There’s something deeply satisfying about the first real hay drying day of the season. Not the giant rolling fields and tractors kind — just the small-scale version of it. Screens set out in the yard, handfuls of cut grass drying in the Vermont air, and the feeling that maybe we’re slowly learning how to work with the seasons instead of constantly racing them.
Today started with big plans for yard work, but like most homestead days, it shifted into something different. Roger grilled dinner while I focused on the animals and the small systems that keep everything moving forward here at Silver Ridge Rabbitry & Farms.
I gathered up the drying hay from the screens and tested some of it with the rabbits. They immediately started nibbling at it, which honestly felt rewarding after all the experimenting with screens, weather, storage, and trying to figure out what works in a small-space setup like ours. I bagged the rest up for later use and tucked the screens away before the evening dampness rolled back in.
These little moments may not look like much from the outside, but they add up:
- cleaner animal spaces
- stored feed
- healthier routines
- less waste
- more connection to the process
I also cleaned the chicken coop tonight and added fresh shavings, which completely changed the feel of the space. Fresh bedding always makes everything seem calmer and more manageable somehow. The chicks settled in quickly afterward, and the whole shed felt lighter and more organized by the end of the evening.
A lot of homestead life isn’t dramatic. It’s repeating simple tasks often enough that they slowly become systems:
grass drying into feed,
manure becoming garden soil,
animals settling into routines,
and clutter slowly turning into usable spaces.
And honestly, that’s the kind of life I want to build.
Not perfect.
Not polished.
Just real, steady progress — one evening at a time in northern Vermont.
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