Decide what to be and go be it
I'm am introvert, especially in the winter. This time of year I crave a good book on my couch with some beeswax candles burning and a load of bread baking in the oven. I want coziness to surround me. I need to be practically forced to leave my house after dark, and- let's face it- that means wanting to stay inside anytime after 6:00 pm! January and February are great months for hibernating after all of the holiday gatherings and socializing, and my introvert tendencies suit me well for a few weeks. But it's coming to end and it's time to emerge from my cozy hibernation bubble. There will still be plenty of bread baking and candles burning, but I am beginning to miss having visitors on the farm, volunteers helping out, and planning events to share with our community. January and February were full of efforts to battle freezing water buckets and endless worries of whether or not we insulated well enough and if all the animals would stay warm and healthy. It's been a month of making warm meals for them, hauling in warm water from home, testing out heat guns and immersion heaters and tea kettles with our portable generator to see what works best, and resting after all the heavy lifting! I'm happy to report everyone stayed warm, cozy and happy. We have goats with thick coats of cashmere and extra round bellies, pigs with an extra layer of fat and deep bed of straw, fuzzy bunnies snuggling together (which means babies coming soon...) and horses with blankets wrapped around them on the coldest of days. And I have to admit I have found the perfect layering of clothing to keep me content and comfy while I'm at the farm each day!
As soon as the calendar page turned to March and the snow began to melt, my seeds starting plans kicked into high gear, spring clean up around the farm began and plans for new garden spaces are being set into motion! In addition, we have been finalizing our business plans and fully identifying our mission as a community farm. As stated in a song by my favorite band, the Avett Brothers, it’s time for us to decide what to be and go be it!
Many of you know we were in the process of starting a complimentary non profit to provide educational, vocational, and therapeutic services on our farm. After careful consideration, recent changes in non profit funding, and multiple consultations with non profit experts in our community, we have decided to keep all that we are and do under one name. Songyard Farms will remain a community homestead farm, offering all the homestead goods that we make and grow for our own family to share with our neighbors. This includes what we grow such as flowers, herbs, vegetables, berries and eventually fruits, as well as what we make-goat milk soap, candles, bread, baked goods and so much more to come. In addition to providing goods, we will be providing opportunities to enjoy the fun of being on a farm! We will be hosting monthly events beginning in April on the first Saturday of every month. Visitors are welcome to schedule a private farm visit to explore our gardens, visit and feed the animals, walk the labyrinth and trails and relax in our bird watching areas. We will be welcoming volunteers in March and our farm stand will be open daily starting March 8th! And, finally, we will be practicing what we do best and sharing our space with our colleagues to offer educational, vocational, and therapy services to children and teens on the farm beginning this summer. You can stay up to date on what programs we will be offering by following us on Instagram and Facebook, and we will strive to bring you updates here on our blog weekly beginning this month!
We are thrilled to see this dream become a reality in 2025, and we are so grateful to our friends, family and neighbors who support our vision. There are so many who have taken the time to listen to our dream, share their wisdom about business management, farming, marketing and so much more. We couldn’t make this happen without you all!
If you’d like to support our mission and help us grow, please join us for a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser April 5th, location coming soon!
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Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
Song by The Avett Brothers ‧ 2009
Lyrics
There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I'm frightened by those that don't see it
When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it
There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in
And demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I'll scream 'til I die
And the last of those bad thoughts are finally out
There's a darkness upon you that's flooded in light
And in the fine print They tell you what's wrong and what's right
And it flies by day and it flies by night
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it
There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in
And demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I'll scream til I die
And the last of those bad thoughts are finally out
There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in
And demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I'll scream 'til I die
And the last of those bad thoughts are finally out
There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it
