Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins!

"Down Time": A time of reduced activity or productivity.

There's no such thing on the farm this time of year! I remember years ago reading a Cherry Ames book  where the nursing motto was "Don't stand if you can sit, and don't sit if you can lie down."

Books from my older sisters Ronnie and Sweet Grass... then mine were the newer style. I loved Cherry Ames!

I thought that was funny back then, the flurry of nursing students running back and forth from classes, trying to get clinical time in, personal life and study....

Then I grew up and realized the truth, that some jobs, especially seasonal ones, are Go! Go! Go! during the season... and then you gear up during the quiet time for the next season!

Hi. I'm Ruthy and We Started A Farm.

Very few people do that these days... As my husband says, "If you have a quarter million, are you going to invest it in the market? Or in equipment that depreciates faster than your average car?"

So we went about this the old-fashioned way: Sweat Equity. Small tools. Roto-tillers. Back-pack sprayers. Hand-planted fields. When you watch those old movies with the family out there working the land?

Yup.

That's us. 

WHY DID YOU DO THIS? you ask?

Dave had a dream... Farmer Dave, the guy I married a long time ago... A dream of developing a farm where families could come and have fun and not spend their retirement income trying to get in the door. So the dream was like so many of those Holy Spirit nudges... our daughter said something a few years ago, about how folks love, love, love fall places... and we live in one of the prettiest fall climates of all, the lakeshores of Western New York...

And Dave knew he was ready to retire...

And God had blessed us with multiple book contracts so we would not starve. :)

And so it began with this:

And this:

And then a customer suggested THIS:

Novelty pumpkins... stacking pumpkins... at a reasonable price...

And that's how it began... We adopted the slogan "Home of the $5 Pumpkin" and pledged that no pumpkin will be more than $5. Families won't have to break the bank to have fun. By October 10th, 2016, WE SOLD OUT OF PUMPKINS... that was God's message to us that we'd hit our stride and found our niche...

We keep overhead low. We don't rent space to sell. Folks come right here, to the farm, and they breathe... and walk around... and get ideas for cooking and baking and babies and now...

We've got this:

And this!

And this...

And don't forget these!

And then, new to us two weeks ago are these new friends... just here for folks to love....

Alexis the miniature donkey, maybe expecting a baby donkey in summer 2018....

And this little girl came to us the same day, because I could not resist her!!!

We've got "Name that Donkey" contest going to give this pretty baby her formal name... She's six months old and precious... friendly... and so sweet. We can walk the donkeys... turn them out on grass... brush them... and people just like to pet them. It's Donkey Love time on the farm.

We organized a playground....

We rebuilt chicken coops and turned the old coop into the Donkey Shed...

And in between it all we bake breads and cakes and cookies and Whoopie Pies.... 

Because every good business begins with a dream... a goal... an approach. And wherever this takes us, I'm so glad to include all of you on the fun of following us on the farm!

A farm where kids will see crops and animals and meet nice people and play and climb. 

Eli helping cut asparagus....

Where they'll see that eggs come from chickens and not a cooler... where food comes out of the field... 

Our grandkids and their sweet mother Karen helping pick the pumpkins! 

...where frogs hop and play in the water gardens, and kids race barefoot across cool, green grass.

A place to be normal. A place where we have a six-week-old kitten ruling the house, and a solemn funeral for Big Green Frog, one of the bullfrogs that met its fate at the paws of a farm cat...

There aren't many fancy or even quick recipes going on here right now, but there's always bread for sandwiches... pots of soup... Quick burgers on the grill, and don't forget the Zweigle's hot dogs, our favorite!

Because during the season, customers come first... and showing people what we've got, what we've done, sharing our dream... well then they hop on over to facebook and they tell folks about us.

And the word spreads faster than water on a mountain creek... 

And then, in the dark of night, when all sleep deep, I creep downstairs and write sweet stories to make folks laugh... and sometimes cry.

And then the day begins all over again!

Multi-published, bestselling author Ruthy Logan Herne loves writing great books, laughing and praying with folks on facebook and sharing the crazy and fun life of being on Blodgett Family Farm... where today's excitement included saving the lives of bullhead guppies before the weather turns... we'll deliver them to the big farm pond out back.. and then get back to work, knowing we saved a few fish... which we might just eat in a year or two! :)