Shady Side Farm

06/05/2026

It’s been so dry.

I took this photo this morning, and thought “it’s gonna miss us.”

I was wrong. So glad I was.

06/03/2026

Remember the corn we planted the other day? It’s come up nicely, and now it’s time to cultivate between each row! We pick the shovel to attach to the cultivator based on width and depth. Then out in the field, we check to make sure we’re pulling up weeds and not the corn. 🌽

06/02/2026

Haying season is in full swing (and so are my allergies 🤧). While most farmers get 2-3 hay cuttings, we typically only harvest one cutting as hay. Hopefully that is enough to supply the animals for the winter. After that, the sheep and cattle harvest the 2nd and 3rd cuttings as they graze on pasture all summer.

05/29/2026

You might have heard me talk about the importance of farm-adjacent infrastructure if you've spent any time with me. Millers, butchers, tanners, bakers--they all are so important for small farmers who sell directly to consumers.

A couple of years ago the wool mill we used from the very beginning closed suddenly. Since that time we've struggled to find local wool processing. I'm happy to report that there is a new mill opening soon nearby, and they need a little crowdfunding help.

If you are so inclined to help (even $25 helps!), they only have 3 more days for their campaign. Click here to read more and donate if you're so inclined:

Helping us fund the final leg of building our mill so we can start serving small scale fiber growers & local yarn enthusiasts!

05/27/2026

Learning how to set up the seed planter to prepare for corn planting. Finding and installing the right seed plates for the size of corn kernels (ours aren’t graded seed, so it’s a matter of finding one that’s close enough. And one that we have a whole set of. 😆). Adjusting the shaft sprockets and calculating plant population for 30” rows to plant 21-23k seeds per acre. Then setting the planting depth (corn should be 1.5-2”) And consulting ChatGPT when the farmer had to run off to another task. 🤷‍♀️ Farming is a whole lot of ‘figure it out’ mixed in with knowledge passed from one person to the next.

05/20/2026

Such a good feeling to be done with our organic inspection for another year!

05/19/2026

Things only break when you use them…

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas to us. IYKYK.

12/24/2025

We are so grateful for you. See you next year!