week 48: for the hundredth time
this week on the little dream farm
Welcome to the 100th Farm Note, friend.
This is a milestone to celebrate!
For 100 weeks in a row we’ve gathered here on Sunday morning to catch up on the goings on here on the Little Dream Farm.
When I started this weekly newsletter I didn’t really have a plan beyond, write something every week about what you’re doing, learning, growing, working on, or going through on the farm.
I wasn’t entirely sure many people would actually want to read it, so I quickly “launched” it on the first Sunday of the year in January 2023 and went on a walk that morning and worked myself into a mini panic.
Oh God. What if I run out of things to say? What if I have nothing to share? What if people think it’s cute but no one reads it? What if it never grows?
All of that was just fear talking. The reality, 100 weeks later, is that there’s always something going on here on the farm. Always something to share, a project in the works, something to recap or debrief or work my way through into words to hopefully share with you the lessons and the takeaways of what this little dream life is teaching us…how we’re growing and changing and shaping this farm, and how it’s doing the very same to and for us in return.
Incredibly, it turns out that thousands of you like to read it…and every week, at that. Our subscribers have grown every single week since that first issue and our readership doubled from last year to this year and remains solid and steady week to week. It has opened up the door for sponsorship opportunities from brands and companies we love, and ways for me to share things we love and use here on the farm with all of you.
Some of my favorite messages throughout the week are ones about how you read and enjoyed that particular week’s Farm Note, or that you recently picked up something from a Sarah’s Favorites list and are now loving it, too.
There are so many lessons and valuable nuggets I’ve taken away from starting and writing this weekly newsletter over the last two years, but the best of those lessons is: if you have something on your heart that you’re thinking about, wanting to try, feel like you might love doing, or can’t stop thinking about…then begin it. Begin it, and give yourself the opportunity to see where it may take you!
To celebrate the 100th issue of the Farm Note, I wanted to share with you two things: our top three favorite Farm Notes to date; and the top three most read issues of the Farm Note.
Whether you read them the week they published or want to go back and read them now, it was a joy for me to scroll back and read some of the old issues, and I thought maybe you’d like to do the same. There are some real gems!!
And, whether you’ve been here as a subscriber and loyal reader since the beginning or have joined us along the way, may I take a second to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for coming alongside us on this little dream life ride and for opening, reading, and enjoying the Farm Note with us week to week.
It means the world to be able to share it with you, and Chris and I are so lucky to share this tiny corner of the Internet, both here and on our Instagram account, with such wonderful, incredible people like you.
Without delay…let’s get into the lists!
Our Top Three Favorite Farm Notes:
week 1: beginning anew (from January 2023) - our very first Farm Note! It’s bittersweet!
week 3: adding our personal touch (from January 2023) - I still go back and read this regularly as a reminder of what we stand for, where we began, and how far we’ve come.
week 14: the best of (from April 2024) - I go back to this issue time and again just to marvel at the sheer beauty of this farm, and to pinch myself that we get to be its stewards.
The Top Three Most Read Farm Notes:
week 25: what’s not meant to be (from June 2024) - far and away this was the most widely read issue we’ve done to date and I received countless comments, messages, emails, comments, and stories from many of you.
week 30: the beauty issue (from July 2024) - this was the most highly requested Farm Note…all things clean beauty and self-care. This is a master list I built for you, be sure to bookmark it!
week 40: our old boy (from October 2024) - unsurprisingly, this deep-dive on Molly-Max’s health, status, and care was one of the most widely read issues. We can’t thank you enough for loving our old donkey boy and caring about him like we do.
Holiday shopping? Here are two past Farm Notes that may help you find just the perfect thing!
A Giant List of Sarah’s Favorites! - Be sure to bookmark this one!!
Sarah’s Favorites: The Black Friday Edit - A current list of things on sale this season!
*Note: Not all, but most of these links are affiliate links. That’s no matter to you, as it costs you nothing. However, if you make a purchase, we -may- receive a teeny weeny commission.
😊I have been in a bit of a hole lately and realized I have not been doing the things that make me feel better, I have sone weeks to catch up on. Reading the farm notes is one of the things that makes my life so much better so thank you from the bottom of my heart❤️
Congratulations. I’ve been following you since Philadelphia with chunky cat and baby Buist. Love your farm.