What Betty is Doing Now July 2025

Summer is Busy

Life is outdoor-busy from sunup to sundown. There’s so much to do on the farm—mowing, moving pasture fences, tending trees, working the garden, and caring for animals. I try to carve out porch time and horseback rides. I have a tendency to go, go, go—and sometimes I need to remind myself that it’s okay if I don’t get it all done.

The mowing feels endless this year—pasture perimeters, field edges, and around the trees I’ve planted. I’ve been harvesting out of the garden: zucchini, tomatoes just starting to roll in, onions, and the last of the rhubarb. The pumpkin patch is sprawling and looks promising, and the yellow squash is just coming on. Cucumbers have been slower and flowers didn’t take off like I hoped—maybe from that stretch of heat we had. The asparagus is in its second year and still too young to harvest, so I’m letting it go to seed again and hoping for a better stand next year.

I’m also working with a local organization, Canopy, to plan a bigger tree project for next spring—part windbreak, part silvopasture—so I’m getting quotes and figuring out how much help I can hire. Caring for the trees I’ve already planted is part of the weekly rhythm too.

Sheep life has been full. We had our last lamb of the season in June—little Dot—and I also faced my first loss to bloat, losing Tres. That one devastated me. Osage, my livestock guardian in training, is still learning—she’s taken to chasing the sheep out of the shade shelter, so I’ve been working on better shade options like moving a shade cloth over each water tank as I rotate them. I also cleaned out the sheep barn again, which cut down on flies and makes a healthier space for them at night.

I’m still riding horses when I can and spending time with Bella. I’m trying to pace myself and rest, even when there’s so much to do. I’ve been helping with plans for our local garden club’s 10‑year anniversary, and I still make time to see friends when I can. It’s a healthy, sweaty, dirty kind of life, and I’m grateful for it.

Want to buy lamb?
I’m now offering local lamb for sale by the live weight. You pay me for the lamb, and then you work directly with Allen’s Meats in Homer, Illinois to customize your processing preferences. It’s a great way to stock your freezer with flavorful, pasture-raised meat that’s high in nutrients. If you’re interested, just email me and I’ll walk you through how it works.

Watch farm life unfold
I’ve added more videos to the Bluestem Springs Farm YouTube channel over time. I’m not posting on a set schedule these days, but there’s plenty there—sheep, land management, and everyday farm life. If there’s something you’d like to see, let me know. And if you’d like a little piece of the farm in your mailbox, Bluestem Springs Farm stickers are in the shop: https://bluestemspringsfarm.com/shop.

If you're interested in working together or have any questions, feel free to contact me via email or LinkedIn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettybrennan/

bettybrennan@pm.me