The snow came early this year and it seems that we have had very few days when we’ve been able to see the gravel on the driveway. A sure sign that winter is here and will be with us for some time. As we tuck ourselves in for a little rest and watch 2025 become 2026 we, like others, find ourselves very aware of how quickly the year has gone. In the past twelve months much has changed and much remains the same, here is a brief recap.
In March we welcomed a new Painted Desert breeding ram, Apollo. We have found that most Painted Desert breeders in the Northeast have called it quits, so we are happy to continue offering this breed in our corner of the world. Apollo has a great lineage that will compliment our ewes nicely. In particular we have been pleased with his horn growth and hope to pass these genetics along to the next generation. Our first Painted Desert lambs are due in April, with more to come hopefully in early June.
At the end of 2024 we had a shepherding mishap. We moved our rams over to the pasture near the ewes. We believed that two fence lines of 4 string electric as well as a field fence would keep them apart, but the will was strong. The results of this “night out” would be lambs in May (possibly the worst timing for a teacher). Come April it became clear that almost the entire flock was bred and so we spent much of April splitting up sheds to accommodate a lambing stall for each ewe and her lambs. By God’s grace, we all made it (self included) and we had the joy of watching 14 baby lambs frolic in the fields until they found new homes. The summer was full taking care of a flock that had doubled in size.
Aside from shepherding, the majority of my days went to honing my ceramics skills, enjoying much needed time working on the wheel. In the spring I had the opportunity to bring my love of ceramics to the classroom and a student helped me build a raku kiln, which we successfully fired at the end of the school year. I also hosted two week long summer clay workshops with kids in the barn. The bulk of this year’s work, though, was spent building a business and marketing my work. I admit, I’m not good at this. Despite the challenges of keeping up with social media, websites and paperwork, I was able to participate in five markets between August and November. It was such a joy to get to see people interact with my work, to meet other small business folks, and to have feedback from customers. I’m taking a little break for the winter months, but am looking forward to opening up some new learning opportunities and to attending more markets in 2026.
Adam took over all the bird chores after our daughter left for college. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this was caring for the gaggle of geese that seem to hate everyone expect our daughter. Sadly, they don’t think more of us now that we are the hand that feeds them, but we like to think that the geese understand that the humans need their hands in order for them to get their food? So far Adam and I still have both our hands, so we’ll call that a win. Additionally, Adam continued working on the farm’s meat production, raising both chickens and turkeys on pasture. His favorite part of this year, however, has been having time to work on his timber frame skills. He is quite the woodworker these days! When he’s not busy with the day to day farm tasks, you’ll find him out in the barn chipping away at his newest project.
As always, there is so much more to learn. Some lessons from this year are:
- Be willing to let go of all of your magnificent garden plans. Sometimes there just isn’t time to keep the garden neat and tidy or to harvest all the best things before the critters find them. You’ll enjoy what you had time to can and you won’t miss what isn’t there.
- Freezing eggs in the summer is a worthwhile endeavor. You will thank yourself in November.
- Farm friends are the best. Learn from each other, help each other, encourage each other.
- “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” Proverbs 16:9 We imagine that next year will look similar to this year, but we are continually working on approaching life with open hands- letting go of that which holds us back so that we can serve God in whatever ways he calls us.
We are so grateful for those of you who have helped our farm survive this past year, including but not limited to those who:
- helped us gather hay from the field and load it in the barn
- watched our animals so that we could travel
- assisted on butcher day
- were on call during lambing season
- held baby lambs
- purchased meat, eggs, or any of the other products that we sell
- visited, gave us encouragement and prayed for us or our farm.
All our best for you and yours in 2026!
❤ Be Still Farm LLC
Be Still Farm LLC 