Nobody photographs the fence. If you think about it—we photograph the garden inside the fence. The cute lambs. The goat kids. But the fence is just there in the background. Sitting stolidly, overlooked and under-appreciated. Yet—without that infrastructure, you couldn’t keep livestock in. Or keep them out of the garden. Fencing is unglamorous work—unsung labor…
Category: Updates From the Farm
How I Bought a Farm w No Money
QUICK NOTE: This story is from 2018. The FSA Beginning Farmer programs are still active as of this writing—the continuing resolution passed in November 2025 specifically reaffirmed funding through September 2026. That said, there may be changes in how these programs are being administered under the current administration, so I’d encourage anyone interested to contact…
Live with Farmer Sam👩🌾🐑🌱
This week I finally walked the back corner of my conservation acreage for the first time this season—calf-deep in snow in the wrong shoes, of course—and put up a trail cam I’ve been meaning to install since I bought this property in 2018. Eight years of wondering what crosses that creek at night, and now…
Breaking Trail
Over the course of the last week, I’ve been out breaking trail in more ways than one. From the Back-40 to embracing authenticity….
How I Bought a Farm w No Money
QUICK NOTE: This story is from 2018. The FSA Beginning Farmer programs are still active as of this writing—the continuing resolution passed in November 2025 specifically reaffirmed funding through September 2026. That said, there may be changes in how these programs are being administered under the current administration, so I’d encourage anyone interested to contact…
It’s Okay to Be Messy
“Augh,” I muttered as snow wedged itself around my ankle inside my sneakers. “Shoulda worn my muck boots for this.” It was for this very reason I’d held off so long on taking the first woods walk of the season. I knew full well there would still be snowy patches in the deep woods. But…
Homesteading By Necessity
On this rainy spring day, I’m taking a break while bread is baking to read this week’s farm update aloud—bringing listeners into the rhythms, realities, and reflections of life at Runamuk Acres. From a quieter-than-usual lambing season to the small, intentional work of building trust with a timid flock, this episode weaves together the everyday…
If I’m Gonna Write Anyway
Let it be known that this was the year I decided if I’m gonna write anyway, I may as well get paid for it. Writing has been pulled from the back-burner to the front, and I’m stoked that things are really heating up in that department. Even with guests to the farmstay…
Miyazaki Marathon
Rounding out the week with a Miyazaki Marathon on Sunday afternoon, I’m decidedly grateful for having made the most of these last few weeks. The quiet time between the end of one growing season and the start of the next is a much-needed time of rest and reflection.
Raising Babies in the Woods With No Running Water
Take a look back some 17 years and you’d find me raising babies in the woods with no running water. I was a stay-at-home-mom just trying to survive from one day to the next, when my second son came into this world…