Hey everybody! As you can tell by how much time has gone by since our last post, we have been resting and relaxing, as well as enjoying all life has to offer on the farm, even in the winter. We all enjoyed a low key, relatively quiet holiday season and savored all that it held being our first holiday in the new houses. We enjoyed my (Amy) mom being here for the holiday season and even had a visit from my 98 year old Nanniemom. She enjoyed dinner at the farm and a visit from everyone. We were so glad she was able to make the trip to see in person what she had only seen pictures of. We had visits from several family members and friends over the holidays. We love having people visit and enjoy the farm as much as we do!
Thanksgiving was spent at Will and Emily's house. Will cooked a fantastic brisket and Nick made his first attempt at apple pie. All the food was good! Nick spent some time with grands putting up Christmas decorations, we took a drive through a Christmas lights wonderland and the rest of the holiday was spent relaxing and enjoying each other's company! Christmas was just as low key as Thanksgiving. We all stayed in town and enjoyed Christmas Eve together. We enjoyed dinner on Christmas Day with Will and Emily. The main course was a beef Wellington made by Will. It was very good! Everyone had some time off the week between Christmas and New Year's and New Year's Eve was spent at Will and Emily's ringing in the new year together!
I (Amy) have enjoyed getting back to doing some things I love in the kitchen. I am back to milling wheat and making my own bread, have done some freeze drying to preserve food and have been making some of my own cleaning products. I have freeze dried eggs, ice cream sandwiches, many vegetables and fruits and even a breakfast casserole. It feels so good to know that I can cut our waste down to almost nothing. The food that doesn't get freeze dried or canned goes to the chickens who convert it to fertilizer ;)!
It is again time to start getting things ready for the garden. We have a new 16x100 space we will be adding in addition to all the raised beds we already have. Seeds have been sown in planter trays and I am anxiously waiting to start more seeds during February. We hope to have a great yield this year from the garden, which we hope to preserve for use all year long. We will be planting some new items this year such asparagus, garlic, some new varieties of potatoes and carrots and Brussel sprouts. We also hope to revive our mushroom garden. We still have the two hives going so we will plant more flowers for the pollen and hope that we can get some honey this year.
I have been experimenting with making some of my own cleaning products and herbal remedies. I have made laundry detergent, dish washer detergent and all purpose cleaning spray. I can tell you without hesitation that they are far better than anything I have ever bought in the store and they are all chemical free. I have learned to make fire cider, honey fermented garlic, oregano oil and honey thyme, all of which have medicinal properties. They boost immune systems and help to alleviate cold and flu symptoms. It is really amazing how many plants that grow right outside your door can be used as medicine. I am enjoying learning all their benefits.
We are getting ready to start our fencing project again. We will be fencing in the perimeter where the houses are and will be dividing off some pasture space near the garden. We have been giving the offer of 2 alpacas and they will be coming to the farm once the fencing is up. We hope to have the fencing done by the end of March. Once all the fencing is complete, we will also add some goats and sheep to our farm animals this year. We are excited to learn how to care for these animals and teach the kids the skills as well. We will be building one big chicken coop to make it easier to take of them and will add about 10 more to the flock. They are doing well and have been producing eggs all winter long. Will was able to secure two 40 foot container boxes and those will be converted into storage space for the farm equipment. There is never a shortage of projects here at the farm.
Everyone has settled in so well. We have enjoyed doing all kinds of things together living in community. Nick and I converted our garage into the farm gym. We added most everything that you would find in a workout facility and we have enjoyed working out three times a week with the kids. Natalie is growing a baby so she will join us once the baby arrives (side note - she and baby are doing very well and we are anticipating her arrival in May). We had our first hot pot dinner and it was so much fun. If you don't know what that is, google it. We have dinner about once or twice a week during the work week and then it varies on the weekends depending on what is going on and what plans everyone has. It is a joy to see everyone pitch in, bring something, offer to host and cook together. I love it when Will and I get to cook together. One of the benefits of living in community is that if someone just isn't feeling it, everyone else helps out and gives that person a break so cooking doesn't seem like a chore any more. Nick and I can give each couple a night out by watching the kids so they can go to dinner. If the kids are just driving the parents crazy, they can call us and we can take them for a while to give the parents a break. I love it when Natalie comes down with Garrett after his afternoon nap and we get to spend some time together. We always have help with projects around the farm any time we ask for it. There have been spontaneous play times in the field, four wheeler rides in the woods and hangout times...things that just wouldn't happened if we lived further apart.
I (Amy) just want to take a minute and express something here. It has been a long fours years since March, 2020 when the world just shut down and life changed for so many. For me it was especially hard because I struggled with a very major loss in my life. That is a very long story, is very complicated and not for this blog. But I share that to share this...one of the conversations that I have had with God on an almost daily basis is about who He is, how he can show me what it means to live with love at the center of my life and what does community look like to him. He has answered that questions so beautifully...the answer is our farm and our family. When I look at my husband, my children and their families, I see what God (love) looks like. Those people have shown me in the last four years what it means to look like Jesus. I have learned more from them about faith in the last four years than I have my entire life. It saddens me to think about all the time I lost with them because I listened to other's opinions of what church and worship should look like. I can't focus on that because that can't be changed. What I chose to focus on now is the life I have and the chance I have to change a few things. I have definitely changed where I chose to spend my time. Another thing I have changed is my definition of "church". The dictionary definition of church is a building where a body of believers meet. The scriptural definition of church is the body of Christ. The people that reside here at Gray Kettle Farm are the body of Christ. We are "in church" every single day. We know our neighbors and help meet needs where we can. We serve each other and that is how we show our worship to God. We are in communion every time we sit down to a meal together. We welcome all to the farm and show no partiality to anyone. We are here to love and that is what we do here at the farm. Gray Kettle farm is a place where people get along in spite of their differences, differences are celebrated, we try to meet the needs of one another, don't sweat the small stuff, love each other deeply and welcome all who care to visit. It is a place where healing has taken place for me and I am forever grateful for it!
And lastly, enjoy some pictures from the last few months here at the farm.
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