Nature’s New Year
Back in early January I came across a quote on my social media feed, shared by one of my (super awesome) hippie friends, that really spoke to me. At the time, I was trying to convince myself that I should jump back into writing, updating the soap inventory and setting goals for 2022…you know, all of that “new year, new you” stuff. But honestly, I just couldn’t muster the enthusiasm for new projects.
For me, January is the quiet month. It’s the time when I actually have time. But it takes me a good 2 weeks to get used to the slow in schedule and after the rush of the harvest and holiday season. Between kidding, calving, milking, weaning, moving, hauling, harvesting, processing, and preserving, life on a homestead is pretty darn busy most of the year. But in January, there’s none of that. Say whaaaaaat?
Me, assessing the season and awaiting the boom of kidding and calving.
What is one supposed to do with extra time? Our family milk cow, Shine, and the goats were dried off, the sky darkened at 4pm, chores were done in 20 minutes instead of 2 hours, and I found myself standing by the woodstove listening to the crackling of the fire while I tried to muster the willpower to use said extra time in a new direction.
But. I just. Couldn’t. Do it.
And then, as I stood there planted in front of the heat, scrolling semi-consciously through social media on my cell phone, there was the quote:
“A gentle reminder that if you don’t feel ready, prepared, and amped up for this new year right now, know that this is not the cycle of nature. Starting fresh in nature happens around spring. We’re still in winter. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t have it all together or you’re not moving forward with your vision boards, resolutions, etc. Existing is enough. Mother Nature knows best. We are a part of Nature, not separate.”
Oh, snap. She was right. I hadn’t even considered that the “New Year” on our calendar doesn’t line up with any sort of actual change in nature’s seasonal rhythms. Why on earth was I expecting my body and brain to be reset and recharged in the darkest, coldest, quietest time of the year, immediately following 10 months of pedal-to-the-metal hustling? I suddenly felt relieved and validated when I gave in to the urge to curl up on the couch, pick up my winter hobby of knitting and head to bed early every night.
Nature knows best, once again. Of course she does.
So here I am, after 6 weeks of rest, with 6 baby goats and a brand-new calf on the ground, welcoming the start of another seasonal cycle. The maple sap is running, the wild birds have returned, and soon we’ll have buds on the trees and green on the ground. Spring is coming sure enough, but now feels like the start of Nature’s New Year.
Let’s make it a good one, and let nature take the lead.
Baby Goats
Wait, did I say baby goats?! Sure did.
Four of the six newborn goat kids snuggled up inside.
If you follow us on social media (@barefootallnaturalfarm), then you’ve likely already seen our new additions. My daughter’s goat, Moon, delivered triplets on February 11. We weren’t surprised when she exceeded the normal litter size of two kids, only because she was so wide that she could barely fit through the barn door toward the end of her pregnancy—it was either triplets growing inside of her or she had been sneaking a load of extra snacks when we weren’t looking.
The six new kids on the block with new-mom-to-be, Snowflake.
Since triplets are somewhat out of the norm for this breed (Mini Saanen), when Rose, who seemed to be sporting a more typical baby bump, also delivered triplets the following day we picked our jaws up off of the ground and counted…and recounted…all of the bouncing baby goats several times. If you’re counting along with us, yes, we did indeed more than double our goat numbers in less than 24 hours. With 3 adult does and 2 adult bucks adding 6 kids makes a total of 11 goats! And we’re not quite done yet. Snowflake is due this coming week with her first kids. I better go brew some more coffee.
New Soap Releases
Each year I do a deep inventory of the existing soap stock, review the feedback and sales of the previous year, and decide if there are any scents that should be discontinued or new varieties that I’d like to develop. It’s always a struggle for me to decide to stop making certain varieties, since each one has it’s own followers and it’s own benefits. But keeping a million different kinds of soap in stock at all times is not feasible for this little one person operation, so I try to limit myself to 10 base soaps to keep in the rotation all year. Then I get to have fun and let my inspiration flow with the 2 limited release soaps that I develop for each season.
This year I let go of Bathed in Buttermilk and Sunrise Smoothie. (I know, I know, you LOVED those ones!) But for a variety of reasons those had to go to make room for 2 new ones that I think you’ll love even more.
Passion
Passion goat milk soap- New in 2022.
Fruit forward scented without being overbearing. Intricate sandalwood-reminiscent amyris holds its own space with its unique scent profile of spice, wood and sweet floral. Essential oil blend of pink grapefruit, amyris and cedarwood. Burgundy colored through an all-natural infusion of Himalayan rhubarb root. Smooth.
Rosemary Lemon
Rosemary Lemon goat milk soap- New in 2022.
Bright and herbal. A true clean scent that is both uplifting and homey. Strong citrus notes and overtones of rosemary with lemongrass. Colored to a bright yellow with an infusion of annatto seeds. Smooth.
I ended up donating the rest of the Bathed in Buttermilk soap stock to a local group who was collecting donations of household supplies and clothing for Afghan refugees who were displaced from their homes without food, clothing or any basic necessities. It was a very grassroots, non-public effort to help a handful of families and I was glad to have a good amount of newly discontinued soap to contribute. I hope the family members got a little bit of peace from the gentle, handmade soap made right here in their new home state of Massachusetts.
There is still a small supply of Sunrise Smoothie left on the shelves, so if that’s one that you’d like to snag before it’s gone completely you can find it on the website at a discount.
Behind the Scenes
A sneak peek at some other things we’ve been up to lately. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more!
Harley’s greenhouse- a warm spot amidst the snowy landscape in the winter.
Harley put up a greenhouse last summer and has been enjoying starting seeds, making compost and fine tuning the heat and airflow in there this winter. I have to admit that it’s pretty nice to walk in there at 70 degrees even when there’s snow on the ground outside.
Radar (top) and Maple (bottom), our new calves.
Our family milk cow, Shine, had a beautiful baby girl (the brown calf in the photo above) on February 24th. Since Shine is getting older, we’re planning to keep “Maple” and train her to be our next family milk cow in a couple of years. We also got her a friend to grow up with. “Radar” (the white and black calf in the photo above) will be a beef steer. For now they’re just loving life and we’re loving them!
Sneak peek at spring soap #1- available soon!
I made the 2 spring seasonal soaps this past week, which will be ready and listed for sale by the spring equinox. This one is an old favorite with a new twist- dried flower petals from last year’s harvest sprinkled on top.
Sneak peek at spring soap #2- available soon!
The second spring soap is a totally new variety that really smells like spring to me. For some reason spring looks like aquamarine in my head, so I added a striking teal swirl made from a combination of indigo and chlorella powders.
Kalina and her favorite goat kid, Mikah.
My daughter Kalina has been talking about keeping a second goat of her own since last summer. She does 100% of the care and milking of her first goat, Moon, and she feels she’s ready to add a second goat to her care. As luck would have it, Moon had this adorable little doeling this year that Kalina is smitten with. I have a feeling she’s not going anywhere.
Hope you’re taking good care of yourself and your loved ones. I’ll try to write again next month.
Love, Christy