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SUNSHINE FARM

SUNSHINE FARM

Millennial homesteaders on a plant-based hobby farm in Upstate New York

Chickens

Ethical and Humane Ways to Add Chicks to Your Flock

Silkie chicks hatched by broody hens

Chicks are Coming! | April, 2017

baby chick

Welcome to the Sunshine Farm Baby Chicks | April, 2017

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Garden Plans

https://youtu.be/LKlK4A5ncNY

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Do you know where the eggs you eat come from? Recently we’ve had colleagues and friends wanting to source eggs from us, because they are looking for a better, more sustainable, and more ethical option than what is available at the store. A store label of "free range" can't really be trusted to represent any kind of humane life for chickens, do we really know what those labels mean? No, because there is no connection. By providing friends and family with eggs, I hope they don't just think about the product they are consuming, but about the animals' lives, how they live, and how they are treated throughout their entire lives. When they see pictures of our chickens and hear about their personalities, there is connection. And while we don't raise chickens primarily for eggs and never intended to sell eggs, I still take joy in knowing that we can make some level of impact by increasing connection through our own small farm and homestead.
See those happy + healthy baby plants? Well... they’re not doing so well anymore. I planted them a little over a week ago, and so many of them are essentially dying. We’ve had SO much wind that they just couldn’t handle it, add in the fact that we are moving towards no-till this year, which means a big adjustment for the soil, and very little sunshine, and these guys barely stood a chance. I’ve actually been pretty bummed about it all day, and not just these plants, but the garden as a whole. If I’m being honest, I’m completely terrified that all my plants are going to die. These plants that I’ve put so much time into, and that I have such hope for. And it’s teaching me to let go of fear and anxiety in ways I didn’t expect. The garden is such a teacher, and it produces so much more than food, but true character.
Guess what?! It’s this guy’s birthday tomorrow!! 2️⃣6️⃣ I can’t wait to celebrate my man all day long! Being away from him for a few days this past week was so lonely, and such a reminder of the joy that he brings to my life daily. My favorite part of the day is when we both get home from work and my saddest part is when he leaves for work. Gosh, I just love this man! 🥰
It’s hard to believe that we are already entering back into the gardening season. I thought it would take forever to get to the point of digging my hands in the dirt again. In the past few months I somehow forgot what it feels like to plant a seed in the ground, to check to garden constantly in anticipation of germination. I even forgot what it was like to weed, and the feeling of my body being completely spent and exhausted from a day working in the garden. Such a joy to be able to get back to the season where I can experience all of the wonders of gardening all over again.
The garden is awakening from lots and lots of good sleep. These four beds that you can see here are all brand new! They are about 60ft by 6ft. They are all no-till with either wood chips or rotted hay/bedding. When I brush aside the wood chips I see lots and lots of worms and dark, moist soil, which means the ground is getting ready for lots of plants. The beauty of these no-till methods is that year after year they continue to improve the quality of the soil and produce an even greater and healthier yield. Do you use no-till methods in the garden? Do you have any questions about them? Comment below! I would love to spark some discussion about no-till methods to gardening.
You know what really rocks?! Painted rocks! 🤣 Especially ones with fruits and veggies on them! Today I made my first 5 painted rock garden markers and it was so fun. Such a functional and creative way to get artsy with the garden. I’m going to share an easy tutorial tomorrow on the blog. 🌱
Do you know how Artichokes grow? • • I didn’t. I didn’t even think about how they grew, I just saw them in the store, already prepared, and didn’t think twice. Same with Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, and Cauliflower. Raise your hand if your were like me & didn’t know how good was grown. 🙋🏼‍♀️ Before last year, I knew very little about the way plants grow or even the difference between a botanical fruit and a vegetable. Watching the plants grow and produce food is so awe-inspiring to me. When you go out in the garden one day and see your first pumpkin growing or your first tomato blossoms. All of it is amazing. • • Artichokes get REALLLYY big before they ever produce a flower (the part that you eat). They get 3-4 feet tall, and 2-3 feet wide with giant spiky leaves. They even overwinter in many regions with careful protections from harsh cold and heavy snow. Learning about the way plants grow and form food, makes me all the more excited and willing to ensure that the food that is grown does not go to waste. How can you waste food that you’ve waited months for?
Failure. A word with so many negative connotations & something we are constantly trying to avoid. But friends, let’s embrace the possibility of failure, because it means that we are stepping outside of our comfort zones, challenging ourselves to jump into our dreams, and being open to new possibilities. So let’s #failtogether, by openly sharing when we fall, and encouraging each other to get back up. So that when we do have successes, we can root each other on, support each other wholeheartedly, and be a real community. How have you failed recently & how did it grow you? Read all about one of my recent failures below! • • If you followed our maple syrup adventure at all, the VERY FIRST tree that we tapped was NOT a Maple Tree, but an Ash tree. The sap never flowed, and maple syrup was not a possibility from that first attempt. But I am so glad we didn’t stop there. That failure made the success of tapping trees and actually getting sap, all the more worthwhile. Being willing to fail, and even failing in the process, opened up the possibility of making our own maple syrup, something we will continue to do in years to come, with confidence, based on the lessons learned this year. • • So let’s fail together, grow together, and encourage each other throughout it all.
We thrive when we have space to grow. 🌱 This morning I shared a video all about how I failed with my gardening ventures last year. But it wasn’t at all a bad thing, it was actually an amazing thing. I learned more than I ever thought possible through those mistakes and failures. I learned the importance of soil, of giving your plants a great start with lots of light, AND lots of room to GROW! • • I transplanted these little plants just the other day and they are starting to take off! It’s crazy how much they grow when they have just a little extra room. I think WE are the exact same way. We need space to grow. We have to step outside of our comfort zones, challenge ourselves to branch out beyond what is safe, try new things, & create more space in order to grow, just like these little baby plants. • • I tend to challenge myself a little too much in the area of new adventures, but I often do not step outside of my comfort zone when it comes to meeting new people and making new friends. This app & other social media has really forced me out of my comfort zone and has led to some really amazing friendships that I’m so grateful for. So friends, HOW ARE YOU STEPPING OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND GIVING YOURSELF SPACE TO GROW?

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  • About
    • How We Got Started
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