That went by fast.
2024 Season Reflection
Looking back at our New Years Hopes blog posted in February, it’s very cool that we achieved everything on the list of things we hoped to achieve at the farm this year. From the blog:
1) Beehives and trying again at bees! - CHECK
2) Bird boxes and habitats around the farm - CHECK
3) Propagation and seeding tunnel setup - CHECK
4) Climbing flowering plants for vertical interest - CHECK
5) More long-lived and ornamental trees - CHECK
6) Roadside flower and produce stand for passersby - CHECK
7) Replacing the road facing wood post cable fencing with gates, and espalier apple trees - CHECK
Hosting more events, CHECK
We did more events than ever, more weddings, and more pop-ups. It was a LOT.
Aster Springs Networking Event at Daily Farm with a flower u-pick and coffee truck for attendees.
I have some takeaways and thoughts in reflecting on 2024.
Rose Burlap Protection Worked!
The burlap sacks worked amazingly to protect sensitive roses from winter winds and to insulate. I had some concern in the spring of damp sacks causing mold and disease as temperatures and precipitation increased. I took off the burlap sacks around the base around mid to late February. When placing them in December, I didn't have enough to cover all plants, so I prioritized the smallest plants, grafted roses, and those we lost a lot of in 2023 (most temperature sensitive). I was able to use the burlap sacks to cover for frost even after the cold days had passed. It worked awesome. I then used the burlap sacks as weed suppressant barrier throughout the summer. I did lose a few plants, but not nearly to the extent as 2023.
We overworked ourselves in 2024, and will need recalibrate in 2025.
Our farm has grown significantly since 2022, more than doubling in size and plants to take care of. We still worked full time and farmed. It felt harder this year to keep ahead of the weeds and tasks with just 2 people, Michael and I. Additionally, I loaded the calendar down with events after feeling like the year prior went so well and wanting to try more events. Only it presented a problem that may seem obvious to the reader… it was too much. Every weekend, there was something going on, someone coming to the farm, some event that kept us from traveling, resting, taking a break. We delivered flowers weekly to a local coffee shop, and still offered delivery for flowers. We said yes to nearly every opportunity, and sunk any free time we may have had with each yes. And I must admit, it was so hard on me. It was hard on both of us. I was exhausted in every possible way, and totally burnt out by July.
In 2024, we hosted farm tours, u-picks, yoga, photography sessions, florist wholesale picks, a wedding, private events, children’s classes. We built a farm stand. We flowered weddings. We built infrastructure. It was awesome, because now we know what we liked and what we didn’t. It gave us a newfound perspective on where to go:
We just need to do a few things well, not all the things.
Michael and his beautiful veggie crops in June.
Happy Wildlife and Pollinator Habitats
Our happy honey bees!
In May we purchased another set of honeybees to try again, and it worked! At this moment, they have a healthy and full hive. We saw them in our flower fields on the lavender, the roses, and in our wildflowers. Their frames have capped honey and loaded with bees. By late summer, more than half the frames had comb so we added a super. They are just exploring the super’s Flow Hive frames, but did not start filling those. They seemed curious of it, crawling around in the Flow Hive frames. However, it seemed the progress in the brood box slowed. Not all the frames were filled in the brood box by November. It seemed they just focused on half the box. We are not holding our breath, and still learning, but it’s been very fun to have them around. I was amazed at how docile they were even when we or visitors walked by.
We also added more native bee hotels and bird houses. Blue birds made nests in the bird houses and were a joy to watch in the early summer.
Unusual (The New Usual) Seasons
We had an earlier spring this year, with the first flowers appearing in March, irises by mid April, the first rose flush in early May.. Everything was shifted earlier by several weeks than the previous year. And it made for mayhem for variety specific events I planned in advance to do (Garden Rose U-Pick, Lavender U-Pick). People had bought tickets for these events, and I regrettably had to reschedule, or cancel altogether these events. The summer was so dry and hot that we depleted the ponds water supply by August, and had the water company go ahead and install a municipal water meter at the farm. Our scheduled farm yoga event had to be rescheduled because heat index was to be nearly 100 degrees. Fall was still so hot. And now, in mid-November, we have STILL not seen a season ending frost. I have annuals in bloom, even seeding themselves, around the farm. I am leaving them for the pollinators, and ignoring they exist for my sanity.
This farm has grown at break-neck speed. I wonder how it will be at the end of November 2025.
2025 has some grand plans for it.
