Thank you so much to each one of you who has helped us grow our email list to almost 100! It is a dream come true to be on this journey and we are humbled that you are here with us along the way.

The ducks and cats and humans made it through the cold and through a week without using social media daily (yes, the pets do have their own accounts). Both were challenging and also got easier as the days passed by. To keep the ducks extra prepared for the cold Perriee hooked up their house with a comical amount of fresh straw that they snuggle into at night, and even during the day. It almost looks like a straw maze in there, with a little wall of flakes (a hunk of a bale) they all sleep behind, like a back bedroom of sorts in their duck house. The top 2-4 inches of the walls of their house is all welded wire, open to the outside, which is important for ventilation so we pack it full of straw to make up for the draft. Perriee also put a cardboard box or two in there and filled and covered them with straw to give a little extra cubby hole to warm up in. Consequently, the girls love to lay their eggs in those.

Dayz is on the tail end of a full on molt. That means that her old feathers fell out everywhere and she has to grow new ones. If you think the timing for that is terrible, you would be correct! We kept an extra close eye on her during the cold-cold and we were ready to move her at a moment’s notice to warm her up if needed. She actually has been looking amazing though! In spite of her loose goose looking feathers she stayed in their ducky condo outside to keep warm when needed and poked her beak out to eat and drink and forage when the sun allowed it. To support her needs (keeping warm while growing new feathers) we have been providing as much food as they can all eat, defrosted frozen corn, and lots of fly grubs for extra protein and fat. That regimen also helps the others keep warm in the frigid temps along with having fresh water all the time. That means refilling the heated duck water bowl several times a day and checking their other buckets for frozen tops. Having five birds out there dabbling all day in the water really helped keep the water moving without it freezing solid.

Speaking of the new ladies, we have been getting about 2 duck eggs a day. I promise we tell them it is not necessary, but they must be settled in enough to provide us with a little something to nosh on through the winter. We feel so lucky. It was after we started caring for fowl that the preciousness of each egg really became apparent. If you have ever had birds who struggled with egg-laying (we are too familiar), you know what I mean. Each one is a gift.

The three outside cats stayed in most of the time through the worst of it. Sometimes George insists on spending the peak hours of the night out in the cold and is waiting by the front door for breakfast in the morning. We have kept the downstairs of the house closed off and have been sleeping in the parlor on our new Yona bed base which is a carboard frame that is so comfortable (#notsponsored). This allows us to try to preserve some heat where it is most needed. We are so lucky that the plumbing in this house is concentrated on the first floor with the kitchen and bathroom bumped up on one another. That allows us to drip faucets and focus the heat in that direction, leaving the upstairs, hallway, and downstairs bedroom to chill for a bit, heat free. Then, the propane heater in the den and mini split in the parlor split the rest of the work to keep us all warm. Something we do not take for granted is the feeling of a warm(ish) home when it is zero F outside.

The Flower Studio has a nice mix of fresh paint in the hallway and kitchen to compliment the wallpaper that was there when we moved in. As opposed to going to buy new paint, Perrriee and I mixed a few old cans together to make a color that we probably could not have liked more if we picked it out in the store. We have seed trays washed and a tray of dianthus started. I think the floors will have to hang tight until next season though. The focus is shifting to plants away from diy.

Speaking of the next season, see below for a new section of the newsletter with upcoming dates about events we are having here at the farm. We are planning two volunteer days for folks to come lend a hand while we create our new growing beds. One will be on a Wednesday and the other on a Saturday. Feel free to reach out via email with questions about them if you want to come and help. We will have some more details as the time approaches. Saying that, if you need anything at anytime, our lovingfarm134@gmail.com is a great way to get in contact with us. We will likely still be posting on social here and there, but want you to know that our website and email are the best points of communication with us for the future. It is the easiest way to make sure you all get up to date announcements of what we have going on in case you want to come and join! The emails also make it easy for you to pass along information to people who might be interested in what we are doing without needing an account on a platform to be in-the-know. Share away!

Important Upcoming Dates:

February 3: Monthly giveaway notification. Check your email! It could be you.

February 8: Still completely open for a day in the flower studio. $25/person. Reserve your spots now.

March 12: Volunteer day: move some compost, map out new garden beds, pollinator patch prep?

March 15: Volunteer day: move some compost, map out new garden beds, pollinator patch prep?

April 19: Second annual Earth Day at Loving Farm. We have a lineup of 3 bands for a day of music, nature and friends. Save the date!