Watts Up Farmstead

05/29/2023

Thank you 🇺🇸

These holidays always make me stop. And quite honestly, take my breath away. As I imagine the men and women voluntarily giving their lives for our freedoms. For generations. Without asking for anything in return but our respect and a simple “thank you”.

And even then, many don’t even ask for that.

I’m so thankful to those who gave their lives so that I can sit here and post this on the internet without any fear. Thank you.

05/12/2023

My latest article for Rethink:Rural - An Intro to Seed Saving with The Living Seed Company

"When you save heirloom seeds year after year from your garden and plant from your personal seed bank, the seeds begin to build resilience and adapt to your specific region,” Astrid explains. “It’s a sustainability practice. Every year the seeds become acclimated to your climate, soils, droughts, or excess rain. Seeds are tiny miracles.”

Read the full article here:

Learn how to save seeds---including tomato, lettuces and beans---and be more self-sufficient from a seed company founder and expert.

04/16/2023

Our ladies have started laying! Right under our back doorstep. This one is fresh from the chicken butt. Hooray for truly free range, organic eggs. These girls eat an almost 100% bug diet with some sunflower seeds and yummy food scraps thrown in. They are surviving and thriving!

So, soon we will be offering eggs for our barn guests and the community. Keep your eyes peeled 😊

12/05/2022

It’s pretty dreary out. Winter is slowly creeping in. I’m not sure if we are ready or not, if I’m being totally honest with you.

A few things we have on our mind with the farmstead and winter time:

🌿 start working on our winter sowing containers (set out date for containers is at or after the Winter Solstice, which is Dec 21st, so we are collecting tools, containers, and seeds to get going!)

🐰 winterize the rabbit hutches to help keep them warm as cold weather starts to set in. My goal is to breed one mama bunny in February.

🐣 reconstruct our chicken areas. Between weasels, coyotes, opposums, and hawks, our poor flock has suffered. We will have to start all over in the spring. In the meantime, we have some predator proofing to do.

🚜 there’s still some work to do in the barn. We hope that it will be ready to rent soon. We will keep you posted on that!!

11/04/2022

How do you winterize your hobby farm?

8 tips on winterizing your Southern hobby farm! ⁣
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Even though Southern winters are generally mild, homesteaders and hobby farmers still need to do some prep before the cold sets in. ⁣
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Homesteader Mara Watts of Watts Up Farmstead in Western North Carolina shares how to winterize so livestock remain safe and your garden will be ready for spring.

Visit: https://rethinkrural.raydientplaces.com/blog/8-tips-on-winterizing-your-southern-hobby-farm ⁣

10/31/2022

https://rethinkrural.raydientplaces.com/blog/8-tips-on-winterizing-your-southern-hobby-farm

Winter is quickly creeping in, which means it's time to start winterizing around the farm. In my latest article on Rethink:Rural, I share some tips and ideas for how you can do just that!

Learn 8 tips on how to winterize your southern hobby farm for the coming winter season.

10/22/2022

My sister’s buns are great buddies. How sweet are these two cuddling in the sun?

10/17/2022

We have sunflowers growing randomly in our yard!

They are growing in the dead grass where the chicken tractors have been. We think that a few sunflower seeds from the chicken feed were overlooked and were naturally sown in the well fertilized ground (aka chicken poo). Craziness!!

So now we have these beauties gracing us with their pop of yellow down in the field.

🌻

10/11/2022

Oh hey there Fall! 🍂

I guess it’s time to crank up the stock pot, and make some chicken broth with homegrown chicken. Yum!!

09/05/2022

We’re doing a thing (if you haven’t heard already). We’re transforming our barn into a living space for others to enjoy on our mini farm!

The space will offer travelers and nomads a place to lay their head while they explore the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. We really do live in the most beautiful place on Earth, so why not share it with others?

A few key features will include:

🌄 Views. Our mountain sky just can’t get any prettier. I mean, check out the last picture I took the other night. The picture window will be installed soon!!

👩🏻‍🌾 Our vision is to immerse guests in our daily lives as farmsteaders. We plan to offer a garden space unique and exclusive to our guests to garden as they wish, pick flowers, and harvest fresh organic produce.

🪞Provide guests with a stay they won’t soon forget. This won’t be your traditional barn setup. Oh no! We are talking uniquely, but simply decorated in a way that is both functional, peaceful, and…boho!!!!

We have started an Instagram page for those of you that would like to follow our adventures with The Burnsville Boho Barn. Check it out - www.instagram.com/bvlbohobarn

We hope you will come stay with us after the renovation is complete!

08/26/2022

Happy dog day to this beautiful girl ❤️

08/15/2022

It is an honor to be a contributor on Rethink:Rural! Check out my latest article on garden plans we have here on the farm.

A flourishing garden can mean a lot of trial and error, but with proper planning and a good seasonal strategy you can skip the “error” and still leave room for some fun experiments in what to grow and how to grow it. Homesteader Mara Watts of Watts Up Farmstead shares her fall and winter gardening plans so that you can approach your own garden with a proper plan.

Read more:
https://rethinkrural.raydientplaces.com/blog/fall-garden-prep-what-were-growing-on-our-mini-farm