Winding Down and Dreaming Big

As last year wound down, we’ve done what we've always done around that time of year: looking back at what changed, what stayed the same, and what quietly reshaped the rhythm of life at

Lucky Break.

No More Cows

Last winter we had 2 steers stay with us for the winter and once they left, that was it. No more cattle on the farm. On the icy days we’ve had, we are so happy not to be worrying about finding one of the cows down on the ice. On the snowy days, it’s been a relief not to work to get the tractor down with hay to the feeder. We’ve had fewer sleepless nights worrying about weather forecasts and frozen water lines.

BUT

We miss them terribly. We’ve been watching cow videos every so often and it just doesn’t feel the same when I look out the window and see nothing out in the pasture or cow yard. I’m so happy for the time we had with them, but it doesn’t feel like our farm without them.

Chickens: The fewer, the better

We adopted 5 chickens from a friend who moved out of state, bringing us to a flock of 19. The new girls have been sporadically laying beautiful eggs, and we’ve officially confirmed that this number of chickens is the sweet spot — a far cry from 70, and much more manageable. I’ve also learned that the less I fuss over them and address every little medical issue, the better. Nature has a way of taking care of itself and I’ve finally learned to just get out of the way. 

The new kittens 

This year brought a full cast of feline characters, with 3 new kittens who quite literally showed up and decided this was home now. And to our complete bafflement, they turned out to belong to our neighbor across the street, Kevin. He graciously allowed us to keep the kittens and has the Momma cat at his farm. We are crossing all our fingers and toes that they don’t decided to cross the street to visit each other in the future. 

Ellie belly - Ellie B for short

Eleanor is absolutely beside herself trying to forge new friendships with the kittens. They really can’t stand her now, but I can tell that at least 2 of them will be able to tolerate her once spring comes and they’ll be running away from her in no time.

Ellie continues to take her job as farm guardian very seriously. She is loyal, loving, and always on alert — sometimes a little too much on alert. The stranger hesitation is a work in progress, something we’re actively working on and will continue to focus on this year. Being just the two of us on the farm with sporadic visitors makes it a challenge in the winter, so I’m trying to figure that out. 

Anthony’s theme - AKB (always keep busy)

Between painting projects, softball, golf, bowling league, and ceramics, he’s kept himself happily busy. The ceramics, in particular, have been so fun to watch evolve. He is a guy who loves surprises, so each time he comes home from class, I’m always (really) pleasantly surprised. “Oh, a platter! Tell me about this…oh, it’s an incense burner. More bowls! OK, no more bowls, please.” 

Bonus animals without the work

One of the quiet joys this year was sharing our pasture with our neighbors’ animals — their sheep and a horse grazing nearby. All of the beauty, but none of the responsibility made out for a pretty perfect arrangement. When our pasture started going sideways due to lack of grazing, I messaged my neighbor down the street and asked if she was open to any of her animals coming and staying for a bit. She said yes and it couldn’t have gone better. It was also interesting interacting with sheep as I had never been around them before. They had such sweet dispositions and were very curious - a bit like gentler, fluffier and oilier cows. 

Looking Ahead to 2026

As I mentioned on Instagram recently, this is the time of year where we are sitting down and dreaming about what’s possible for the upcoming year. 

What we’re building toward: • Hosting workshops• Renting the event space • Farm dinners (we’re currently in conversations with a few chefs and restaurants)

If some of our my dreams came true: I would add a few pet-only animals. I’m thinking of guinea hens, peacocks, and Kunekune pigs. My sister-in-law, who lives near Eau Claire WI, breeds and raises Kunekunes and mentioned that this will be her last year breeding them. It’s a no brainer - we DEFINITELY need at least two of them. 

Kunekune pigs

I would also redesign some of the small barn areas on the property for

– A fire pit gathering area

– An indoor bar space near the event space

– A design studio and small retail shop opened seasonally and periodically throughout the year

– A pottery studio for Anthony

Farm Goods & What’s Next

While our farmer’s market days are behind us, we still and will always have a few things for sale from the farm. 

Flowers:

Peonies and seasonal blooms will be available when they’re ready — spontaneous and spur-of-the-moment.

Beef: We have the last of our grass-fed Wagyu beef in the freezer and will be offering a winter sale. Watch for details.

Jam: Strawberry Heat Wave will continue each season due to such high demand. It sounds silly, but it’s true! 

Bees & Honey: We’ll be getting bees again in the spring and still have a small amount of honey left from this past season.

Pop-Up Shops: Who knows what lies ahead, but we’d love to do a pop-up shop once or twice in the summer if all of the stars align. I’ll be sure to keep all of you posted. 

We are looking forward to what's next (look how excited we are!). We are once again ready for some new farm adventures!