This and That: Catching Up

 

There is a rhythm and a flow to a homestead business.  Each week comes with its own weekly and even daily tasks.  We are slowly settling in to this rhythm and finding our pace with the work.  Each week we go to market we find better ways to organize ourselves.  Each week becomes easier with this organization.  

As we grow the quail side of the business, we are finding our pace there as well.  We have, over the past 3 months, built up our numbers to a point we do not have to worry about whether or not we will have enough eggs to make a profit above our feed costs.  The weeks we collect eggs to incubate, we are still able to have enough inventory to take to the market.  We are working toward our first big sale of chicks to a local store, and this week we anticipate having freshly harvested quail meat available at our market stand.

Cletus has spent quite a lot of time this Winter and Spring building additional housing for the quail.  This week he will build our fourth large "Quail Condo" and after that is complete we will have sufficient housing for our projected needs.  Having construction finished (and every time he has started a new project I hear Tony Stark saying, "Get ready for a major remodel, fellas!  We're back in hardware mode"), we are able to focus now more on the garden.  And just in time, too!

 

 

 

The weekly garden work is now maintaining adequate watering, keeping the bugs away, and weeding.  This past week we had green beans to harvest and those sold out at the market within 30 minutes!  Soon the squash, tomatoes, and more green beans will be ready to take with us to sell.  Cucumbers are being slow this year and are several more weeks away.  As we progress, we are replanting second crops in hopes of having a steady supply for canning and for the market.

I have learned that when I am baking the weekly round of English Muffins (pun intended), I can line up 6 large mixing bowls, measure yeast into each one, and as I complete a step with one bowl I then do that same step with the next bowl on down the line until I have 6 dozen English Muffins finished ~ enough for 18 market packages ~ and then start over until I have enough.  It takes time and energy because I do not use my Kitchen Aid mixer; all my dough I knead by hand, and as I knead, I pray.

 

As I am getting caught up with some of the business side of things, I am able to get my focus back onto the crafting side of the business and look forward to spending at least one day a week at one of my looms.  I will not have wraps at the market this summer as the garden will take precedence in our market space.  Honestly, I do not anticipate much interest in them during the hot months anyway.  However, I am planning to stay busy this summer preparing some wraps for fall.  I'm even thinking about doing some in school colors for fall football!  

There are a lot of pieces to a successful homestead business, and much work to do.  There is also a lot of peace, contentment, and joy as we find our way and find the rhythm and pace that works for us in the Now and the Here.