January 2026
This is more for me than anyone else, but I hope you enjoy it too!
I thought a fun goal for myself this year would be to document, blog-style, our year on a flower farm.
What happens each month?
January is SO vastly different than August. The idea of seasonality takes on a whole new meaning when it’s your job to work outside and with nature.
Also, my mindset and attitude could not be more different in January than August.
January is full of so much hope and optimism. This is going to be our year! All those things that went awry last year? We’ll fix ‘em!
And, trust me, August will hit, and the overwhelm and exhaustion will take over. The desperation and possibly despair.
But. Part of my goal of documenting is to have a bit of a journal for myself.
A goal every year is always to do better at taking notes, so I know better what to expect and plan for. And each year I’ve slowly improved. (There’s still a lot more room for improvement!) And so, adding in this journal for me, might help to document in a different way. A bit more of a reflective way. Maybe in a more whole, big-picture way.
So, with all of that … what has been going on on this flower farm in January?
Reflection - Naming my Rose, Bud, and Thorn; looking at the numbers; thinking back to all the things I did last year and how they made me feel - what did I love, what did I hate? Just a lot of a reflecting.
Learning - I attended a virtual conference for flower farmers called DirtCon. Some of the best and most respected names in the flower farming world spoke, and they gave such concrete stuff to work on. It’ll be one I keep re-listening to throughout the year, because there was so much to soak in. It was great learning and great encouragement.
Planning - Ever so slowly, I’m starting to plan. In some ways I feel behind - I haven’t ordered my seeds or plugs. But I also am telling myself I’m not behind. I’m right where I need to be. I’m taking my time to plan. And in expanding our space for a bigger and better flower upick next year, I need to be intentional! But planning is starting to come along.
Dreaming - Because planning is more pen to paper, but dreaming goes so much beyond that. Dreaming is looking at where I want to be in 5 years. Is that realistic? What do I want our family’s life to look like and how can the farm support that? It’s bigger picture, but I do love to dream and think all that *could* be.
It’s not a glamorous January. But it’s cozy. It’s thoughtful. And all that happens in the spring/summer/fall out here, could not happen without the January planning.
To be honest, it’s kinda my favorite time of the whole year :)
View from my kitchen table, most days of the week right now. Nothing glamorous. Just a lot of time sitting, thinking, writing, and planning.
