Chores. The Struggle is Real.

Farmstead the definition is simply put: a farm and its buildings

My definition: a place with plants and animals that helps the humans learn and grow.

Oldest child problems. When its the coldest, its the oldest.

When we were starting our farmstead we had to plan and consider lots of things . What animals do you want to care for? Are they companions or are they going to be harvested? How much time and resources do you have available to nurture your farmstead? It was daunting walking into the unknown especially upon realizing my husband and I knew as much about this new lifestyle as our kids. My 5 year old and I knew what sounds the animals made and that’s it. We looked at this as an immersive learning experience. And part of that is everyone is going to help… right? Hello… where did everybody go?? The farm fairytale just got real. More poop then we ever imagined was in our near future.

Chores, even before we moved to Idaho, were a struggle. Here are some tips that (sometimes) work for us. Its not always easy, we are constantly met with resistance. When its mid-winter and its your turn for night time chores the excuses the kids conjure up are hilarious.

Try these chore strategies:

• Come up with a schedule together. Make it flexible switch it up often so they are exposed to different jobs. Enjoy the routine but don’t get stuck in it, allow jobs to rotate

• Let them pick one and assign the rest. By giving them a list and having them decided what fancies them, gives them the opportunity to feel like they had a choice in the matter. 

• Constantly  remind them that for the farm to work everyone has to do their part. This empowers the kids, and makes their small task feel very important.  

• One-on-one time : In our busy daily life one-on-one time with mom or dad is valuable. Making it one-on-one creates a special moment out of a necessary event.  

• When you add a chore have them shadow you. It allows them to start helping with you and they’ll feel more confident when they have to do it on their own.

Lastly, Let it go. (this one Is hard for me) It may not get done exactly ( or not even close) like I would do it, but I try to remind my self to let that go and just be thankful for their contribution .

Good Luck ! - M

It starts with Chickens. Eggs. Feathers.

I will never forget the phone call…your live package has arrived at the post office . I squealed and frantically threw the kids in the car and raced across town the chicks were here! I was still leery that they would come through the mail in one piece right along with amazon packages and postage marked letters. I was nervous to start this journey. I was blown away when they arrived happy and healthy . They had some items to hydrate and nourish them for the short trip. They came from Murray McMurray Hatchery In Iowa. They ship all over the US.

It was love at fist sight. The fluffy feathers the delicate bodies that almost seemed weigthless in your hands. The soft chirp, that when combined with all 8, was quite loud. I had 8 little lives to protect. To think of all the questions that arise and the hands on learning that was about to occur. You don’t necessarily need land, some urban areas are getting on board with chickens. Check your HOA rules and if you are permitted get a coop and get cracking.

Things to know

The ladies are called “pullets “ its a hen less then a year old. Roosters make everything harder. You might want to start with pullets.

Pick your breed> depending on where you live some chickens are more hardy then others some lay eggs like a boss others are more finicky.

Layers typically produce one egg per day sometimes every other day. If there are stressed or weather is too extreme this can also effect laying.

Chicken whispers.

Yeah for different egg colors! The ear lobe color tells you what color they eggs will be.

Blue-ish ear lobes= lay blue, green, pink,

Red ear lobes = brown eggs

Type of chicken Egg color

Rhode Island Reds brown

Araucana blue

Ameraucana blue green brown

Buff Orpington brown

Delaware brown

Black Australorp brown

Layers typically produce one egg per day sometimes every other day. if there are stressed or weather is too extreme this can also effect laying.

Feed:

• Grit and Oyster shells offered free choice.

• *Save used egg shells dry them out crumble and feed back to them.

• Chicken grain: the percentage of protein needed in the their feed increases in the colder months.

• Fresh veggies and fruit snacks are always welcome.

Life stages:

5 to 6 months they start laying

9 months peak production

18 month old they will “molt” which means they loose All their feathers and replace them . Your chicken area will be a mess with feathers! They will pause their laying during this time due to the amount of protien needed to restore the feathers.

18- 30 months Decline in egg laying starts

Chickens can live 8+ years if they have ideal living conditions.

The kids welcoming our feathered friends.

Our girls all have names.

Items on hand:

Apple Cider Vinegar Helps build their immune system. You can use daily 1 tbs. to 1 gallon of water *use only in plastic/rubber waterers not metal

Poultry antiseptic spray for any cuts

Electrolyte packets in summer months add to water on really hot days to keep the hydrated

Epson Salt (incase egg bound)

Fresh herbs, Kale, veggie and fruit tops, berries

Fresh clean Water available always * in the winter a heat stand keep the water from freezing.

Feed: with 20% Protein in fall/winter

16% protein in late spring /summer they can get protein from bugs

shavings helps the clean up in the coop.

Tips:

Keep water off the ground so chickens can’t soil in it. A bucket with drips installed works great in non freezing weather .

A day in the life.

What a greeting !

Whats your day look like? Your weekly priorities? Our days look very different from a year ago with a few similarities. We have drop off , pick up and sports shuttling but new chores structure our day differently. You never know what is going to happen on the daily which leads to excitement, making its easy to Rise and Shine.

In the morning I highly enjoy the walk out to the animals, its like a Disney movie when the animals come toward Snow White. For a brief moment no one is arguing or squeaking they all want me to notice them, they are bringing gratitude with there fast paced dash to the gate where the greet me .

And then reality hits they don’t want me…they want food! Then the squeaking, stepping on , ruffling of feathers and high pitched snorts feverishly occur. They are very much food focus but its fun to pretend they have ulterior motives. Their focus allowed us to train them ( not hard to do by any means) all it takes is a few “mouth clicks” or “grain bucket shakes” and they will stop what they are doing anywhere on the farm and run to us .

For us tending to the animals is a grounding way to start each day, carrying out simple tasks that help animals thrive, being apart of their ecosystem feels great. We talk about a day in the life on Episode 2 Take a listen to see what the rest of our days holds.

Fall on the Farm

Fall brings brilliant colors and cool temps. Like, frost on the grass and frozen animal water, type temps. The cold snap was winter just saying, “Hey get your beanies out, ready or not I am coming” For the record we are not ready.

For us, this fall was so much more then falling leaves and cold breezes. It ends our first season on our farm. The end creates a harvest where you can reflect on where you started, (an undeveloped piece of raw land a.k.a mud bog ) how far you have come ( animal areas + garden boxes + produce ) and where you are going, (time to break out the napkins drawings again).

In early spring we started seedlings inside our home, watched them sprout and grow. Once planted them in the soil we battled weeds, bugs all while we tried to protect our produce while sharing reasonably with our feathered friends. My biggest realization was how much our little farm can work in harmony. The lavender and sunflowers attracted the bees (bees are welcome hornets are not ) The extra melons we grew could be tossed over the fence and enjoyed by the animals. The scraps (currently in a pile) will someday enrich the soil. Everyone benefits.

Some triumphs: The cucumbers grew faster then could be picked and landed in jars and we turned them into pickles. Tomatoes were sun ripened, plump and juicy as they bursted with flavor. Kale thrived landing in our salads as well as the chicken coop. The Cauliflower varieties (purple , green, yellow, and white) took over 3 garden boxes filling our fridge with fresh florets. I can’t wait to plant it again!

Some troubles ; The broccoli was sampled by the local garden inhabitants before we could get even harvest it for ourselves . Our berry bushes didn’t like the soil so after discovering the acid levels needed to be higher for them to thrive, we have a plan to nourish them for next year ( Ryan’s coffee grounds will be key ) . Carrots never made it but the tops were enjoyed by our farm animals.

The two most rewarding things we grew in our first season were sunflowers and pumpkins.

Sunflowers lined the front and back of the garden. This was a true marvel to watch them sprout and catch their stride. Almost over night they towered over the gate, then our heads and only to slow, as they seemed to touch the clouds. Their petals delicate and bright, imitate the sun’s rays, their long stem would bend and sway in the breeze as if they were dancing in the sky. You coudln’t help but smile when you looked at them.

We grew a patch of pumpkins and for the kids especially this was very rewarding! Their progress was very visual you could see their growth daily as they soaked up sunlight and water and grew in size and weight until they glowed brilliant orange. WE had so many we could share them with friends and have them line our porch!

We had a season of hard work but each time a juicy strawberry was found, the joy was simple and contagious. Watering , trimming and collecting became more then chores, it was a time to restore and dream. More often then not I would work with out gloves, moving earth with your hands is very therapeutic. It was worth the extra long hand wash and nail scrubbing. All stages of our inaugural garden season was enjoyed by our family. Even the grumbles for weed picking would fade once we were all out there together.

If you have ever thought about growing something, anything … what are you waiting for …. just plant the seed!

Speed Limit

The older I get I am hyper sensitive to time and the speed at which we are taking each day at. One of the most important changes and challenges with the move was the use of our time . With 3 kids it’s easy to get in a calander cudundrum. Over lapping, over committing jam packed exhausting schedules. Coming from a high speed lifestyle I wanted to be an intentional architect of our family time. Our new home is surrounded by stop signs and 25 MPH speed limits. But a short drive takes you to a bustling city . This is my perfect reminder to take a deep breathes and prioritize and check my speed limit. Its easy to slip back into the pace where the memories are blurred.

I began to really think about how do I attain this balance? What becomes the priorities to make this occur? This is what I have come up with so far:

• Spontaneity. Last minute adventures are the best

• Passing on invites, leave FOMO behind

• Family focused activities

• One-on-one activities try to give each kid alone time.

• Making down time

• Family dinners together around the table = high priority.

• Being creative together

• Letting the kids have a say in what creative or physical activity occurs

• Explore where you live together

• Be Brave! Do something that puts butterflies in your stomach… an organized race, passing through a cold stream, or jumping off a rock into a lake. Over coming fears together is the most bonding thing I have ever felt. Being able to say WE did it… we did it together..

  During these summer months I am trying to stay remind myself childhood is fleeting and soon enough a more structured Fall will arrive. I hope to continue to check my Speed Limit exercise into the school year.

Summer.

As we jump into summer, (according to the calendar at least, the weather still hasn't gotten the memo with its wild temp swings). I decided to reflect on what my summers looked like, felt like and tasted like. Its a great family excercise to share those simple things . Were those warm feelings from the sun, or from the traditions weaved with the family and familiarity? I think the feelings aren’t just destined for a memory book, they are building blocks to help us land gently wherever our next trip around the sun takes us.

As a kid I would count down the days to summer freedom.

When freedom finally arrived my summers were all wrapped up in a beach towel, a sun burnt nose, and sand blistered toes. I wore a uniform of tan lines and salt dried hair. I was raised in the waves. From toddler to teen the beach was always my answer to summer. As my “ life season” changed my SPF went up and my hat brims got bigger and my beach sack turned into a tote that was the size of my trunk, that still managed to overflow. Enter Kids. Now as a Mom of 3 summer excitement lives right along side aprehension. Will we survive the weeks ahead? Can I keep their brains from melting over the summer months? Beach days went retro, with jumping white water and holding hands while toe testing the temp. The shoreline would display our sand castle creations. Our days by the water connected us in such a simply beautiful way. I love these memories and hold them close as we head into new adventures.

Our first Idaho summer has all the feels as we still have so much unknown to experience. New trails to leave our footprints on, new river bends to dip in . Water still connects us, as we float or boat miles of the river to refresh and rejuvenate. We will have camp fires instead of bon fires; we will catch fish instead of waves. Our tounges will be stained as we put out the mid summer sizzle with shaved ice. We will camp with the stars. And soak in the never ending sunsets. We will have extra gratitude for the long warm days after living amongst the cold and snow flaked months that winter showed us. Our Idaho Adventures turns ONE on Aug 8th. The summer and our first year here will be complete, the differences and similarirites will continue to be cherished. Every day we learn more about Idaho and ourselves.

June 5th 2019 6:45 am a balmy 45 degrees

wild. flowers.

Idaho Spring has been wild. The weather changes by the hour . From sunshine to wind to hail to rain. All this moisture and constant atmospheric pressure change produces something incredible. Fields of green sprinkled with flowers, streets lined with blooming trees that are competing for a post card. The unsettled weather creates beauty and growth. Which as a parent I find a life parallel. Kids are constantly changing, testing boundaries and now that I have some pre teens the moods are a lot like an Idaho spring, unpredictable. They do a pretty good job of taking turns on who wants to be the challenge, who wants to be the hero, and who wants to bug everyone else just for the heck of it. I try to analyze behavior but as soon as I figure out where its coming from the wind has shifted. So I am going bask in the sun rays, the good days, and dance between the rain drops, the days that are a challenge. And be thankful for my 3 wild flowers.

Goats.

The farm has grown quite a bit in the last month. Going from chats over coffee, to napkin sketches, to piles of lumber. Then on to measurements and many hours of hands working on the structures that embrace our farm has been very rewarding. Being a dreamer I am used to dreaming the dreams and not necessarily seeing them come to life. But this time the farmstead is happening. Garden and goat fencing is completed!

The chickens were my gateway into farm animals and now the unknown world seems more manageable and intriguing. One thing I keep coming back to is how vastly different my life is from last year at this time. But it fits just right, so I guess I am more shocked on how come it feels so natural. It wasn’t hard to peel off the other layers of my daily routine, It’s like it was waiting for us the whole time.

While nursing a sick chicken in the laundry room this week my husband and I started to crack up. While we stood there with a soaking chicken and You Tube faithfully guiding us, our new life made us giggle. Once we composed ourselves we went right back into problem solving mode. What once was so for foreign to us is starting feel more normal. We can handle four legged animals…. right ??? The whole family is anticipating the arrival of 2 baby goats who are coming today with their mom. Dwarf Nigerian goats to be exact. I am excited for the challenge!

As we slowly continue to grow and learn we are completely embracing the journey, sick chickens and all.

My point is you CAN build dreams on napkins! Be ready for life to take you in a whole new direction and it to feel right!

This is Bow. Her sister’s name is Arrow and the Mama is Marylin .

Quiver of Quills

These days I am learning to embrace any challenge big or small because I feel like the defeat or victory is a benefit resulting in personal growth. Since we have started this adventure as a family we have had countless challenges and I have felt and seen constant growth in every aspect of our lives. For Ryan and I as parents, in our relationship, appreciation for each other, and our faith . The kids response is what really has blown me away. I was expecting the new life adjustment to be more dramatic and emotionally prohibiting. Instead I see daily growth, self-confidence, independence, and appreciation for the change we made.

The change of pace and the shift of focus to our family unit, is what they love most. The adaptability we have shown as a family makes me proud. I had many sleepless nights worrying about the stress the unknown they were going to face would cause. Instead they smiled and walked into situation after situation where they were new, confused, lost, alone; only to come out each time better for it. Adding a feather to their cap or a quill to their quiver. They say kids are resilient. But to witness it first hand and see how they are growing because of it, inspires me. I have also been lucky enough to make new friends, the kindness here is quite contagious. These magical humans have opened their arms and homes to our family . Reminding myself I can conquer change too.

The reason I am sharing this is: if you are on the fence about about something new, something that scares you, something hard, the reward might be greater then you know. Put your self out there and wait for growth.

Coop Chronicles

Chickens. If you told me a year ago I would be cleaning out chicken poop and raising chickens I would have laughed at you. But when all the doors opened for this out-of-state move and we walked through them, strange things keep happening. So far all bringing joy. If you have ever been on the fence about getting backyard chickens I would urge you to jump right in!

I have learned so much from my new feathered friends , the chore has been a daily commitment, while I create a habitat that works for them and me. I have enjoyed learning about and from them.

Its a hilarious social experiment watching a bunch of “chicks” living together seeing the pecking order and personalities form. They are all there, the bosses, the followers, loners, the quiet shy ones who can’t find their voice. I am lucky for the most part these very unique chickens all get a long. One has beautiful speckled spots and knows it as she parades around but is alone a lot. While the plainest one is the kindest and always has lots of people and chickens at her side. Mental note: spread the kindness.

Since I was looking for chicks at the end of summer and local chicks area available only in spring, online I found an amazing hatchery. McMurray Hatchery delivered 8 happy, healthy, newly hatched chicks to my post office. (We currently have 7, may her feathers rest in peace) From palm sized scared pullets they have grown to be beautiful hens that provide comedy on the daily. Have you ever seen a chicken run full speed? Or had a chicken decide it needs a better view from your head? Or seen one “ tell off her girl friend” cause she ate her piece of Kale? Hilarious.

The bounty they give every day is just a treat. The first egg we got was on Christmas which is ironic for 2 reasons; I joked that is ALL I wanted for Christmas and secondly everyday since when the kids run in and have a handful of eggs there is still a hint of Christmas morning surprise and delight.

Chicken 101: many of my friends (including me) were shocked to learn the basics so I will share.

• Chickens (when of age approx. 6 months old) lay eggs for the most part everyday . If you have a Rooster around then chances are your chickens will lay fertilized eggs = baby chicks. No rooster = delicious edible eggs.

• It takes a chicken between 20-30 min everyday to lay an egg. It never gets easier. They start the internal production of their next egg shortly after they lay.

• Different breeds lay different colored eggs. My mixed variety of chickens give me dark brown, light brown, pale blue, and pale green. Different on the outside, same on the inside.

• You can leave unwashed eggs out on your counter for weeks. But once I rinse them in the fridge they go.

Since my coop adventures started I have a whole new appreciation for the eggs in the grocery store, for the farmers and the hens that laid them.

Muddy Boots

Pardon the first breathy post. This intro is just to get a snap shot of our beginning here. The posts on the blog will be short and sweet.

Aug 2018 began like any other month but a week in it became biggest month to date for my family . Getting into our over packed car full of things and the unspoken emotions made the car feel heavier then ever . The pavement felt thick. Excitement was swirling with fear. Our family of 5 : 3 kids plus our dog, was leaving our So. Cal stomping grounds and taking up our born + raised roots. Pushing forward into our new frontier, Idaho.

The 14 hour drive was split into to 2 long days. We did not ride off into the sunset. We rode with whining, complaining . I am hungry! Who stinks? How much longer? I have to pee. I said lots of prayers along the way. One of them was I pray my sons pee cup doesn't spill on me as we speed along. As my determined husband would not stop for anything except gas refills. The night we spent on the road at the motel was not restful. My weary husband fell off the top of the car unloading suitcases. I was shocked to find him on the ground in the parking lot, thankfully more embarassed then hurt . Then as we tried to shut our blurry eyes the dog became violently ill. The bed, the floor, the bathroom. I was up all night and used every towel, napkin, tissue/ toilet paper and tried to clean the foul mess. The dog friendly motel might have re-thought their pet policy after we left. As we got closer to our destination the car got quiet as we all got lost wandering in our minds, well some of us might have been drooling and others transfixed on an I pad, but I would like to think we were pondering life.

When we arrived to our new frontier it was a 3 day heat wave of 110 degrees. Not ideal to unpack or explore our new town. But also a great time to bond as a family and work together; but I won’t lie husband and I often asked each other will we survive and when does school start again?????

The evenings were the best part in summer. The sun stayed awake until 10 pm so after dinner the kids would play and I would harvest tomatoes off an over grown bush. I would put on my muddy boots and get lost in the tomato picking to help quiet my wild mind . All the while I kept thinking are we going to make it work? Will we be happy? Is this going to be the right place for our family to grow up? While I knew the answers to my questions would not come quickly, I couldn’t hide from them . Knowing no one , having no family finding ourselves with a fresh slate, a frontier. I felt fragile yet strong just like a feather.

Fast forward to 6 months later so much has happened and changed and I can’t wait to share it.