Gardendwellers Farm & Ranch

05/08/2026

The whirlwind of spring chaos is upon us here!

Some late lambs were born this morning unassisted, dry, with bellies full of colostrum when we found them. Twins ewe lambs from a bottle raised first time yearling mama. Not a single one of our 11 yearlings rejected their lambs, something sheep and first timers are notorious for, and most even had twins. 🤎

Our brooder is FULL of chickens, ducks, and a few geese. They look messy because they have been getting lots of raw milk to drink! It's so good for them. We use peat moss in the brooder and wont be going back to woodchips anytime soon! It works great and can be composted and used as a potting mix afterwards (with added perlite). But it is dusty and really sticks to the messy waterfowl down. The chicks will go out on pasture in their chickens tractors very soon! Its just been to chilly out for them yet.

We added 8 new piglets to the farm (sorry no pics of them yet!) that are also getting plenty of clabbered raw milk soak grain. They love it! Poor little piggies are all pink though and all got a sunburn yesterday.

We've had kind of a string of bad luck and have some animals in hospital pens attending various injuries obtained in some freak accidents. We also found a beautiful healthy keeper ewe lamb dead in our hay rack a couple nights ago. It looked like she could not get out and likely bloated. We check sheep at least 2x day normally just to make sure weird things like this are caught right away. A friend and our toddlers helped process her into raw food for our carnivores, so it didn't at all go to waste, but still very disappointing. The toddlers thought it was pretty cool and we're most excited for the guts, so we made it into a learning lesson.

In between all of that we've been busy getting the gardens prepped for planting. The tots helped me pot up some plants today and were actually somewhat helpful. 😍

Hope you all are enjoying spring!

- Apryl

04/14/2026

Looking for some wholesome meat to fill your freezer? We have whole (and half hog) animals available now! Our winter raised batch of hogs is going to the processor next week. Message us for more info and our cut sheets.

These winter raised hogs have been raised on clabbered milk from our cows, hay, and local peas, barley, oats, and some corn.

We have alfalfa finished 2025 lambs available also!

We'd also like to announce that we will not have chicken available in 2026, as we are taking this year to focus on family and building up our farm infrastructure, so we are cutting back on some enterprises, but we plan to be back at it raising chickens in 2027! We are still raising 120 for our family this year, so don't worry, we won't forget how!

Message us if you're interested or have any questions. Thanks!

04/10/2026

We are set up at The Big One in Minot today until 8pm and Saturday 9-5! Booth 328. My mother, Donita LS Arts, is here today next door too! Stop by and say hi!

We have a new product making its debut today also! We are calling it Shepherd's Barrier Salve. Made with lanolin and our home raised sheep tallow. If you need some serious skin help, this stuff is great for dry hands, lips, or skin in general.

Hope to see some familiar faces this weekend!

~ Apryl

04/03/2026

Spring Farm Happenings

Spring is starting to feel like it's here some days, and we have sure enjoyed those days outside. The occasional sunshiney warm days have felt amazing. Birds are migrating, plants are waking up, lambs are growing chonky, we have chicken eggs in the incubator. Those chives are just peeking out of the ground. I can't wait to eat them! 🌱🌷🥚

The Jumbo Coturnix Quail chicks are feathering out and going to the greenhouse brooder tomorrow to grow up some more before we introduce them to our adults. I'm excited to be making pickled quail eggs regularly again soon.

Some garden seeds have been started. Just brassicas, peppers, and some herbs this week. In the second pic we have some ginger starting. I bought organic ginger from the store produce department and threw the viable looking ones in our worm bin, where the conditions were just right for this incredibly SLOoooW plant to decide to either live or die. It'll be planted in our little high tunnel. I wouldnt recommend trying to grow ginger in North Dakota without a high tunnel or greenhouse. If we get a harvest we will candy it. 🫚

We are done lambing! Started and finished in March. We do have 3 ewes that were bred later, but we are calling it a wrap for now. We ended up with a 204% lambing rate of 53 lambs from 26 ewes. We lost two lambs and one yearling ewe to dystocia. We learned more and grew as Shepherds.

A few house keeping things....Stay tuned for some other big updates soon on our plans for the upcoming season. We also have a Simmental Angus heifer calf and a registered Jersey cow we are looking to sell, last 2 pics. And if anybody is interested in whole hogs or finished or weaned lambs, send us a message! Hogs go into 1481 Meats April 23rd.

Hope you all are enjoying spring as well and finding time to get out into nature as it wakes up.

~ Apryl

03/31/2026

We will have a booth set up this Saturday, April 4th, in Mohall at The Prairie Bistro and Gardens with our natural soaps, salves, and lip balms. We will also be taking orders for whole lambs and hogs for 2026. Stop by for a fun time, play in the dirt, shop for plants and visit the other handmade artisans that will be set up! The rug making class sounds fun!

Anyone else out there have some spring fever happening? Then be sure to join us for our annual “A Taste of Spring” event! Thank you to our co-hosts, Andrea Savelkoul and Regan Slind at Signal Realty, for teaming up with us again this year!

We have tons of fun things planned throughout the day to lift your spirits and get you in the mood for the upcoming season. Feel free to take a stroll through the greenhouses to catch a sneak peek at the plants. Plus check out our pre-season sale items while you are here!

11am-3pm – Succulent Bar Open - Plant and take home your own succulent creation(s).

11am-3pm – Purchase a lunch ticket when you arrive to enjoy our housemade soup and flower pot bread, plus nibble on samplings of new heavenly treats we are working on!

11am-3pm – Area Makers’ Booths Open. Makers from the local area will be set up to showcase their products:
*Jenny with Prairie Fairy Designs (jewelry)
*Jeanie Stromswold (sourdough breads and other goodies)
*Apryl Mawby – meats, herbal soaps, and body products
*Various makers from the Minot Multi-Farm CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
*Plus more to possibly be added

2pm – Garden Bingo in the greenhouse

3pm – DIY Welcome Mat Workshop. Deb with Nature’s Nook will back with us to help you create and take home your own customized, personalized welcome mat. *Must pre-register and see more details at https://naturesnookart.com/products/april-4th-diy-welcome-mat-workshop-at-prairie-bistro-and-gardens

There is no entrance fee for this event. We only ask that you pre-register with Nature’s Nook if you plan to participate in the Welcome Mat Workshop.

03/28/2026

Tick patrol is happily reporting for duty in the trees on this beautiful day. Soon the Hen Mobile will be moved up to the corral where they will help compost bedding, eat wasted grain, and eventually help prevent flies.

03/27/2026

This will be my first big arts and crafts show that I’ll be participating in since moving to ND and starting my NEW art business. Sharing a booth space with Garden Dwellers (Apryl), who will be selling her soaps and balms. Hope we both do well. Apparently, the fall show sees more people and sales, but this will be a good start. I think I’m ready!

03/27/2026

Look who I found in the mailbox! Very proud of Ember for the work and learning she is putting in with her goats and little business. The goat milk is currently feeding bottle babies, but get in touch with us if you're interested in trying her goat milk and chevre soon!

03/12/2026

Lambing update and some of my camera roll from the last couple days. We have 25 lambs on the ground out of 11 ewes, with 15 more mamas to go. We are currently at 227% lambing rate! Its been nice to see the four yearlings that have lambed so far be such great mamas.

We had our first loss of the season last night. A lamb presenting with its head back. That one unfortunately did not make it, but I was able to save his two sisters. I harvested the lost lamb's abomasum for rennet that will be used in cheese making. 🧀