Gimme Guineas

They don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing they need...

The most valuable gift this year is your friendship. Don’t forget to give it away liberally, to everyone who might need it. It’s been a year; your flock needs you.
— The Greek Chorus of Guineas at Good Spirits Farm

Here’s What’s Happening At Good Spirits Farm

• Gimlet is growing so fast! She’s entered the stranger danger phase, so she isn’t letting me cuddle her right now. That’s okay, I’ll win her love back with treats when she’s older. Julia is starting to look pretty pregnant, she’s due on January 8th, but we now know that due dates are more of a suggestion than anything else. Whenever she’s ready, we’ll be ready!

• I need to go pick up a few sheep, because multi-species grazing has a lot of benefits and has always been a part of our plan. But: I keep hesitating. I think I’m worried I’m taking on too much? Sheep are known for being particularly good at dying, which definitely worries me, too. However, they’ll eat a lot of the forage the cows won’t touch and they can help interrupt parasite cycles. It’s really a win to keep a “flerd” versus a single-species flock or herd.

• We planned to buy another live Christmas tree and plant it on the farm after Christmas, like last year. I love the idea of a lifetime’s worth of Christmas trees growing throughout our farm. However, I’m having trouble feeling like that plan is worth the effort this year. If anyone sees my Christmas mojo, please send it back this way!

Here’s What I Loved This Week

A friend told me Trader Joe’s makes a coffee spiked with Christmas-y spices. We’re far from a TJs so….I’ve been making my own and, even though I normally don’t like flavored coffees, I highly recommend this. After grinding my beans, I add a decent size pinch (maybe 1/16th of a tsp) of ground mace, ground cloves, and cinnamon directly to the grounds. Then I make my coffee as normal. It’s like Christmas in a cup, but not in a syrupy sweet way.