week 24: over the hump
this week on the little dream farm
There’s a point in the growing season where things begin to shift, and finally this week we’ve hit the shift.
It’s that the majority of the tasks that begin the growing season get checked off the list, and we move from setting up, getting ready, preparing, and doing, to maintenance, upkeep, checking, and then eventually enjoying the fruits of all our labor from the start of the season.
June has been packed to the brim with things we’ve been wanting to get done this year, and the other night Chris and I walked around the farm and felt like we could take a nice big exhale…we’ve made it over the hump and our days of seemingly endless tasks, hard manual labor, being perpetually covered in dirt, needing two showers per day, and flopping down into bed at night from pure exhaustion…we’ve finally crested the hill and we’re on the downward slope.
I can tell when we hit that point because the things on the checklist feel easier. That, and when I walk around outside on the farm my mind isn’t constantly fixating on the things that have yet to be done.
We made huge strides this year—tons of progress in better management of our growing spaces, better care for the animals, better routines for keeping up with things, and better systems for getting it all done.
I’ve not been pain free by any means, but I have had days without back pain lately, and that has made such a world of difference for my overall mood. I think all this work and movement on the farm has actually helped rather than hurt, as I’ve also been really dedicated to my strength training routine and building up all the core, back, and leg muscles to support all this physical work we do here. It feels so good to feel good!
Of course, for everything that is going well, there are always a handful of things that aren’t. In the Big Garden, for example, we’ve been battling so much grass taking over one big part of the bed—really trying to get a handle on that this year. In the donkey’s run-in shed, we’ve discovered the adorable little sparrows nests full of baby birds have actually infested the area with mites that the birds carry—so this week we tackled that problem. We’ve had ongoing issues with some of our equipment and luckily found a new small engine mechanic to work with and get us back up and running. We’re seemingly always getting a handle on some things and then tackling all kinds of new issues as they pop up. This used to stress me out so much in our first years here. Now, we look view it as just another part of life on the farm…just another (thankfully small) problem that needs fixing.
To give you an idea of what June has looked like so far, below is our simple shared checklist of tasks we keep in our Notes app on both our phones and both have access to view and edit. We each go in there and list things that we want or need to get done, then we just chat regularly about how and when and who is getting them done.
June had four or five times as many things as any other month so far this year and we’re fortunate to have had lots of cool, cloudy, rainy days to be working outside rather than toiling away in the blazing sun and heat.
We’ve still got just a few things on tap we want to finish up for this month, and then July, August, and September’s tasks look like weekly mowing and weeding, watering and harvesting the gardens, and sitting back enjoying the summer! We’re already dreaming about afternoons on the nearby lake in Vermont we like to go to, and the weekend day trips we’ll take to do some more exploring in the region.
Like yesterday, we had the chance to pop down to Pennsylvania to spend the day with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephews. We made an awesome lunch together, hung out with and played with the kids, spent time catching up, and all around had a fabulous day.
Hard to believe this coming Friday marks the first day of summer!
We’re over the hump of the busiest part of the year, I certainly can feel myself and my mind exhaling, and we’re eager to relax a little and enjoy the sweet summer months ahead!!
That’ll do it this week from here on the Little Dream Farm. We’ll catch you back here next Sunday, same time, same place!!
That list is truly exhausting to look at! Good for you guys on the "still learning" mode. From a non-farmer it seemed you had things well managed, but you keep finding ways to do better! Big thanks to Chris for walking out of his comfort zone and answering questions on camera!!
After reading the Farm Note, I had to go rest! I was exhausted!😉
I love the check list! I have a list for every trip, every family meal, every spring & fall for the outdoors, etc. It’s how I function. One of my daughters & her daughter are the same way! 🤭
You two are an excellent team & it shows. Keep doing what works & the farm will run perfectly. Sit back & enjoy your hard work. I look forward to seeing the changes as the days go on. 🫶🏼🫶🏼