Dragonfly Downs Farm

10/13/2026

Paw paw restock!

The season is almost over—don’t miss your chance to try Michigan’s most unique fruit. Packed with tropical flavors, this special treat is a must-try. Flavor is a combination of mango, pineapple, and banana with a smooth, custard-y texture.

$15/quart (1.5 lbs) basket. Available now in our self-serve farm stand, 6627 E Mt Hope Hwy in Grand Ledge.

10/04/2026

**Restocked as of Wednesday 10/7!**

We have paw paws available in the farmstand!

With the cool nights and falling leaves, Michigan fall brings a surprisingly tropical treat: paw paw season! This unique fruit is native to Michigan, yet tastes like a combination of banana, mango, and pineapple, with a smooth, creamy texture. Supplies are limited and the season is brief—get yours today!

$15/quart (1.5 lb) box!

09/28/2026

Forgetting where in the overgrown pasture you set the trimmer?

0/10 do not recommend.

90 excited sheep following you like puppies as you search for it, knowing you’ll *eventually* get them the good grass?

10/10 will repeat.

09/20/2026

The boys haven’t been with us as long as the ewe flock (on average), and they haven’t had nearly as much practice rotating pastures. So it’s so exciting to see them get excited when they saw me building fencing the same way the ladies do!

The sheep are smart—it really doesn’t take them long to associate their shepherd handling portable fencing with a fresh, tasty salad bar. Moving pastures is as simple as opening a gap in the fences—the sheep know what to do from there!

09/18/2026

We brought home a new friend today—and this fella looks a little different!

We’ve chosen to emulate a UK-type production model. Our climate more closely mirrors that of British Isles compared to the arid climates of the mountain west, Australia, or Spain (the origin of the Merino). If we want healthy fine-wooled sheep here, the UK breeds are likely a better-adapted option for us.

Shetlands are the base of our flock—they’re hardy, thrifty, and have a gorgeous fine wool. We love them! They’re what in the UK might be called a “hill breed,” and their weakness, from a production standpoint, is slow growth and small size.

This fine young ram is a Blue Faced Leicester. BFLs are often bred over hill ewes to produce what’s called a “mule.” These ewes will retain the good maternal qualities of their dams, with a larger framed body and an excellent fleece. The mule ewes can then be bred to a meat type breed for good market lambs.

We’re excited to begin trialing this cross with some of our unregistered Shetlands. There is so much to look forward to with next year’s lambing season!

09/15/2026

Education and skill sharing is so important to us! I love partnering with organizations like Allen Neighborhood Center to offer accessible education on these important topics. Thank you Michigan Public for the write-up!

A Michigan homesteader hosts an educational workshop informing the public on safety when preserving food, with a goal of helping others become more self-sufficient.

09/05/2026

Big things start with the first tiny steps!

(and sometimes, tiny sheep!)

08/27/2026

Welcomed ten new sheep to the farm yesterday—and boy, is it starting to feel like a proper flock!

We’re *almost* to 100 head and so delighted with the wonderful stock we’ve been entrusted with from some really great Shetland breeders.

It’s been pretty wild to go from 0 to (nearly) 100 in just a few months. The garden and orchard have definitely suffered, but we are so excited for where this enterprise might take us, and so grateful to all the wonderful friends, family, and mentors who have helped us get running and keep the flock healthy.

08/13/2026

Don’t miss this great chance to learn about food preservation this fall, at one of my favorite places!

I’ll be going over a strong foundation of food preservation science, pros and cons between methods, basic equipment, and more. We aren’t offering on-farm classes this year, so this is your chance to learn from my 16+ years of real-world food preservation experience, including tips for working food preservation into busy modern households & creating foods your family will actually eat!

08/12/2026

We’re trying our best to handle our flock with professional level care. Being a small farm and just getting running, we have to sometimes be pretty creative with setting up management systems, though!

Kennel panels, pallets, temporary fencing, and even hay bale walls have all served for working lanes and temporary chutes for these ladies. Sometimes it’s silly, but the plus side is we are learning a lot about what works and what doesn’t before committing to a more permanent setup.

It sure would be nice to have a fancy professional handling system, though!