Author page: Kelly Grappe

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is the day that we pack up our first big batch of meat chickens to carry to be processed. This has been an amazing experience, filled with joy and many major lessons. On March 2nd, we got 550 baby chickens. Prior to that, the most chickens we have raised at a time was fifty.  We decided at the beginning of the year that we were going “all in” on chickens.  And through this experience,  we have had the opportunity to learn so much as we have raised these babies from day old chicks. 

Today was a sad day. In fact, it’s one of the saddest that we’ve had here on the Farm. My beloved Elvis went to chicken heaven today.

I’m infatuated with Elvis….no, not the King of Rock ‘n Roll, but Elvis, our rooster. 

As I sit here in the early morning light of the Christmas tree, coffee brewing in the kitchen, I’ve been reflecting about this Christmas season. Two years ago, on our first Christmas together, Steve and I decided that we would give homemade gifts to our families.

This year, we are thankful for baby turkeys.  I have tried to write this for several days now but every time I tried to write everything I was thankful for, it just didn’t seem to do it justice.  A couple of times, I was just too emotional to finish writing.  The word “thankful” just isn’t enough.

I have such vivid memories as a kid with my mom cross-legged on the living room floor, the smell of cinnamon sticks boiling on the stove and Christmas music blaring, as she made the prettiest bows to adorn our Christmas presents. It’s a memory that I treasure and have continued in her tradition as I’ve grown up and started my own family. As I’m pulling out the Christmas ribbon to prepare for our holiday selling season,