Welcome to the first farm day of 2026! That is, the first day Daddy was able to spend more than a few minutes at the farm with time to get some actual work done.
Winnie is finally winning over Matilda. The key is snacks (a.k.a. Alfalfa).
Pancakes for Candlemas!
Tuesday morning began with the usual round of chores, school, and legos. We were stuck at the house for most of the morning because we had a furnace tune up appointment.
While we were waiting for that, Uncle Adam called to tell us that the neighbor had texted to tell him that the cow was out and wandering around the driveway. Fortunately, the neighbor was also able to come across the street and close the gate so she couldn’t wander into the road.
We got over as soon as we could, but it was almost eleven. Nothing to worry about though. Iris and the sheep were locked in, and were busy going around the barn and shop eating all the grass they could find.
They weren’t doing any harm so we left them to it for a few hours.
We had a contractor appointment at the farm in the afternoon as well (more about that in another post) so we were going to be at the farm all day. First priority was getting the kids back into school. Evie had a headache and was nauseous, so she went down for a nap. Second priority was getting lunch ready, and then prepping for supper.
Duck and roots. The duck was one we harvested a month ago, and we pulled the roots out of the garden that day.
Seppi was impatient to get started on pruning.
There is (was) a flowering shrub the previous owners had planted next to the septic tank (why?!). We have been meaning to take it out, but hey, we’ve been busy.
Seppi started out by trimming the small branches that were in the way.
He is getting much bigger and stronger, and can use the brush hooks quite well.
So we decided to upgrade to the next level.
After I got the largest chunk of branches out of the way, Seppi got to work on one of the remaining trunks.
Seppi Bunyan. It’s only a single blade ax, but everyone starts somewhere.
It took quite a bit longer than it would have done, had I been working alone, but that is just part of the nature of farming with kids. The younger the child, the more their “help” doesn’t help. This can be frustrating in the moment, especially if you are a results-oriented person. But we need to remember that getting the thing done is only part of the equation. Raising kids into adults who can do things is the real mission, all the farming and homesteading is a means to that end.
The usefulness they have as adults is directly related to how much bother they were allowed to be as kids. Right here you can see Ellie and Seppi pruning our floricane raspberries. It is not a complicated job. They just have to cut all the canes off at the ground. They can do this without close supervision because they have been trimming branches with pruners (with supervision) for years.
Winnie has not been hammering for years. Don’t think for a moment this makes her feel inadequate to the task. She has utmost confidence in her own ability to do pretty much anything she wants to do.
This is a prime example of a task that her “help” is actually hindering, meaning it takes about 5 times longer to hammer the staple than it would do alone. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to let her “help” because it draws her into a deeper involvement with the life and work of the family.
In a way, this is what God does with us, when He allows us to help out by the works of mercy or in any other way. It isn’t that He needs us, or that we are actually of any help to Him.
The reality is that He loves us and wants us to join Him in the life and work of His family.
Seppi was so thrilled to find that he is now strong enough to drag the orange chain all by himself.
And drag it all the way to the truck and stuff it under the seat where it belongs.
Finally! This segment of the garden fence is finished!
Now time to dish up the quack’n’roots soup. Bon Appetit!
Little Farm in the Big City 