I have to admit: the pace that I’ve been maintaining for the last three weeks is catching up with me. I spend the mornings reading, and then at about 10am I head outside to work on my various projects until…
Week 54 at Farm 96: Spreading Mulch and Wood Chips (and liking it)
This is the exact summer I wanted, with days on end to work on my projects. There was always a chance that I would get to this point and hate everything about homesteading, even after working towards it for so…
Fly Management at Farm 96
Disclaimer: For the first time ever, this post includes referral links for the products that I use. I encourage you to buy local if you can. Fly Predators is my #1 recommendation and an awesome small business to support! Any…
Week 53 at Farm 96: Shoveling Compost
Sometimes, I put myself in a prison of my own making. When the garden fence was completed on June 18th, I set a rather lofty goal for myself: install and plant ten 4×18 beds by July 1st. This week was…
Week 52 at Farm 96: Year One as a Solo Female Homesteader
It has officially been one year since I realized my lifelong dream to purchase a farm of my own. My goal is to build this property into a semi-self sufficient homestead, and along the way I’ve been posting weekly progress…
Week 51 at Farm 96: Fence Posts & Baby Chicks
As is fitting for an exciting week at the farm, I came down with a cold. It’s just mild enough to impact my stamina, but not bad enough to keep me inside. This is why it is important for me…
Week 50 at Farm 96: The Precipice of Major Change (again)
Much like this time last year, I am on the precipice of major change – but the context is so very different. In early June, I am eager and anxious. My mind runs wild in anticipation of the many tasks…
Weeks 48 & 49 at Farm 96: Spending Money
My work commitments start to taper off as summer approaches, and the days stretch seemingly forever after I’ve gotten home from work. I often start the evening with the intention of completing a specific task, only to get distracted by…
Weeks 46 & 47 at Farm 96: Little Projects Everywhere
If we’re being honest, I’m treading water. My heart is on the homestead, but my body still needs to be at work for another month. I chip away at various tasks with every spare moment, well aware that soon I’ll…
Weeks 43 & 44 at Farm 96: Orchard Expansion
Spring break often feels like a ‘preview’ of summer. Last year, around this time, I was buzzing with excitement and nerves – I was under contract on my dream homestead, I had a decent plan for moving, and there was…
Weeks 41 & 42 at Farm 96: Cosmetic Eyesores
Here in Connecticut, we are on the cusp of the full spring bloom – much needed after such a dreary winter. As spring approaches its peak and a winter of planning comes to fruition, I feel like real progress is…
My Impulsive Journey into Maple Sugaring
For most of my life, my dream homestead included a maple forest so that I could produce my own maple syrup – it’s the quintessential New England dream, driven by fond childhood memories of frequent trips to Vermont. I didn’t…