Weekly roundup

Patience in the Pause

This is the rhythm that keeps a homestead alive. After months of motion and momentum, we turn to maintenance, reflection, and rest as a foundation for the year ahead.

The fields teach it best: you can’t harvest all the time. Growth needs quiet seasons, and strength is built when the soil—and the soul—are allowed to recover. What looks still is actually the beginning of next season’s abundance.

Homestead Happenings

Learning from the Stillness

The mornings have a chill again, and the coffee tastes better when you can see your breath. I walk the rows each day just to watch the cover crops come in—oats and clover filling the gaps where the summer crops once stood. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing the soil rest after a long season of giving.

This time of year reminds me to match that rhythm myself. The barn’s organized, the compost bins are full, and for once, the to-do list isn’t running the day. It’s the slow work now—maintenance, fun projects, planning what next spring might hold.

It’s in this season I remember that stillness is part of stewardship too. The land teaches that balance better than any book ever could.

Project in the Works

Raising Meat Chickens Next Spring

The slower pace of fall has a way of opening up space for new ideas. When the chores ease up and the evenings stretch out, that’s when the next season starts taking shape in my mind. One of the projects I keep circling back to is raising a batch of meat chickens—something I’ve done before, but would need to refine next year.

There’s a satisfaction that comes from producing your own meat start to finish. Knowing exactly how those birds lived. Pasture-raised chicken isn’t just better for the land—it’s better for you, too. Birds raised on grass, sunshine, and natural forage develop higher levels of omega-3s, more vitamins, and cleaner fat profiles than those confined indoors. And knowing they were raised without hormones or additives brings a kind of trust no label can replace.

I’ve been sketching out a few changes for next spring: better pasture rotation, more shade structure, maybe even trying a slower-growing breed. The off-season is good for this kind of thinking. The work slows down, but the planning starts to hum.

Season Veggie Recipe

Creamy Roasted Squash Soup with Maple and Thyme

By this point in the season, the squash are stacked high in storage—acorn, butternut, and every shape between. This soup is how we enjoy them when the nights start to bite.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut or acorn squash, halved and seeded

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 cup milk or cream

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)

• Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush squash halves with olive oil, place cut side down, and roast 40–45 minutes until tender.

2. In a pot, sauté onion and garlic until soft. Scoop out squash flesh and add to the pot.

3. Stir in broth, thyme, and maple syrup. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Blend until smooth, then stir in milk or cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve it warm with crusty bread or a drizzle of cream on top. It’s the kind of bowl that slows you down for the evening down.

Looking Back

Lessons from a Tough Watermelon Season

Ours didn’t do as well this year. The vines started weak, and the fruit never quite developed that deep sweetness we wait for all summer. Some split early, others stayed small and stubbornly pale inside. It’s humbling, but that’s how it goes—some seasons teach more than they give.

I spent time after harvest walking the patch, taking notes on what went wrong: watering patterns, pollination timing, soil balance. That reflection turned into a troubleshooting guide I’ll be using myself next year. It covers what causes weak vines, misshapen fruit, and how to get the timing right so your melons actually ripen before the nights turn cold.

The good thing about homesteading is, there’s always next year—and always something learned in the waiting.

Closing Tip

If you’re finishing fall chores, take a moment to clean and oil your garden tools before hanging them up for winter. A few minutes now prevents rust and cracked handles later.

Good tools deserve rest, too—and they’ll serve you longer when they’re cared for like the soil itself.

• The Grounded Homestead