Sneak Peak, baby.
Oh hello spring, you cheeky devil!Much like an ex-fling, you show up just enough to make me remember how much fun we used to have, before casting me back to the darkness of winter without you.But your temper tantrum antics, my dear spring, won't get the best of me this year... because there is far too much life to be had on the farm! I can barely contain the dreams... excitement... projects... and potential that are practically busting from the seams of my heart!(Dramatic? I don't care.)An additional bee hive has been ordered (the others need to be repainted, cleaned, and prepared for fresh bees!). Bulbs have been planted. Courtyards have been started. Barns have been bid. Chicks have been purchased. Pergolas have been built. There is much to do, oh yes, there is much to do!
When I started homesteading years ago, I had the best of intentions with so many of my projects and dreams - y'all, I bought a cow off Craigslist before I had a barn to put her in! I've been one of those "jump in the deep end" type of people with regards to... well, life. I simply can't stop the stream of dreams from flowing - trust me, I'm tried.But I suppose some good has come of it. For starters, I've learned many lessons the hard way which also is one of the best ways to learn them. Because when a lesson is learned the hard way (ahem, *Craigslist cow*, ahem) it's not quickly forgotten.
I had the pleasure of teaming up with Lyon's Press Publishing over the past 18 months to write, photograph, and publish an all encompassing catalog of these lessons, both good and bad, to share with others out there who are interested in starting their homestead as well. Welcome To The Farm is designed to help inspire YOUR own homestead. Each day, my inbox fills with questions like:"Which type of chicken should I buy?""How much do you feed a pig?""Can you tell me how to milk a cow? What supplies will I need?""Do you eat your rabbits? Which breed do you raise?""Can you teach me how to can things? It scares me!""Which vegetables should go in the fall garden? I'm so confused!"
I've spent years answering questions just like this until finally it dawned on me that perhaps we need a better resource for learning how to build our homesteads from the ground-up. Maybe that's why so many questions were coming in in the first place! I'll be the first to tell you, no book can answer or prepare you fully for life on the farm. It's not that cut and dry and I certainly don't have all the answers. But there are tips, tricks, information, and wisdom that is valuable to share. To pass on. And to learn!Even if you're just starting a vegetable or garden or raising a few chickens. This is for you.And if you're wanting to learn to butcher a pig in it's entirety and salt-cure the cuts? Ya. This is for you, too.
Spring is the time of year when we dream big. It's the time of year when we're greeted with pear trees at our home improvement stores and chicks at our local feed stores. Farmers markets begin to open and offer their local, organic goodies for preserving. The soil warms and we begin to sink our fingertips into that black gold. We dream of what can be planted, created, cultivated, and born of our hopes.For the homesteader, there simply isn't another life. This is it. We're all in.
For a wee bit longer, you can snag all 300+ pages of Welcome To The Farm for a special pre-launch price on Amazon HERE.
Bonus: it qualifies for Prime shipping, which means you can have a copy in your hand in just a few days!I can't wait to be a part of spring on your farm. Tell me: What are you dreaming of this spring?