February 14, 2026

It’s happening. For the first time in what feels like months, I can hear dripping, running water–we might survive winter after all. It feels a little dramatic saying it like that, but northern winters are dramatic. Dramatically cold, quiet, and still. Trickling water is the sound of life returning and a reason for celebration. We can and will make it through.

Days like these are perfect for getting to all the projects that have been waiting for a nice day: doing a mid-winter clean out of the chicken coop, moving snow from around the garage to avoid spring flooding, and organizing our 3-season work spaces so they’re ready for action whenever spring temps are consistently warm enough for our space heaters to keep up. Doing these chores in the sunshine in above freezing temperatures almost feels like a treat.

With the very (very) quiet whispers of spring’s arrival, the farm is gently shifting gears. The rosemary I planted is sprouting and more seeds will go in the ground this week. The chickens have started laying eggs again, which I’m pretty sure was kickstarted by the 10 days of supplemental heat in the form of a heat lamp. The days are getting noticeably longer, which means more motivation after work to actually do farmy things and not just eat dinner and go to bed by 7:30.

I hope y’all are finding the warm(ish) sunny days motivating and getting a chance to this Valentine’s Day with the ones you love. In honor of the day, and the 1 year anniversary of Val’s “Gotcha Day”, I added some dog treats to the shop. Just drop me an email if you’d like to order.

Farm on,
Amanda