it usually is. Keeping water to the pigs in the woods proving to be the most challenging…

A slower week. Which is fine by me. Amy’s brother brought his family up for the weekend so he could do some deer hunting. After getting Amy loaded up for the Abingdon Farmers Market Saturday morning, the rest of my Saturday was spent…