Spring equinox: highlights from the first 3 months of the year
It's felt like a long winter in a good way.
This evening I’ll turn off my phone, computer, and will skip the TV. Tomorrow is the vernal equinox and the forecast in North Carolina looks superb. With no rain predicted and a high of 68F, my only plan is a screen-free, offline day spent outside as much as possible.
The first few months of 2026 were full of a range of weather, places, and critters. We’ve had snow, days that hit 80F, and this week a level-something-or-other storm alert (that amounted to a wind gust and some clouds).
I kicked off the year at a beekeeping club near Charlotte where I presented about natural beekeeping, had the best chili ever at their club dinner, and learned from one of the members about their financial and health successes with ginger-infused honey. Our conversation inspired me to try infusing some of my own honey. Of course, wanting to grow and produce it all, I ordered ginger rhizomes and I’m attempting to grow my own ginger. I successfully grew ginger from starts a few years ago, but this is my first time trying from seed.
January also brought the opportunity to take a hunter safety class. In my love of seasonal living, hunting is something I’d like to devote seasonal time to. The class gave me a deeper appreciation for the wildlife biology impacts and heritage of responsible hunting. It was exactly what I needed. I took the class at the Wake County Wildlife Club and registered through the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). A lot of their education is created for people like me who have no hands-on hunting experience and don’t have family passing down knowledge and skills. The NCWRC classes are free, some include a live fire component—the one I took did, and they also offer virtual options. (Some third-party fees might be noted.) Beyond hunting, NCWRC offers boating safety, fly fishing and fly tying, archery, conservation, falconry, and many other outdoor skills classes. All of their events are on Go Outdoors North Carolina.
Winter provided time for teas, coffees, and dinners with friends. Sometimes I feel like a planet in orbit and I’m surrounded by so many bright and inspiring people, then I move along to a space full of swarms and garden growth. (I’ve already made 2 splits because hives showed signs of swarming. Yet I haven’t had time to put a swarm trap up, which shows you how spring has already started before the official equinox.)
I’ve attended multiple ag conferences and presentations over the past few weeks. I’ll have a few forthcoming posts sharing what I’ve gleaned about lab analyses of soy-free and soy-based feeds, silvopasture pairings, and dairy.
Our home was full of more chicks than ever before: 50! I ordered 40 broiler chicks and 45 arrived. (It’s typical to lose a few within the first week or two, so we’re at 39.) We also have 5 new layer chicks that moved out to the coop yesterday. I love the seasonal labor and routines. Last fall I almost decided not to order broilers. It’s been 2 years since I raised broilers and I was worried it would be too much work just as the growing season kicks off. Thanks to encouragement from my husband and friends, I went ahead with it. I’m so glad I did because this broiler flock is easy and rewarding.
When the broiler chicks move out to their tractors, I keep them stationary for a few days so that they understand it’s their home and a safe space. We took advantage of that time when they didn’t need to be moved daily to drive down to Florida for a visit with my parents, meet my little “brother” Jack (their Labrador retriever), visit Key West for the first time, and knock another national park off our list: Dry Tortugas.
I’m taking my seasonal blog break now, so you’ll find the spring bundle—resilient homestead systems to prevent burnout—at the end of the month. Happy Equinox! 🐣
ICYMI, the winter bundle was focused on strategic pairings of plants.
Permaculture plant guilds bundle
The winter bundle is all about pairing certain plants in ways that mimic nature while simultaneously meeting your landscape goals.
The most-visited post over the winter was my resilience calendar. Hopefully you’re picking a single action each month for what matters most to you.
Resilience calendar month 1: First aid and medical supplies
This is the first post in a monthly series focused on resilience. By embracing the permaculture principle of small and slow solutions, my hope is that a single small action each month will accumulate into something valuable at the end of the year. In December you’ll have a full calendar.