The longer update:
The Land: We had an unseasonably warm December with gentle rains that made for some epic pasture growing weather. Our whole
farm is a lush green as our rye seed is bursting forth reaching to the sky and welcoming the birds to come scratch and look for bugs. In December Ryan and I also built a nice new coop thanks to some help from a grant from the
Pine Cone Foundation. We finished just in time before some major storms blew in! The birds were slowly shaking off the rains this week and were happily dust bathing and stretching out in the sun.
Rhythms: January is a really sweet month here for us on the farm. It is a big time of transitions. The farm chores are quietly happening in the background but the hatchery itself is hibernating. All of our incubators and hatchers are quiet, taking their rest before we start them up at the end of this month.
December was wet wet wet. Our children were home from school for a nice long stretch and we got to hunker down with them while the big rains blew in, we lost power but thankfully no incubators were running so we could just enjoy being inside with candlelight on Christmas Eve. We said goodbye to 2025 through New Years we pondered the previous year and made a nice long list of intentions as a north star for the upcoming year. I believe 2026 is going to be a beautiful year here on the land and I am so grateful to have you with us, we are here because of your support of our family and farm, thank you so much!
Health: Each year we focus on making at least one healthy shift in our lives. This year I did a deep dive into the positive effects of sunlight and the negative effects of short wave light (including screens and other blue light). Simply put, we humans live our best lives when we get to be outside the bulk of the day (this is why we love having chickens to care for) but what about the days that are spent inside or folks who rarely get outside?
Really compelling studies are coming out that
Near Infrared Light and red light therapy can have massive health benefits to combat the excess hours most of us spend inside and away from sunlight. Now I know it sounds like I am about to put on a tin foil hat here but stay with me! Dr. Glen Jeffery is the leading scientist who has done all sorts of studies on proper dosage red light therapy and how it helps the mitochondria of our cells. His academic papers are dense but he gives
a good interview that I found easy to follow. 🙂 After a whole lot of research and wading through the sea of redlight therapy devices offered on the marked I landed on using the
Lumebox for our family. I use it for days I did not get outside and was doing a lot of computer work, digestion support, any sign of starting to get sick (if you have littles in your house you know this is a constant), needing to wind down at the end of the day or if I have inflammation from intense days of
farm work (hello building new coops in record time!). The
lumebox is actually 3rd party tested and it packs a serious health punch, I was blown away by how immediately I felt the positive effects of it.
Using this link gets you $260 off. Let me know if you tried it and how you liked it!
Prayer: Prayer is a constant for me on the farm, I am always asking for guidance on how to best care for the natural world and speak on its behalf. January is a particularly focused time of deep prayer for us as we set ourselves up for the hatching season. We pray for the health of our flocks, the health of our team that helps us and we pray for everyone that we get to share our chicks with because we are all connected in such beautiful ways that we do not yet understand. If you are someone who would like to be added to our prayer list, it would be an honor to pray for you or whatever life is bringing your way. When folks ask for prayer I add them to my morning/evening prayer list, it is another layer of depth and connection that I appreciate, I am here if that calls to your heart!
Some resources you may find helpful:
As you get ready to plan your 2026 season here are some infrastructure things that I have found so useful for caring for my flocks:
Avaplex: a power gut health booster for your flock that ACTUALLY works. There is so much out there in the world that is geared toward chicken keepers that is not effective but this formulation has been lovely for keeping all my birds robust and strong throughout the seasons.
Roll Away Nesting Boxes: These are some super sturdy ones from
Hen Gear that will keep your eggs clean and prevent your ladies from roosting in the nesting boxes themselves. Use code “Alchemist” for 10% off.
Calcified Seaweed from LitChicks and I am seeing good results with my flocks, they have nice thick shells and all the ladies seemed to be more comfortable during our high heat waves. If you use the code “AlchemistFarm” you get 10% off any orders for life, if you go for a subscription they will give you free shipping – I like the size and shape of the calcified seaweed, it can easily double as grit for adult birds 🙂
If you made it to the end of this newsletter you are my long form communication people! I hope this month brings you deep nourishment, inspiration and moments of joy as you begin your year 🙂
