Welcome to the Farm
A large garden and orchard, chickens, lambs, and a huge Do-It-Yourself farmhouse build keep our hands busy, our tummies filled, and our hearts humbled. Life on our hobby farm is wonderfully messy.
I grew up in Southern Indiana and loved spending my summers picking sweet sun-ripened strawberries straight from our home garden, playing in the creek, and collecting fresh still-warm eggs. My mama taught me how to can, make bread, and to enjoy the simple pleasure that country life brings. Now that I’m married with 5 little ones of my own, we’ve chosen a country life so that we could give our children similar experiences. Bless this Mess is not just about food, we are also a hobby farm blog, we love to share life on our hobby farm and the joys of growing our own food!
Building our own farmhouse, with our own two hands
Farmhouse Building Posts
Our biggest farm project has been building our dream farmhouse with our own hands for the last 16 months! We hope to move into our home at the end of 2017 (after 2 full years of DIY building). You guys, we are building our own house! Not just organizing the labor, but spending every moment we can putting our dreams into action one day at a time. It’s been the hardest most rewarding thing we’ve ever set out to do.
January 2016 we broke ground.
And April 2017 we have part of a house!
Cheer us on as we race to the finish and try to move in my Christmas 2017. You can see all of my house building updates here:
We finally moved into the home that we spent so many years dreaming of and building! On January 26, 2018...
DIY House Building Update: January 2018
House updates on our DIY house build are getting more and more exciting because we are to a point in...
House Building Updated December 2017: Floors, Cabinets, and More!
We’ve had a very productive few weeks at the house and I thought I better show you some of the...
DIY House Building Update: October 2017
Welcome to a little house update friends! I’ve had lots of people ask about the house lately so I thought...
My Farmhouse Inspiration – Kitchen, Dining Room, and Living Room
We’re getting to the fun part of building a house – planning all the details! Farmhouse decor is the icing...
Drywall, Drinking Fountain Drama, and More: House Updated (June 2017)
Have you ever wondered how to build a farmhouse? This is how we are building our own farmhouse in beautiful...
Gardening and Animal Posts
DIY Chicken Waterer and Feeder from 5-gallon Buckets
Not everyone needs a post on a DIY chicken waterer and feeder from 5-gallon buckets, but someone out there does...
Welcome to a little farm and garden tour for the 2017 growing season here in Southern Utah. Last year, I...
Fruit Pizza Cookies and a Trip to the Farm!
Festive fruit pizza sugar cookies are made with super soft sour cream sugar cookies and a simple cream cheese frosting,...
Egg Carton Labels Explained (Free-range, cage-free, organic? What’s the difference?)
Ever wonder what all the different terms on the egg carton labels mean? Egg Carton Labels Explained will explain the terms,...
10 Things I Wish I Would have Known Before Getting Chicks
Spring has sprung and like me, many of you are thinking about or already investing in CHICKS!!! This is my...
Prepping the Chickens for Winter + a video
We spent the bulk of a Saturday in the garden preparing the chickens for winter. We normally move their coop and run...
Preserving the Harvest
Homemade Pickling Spice Recipe
A simple homemade pickling spice recipe to make refrigerator pickles, overnight pickles, canned pickles, and more! This recipe might not...
Sweet and Spicy Cucumbers and Vinegar
Sweet and spicy cucumbers and vinegar make the most delicious refrigeration pickles that only take about 5 minutes to make....
Quick Dilly Cucumbers in Vinegar
Quick Dilly Cucumbers in Vinegar are also called quick refrigerator pickles made with fresh cucumbers and a homemade brine. You...
Quick and easy guide on how to roast butternut squash in the oven. You can use the roasted squash as...
The Best and Easiest Way to Cook a Pumpkin
Ever wonder how to cook a pumpkin? The best, easiest way is to toss it in the slow cooker. This...
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Homemade pumpkin puree is as simple as roasting, scooping, and blending a fresh pumpkin into a simple puree. You are...