Spring arrived earlier than usual this year, promising a warm, productive summer. My husband and I made big plans to develop our little farm on this wild piece of land. It’s been some time since I shared an update, and today I’m ready to tell you honestly about the beautiful, messy life we’re building—no promises about neat order or perfectly connected dots.
We spent a lot of time this spring talking over projects and priorities. Fencing? A root cellar? Expanding the lawn? Poultry? More gardens? After weighing options and running numbers, we chose to focus on a berry patch, vegetable gardens, and eventually bringing poultry back to the property. It felt like the right time to shape this land into a modest farmstead.
Our Plans for Spring Activities
Our first major project was a berry patch behind the Mountain Cottage. In April we prepared beds using hugelkultur techniques and planted rhubarb, blueberries, haskap, raspberries, and blackberries. The work was hard, but it felt wonderfully satisfying—the first real garden we installed here.
A Front Garden for Food Production
I can live without animals and even manage in town, but I can’t imagine life without a decent-sized garden and plenty of homegrown food. So by early June we transformed the front lawn—really more of a weed patch—into raised garden beds. We used techniques tailored to poor, rocky soil to make productive growing space. I’m very pleased with how the front garden turned out; there are a few more beds I want to add this fall or next year, but the bulk of the work is finished.
Our Poultry Order Flop
We tried to order birds early in the season. Because breeders in the U.S. offered sexed birds at better prices, we placed an order with an American hatchery. When COVID concerns and potential border closures intensified, we canceled. Canadian hatcheries were overwhelmed and prioritizing chicken orders; we wanted ducks and turkeys, so we ended up without any poultry this year. In hindsight, that setback may have been for the best.
And Then We Hit Money Issues
Buying land, building a house, and creating a hobby farm from scratch takes an immense amount of work and money. You work and save for years, then keep planning long-term projects. Life, however, doesn’t always cooperate.
I struggle with chronic health problems and have had limited support from healthcare systems. On top of that, dental problems surprised us—several teeth are failing and implants may be required. We are still waiting for a full assessment from a specialist, but the potential costs are daunting and could reach five figures. That shock forced us to reevaluate our plans and tapped our savings for urgent care.
I Lost My Way
These pressures led me into a season of worry and overdrive. I began to feel like a financial burden, and those thoughts were corrosive. Around the same time, my blog readership grew, and I started aiming for higher page views to qualify for a larger ad network—hoping an extra income stream might ease our financial strain. I became fixated on reaching a threshold that might have earned roughly $500 a month. That goal consumed me.
In chasing page views I started to neglect daily life—housekeeping slipped, social connections dwindled, meals were hurried, and I fell behind on small, meaningful tasks like baking lunches for my husband. Then the ad network changed their rules and doubled the page view requirement, leaving me deflated and forced to confront what I’d sacrificed in pursuit of a quick solution.
Here’s What I Did
After several weeks of frustrated effort, I paused and turned to prayer. In that quiet moment I had a vivid image: a child resting in the arms of God, safe and cared for. I asked myself if I still had essentials—a home, food, a loving husband—and the answer was yes. That perspective shifted something inside me. I realized I had much more than I’d been focusing on and that what I needed most in that season wasn’t control or extra money but the assurance that we were not forgotten.
His Reminder to Me
That night I surrendered my anxieties and chose to trust again. I felt a soft relief replace the icy fear that had been clenching my heart. My husband later shared that he, too, needed to let go of worry. It turns out the stress had been wearing on both of us. So we decided together to return to a place of rest, trust, and mutual support. We know rough patches will come, but we’ll face them together and try to keep perspective.
Giving Him My Trust
With that renewed trust, I feel able to breathe and move forward more gently. I don’t have all the answers, and our plans will unfold slowly, but we can continue tending the land and our home while accepting that some things are beyond our control. That acceptance has been freeing.
Wrapping It All Up
That’s what’s been happening here: gardens planted, plans adjusted, disappointments accepted, and a renewed commitment to faith and simplicity. This post has been more personal than usual, but I wanted to share the unvarnished truth of this season. If you enjoyed this kind of update or prefer more practical posts like recipes and tutorials, I’d love to hear from you—leave a comment or get in touch by email.
I’d also love to know how things are going in your world and whether I can support you on your homemaking journey. All the best,
Autumn