Solstice break and what’s ahead

Seasonal rest before the days get longer.

Reflecting on the highs and lows of fall.

If you’re new here, I have seasonal traditions around the equinoxes and solstices. One of those traditions is taking a week off from the blog. Before I rest next week, here’s a post full of updates. Let’s take a look at highlights from the past season and what’s ahead in the New Year.

Fall highlights

Top posts. I’m glad my top post is one that can help Hurricane Helene victims, particularly beekeepers in Western North Carolina (WNC) that suffered losses from the storm. My experience through Hurricane Helene in WNC is my top post from this past season. I’m keeping it updated with ways to help folks. My other top posts of fall are about seasonal learning to prepare for spring beekeeping, and planting trees with permaculture principles. I got 150 Fraser firs in the ground this fall!

Beekeeping mentorships launched. Many people have reached out over the past few years seeking mentorships. I finally created a three-tiered mentorship program. Whether you need one-off support or routine guidance through most or all of the year, take a peek at the options. If you’re already a TLT paid subscriber, you get your blog subscription comped for the 6-month and 1-year mentorship options.

What’s ahead next year

Livestock hiatus. Over the past year I’ve raised pigs, meat chickens, new layer chickens, and almost 100 quail. I planned to order more pigs and meat chicks for next year and, until recently, I was ready to get infrastructure in place this winter for my next homestead livestock dream: a cow. However, we experienced an excruciating loss on Thanksgiving that I’m not ready to share yet. It’s made both my husband and me question our values and morals. Animal husbandry is so important to me—my days revolve around it—and our recent loss makes me re-think how I need to define that stewardship to myself. We’re grieving. To allow space for this grief, I’ve decided not to add any livestock next year, and I’ll also reduce the number of quail hatches (most likely two).

On-farm events in 2025. Next year I’ll host a few inaugural events here on my hobby farm in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Paid subscribers to TLT enjoy complimentary admission. I’ll open these events to unpaid subscribers for a fee. I’m also planning a lavender or blueberry farm tour. Similarly, paid TLT subscribers can attend gratis and unpaid subscribers will have an option to attend for a fee. I’ll share more details as things fall into place.

Garden succession. Instead of maxing out my seedling trays and trying to get as many plants in the ground as possible, I’m hoping to instead focus on fewer and more frequent plantings. I grow 99% of my garden from seed. Several 72-cell seedling trays quickly produce a lot of transplant work. Let’s take tomatoes for example. I usually start a few dozen tomato plants in February and then pot up over the spring (which takes hours) and transplant out in the garden in April or May (which takes hours). Instead, I’ll start a handful of tomato plants in February and follow that same timeline, then I’ll start a handful more in trays as soon as I transplant the seedlings, and so on. I’m hoping this helps spread the labor over a longer time rather than me feeling overwhelmed with transplanting hundreds of seedlings. It can also help preserve a harvest that might get compromised to pests, drought, late freezes, etc. When it comes to direct-sowing, I’m hoping to succession sow more carrots and radishes in the spring, and kohlrabi, beans, and okra as it warms up.

I hope you take a seasonal break. Maybe make some wassail and take some time to reflect.