Makaala Country Farms

We have good news and bad news. The good news is the recent rains have perked up the plants and filled the catchment. The bad news is we also lost part of our banyan tree. Farming here is a constant play between the good news and the bad news. The things that go according to plan, and the things that completely derail the plans. Every day is a learning experience and the 'ina has so much to teach. For instance: The plan was to focus on plants first, animals later. It turns o...ut, it's really hard to grow plants here without animals. These kids do so much work already, even though they are just a few months old. Roll with the bad news. Let it inform you. And make a plan that turns it into something better. Love you!

Fuzzy is such a fine, handsome fellow. Always so polite.

From shipping crate to rooster suite. We are loving how this turned out so far! They provide a lot more space than the standard coop designs we've seen, and cost barely anything because the crates were free. What are your favorite thrifty coop designs?

White boards are an ADHD farmer's best friend

When the hard work starts to pay off... It's been three months and some change since we first broke ground at Makaala Farms. It feels like a lot longer. Three months. Sometimes, we feel like we haven't accomplished nearly enough in that span of time. Sometimes we feel like we just aren't working hard enough, though in reality we're putting in all the time and effort we have. We aren't working with fields of deep, fertile soul. A frozen river of lava lays beneath just a few i...nches of fallow dirt, jarring our bones whenever we dare to dig too deep, and teasing us with plants that sprout overnight only to wither and die after a few weeks. It's good to remember that we first broke ground just three months ago, and in that time, we have made progress. Ground has been cleared. Raised beds have been filled with soil that will turn sprouts into full grown plants. Best of all, we're finally seeing one of the most tangible returns on our labor. Food. This beautiful assortment of eggs comes from the semi-feral chickens we received in exchange for helping someone with their own overwhelming property. It's a small thing. But it feels like a big accomplishment at the same time.