Felts Farm

They would stay out here all day, every day if they could 🎣

The beginning of a new era!! 🥰📚📝✨
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It took us about an hour and a half today and he did so great!! I’m so proud. Some days will be a little longer, some days will be a litter shorter, some days we might break it up into two sessions, some days we might skip if we need to and sometimes we might do it on the weekends if we get bored! That’s the beauty of homeschool ❤️🙌🏼
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My current plan is a four day week, Monday-Thursday with science experiments on Friday but there is always room for flexibility which is the best! We are all super excited for the school year and another year home with all three boys 🫶🏼
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Brooks and Hudson started pre-k and preschool today and also did so well. I feel blessed to be able to do this and just praying for a great year of learning together ❤️

I have sad news and exciting news to share..
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Last week our favorite barn cat, Skye (first pic) went to cat heaven 💔 We are all really sad about this because she’s been around since we first moved here. She’s brought so many cuddles and happiness to us and everyone who has visited. She was so friendly but also knew her job 💪🏼 She was adventurous and definitely used her 9 lives to the fullest and we will miss her a lot 😢🫶🏼
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Her sister, Delilah has been sad and lonely since then so we did the only appropriate thing we could do…. 🤪
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Here’s the exciting news!! I took the kids to the animal shelter yesterday and they each got to pick out a brand new barn kitty 🥰 these 3 are from the same litter and the kids fell in love immediately. We played with them for an hour, looked at different kitties but they were set. They are the sweetest little kittens and so perfect!! We are so excited, love them so much and hope Delilah takes them in with us 🫶🏼
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Fords- Mittens (boy)
Brooks’s- Marshmallow (girl)
Hudson’s- Pepperoni (girl)
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The kids named their own (if you couldn’t tell 😂) and are going to be in charge of them!! It’s so fun having kittens here again! Welcome to the farm little ones 🥰

Just a moment for the pantry of my dreams 🥹🙌🏼
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Canning season isn’t over yet and soooo much has gone into the freezer too, I’m just feeling really happy and thankful for a wonderful harvest year!!
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Once the summer rush dies down I would love to can/freeze more actual meals. Some easy dump and go dinners for late baseball nights, busy nights, etc! If you have any favorites please send them my way!!
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Slowly but surely transitioning to no grocery store. (Obviously we can’t grow or raise EVERYTHING but we can get pretty dang close 🙌🏼)
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Huitlacoche or “corn smut” / “Mexican truffles” / “corn mushrooms”
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Soo, what is it??
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🌽Huitlacoche is a natural corn fungus usually caused by rain
🌽the flavor & texture is similar to a black truffle (from what I’ve read, will report back 🤓)
🌽it’s a delicacy particularly in Mexico & parts of the US but is sought after worldwide
🌽the average price of fresh huitlacoche is between $15-$25/lb in the US so some farmers grow it on purpose!
🌽it contains high levels of protein, unsaturated fats and the amino acid, lysine, that strengthens immmne systems & bones
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This is the first year it’s grown on my corn! I knew what it was but I’ve never seen it or tried it so I’m actually pretty excited about it. We’ve been in a huge hot, drought all summer and then recently it’s been raining nonstop so I’m assuming that’s what caused it. I can’t wait to cook it up and see what the hype is all about!! 🌽🍄‍🟫
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We took the boys to the watermelon festival rodeo this weekend and had SO much fun!!! 🍉🤠
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The festival was during the day, the rodeo was at night and since it’s so close to our house we were able to do both with a break in between!! We already can’t wait to go again next year 🥰
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It was the boys first rodeo experience and now Brooks NEEDS a horse 😂🫠 Jacob is team horse and I’m team no thank you 🤪 what do you think? Do we need horses now too?!
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All of this + an entire crate of okra & and full crate of cucumbers that Jacob picked 😍🙌🏼💪🏼
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This has been a strange garden year for us. We started off great and thriving better than ever, then the extra hot weather and major drought has brought some struggles. We’ve still been able to put away a ton of food for the year and harvest sooo much so I can’t complain too much but man the disease, death & bugs came quick! 🫠
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How’s everyone else’s gardens doing this year?! 🌱
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Happy 3rd birthday to our ‘baby’ 🥲❤️🎂
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How we’re already here, I have no idea 😭 but as we’ve always said, ‘everybody needs a Hudson’ 🫶🏼 He’s sweet, funny, strong, so tough, the baby of the family through & through, loves his family so much, is a mamas boy and takes care of me all day (“Mama, look out! Ants!”). He’s also absolutely insane and like a bull in a china shop. We call him little Gronk and that perfectly describes him. 😂💪🏼
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He’s my little side kick and I hope that never changes! I just don’t know how much longer I can carry him around 😂😅 It’s so true how time flies. I’m mourning the toddler stage ending but it’s also been so fun and special watching our youngest become his own little person. He loves all things tractors, trucks & mud. Loves green beans, baked beans & eating off everyone else’s plates. He loves watching me cook & going to the garden with me. Loves Dino ranch, paw patrol & stinky & dirty. Loves dogs, especially Teddy. And still doesn’t need a nap 😉
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He requested a Mario birthday with a ‘Mario tractor cake’ and he loved it! 🥰
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Happy birthday Hudson wudson, we love you so, so much 🫶🏼

Good morning & happy Monday!! ☀️
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What a crazy weekend, huh? 😳 Here’s some of my favorite flower pictures from this year so far to start the week off positive 🫶🏼🌻🩷
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👩🏼‍🌾🌱🍅🌻🥒🌽
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7/11/24
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Some garden & food stuff lately 🌱💪🏼
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❤️🇺🇸💙
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I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We spent it with our friends this year and had so much fun!! The boys got to play in alllll the backyard water things with their friends and ride bikes on concrete (😂) while we got to spend some time with our friends and eat delicious food 🥰
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We got home just in time for the fireworks to start going off so we could be with our animals (the dogs all HATE fireworks & everyone gets stressed out and tries to break out 🤪) and the boys got to do sparklers! (Sorry mom) ✨😬
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I love this holiday, my family & our friends ❤️🇺🇸💙

Our neighbors quinceañera was this past weekend and we had so much fun celebrating her!! ❤️🫶🏼
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We loved getting all dressed up with the boys, walking next door and getting to be a part of the fun. We stayed up late, ate amazing food, the boys played for hours and we had such a great night.
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Her family was so welcoming when we moved here 5 years ago and her mom has taught me so many essential skills. We love them and are so happy we live next to them!!
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Also, aren’t my 4 boys all so handsome?!?!?! 😍

Good evening from our Katahdin sheep, the farm’s all-stars! ✨
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We’ve been growing this herd for years now and can confidently say these incredible sheep are a dream for any sustainable farm.
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A few reasons we love them:
-they are hair sheep so no need for shearing! Which saves us time and resources.
-they have excellent parasite resistance which means healthier flocks with less intervention.
-the ewes have exceptional mothering ability and lamb easily.
-they known for being efficient grazers so they follow behind our cows, helping manage and rejuvenate our pastures naturally.
-their lean, mild-flavored meat is a hit at the dinner table—nutritious and delicious!
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Summertime is the busiest time of the year around here! 💪🏼
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From harvesting, preserving & caring for the gardens, to every day animal & house chores, our never ending fence project, caring for & spending quality time with the boys, and everything in between.. my days are long and nonstop from the second I wake up until I go to sleep and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!! I feel so blessed and lucky to live this life and have my little family by my side doing everything with me every day 🫶🏼
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So far this year I’ve put up 17 quarts of green beans, 6 pints & 3 half pints of blackberry jam, 6 pints & 10 half pints of raspberry jam and I’m about to vacuum seal so many blackberries for the freezer! 💪🏼🙌🏼
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It’s important to us to keep as much healthy, homegrown food in our pantry for our growing boys and ourselves. Some benefits of our family favorite foods are:
-raspberries & blackberries are high in antioxidants, rich in vitamins & minerals, they support the immune system, promote digestive health, heart health, blood sugar control, anti inflammatory, and they support eye, bone & skin health💪🏼
-green beans are also packed with vitamins & minerals, are high in fiber, they have antioxidant properties, support heart & bone health, improves eye health and they boost immune systems✨
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What are some of your favorites as a family?!
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Welcome to our little slice of paradise! 🌱🌻
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There’s nothing quite like stepping into our garden and knowing every bite we take is pure, organic goodness. From juicy berries to crisp lettuce, everything is nurtured with love and care to produce the highest quality of food around. 💪🏼
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Growing our own food has brought us so much joy and peace. It’s amazing to see the fruits (and veggies!) of our labor flourish. Plus, knowing exactly where our food comes from and that it’s free from chemicals makes every meal even more special.
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Swipe through to see some of our garden highlights! 🌱
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Just a chicken update post 🫶🏼
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These are our free ranged layers in the mobile coop that follow behind the sheep and cows to complete the rotational grazing cycle! We’re loving this system because I get to have the chickens totally free ranged but they’re 💩 is not in the backyard anymore 😂🙌🏼
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We also have the breeding chickens in the barn that we’ve been finding new homes for because I’m trying to lessen my workload and also a ton of teenage & baby chicks still. Some are also going to new homes and some will be coming up to the mobile coop!
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The last of our chickens are the meat birds! We decided to get them later this year so it wouldn’t be so hot when we’re processing them. Plus, we still have enough in the freezer so they won’t be coming until September.
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I have no idea how many chickens we have right now but hopefully soon it’s a much less number 😂🤪
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Happy Father’s Day !!!!! The boys and I are so blessed to have you as their papa ❤️
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Watching you be a dad has been my favorite. You lead our boys and our family so well and they look up to you so much. You’re the most fun, thoughtful and caring papa and I don’t know how you balance everything you do. We’re on to the next stage of parenting and I’m so lucky to be able to do it with you!! 🫶🏼
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You’re the best of the best and we love you to the moon and back times ten double that 😭❤️
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*Happy Father’s Day to my dad who has shown me what a great dad is and has always been there for me, to my father in law who has been like a second dad to me and also to all of our friends who are also amazing fathers. It makes me so happy to know so many incredible, involved, loving dads ❤️

Canning season has begun!!!!🫙💃🏼🥰
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We did four 1/2 pints of raspberry jam & three 1/2 pints of blackberry jam!
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This is the first year our raspberries have produced enough to make jam from (year 4) and oh my goodness. I wish I had enough to share with everyone because it’s my new favorite type of jam ever!! 🤤 There are still a ton of berries coming in and we’re all eating them fresh daily but they only last so long in the fridge since they are fresh so I’m sure I’ll be making more soon! 😍
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Raspberry Jam instructions:
-4 cups mashed raspberries
-4 cups sugar
-1tbsp lemon juice
-bring raspberries to a boil & cook for 4 min
-add sugar & lemon juice, bring back to a boil stirring constantly & cook 4 more min
-put into 1/2 pint jars with 1/4” headspace & water bath 5 min
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Blackberry Jam Instructions:
-6 cups blackberries
-1.5 cups sugar
-1tbsp lemon juice
-add all to a pot & heat to medium while mashing berries
-bring to a slow boil, turn it down to med-low to simmer until it gels or reaches 221°
-add to jars leaving 1/4” headspace & waterbath for 5 min
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Next time I will add more sugar to the blackberry one because it didn’t gel as well as the raspberry! Enjoy, friends!!❤️

Reunited (again) but going to be separated (again) 😅😕
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We tried to put Mabel back in with Marley but she STILL nursed 🙄😭 We’ll keep trying every couple months because we want them to be together but jeez!! Come on Mabel! We had such a good feeling this time too. 😵‍💫🤷🏼‍♀️
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She’ll be back in with the sheep again for now. She loves them and the dogs so she’s very happy but we just want to keep the dairy cows all together! Eventually, right?!
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Welcome to the farm little ‘cow cows’!!! 🥰🐮
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We brought 6 Herefords/baldys home a little over a week ago and we are LOVING having beef cows on the farm again! 🙌🏼 Their ages range from the youngest, a 3ish month old steer Brooks named Noodles, to the older girls who are about a yearish old. There is a young bull in there we named Rusty who will be the baby daddy for the 4 heifers one day!
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We’ve been looking for a long time for the right cows to buy and went back and forth on breeds forever but when Jacob found these we both agreed immediately! They’re so cute but not really used to people yet so we have some work to do to get them to not be scared of us. We plan on having them for a long, long time so they better get used to us! 😂
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After an eventful first couple days of being home, they’re finally settled in and doing great. The farm felt empty without having a beef cow herd around and we are so happy and completely now!! For now 😂
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Also, we’re taking name suggestions for the 4 girls 😃⬇️
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I did a quiz on stories the other day asking how many dogs we have (5,6,7,or8?) and the answers were pretty even! 😂
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We have 7 dogs!!!! And love them all so much ❤️🐶
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They all had birthdays the past few months so this is my happy birthday to all my puppies post. The pictures are in order of age:
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Teddy! My first baby and our oldest doggo. He turned 10 a week ago and we could not be more proud of the dog he is. He has accepted and loved all of our kids and their craziness and noise more than we could’ve ever hoped. We all feel so safe with him and trust him so much. He is the best dog in the entire world and I can’t believe we got him so long ago! Best $100 Craigslist purchase ever.
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Paisley and Piper. Our first LGD’s turned 5! They’re the best sister duo who taught us everything about the amazing Great Pyrenees breed. I seriously can’t say enough good things about this breed in general but pais and pipes go above and beyond. Livestock dogs are bred for this life and truly thrive when given animals to care for. I’ve seen them fight off coyotes through our fence who were trying to get to our baby lambs one night and then the next day cuddle our kids like nothing happened. They’ve ran in front of our boys to protect them as they sprinted to the pond before we had fencing and would lay their lives down for us or their animals 🫶🏼
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Ghost turned 3! We searched for the perfect all white male for 2 years knowing we would ‘just know’ when we found him. Jacob surprised me for my bday by taking us to his farm a couple hours away! I didn’t know what animal we were going for 😂 He was the first one I held and the one we took home!! Ghost is not a fan of new people and takes his job very seriously. He really only comes to me but also guards the kids and is always near to make sure everyone is okay. He’s the babysitter dog and LOVES when animals have babies 😂❤️ I’ve also never seen a dog look so pretty when they run than Ghosty. His long fur is so beautiful!
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The rest of the dogs are talked about below!⬇️

Garden things 🌱✨
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In order:
1-the ‘pollinator walkway’ is complete and perfect!!! Just need to get the grape vines in the ground but everything else is planted and starting to sprout, soon it will be a beautiful little area of herbs & flowers 😊
2/3-the gravel garden is about to explode! 😍 all the bush beans have gotten so big already and everything I planted has popped up! It always amazes me how much better I am at direct sowing than seed starting 😂
4-grapes & muscadines alive and well 🍇
5-the boys have LOVED taking care of their tee ‘peas’ 😉🫛 and it has been the most fun project! They were so patient caring for them and waiting for them to sprout, I definitely want to make sturdier teepees and do this every year!
6-my rose bushes just get bigger and better every year 🥹 just beautiful.
7-me talking to my seedlings telling them words of encouragement 😂🌱
8-peaches!!! So excited for some peaches and more fruit this year🍑
9-Hudson and I digging all of the canna Lillie’s up from around the well house because nobody told me planting things there was a bad idea 😬😅
10-picture of zucchini because it always is the easiest 😂 I’m also going to mulch around my veggies this year to help keep the soil healthy and weeds down!
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There’s still a lot on my list to do-plant corn, get all the melons in the ground (I have about 150 melon sprouts 😅), add more rock to the gravel garden, find a place to plant all my canna lilies, get the rest of the tomato seedlings and others in the ground somewhere and more... It’s a never ending list of to-do’s and projects and I think that’s why my add self never gets tired of it! How’s your garden going so far this year?!

Our ducks went to a new home yesterday ❤️
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It’s a bittersweet feeling. We’ve loved having ducks and love seeing them on the pond when we walk by every day. During the summer though when the snapping turtles come out, the ducks won’t go in the pond. That means they’re up by our house, which means they’re all over my garden 😕 We originally got ducks because Ford could only tolerate duck eggs and not chicken eggs. We also hatched their eggs and sold ducklings which has been one of our favorite things!
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It was a hard decision but we can’t have them ruining my garden all summer. They’re going to our friends who already have some khaki Campbells so our little duckies will continue to have a great life!! ❤️
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The good news is, we have some fertile duck eggs….. 😉😏🤪
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Welcome to the “Corner Garden”!!! 😍😭🌱
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Swipe ⬅️ to see the final result!
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I am SO in love!!! We’ve been wanting to put more beds up for a while and haven’t been able to figure out a good spot. Our well lines run right through this area so it was tricky finding an open spot for so many beds that also looked good! This concrete pad is going to be a pretty window greenhouse one day, so these beds are perfect here. Once we figured out the location, it took us a lot of rearranging boards and talking to finally find a layout that made sense and that we loved! 😅
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This year, this is going to be for corn!! It will be like a little corn maze and I’m so excited. 😍🌽 In the future years, I will definitely plant smaller things here so it doesn’t block the view of my gravel garden or anything else.
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I’m soo happy with how it turned out and so thankful to have expanded our growing area so much this year 🥹❤️ The goal is to grow/raise as much of our own food as possible and these little boys can EAT so we needed some more space!!! 😂😅
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The kids helped every step of the way and I just have to brag on them for a minute. They are so incredibly strong, helpful, smart and such hard workers. I’m so so proud of them 🥹 They love being a part of our projects and we love giving them opportunities to build with us and use their tools & wheelbarrows! They refused to stop and were even out there in the rain with me. The big boys would even go inside to fill everyone’s water bottles without being asked 🥹😭 I’m just so proud to be their mama!
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At first we thought maybe we had gone crazy making a whole new garden mid April, but we were able to do this entire project in 2 days!! I’m so thankful for my hardworking boys and sweet husband ❤️ My body is tired but in the best way! 💪🏼

My bestie girl turned 4 yesterday!!! 🥹❤️🥳🎂
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Marley Moo has been the best addition to the farm and I’m so so so thankful for such a sweet girl. Since the first day we got her, she has been so patient and gentle with us. From letting us learn to milk as she stayed calm and still, to letting the kids pet her and is never bothered by them when they cry and fight about who gets to brush her, and she now gives me a ‘hug’ every time we’re done milking 🥹😭
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I was actually against getting a milk cow when we first got her almost a year and a half ago… she was allll Jacob’s idea and this was going to be his thing. The second she arrived though I said move over buddy I am now the milk maid 😂❤️
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I really cant say enough positive things about her or our experience with her. Not only is Marleys milk completely superior to any store bought milk and I have absolutely loved making all of our own yogurt, cheese and butter weekly, she has brought all of us so much joy. Her kindness has been passed on to her heifer, Mabel, and I was NOT expecting to become a total cow person!!
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Love you Marley Moo and I’m so happy found you!!! 🩷🥛

Welcome to the farm little plant babies!!!! 🌱🍎🫐🍑
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We added a bunch of new fruit trees and blueberry bushes (22?🤪) and it feels like Christmas morning!! We already had a pretty good variety in our little orchard but we’ve been wanting to add more for a while to feed our growing boys and finally decided to just do it! 💪🏼
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Here’s everything we have now:
-apples: Fuji, Granny Smith, crabapple, honey crisp (1 of each)
-plums: methley (1) + 5 unknown varieties our neighbors gave us 🫶🏼
-1 banana plant
-peaches: 1 redskin, 1 bell of Georgia & the one that was already here
-pear: 2 that were already here
-elderberry: 4 native + all the wild ones
-fig: 1 Celeste & 1 black mission
-muscadines: 1 black ison & 1 pam
-grapes: 2 mars, 2 concord, 1 Niagara white
-blackberries: 2 Osage
-raspberries: 2 Caroline
-blueberries: 3 ochlockonee, 2 pink lemonade, 2 premier, 1 krewer, 1 powder blue & 4 unknown
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I had so much fun with the design and placing the new ones everywhere, it’s going to be so beautiful in a couple years! The only ones we haven’t figured out where to put yet are the 3 new grape vines 🤔 I also have a lot of propagations going from when I pruned our trees earlier this year so if those take off I’m gonna need another orchard! 😂🙌🏼
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Thank you for dreaming big dreams with me and supporting my massive garden that just keeps getting bigger 😅❤️ love you papa

It officially feels like spring now!!! 🐣🐥😍
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Our first round of chicks hatched a couple days ago and I always forget just how cute and soft and little they are 🥹 The boys have lovedddd having baby chicks again and have taken such good care of them 🫶🏼
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This is our grow out round for us and a few different friends who want older chicks but we’ll have more hatching soon if anyone is interested!! We’ll have black copper marans, olive eggers, Easter eggers and speckled Sussex available, just message me!
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We love chick season!!!! 🐣❤️

The end of an era 😭❤️😍✂️
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We’ve been talking about it for a while and decided last week that I was going to do it on Easter after my Easter morning pictures! Haha. He is so handsome and loves it and looks like a whole different kid now 😂❤️
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Swipe to see me bawling my eyes out right before I did it and his beautiful locks! All of our boys had long hair and we kept it long until it started to bother them. With the hot weather and windy days we’ve had, it was just time. He did so great and sat still the whole time! He was also ready for it!
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He is so stinking cute and grown up now and looks just like his papa did as a kid 🥹😍
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Also, yes his front tooth is bruised lol