A New Season—In the Fields, the Flock, and Our Family

Hey friends,

It’s been a minute since we sent out an update—thank you for your patience. Life has been full around here in the best kind of way. We’ve been deep in the rhythm of the farm, watching things grow (plants, animals, and grandbabies alike), and giving our energy to what matters most: our family and this land we’re tending together.

Here’s a little of what’s been happening since we last checked in…

🐑 Lambing Season Has Begun: We’re welcoming the first lambs of the season, and it never gets old. While this isn’t our first time raising lambs, there’s something magical about each new season—tiny hooves, soft bleats, and the flurry of spring activity in the pasture. We’re grateful for strong, healthy babies and mamas doing well.

🦅 Hard Losses + Farm Lessons: Earlier this spring, we lost a few beloved hens to hawks and fox—a hard reminder that nature has its own rhythm and risks. We're adapting with new measures to better protect the flock. These moments ground us, even when they hurt, and remind us how precious every animal here is.

🌰 Chestnuts and Drought Recovery: Our chestnut orchard is bouncing back after last year’s dry spell. It was a tough season, but these trees are resilient, and we’re hopeful for a stronger yield this fall. We’re learning as we go—nurturing the soil, studying the trees, and doing everything we can to set them up for long-term success.

🫐 700 Elderberry Plants in the Ground! This was a huge step for us: 700 new elderberry plants are now tucked into the soil and soaking up the spring rains. Elderberries are one of our main crops behind the chestnuts, and this expansion marks a big leap toward our future goals—both in nourishing our family and eventually sharing our harvest through fresh berries, syrups, and more.

🌿 In the Garden: Our new greenhouse expansion is already hard at work, and it’s full of fresh greens! This step brings us closer to our goal of producing food for our family year-round. We’re planning to fill it with even more vegetables, herbs, and flowers—some for nourishment, some for beauty, and many for their healing properties.

Tammy’s been diving deep into a course on medicinal tinctures, learning how to turn what we grow into natural remedies. It’s been a joy discovering how much our land already offers when we take the time to learn from it.

🌳 Looking Ahead: The work doesn’t stop with planting. This year, we’re pouring ourselves into a few exciting new projects:

• 🍐 Expanding the orchard with apples, pears, and native fruits

• ✅ Beginning the process for organic certification to bring trusted crops to more families

• 🤝 Partnering with local makers and markets to offer our elderberries, chestnuts, and more

• 🌾 Deepening our commitment to regenerative practices that heal and enrich the land

  
  

👣 Why We Do It: We’re doing all of this with kids and grandkids (existing and new!) at our feet—some learning, some playing, some just getting their hands muddy. Homesteading with grandbabies in tow has added a whole new layer of purpose to everything we do. Watching them explore the land barefoot and wide-eyed makes every fence repair and early morning feed totally worth it. We’re not just building a farm—we’re building a legacy.

Thanks for being here with us, even through the quieter seasons.

With full hearts and muddy boots,

The Averill Family at New Leaf Pastures

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P.S. We’re back to sharing updates on Instagram and Facebook—follow along for planting days, lamb antics, family life, and more behind-the-scenes from the homestead. Come say hi!