Well here in Michigan it is a little bit confusing as far as weather goes. Some weeks our temperatures start off in the 40s and end up in the 80s. However soon it will get cold, as it always does and a lot of our outdoor projects and activities will slow down. I believe we are ready to slow down...for a little while at least.
This year has been full of projects.
We found all of our farm animals which were hand picked based on looks and purpose on the farm. They are all great animals. We have Penelope, Finn, and Gerty which are all Mini Nubians. They all have beautiful colors and great personalities. In the spring we hope to have babies and will be able to milk the girls.
We also welcomed our KuneKune Pigs; Oliver and Juliet. They are doing great here on the farm and in the future we hope they will also be able to make some little piglets. Our chickens have multiplied this year as well. We hatched over 40 in our own incubator, which was a fun spring and summer project. We also raised meat chickens this year and helped to fill a few freezers. Chicken tractors and a new huge chicken coop were also built this year.
All of the children that came to the farm this year loved to feed and occasionally chase a chicken down and hold it.
We added Coturnix quail as well. They are a very pretty bird and they just started laying eggs. They are the prettiest eggs with many different patterns. The eggs are a very healthy and great addition to the farm. This meant brooder boxes, laying boxes, heat sources, water sources, finding the correct feed. It been a learning process.
All of these new animals led to more fencing, animal stall/coops, and new watering and feeding systems.
We also built a greenhouse, as well mapped out and built a new garden this spring. After this year we now know what vegetables grow better in different spots, as well as what vegetables we need to grow more of next year.
A big project was the addition of our pumpkin patch. Here I was fresh into a new pregnancy and hand planting every seed with my husband. It started off as feed for our animals and blossomed into a great activity for families in the fall.
We bought a farm store building and made candles, soaps, and more goods. Which meant walls needed to go up, retail shelves, a whole business plan. A lot more goes into the retail part of a farm than you would think.
Along with our home goods we sold a lot of mini donuts "Donies", cake pops, and cookies. Running the store as a family was a fun weekend activity.
Sophia loved being the sales and front desk lady and Elias ran around showing everyone the animals. He may have made it into a few family photos...OOOPs. Some weekends we had one family and some we had several new families. We did free pumpkin painting every Sunday and ended our fall with a trick or treating through the woods.
Many families said thank you for offering their little ones some where to go and a place to enjoy the outdoors and some farm life. It's a good feeling.
Mama Roxy had a litter of beautiful puppies which are all in their new homes now. Every year it is bittersweet....seeing all of the puppies leaving.
However the families we meet and get to know through phones calls and messages always makes us feel that they are going to great homes.
Now that winter is on it's way and its officially the middle of fall...our last big "project" of the year should be here any day now.
We learned a lot this year...that we work great as a family/couple, that we can achieve a lot of goals in a small amount of time, that the pumpkin patch and animals all coincide well together. We also know we have a lot of growth to come for next year and we are excited to start making our list of spring projects.
We made a little money but more importantly saw a lot of happy faces from happiness and memories that were created here at Wilson Acres.
What did you accomplish or are trying to accomplish before the snow hits this year? Wilson Wonders
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