Hot, Dry, and the Summer Grind

It has been a hot and dry summer so far here in the northern mountains of Colorado. I know that many parts of Colorado are facing severe drought, and although it is definitely greener here than it is in the rest of the state, the ground is rock hard and the wind and heat have been unrelenting since mid-June. I remember back when we moved to Steamboat in 2017, and I started working at Elkstone Farm, I was shocked at just how hot it was here. I was used to farming in intense heat in Boulder, CO and it was common during the peak of summer that we would work daily in 90-100 degree weather. But I thought living in the mountains at over 7,000 ft. the climate would be much more forgiving than it is. I am shocked every year at the heat and lack of rain we are facing at such high elevations and it certainly makes daily chores and general farm work more intense. Because of that Jack and I have been attempting to be more strategic with the hours of the day we spend outside, doing the bulk of our heavy-lifting chores in the morning and at night when the sun is setting. Luckily, we have the luxury of being able to structure our days to avoid the heat at the hottest part of the day, and so far, it is working well for us.

We are definitely entering in to the time of year on the farm that I refer to as the “summer grind”, where harvesting happens more regularly, high energy from the spring is a little lower due to working longer days, and things around the farm are in full swing. In addition to our normal tasks, we are now beginning to plan out our fall projects, butchering dates for pigs and sheep, and cementing our plans for the rest of the farming season. Progress on the new garden area the pigs have been working on for us is going well, and we will be moving the pigs to the next paddock to prepare ground in the next couple of days. Our sheep are looking healthy and are growing fast, the grass still providing ample nutrition during these drier parts of the summer. We are happy with how our high intensity rotational grazing program is going and are thrilled with Willa’s presence with the sheep and know she will be a great addition to the flock. Our new chickens, ducks, and turkeys are growing fast and we look forward to the batch of fresh meat when they are ready for processing later this year. The hoop house is still in full swing with a noticeable abundance of summer squash, green beans, celery, peppers, and tomatoes (although still green). It warms my heart every time I go out to harvest vegetables for our meals. We haven’t purchased vegetables from the store in over two months and it feels great to have a reliable food source right at my fingertips. Our walk-in cooler is at a stand-still as we wait for materials from Home Depot to arrive. It seems projects are taking 10X longer to complete right now with the pandemic, but we feel lucky we still have access to deliveries and are being as patient as possible to complete the project. We still have a long list of things to do: spread compost on the new garden beds, put up a caterpillar tunnel (should be delivered by August!), clean out chicken coops, incubate quail eggs (we are trying our hand at raising a few quail for meat), covering hay, and lots of weeding and other farm maintenance tasks. The list is long and overwhelming, but I keep reminding myself that it is only mid-July and we still have a few solid months to get everything done before winter arrives.

Close-up of the quail eggs we just put in the incubator! Aren’t they just gorgeous?This is our first time incubating quail eggs so fingers crossed we have a good, healthy hatch.

I wish I had some more philosophical things to talk about or some sage advice to share. But, if I am being honest, I am just feeling worn out. With everything going on in our world, life is feeling more stressful and uncertain even without added pressures of the work that needs to be done at home and the farm. My mom recently gave me some good advice though, to “give myself some grace” and it is something I keep going back to again and again when I am starting to feel the load on my shoulders is getting too heavy. It is a simple sentiment to give myself some grace, but it is a great reminder to be kind to myself, to show kindness to my family and friends, and to not bear the weight of the world on my shoulders alone. I realize there are only 24 hours in a day and I can only manage so many tasks in those hours. Expecting I get everything on my list done every single day is simply not possible, so I focus on what I must do and then fill in the gaps with tasks that I can complete when I have a moment. This is not easy with an almost 15 month old running around under my feet and who is recently waking up at 5 am and is protesting afternoon naps, but, it is my reality right now and I have to keep everything I am doing in perspective, focus on what is really, truly important and necessary, and take the rest of it as it comes.

I hope you, your families, friends, and loved ones are staying safe and giving yourself some grace during these difficult times. I am looking forward to what our “new normal” will be and know that in time, things will get better.

Stay safe and see you next week!

Farmer Kinzie