August 2026
Heat and rain and honey and gardening! That pretty much sums up what life on the farm has been the last couple of months. Keeping the pasture mowed, harvesting honey and working in the garden have been quite the challenge with the record rainfalls we have had here in Ohio. It seems there is such a small window between the time the ground dries out enough to work in and when it starts to rain again! Being at the mercy of the weather, and climate in general, is definitely one of the hardest parts of farming. But the few days where the weather is good makes living in the country something special and makes the more challenging days all worth it!
Summer has been blazing during the month of August, and the challenges of keeping our animals healthy and cool with the heat and high humidity keeps us busy! The chickens give themselves dirt baths and dig little holes to lie in. Fortunately, we have a nice dry barn for them. Sometimes when they are napping in the cool dirt, they look a little…less alive! We call these “death naps,” and all the animals do this—sometimes even the alpacas! Fortunately for the alpacas, they were shorn back in May so the heat isn’t too bad on them. To help keep them cool, we have a small swimming pool for them to lay or stand in. The bees will hang outside the hive and will fan their wings to help keep the hive cooler.
The garden is bursting with pumpkin vines, but it will still be a while before they are ready to be picked. The dense overgrowth from the shoots that come out makes it difficult to see how many actual pumpkins are growing, but it also helps to keep out the weeds. We have spotted a few gourds, and we are hoping for a bountiful harvest this fall. The plants will almost die off completely before the pumpkins will be ready to pick. We look forward to our first year selling the pumpkins, and we have a few varieties, including some colorful decorative types, in the field. Check out our produce page to see what we have available in the garden right now.
Of course, it wouldn’t be late summer without our thoughts and plans directed toward another craft fair season! As is our tradition, the season kicks off with the Craft Fair at the Christian Village at Mason on Saturday, October 24. It is one of our favorites, and we always have a good time meeting people. There is a lot to do to prepare for the craft shows, and the set-up for each show is different. Check out our events page so you don’t miss an opportunity to visit us and see all our hand-crafted alpaca fleece and beeswax products available, including a few new items.
Remember—Life is short…live happy!