The Farmstead by Chicken Librarian

03/11/2026

03/08/2026

I visited King Arthur Flour back in 2020, and what struck me wasn’t the scale or technology—it was the care in every step of the process. From the way the grain is milled to the attention paid to quality, it reminded me how much the ingredients themselves shape what we create.

I’m on a mission to seek out locally sourced ingredients, including flour, so I can begin experimenting in my own kitchen and understand the difference quality makes. Milling your own flour is ideal, but even when that’s not possible, sourcing thoughtfully—through local mills, regional producers, or trusted brands like King Arthur—slows you down, sharpens your awareness, and teaches that every great creation starts with the ingredient itself.

03/08/2026

That time I took myself to Asheville for a visit with the folks at the Southern Highlands Craft Guild. No big agenda—just a pull toward the mountains and the kind of craft community that feels as rooted as the hills themselves.

There’s a rhythm to the Blue Ridge Mountains that always slows me down in the best way. Mist hanging in the mornings, winding roads, studios tucked into small towns, and the steady hum of people who still believe in making things by hand. Western North Carolina has long been a place where tradition and creativity sit side by side, and every time I visit I’m reminded why it matters.

I’ve been fortunate to spend a good bit of time wandering that region over the years, and each trip leaves me a little fuller—both as a maker and as someone building a business around the value of craft. Places like this fill me up.

Something about those mountains, the people, and the work being done there always finds its way straight to my soul. And if this trip told me anything, it’s that it might be time to head back again soon.

03/06/2026

I’ve always had a love affair with flowers. I mean…who hasn’t?

I’ve grown them, bought them, and been lucky enough to receive them. This past winter I discovered the sale table at my grocery store—the place where bouquets on their way out get deeply discounted. Every week I brought home flowers for under $10, just to brighten the house during a long, cold season.

Now that the days are getting warmer and longer, I’m dreaming about growing flowers again. I have a whole bin of seeds and dried flowers I’ve been carrying around for years, just waiting to see what might grow.

And I’m not above asking friends and neighbors for cuttings—peony, lilac, forsythia. Maybe even some p***y willows.

I’m cleaning out the garage weekend now that the roosters are in freezer camp and making room for my seed starting set up. And making room for those flower seeds too.

03/06/2026

There’s something about setting the table, pulling your vintage and thrifted plates and glasses from the cabinet. Coordinating the linens and tablescape. Thinking about how many people have gathered around your grandfather’s table through the years. And being able to share that with others makes me happy.

Scenes from January’s Sunday Supper Club

03/05/2026

When I hatched out this batch of chicks, I knew the odds meant I’d end up with extra roosters. That’s part of raising your own birds. I decided to grow them out and see who they’d become.

Little by little, it became clear that most of these boys wouldn’t make the cut. Too many roosters and not enough hens never ends peacefully — they bit me, wouldn’t tolerate being handled, and eventually turned on each other. It’s just the nature of the flock.

Yesterday, with the help of my nephew and one of my Sunday Supper Club gals, we processed 8 roosters. It was a sad deed. I don’t enjoy killing animals — even though I do it. But if I’m going to eat meat, I believe I should be willing to take responsibility for it.

This is farmsteading. Knowing where our food comes from. Making the hard decisions instead of outsourcing them.

And today was more peaceful with one rooster — Eugene RooRoo — and his six ladies running around the yard being chickens.

02/18/2026

Finally! Mainstream discussions about how we eat as a society as a whole.

02/18/2026

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