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Picking out seeds as planting season approaches

This time of year always begins at the kitchen table.

Outside, the ground is still cold and the pasture looks quiet under winter light. The barn feels slower. Mornings carry frost. But inside, seed packets start to gather across the table, a notebook opens, and plans begin to take shape.

Planting time is coming quickly.

In eastern Tennessee, once the soil finally warms, everything moves at once. Our clay and shale soils do not offer much margin for delay. When conditions are right, you have to be ready. That makes winter an important season on the farm, even if it looks dormant from the outside.

Winter is when we think.

Farming has a rhythm that you cannot ignore. There is a time to prepare, a time to plant, a time to tend, and a time to harvest. Then the land rests and the cycle begins again. Modern life does not always honor that pattern, but the farm does. Living inside that rhythm changes how you approach the year.

Seed selection has become more intentional for us over time. We no longer choose varieties based only on what looks good in a catalog. Instead, we think about what handled last summer’s humidity, what struggled in our shallow soils, and what we actually used in the kitchen. We consider what stores well, what supports soil health, and what fits into our rotation alongside poultry.

Some choices are practical. Storage onions, dry beans, and reliable tomato varieties that tolerate heat and inconsistent rainfall. Other choices are experiments. Something new to test. Something we have never grown before. Farming requires a willingness to try, observe, and adjust.

There is something steady about planning the garden while the fields rest. Holding a seed reminds you that growth begins long before it is visible. The farm may look quiet right now, but preparation is already underway.

Around the table, the girls point to their favorites and make their requests. We talk about fresh salads in late spring, salsa in midsummer, and shelves lined with jars in the fall. These conversations shape more than the garden. They shape the season ahead.

Planting time is approaching, and that carries a certain kind of anticipation. The work will come soon enough. For now, winter gives us space to choose what this year will become.

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Winter Is Setting In

Winter is officially making itself at home here.

Over the last day, a winter storm has crept in quietly but firmly—less snow than some forecasts predicted, but plenty of ice to remind us who’s really in charge this time of year. Branches are glazed, gravel crunches underfoot, and everything outside has that unmistakable frozen stillness.

We’re fortunate. Despite the ice, we still have power, which makes all the difference on days like this. Heat is on, the fireplace is warm and cozy, water is flowing, and the systems we rely on are doing their jobs. Living in the mountains, especially in winter, has a way of keeping you humble and grateful for the basics.

The animals are tucked safely into the barn, out of the wind and ice. They seem perfectly content to wait this one out—dry bedding, full bellies, and no interest whatsoever in venturing out onto slick ground. Days like this reinforce how important preparation is. Having shelter ready before weather hits is one of those lessons you only need to learn once.

There’s not much snow to speak of, but the ice changes everything. Roads are questionable, trees are heavy, and movement slows down. It’s a good reminder that winter farming isn’t about pushing forward—it’s about holding steady, maintaining what you’ve built, and letting nature pass on its own schedule.

For now, we’re keeping a close eye on conditions, checking on the animals regularly, and staying put. If the power holds and the ice eases up, we’ll call this storm a manageable one.

Winter has arrived—but for the moment, we’re warm, safe, and thankful.

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What a view

This morning started with sub freezing temperatures, and although the day warmed a little, the weather turned cold, rainy, and miserable by evening. It was the kind of day that makes you grateful for a warm house and a good fire.

Even with the cold, Mother Nature found a way to show off. At sunrise the entire valley lit up with an incredible orange glow. The color stretched across the hills and settled into the low spots, creating a view that lasted only a few minutes but was worth every second. You had to be up early to see it, but it was a beautiful sight to take in.

The weather may be rough, but the scenery never disappoints.

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Proposal Submitted. Now We Wait.

After months of planning, refining ideas, and working through details, our SARE proposal is officially submitted.

This project has been a long time coming. What started as conversations and rough notes slowly turned into a structured plan focused on improving land health, testing practical grazing methods, and sharing real results with other farmers. Submitting the proposal feels like a milestone on its own, regardless of the outcome.

Now comes the hardest part. Waiting.

Grant timelines move slowly, and there is nothing left to tweak or adjust at this point. The proposal is in their hands, and all we can do now is be patient while it is reviewed. If approved, it would allow us to move forward faster and more intentionally with the work we are already committed to doing here.

In the meantime, the farm does not pause. Animals still need care, weather still dictates the day’s work, and plans continue to take shape, with or without a grant. The proposal simply represents another step toward building something thoughtful, sustainable, and worth sharing.

So for now, we hurry up and wait.

We will share updates as we hear more.

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Looks Like We’ve Got a Farm Cat… or Two

Well, it’s official—we definitely have a farm cat.
Actually… it turns out we may have three.

The small, skinny cat we first noticed hanging around has officially decided this place is home. She’s no longer the scraggly little thing we met weeks ago. She’s filled out, looks healthier, and—most telling of all—she now lets us pet her. That’s usually the moment you realize you’ve been adopted, not the other way around.

We named her Catnice Everdine, inspired by a certain survival-savvy Hunger Games character. It felt appropriate given her rough start and impressive resilience.

Apparently, Catnice let the secret out that this is a pretty good place to be. Not long after she settled in, we started noticing two more cats making regular appearances. One is a male we’ve dubbed Pete the Cat. The other looks suspiciously like he could be Pete’s father, so naturally, they’re now known as Pete Junior and Pete Senior.

As if on cue, we’ve also come across a few dead mice around the property. Not our favorite discovery—but a very clear sign that the cats are earning their keep. Nature’s pest control is alive and well.

It’s funny how these things happen. We didn’t set out to get farm cats, but the farm seems to have decided for us. Between the healthier coats, the growing confidence, and the unmistakable evidence of their work, it looks like we’ve officially added “barn cats” to the operation.

And honestly? We’re not mad about it.

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Firewood season begins

Over the past few weeks, I built two wood racks behind the woodshop. Each one holds roughly a full cord of firewood and has a covered roof so the wood can stay dry and season properly. Between the racks and the location, it should make storing and accessing firewood much easier as the cold months settle in.

We purchased a load of wood from a local vendor and also received a generous amount from a neighbor who has been pruning trees on his property. Little by little, the racks are filling up.

We love having a fire going on cold winter days. It creates a warmth that feels different from simply running the heat. Preparing the wood now makes those moments possible later, and it feels good to have a solid start on what we will need for the season.

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Looks like we’ve got a cat, I suppose.

This little guy, or gal, has been showing up around the property for about a week now. It looks very young and far too skinny, the kind of animal that makes you stop what you are doing and wonder how long it has been fending for itself.

We decided to put out some food, milk, and water to help it fill out a bit. With any luck, it will stick around, get healthier, and offer some natural rodent control in return. A fair trade if it chooses to make this place home.

Time will tell, but for now it seems we may have a farm cat in the making.

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The garden keeps giving

As the long summer days settle in, the garden has been more productive than ever. We are getting a steady crop of bell peppers, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, banana peppers, and jalapeno peppers. Every time we walk past the beds, something new seems ready to pick.

Darrell checks the garden daily and has been putting in long hours gathering the harvest. The baskets fill up faster than we expect, and there is always another round coming behind it.

Mom and Nichel have been busy in the kitchen canning most of what comes in. This time of year we eat a lot of fresh vegetables, but even with that, the surplus adds up quickly. Whatever we do not eat or can gets cut up and frozen so we can enjoy it later in the year.

The garden just keeps producing, and we are grateful for the steady flow of fresh food. It is hard work, but it is the kind of work that pays you back in the best possible way.

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We needed eggs, so we bought chickens

We brought a small group of egg laying chickens with us when we moved to Tennessee, but it quickly became clear that we needed more to keep up with the needs of a six person household.

Today, Nichel and the girls stopped by Tractor Supply and came home with eight new chickens to add to the flock. They are a mix of breeds, and just like our meat birds, they are brooding directly on pasture inside a protected chicken tractor. It is a simple setup, but it works well and gives the birds a healthy start.

In about six months, these new hens should begin laying. It will be nice to have a steady supply of eggs again and to see the flock continue to grow in a way that fits our family’s needs.

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The workshop is finally coming together

After many months of slow, steady progress, the workshop is finally starting to take shape. The wiring is complete, the interior walls are covered in plywood, and I finished the wood with two coats of polyurethane. The hope is that dust will not stick as easily and that I will be able to blow the walls clean with a leaf blower whenever needed.

I brought my workbenches up from Florida. The space here is smaller, so I cut them down to fit the new layout. After a thorough sanding and refinishing, they look great and feel right at home in the new shop.

Lighting is installed, the audio system and TV are mounted, and the hardwood storage is now on the walls. There is still plenty left to do, but the progress feels real. It is incredibly rewarding to walk into the space and see it finally coming together after so much time and effort.