If you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need...

September updates…

We've been farming for only 3 years. This year it feels brand new. I set out to have a flower and herb farm. We tilled, we cover cropped, we bought all the seeds, all the plants, and we brought home all the animals to help us; chickens and pigs and goats to help with composting, clearing and managing the the farmland. The chickens also gave us eggs, and the goats gave us milk. They also took my time-and so much of it! And I loved every minute. The land itself? It had different ideas than growing my choice of flowers and herbs. There are some amazing wildflowers and berries growing right here on this property. Without any interference from me, the pollinators and wildlife are very happy! There's still room for us to add our own, but I don't think we'll ever compete with what's already here without more intervention than I'm willing to provide. But what is here is also so beneficial for us and our community! We have blackberries galore! And acidic soil perfect for blueberries and amenable for raspberries and strawberries too. These blackberries survive and thrive through mowing and tilling and cover cropping and lack of rain…so why would I fight that? I can't keep up with the demand for local farm fresh eggs, and we get asked so frequently about raw milk, both goat and cow's milk. I love the animals, I love the berries and they all love this property! So Songyard Farms is adapting. We are training the blackberries to grow in rows that we can manage and harvest from comveniently. We are expanding our poultry flock to include more chickens, quails and in the springtime we will bring back ducks! We are expanding our dairy goat herd, and bringing home a dairy cow.

The animals don't just provide us with food- they provide us with so much joy! We love sharing that with our campers and visitors, and look forward to incorporating our horses in the future.

Whenever I bring a new species of animal into my life, I do my homework! We find friends to mentor us, we read and we learn as we go. I never want that to be at the expense of an animal so we research and we study significantly before we begin! Learning about dairy cows has been my recent obsession! Going from milking goats to milking a cow, and all that goes along with it- from nutrition to pregnancy and delivery, to personalities nd fencing-is such a huge learning curve! I am so grateful for the people who have guided me thus far. And I can't wait to share it with each of you. Stay tuned on our social media pages for updates about this adventure!

We have found the perfect spot by our large animal barn for our upcoming herb garden. We are also adding perennial herbs and flowers amongst our berry patch.

I often get asked if I grew up on a farm or studied farming. The answer is no, not formally. I studied psychology, followed by educational psychology and finally behavioral analysis. Analysis. I love my career, but for fine, I've also taken many classes in farming, gardening and permaculture courses. I am self-taught and still learning! My welcomed feedback. My favorite course of study in agriculture has always been permaculture. Learning this property over the last 3 years has felt like getting to know a new friend. And making this choice to let this friend be who it already is and help it reach its full potential just feels right.

So, berries, dairy, eggs and herbs will be our focus! Our products will be available through farm shares and herd shares as well as for sale at local markets coming soon!

And please remember we are always here to support our special needs community! Our non-profit, The Songyard Foundation currently vocational and entrepreneurship opportunities on our farm! Reach out any time for more information.

Follow us for updates on Josie, our upcoming dairy cow and newest Farm resident. We think we found the perfect cow, and will be bringing her home in the next few weeks! We have chosen movable fencing to section off the perfect spots for her to graze and calve when it's time. She will have a stall in our barn when needed. We will be adding additional water tanks and winterizing them all for the increased water needs of a cow in milk! We will also be adding a shed to store round bales for her to enjoy in the winter months. We have much to do! Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities if you'd like to join us and help us prepare!

Thanks for growing with us!