“Dear Farm Journal” is a creative project that connects people to their food and the farmers who bring it to life. We share our daily story to build community, advocate for small-scale organic farming, and appeal to the curiosity of those who want to know what farm life is all about.   

And cue the mid-March snowstorm. We must have been doing a little bit too much activity, raking and prepping our outdoor garden...

I spent a slow Sunday cleaning up the aftermath of our maple syrup workshop. There were armloads of sticky dishes to wash,...

Our third Driftless Curiosity workshop on maple syrup was a sweet success. We enjoyed another gorgeous spring day in the woods...

After a morning of farming, we went down to the sugar bush to prepare for the third Driftless Curiosity workshop on maple syrup...

Before the growing season hits us with her high maintenance force, we farmers do our best to stabilize infrastructure and...

I took a morning drive to my hometown, stopping at my aunt’s house to borrow some candy molds for making maple candy. The third...

Before we could start work on the greenhouse buildout, I needed to hike down to the sugar bush to retrieve Rufus’s drill. It’s...

When I step out the door, I hear new bird voices accompanied by the trickle of melting drips, each conducted through time by...

Papa Rich took the morning shift in the sugar bush while Rufus edited video and I worked on writing projects for Driftless Area...

Today was our second Driftless Curiosity workshop on maple syrup production, and we tripled our attendance in one week! Mother...

Ice melts into steady streams and signs of spring abound. We spend the morning in the warm glow of the greenhouse, where we spot...

The transformation has begun. Rufus and I have been talking about remodeling the old milk house into a certified kitchen space...

Now that we have seeds in the soil, we must commence the dragging of the hoses. Although we have water spigots at each...

I called it. Another day of work in the balmy greenhouse lifted me right out of my boots. Well, actually I was going about my...

It’s planting time! Our first load of Purple Cow organic compost arrived this morning, the greenhouses are nice and toasty, and...

After the preparation and launch of Driftless Curiosity, three days in the woods, and I don’t know how many trees tapped, it’s...

Today is the launch of Driftless Curiosity. Before my alarm is into its second measure of music, I’ve thrown off the covers and...

Today is our second volunteer day to prepare for the launch of Driftless Curiosity. I’m thankful for family and friends who join...

I awoke with a Christmas morning type of buzz for our first day of work in the sugar bush. I’ve planned two volunteer days to...

Dear Farm Journal, We’ve broken into the greenhouses. Well, I should say Rufus did. While I was in the office, he shoveled his...

The first line of the email from our lawyer read, “It’s official! I’m attaching the endorsed articles of...

A timely invitation to sauna spread smiles across these farmer faces, and we happily accepted the opportunity to sit and soak...

The weather was more appropriate for sitting in a functional sauna than building one. Nonetheless, there we were; retinas...

We’ve decided to invest in our first camera (besides our phones) for posting farm videos, and our GoPro arrived today. Rufus got...

Winter clings to the land, and although we haven’t planted any literal seeds yet, our ideas are sprouting. Our hours of office...

Beyond the screen of my laptop, I watch as an imposing icicle gradually grows beyond the full length of our bedroom window....

We spend another winter day staring into screens and out windows. We commiserate over our confinement and complain that our...

The first thing I saw when I sat up in bed, was a dead racoon in the driveway. What a pleasant sight for the morning sun to...

Our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple was filled with some of life’s simplest joys; a hand-painted Valentine, love...

A life-giving beacon of light and sound streamed live into our living room tonight. Our friends, The People Brothers Band,...