Winter has arrived at the farm, bringing rain and sub-freezing temperatures. So far, our rain levels are at 15 inches and we have been waking up to 25-30 degree temperatures that warm up to 60 during the day. Growing up in Colorado and Wyoming I know things could be colder and filled with A LOT of snow, which is why I don’t wish to live there anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I love the weather here. I love the change of season’s, the cold, the hot, the rain and the frost – all of it. I am just very grateful to not have to shovel snow.
The rain has been a blessing for the vineyards, especially the new vineyard. The hills and pastures as well as the rows between the vines are turning green. The special cut out in our new vineyard that we reserved for special events is very visible now thanks to its fresh coat of green.
The rain was not as welcomed by the chickens. They hate it. The coop leaks, they get wet, their food gets wet and with the colder temperatures it is a recipe for disaster.
Well, after many starts and stops with rebuilding the existing coop I finally just decided to buy a custom made coop from a local company. It should be delivered late next week and I will finalize the interior design of it, as well as a covered “patio” off of it for their feed. I am confident that the chickens will like the new coop and hopefully will show their gratitude with more egg production!! Its been fun researching what the inside of a chicken coop should have in it.
Winter has also brought a new home to three of cows. This past Saturday our cow Willow, her heifer calf Waverly and our other heifer calf Peaches, went south to their new home at a farm in Ramona. It was certainly a bittersweet day, but we are so excited that they went to a great home and that they all got to stay together. We have kept our original bull Wallen and cow Winnie with hopes to get our head count back to two and have a calf every year to sell. This lower head count will help us with being more sustainable in our pastures. I consider this a win – win.
In my moments of reflection this season, I have found myself thinking about the moments of 2025 that I felt were a big success for the farm stay and for the farm. And what I would want to see at the end of 2026 to view that year as a bountiful business year. 2025 was a rough year in the garden and orchard, with those struggles of critters, and mild temperatures we created 2 prototype critter cages to protect our most susceptible produce in. It is my hope that these efforts will create a more bountiful 2026 garden. I feel that some our success this year would be the installation of the new vineyard, our many return guests, I experimented in the kitchen a lot this year and look forward to cooking more for our guests in 2026. On a personal level, we had created many memories with family this year that I know we will all treasure for a lifetime.
In planning for 2026, I again reflected on what could have improved our 2025 business year. While we “booked” fewer rooms last year than any other year so far, we “booked” more experiences for our guests. That has been a profound realization. 2026 will bring more experienced based hospitality for our guests. These experiences will transcend our four walls and go into our garden, our orchard, our vineyard and even into our community. Workshop based stays, full inclusive buyout options, family centric “dude ranch” weekends, more pop-up events for dinners and brunches. As a Substack subscriber, you will be the first to know the schedule of dates. As a paid Substack subscriber you will get first chance of booking the experiences as the spots with a lodging option are limited as we only have the 4 rooms. We are also in the midst of planning our 2026 summer garden and Flower Field. I plan to start the seeds this weekend. Our goal is to start enough to have extra seedlings to sell in the spring.
We are in cold and flu season and while I tried my best to prep us for it in fall, the cold has hit our house. In Fall I made my first batch of Fire Cider. What is Fire Cider? I will let AI tell you.
Fire cider is a spicy, pungent herbal tonic made by infusing ingredients like garlic, ginger, horseradish, onions, and hot peppers in apple cider vinegar, then straining and often sweetening with honey. Created by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, it’s used as a traditional immune-boosting remedy to support wellness, clear sinuses, and help fight colds, though scientific evidence for the tonic itself is lacking, while ingredients have known benefits.
I started this mostly from items from our garden and followed the Gaz Oakley recipe that I referenced in our last post. Rob and I started taking an ounce of it a day in December. Last week he came down with a head cold and is still suffering its affects but while being around him and others over the holidays…. I, the queen of getting sick in winter… currently is cold free! I also did incorporate the use of fermented foods such as sauerkraut, water Kefir and Kombucha on the daily … Rob did not.
Coincidence? Perhaps. Rob has continued the Fire Cider and often comments that while sick, the cider is very comforting on his throat and helpful to his sinuses. I made a tea of 1 oz of the fire cider along with hot water, and he loved it. If you want the fire cider recipe click the message below and write “fire cider” in the text. Just note that it needs to infuse for 6 weeks at least.
However, if you find yourself sick I have a tea recipe that has been very helpful for our family for many years. It is a warming tea to help with the pain and circulation in and around the throat.
From our family to yours, we wish you a healthy & happy winter!
Talk to you all in Spring.
By the way, we hope to host you at the Farm Stay during this beautiful winter season. Check out our rooms and availability by clicking the link below.
=-Winter has arrived at the farm in a very wet and very cold entrance. We have received 15 inches of rain so far this rain season which started in October. We are currently waking up to 25-30 degree weather in the morning and reaching a high around 60 degrees. Now, growing up
