First Light Farmstead

08/20/2026

Nothing is sweeter than fresh-picked blackberries. 🫐🖤

Perfectly ripe and picked from our very own berry patch— the store-bought ones just can’t compare.

08/19/2026

Today is a good day. ❤️

After 10 long months of court dates, uncertainty, paperwork, legal expenses, sleepless nights, and fighting with everything we had, we finally received the call we had been anxiously waiting for:

We won our guardianship case! 🥹❤️

We were granted sole permanent guardianship ❤️ the odds were stacked against us and it was not an easy process but we did it!

We proved, with a "preponderance of evidence" that terminating the existing guardianship and appointing us as the successor guardian was "in the Child's best interest"

She no longer has to face "instability, poor judgement, conduct contrary to the child's best interest...chronic housing instability, repeated school changes , exposure to hostility, substance use, and unsafe conditions" and so much more.

She comes first, now and forevermore.

So many of you who follow us have become part of this journey with us. You purchased our handmade items, supported fundraisers, shared our posts, sent encouraging messages, checked in on us, and helped us keep going during some of the hardest months our family has faced.

This little business has always been about more than selling things. It is about community, giving people a hand when they need one, and believing that when we work together, we can make life a little better for someone else.

Over the last 10 months, you showed us exactly what “Together, We Thrive” really means.

There are not enough words to thank every person who helped us get here.

Today, though, we are going to celebrate.

Our girl is home, safe and sound. ❤️🏡

08/18/2026

Meet the newest rooster in our flock! 🐓🧡

This handsome guy is the son of our extra-sweet rooster, Stormy, and one of our Maran hens—and so far, he seems to have inherited all of his dad’s best personality traits. He is incredibly sweet, loves attention, and is more than happy to settle in for some cuddles. 🥹

Stormy is getting up there in age, and while we hope he has plenty of good years left, we also want to make sure we have someone ready to eventually take his place as flock protector and resident gentleman.

We don’t usually keep the roosters from the chicks we hatch, but this guy was different.

Between his sweet temperament and a few interesting traits he inherited from his Maran mama—more on those soon 👀—we decided he needed to stay.

Now we just have one problem…

He needs a name!

Our current contenders are:

🐓 Lucifer — Lucy for short
🔥 Diablo
❤️ Romeo

Which one gets your vote?

Or do you have a completely different name that fits this cuddly little gentleman better?

08/17/2026

Welcome to the world, little one. 🥹🐣

This tiny Serama chick is just ONE day old and already has us completely smitten.

Just look at that little face! 😭🤎

Seramas are considered the smallest chicken breed in the world.

Even fully grown, they stay incredibly tiny—generally around a pound or less, making them roughly comparable to a can of soda in weight.

Welcome to the Farmstead, little nugget. 💛

08/17/2026

Motivational Monday

Keep your chin up and don't be afraid to ruffle some feathers.

08/15/2026

08/12/2026

Josh has been busy at the carving bench again, and this is his latest spoon — hand-carved from local cherry wood. 🥄🌳

This one is simple and functional with a little loop at the end to add some character.

And of course, every spoon Josh carves ends up being just a little different from the last. That’s the fun of handmade. ❤️

What do you think of this style?

Would you use it as a coffee scoop, spice scoop, or for something else?

08/12/2026

Found this fuzzy little fella hanging out on my basil this morning! 🌿🐛

This is a tussock moth caterpillar, and while all those fluffy tufts make him look pretty pettable, this is definitely a look-but-don’t-touch kind of visitor. 😅

The hairs on many tussock caterpillars are part of their defense system and can cause an itchy rash or skin irritation in some people.

Those dramatic tufts aren’t just for looks, either. They help make the caterpillar less appealing to anything thinking about turning it into breakfast.

Fun fact: Some tussock moth caterpillars have an impressive way of traveling when they’re tiny—they can release a strand of silk and use their hairs to catch the wind, essentially “ballooning” through the air to a new plant! 🎈🐛

Nature really does make some of the coolest little creatures... even when they decide my basil is the perfect place to hang out. 😂🌿

08/11/2026

This video feels like the perfect way to remember George. ❤️

Carefree. Happy. Frolicking through the field without a worry in the world.

George may have been completely blind, but he never seemed to let that slow him down. He explored, adventured, got himself into plenty of shenanigans, and lived his life with a confidence that sometimes made the rest of us forget he couldn't see at all.

Watching this video now is bittersweet. It hurts knowing we won't get to watch him wander through our fields again, but I am so grateful we have moments like this to hold onto.

So this is how I choose to picture you, George — frolicking carefree through a field, with nothing holding you back. 🌈🐾

I hope wherever you are, the fields are endless, your legs are strong, and somehow you can finally see just how beautiful the world around you is.

Rest easy, sweet boy. You were so incredibly loved, and you will be missed more than words can say. ❤️

08/11/2026

We have some heartbreaking news to share from the Farmstead. 💔

Last week, we said goodbye to our sweet George.

George was our 100% blind Great Dane mix, but if you ever met him, you quickly learned that being blind never stopped him from doing much of anything.

He wandered the farm, went on the occasional unauthorized neighborhood adventure, found the most inconvenient places to stand, and somehow always seemed completely confident that the rest of us would simply adjust accordingly. 😂

He was gentle, goofy, stubborn, incredibly loving, and one of those dogs whose presence was impossible to miss.

George loved his cuddles, and there was something especially comforting about having him lean into you with his whole body when he wanted a little extra love (which was always).

Our farm feels different without him here.

There are so many pieces of First Light Farmstead that have nothing to do with the things we grow, make, or sell. It is also the animals who share this life with us—the ones who become part of our routines, our stories, our laughter, and eventually our hearts.

George was absolutely one of those animals. ❤️

Rest easy, sweet boy. I hope you are running through endless fields somewhere, able to see every bit of it, with Royce waiting for you on the other side.

You were very, very loved, George. And you will be very, very missed. 🌈🐾