Long before the current AI craze, farmers were knee-deep in “AI” every single day – but this was a whole different kind of artificial intelligence. It wasn’t the kind of thing that could run algorithms to predict the stock market, or write you a Shakespearean sonnet on demand. Nope, this was the real deal: Artificial Insemination. And I’ll tell you what, if they’re giving out … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm – “I’m Sick of Being Sick!” You too?
“It feels like we’ve been sick most of the cold and flu season,” she sighed. Forced to skip two of their favorite weekly activities, she stayed home with sick kiddos while being sick herself. Personally, I vote that moms shouldn’t be allowed to take care of sick kids while being sick themselves, but colds don’t care to listen to me. Seems like everyone needs mom even … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm – Prepare Him Room?
I do not want to write this article. I mean … usually I do … but not today. Today is much too busy, with more “to-dos” than I can count. I’ll probably even add more things to the list as I’m doing them throughout the day so I can bask in the twisted mental high of running my pen through those burdensome beasts. (I know I’m not the only one who does this!) Trouble is, I … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm – The Joy Dare
I stopped in my tracks as I read the sobering words; “It’s habits that can imprison you and it’s habits that can free you,” declared author Ann Voskamp. Which is it for me, I wondered. Both options are pretty extreme in my opinion. Imprisonment or freedom? And the choice lies within my habits? Could it be true? During my 12-year-old family Christmas, my 19-year-old cousin … [Read more...]
Fresh off the Farm – Confessions of a Milk-mom (and Me, Too)
I wish you could have been in my silo farm store with one of my milk-moms the other day because she asked the most brilliant question that we all need. She had just finished an overnight nursing shift in the ICU (can we just say WOW?!) and came to pick up milk before she even went to bed (can we say WOW again?!). As we talked, it’s like she read my mind. I’m wondering if … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm – What Are You Thinking?
Science has proven that emotions are created by thoughts. Pause there. Did you actually digest that? Here it comes again: science has proven that emotions are created by the thoughts that we think. This means the feelings we will experience today come from the thoughts we are thinking. So, how are you feeling today? Maybe you’re anxious? Discouraged? Disappointed? Feeling … [Read more...]
Fresh off the Farm – Surprising Key to Learning
What does your student need? It’s not what you think. New plan… Next summer, I’ll just tape my eyelids open so I can’t blink and maybe summer will last a little longer. I’ve heard many moms say their kids need to get “back into a routine” this fall, but I’d like to suggest (and research supports) that we need to intentionally keep a little summer in our fall in order for our … [Read more...]
Fresh off the Farm – Your Last, First Breath
Eleven days ago, I held my dad’s hand while he took his last breath. After a 15-month battle with brain cancer, he stepped from earth into eternity with Jesus. In the last hours of his life, we hung on every breath as apnea caused long pauses between each one. Each pause brought the loudest silent words I’ve ever heard as we collectively wondered “was that his last one?” … [Read more...]
Fresh off the Farm – Burning the Jerks to the Ground
Matches and lighter fluid in hand, I charged toward my bedroom like a bluefaced Mel Gibson in “Braveheart” yelling “They can take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!!!” At least,that’s how I wanted to feel. If you’re just joining us - we’re in the middle of a closet purging battle. Dawn from the Minimal Mom on YouTube told me that I would have more peace if I … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm – Do You Have Closet Jerks?
“I guess I’ll have to start a nudist colony,” I told my husband. He didn’t seem to take my declaration seriously, so I figured I’d better amp it up. “I’ve been learning from Dawn at The Minimal Mom on YouTube and she said that if something isn’t an eight or higher out of 10, it isn’t worth owning.” Dawn explains how everything we own is talking (and sometimes screaming) at … [Read more...]
I Can’t Make This Stuff Up: If You Can’t Drink Milk, You Need To Try It Raw!
I’ve lost count of the number of times people have told me they can’t drink milk, but they can drink fresh, raw milk with no trouble at all! Seeing the giddy excitement on someone’s face as they share their newfound milk-freedom never gets old. I imagine this is how Santa Claus must feel – dishing out gifts that take your breath away. Did you ever get a gift that you thought … [Read more...]
I Hear You!
I see you, friend. I hear that you’re curious if raw milk is all it’s cracked up to be. Does it really work or is it too good to be true? How do I know? Because I know you’re reading! Many of you had additional questions about my last article and wanted to hear more. Every week, I hear the most amazing raw milk stories. I could write a book with the hundreds of ways I’ve … [Read more...]
Farm Wife Meal Magic!
Guess what?! I’ve been working on something for the last year and it changes everything in my kitchen. I wrote about it in 2022 and I’m here to ask: Have you tried it yet? If not, you need to! If you’re like me, you love learning from someone else’s experience, especially if they learned it the hard way! So here I am, telling you that this hack works. Back to our hack: … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm
Are You Tracking with Me? I’m embarrassed to say that I made a 2023 image board for my 2023 goals and I am STILL planning to print it... as in, I lived 12 months meaning to take action on my goals and there it sits on my computer - unprinted and unused. It’s not like I didn’t do anything last year. I did a lot, but did it align with what I wanted for my year? It could have … [Read more...]
Why I’m Wrecked This Christmas (It’s not what you think)
Have you ever been so busy, you miss something that was right in front of your face? (Like in the summer, when I look around the whole house for the sunglasses that are top of my head.) Please tell me I’m not the only one! Sometimes we forget the things that are most important because we’re too busy running around to see them. The same can be true of Christmas. The “most … [Read more...]