Fireweed Farm Community

10/08/2026

Honestly, does anything smell as good as fall? I woke up to a house filled with the scent of the new Apple C***r Donut Bread. It was just heavenly. If you've ever visited a c***r mill in the fall, this bread tastes just like those donuts you remember. Glorious! Tonight, I've been simmering away on an apple-pear chutney recipe. It reminds me of the sweet pickle recipe that my Aunt Violet used to make (without the crock of moldy cucumbers). The scent is spicy and sweet all at once. The chutney is so pretty in the jars. We grew the apples, pears, peppers, and tomatoes for this recipe so it sort of feels like free food! It's incredibly good and flavorful. It will be amazing with ham or other pork dishes. Definitely a win. Even though we didn't grow them, we think we'll do a peach-ginger chutney next since we love those flavors, too. We're just having fun seeing what we can turn our produce into to make it last into the winter.

We still have a lot of apples to deal with and are looking forward to making c***r from some of them. Apples were a lower priority for us than all the other stuff that ripened at once. Applesauce is the obvious choice for many of them but I'm going to give apple butter a shot for the first time in about 35 years. We'll see how that goes.

Dave had to make dog treats for the veterinary clinic across the street. To do that, he had to cook off a bunch of bacon which of course resulted in a fair bit of bacon grease. To soak up the grease, Dave added oatmeal to it. Then, he scooped it up, took it out to the little stand he built for the crows, added some shiny washers, peanuts in the shell, and fed the crows. We haven't seen any yet but hope springs eternal. Who can resist bacon?

I harvested my herbs and will be tying them up to dry tonight after the kids are in bed. They're so pretty in their mixed basket and smell marvelous.

That Apple C***r Donut Bread this morning proved to be a wonderful addition to the Farmstand line up and just plain delicious as well. They sold out quickly. Dave will have more loaves out there tomorrow morning, too. Along with the bread, he'll have:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Molasses Crinkles
Lemon Crinkles
Tim's Favorite Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caramel Apple Fritter Bread
Apple C***r Donut Bread

Dunkin's Favorite All Star Dog Treats

Children's Books

I'm heading out to Oregon tomorrow afternoon to visit my family so there won't be a post tomorrow night. Dave will be taking care of kids solo this weekend so the stand won't be open on Saturday or Sunday but we'll be back in business on Monday morning in case you have the day off and are looking to score some goodies. We hope you have a beautiful weekend. It's supposed to be a perfect Fall in New England couple of days. Soak up those sights and smells!

We'll see you in the morning!

10/07/2026

I had to drive down to New Hampshire today, so Dave once again managed the Farm and the family while I was gone. His first task was getting the animal shelters loaded up with extra bedding so the goats and chickens can snuggle up against tonight's expected frost. The goats weren't all that interested in having the straw inside the shelter and were far more excited about having new bales to climb. Eventually, Dave wrangled the straw into the shelter and let the goats make their own little nest in there. They still played outside until dark as they usually do but retired to a cozy space when the sun set.

Dave also cleared out a space in our back room to set up our drying rack. We're getting things in place to be able to hang up our herbs to dry. It's a great space for drying and it will smell wonderful every time we walk in the house. I'll be working on harvesting the herbs tomorrow.

The garden is done so one of the last tasks was to pick the green tomatoes still out there before the frost gets them tonight. Annabelle and her BHP, Ms. T, tackled that job together. We've noticed that Annabelle is resisting going outside lately and we suspect that it has to do with the cooler weather and her disdain for wearing a coat. We are working on this since we try to go outside for at least a little while every day. For Annabelle, leveraging her work ethic seems to work most of the time. Anything that looks like a job gets her attention. Throw in power tools and it's irresistible.

Ababu went to his day program today and came home with about 5 pounds of apples. We laughed because we still have a TON of apples that need to be picked and processed. Ababu loves apples and never misses a chance to have one (or a dozen). The line is drawn on this side of having to actually pick the apples, though. Oh, well, it's a healthy choice so I can't be too crabby about it.

The weather was cool and very windy today. The leaves are falling nearly continuously now, and it looks like we're inside a more colorful snow globe most of the time. Peak color can't be too far away.

The Farmstand has a couple of new fall flavors to try tomorrow:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Molasses Crinkles
Lemon Crinkles
Tim's Favorite Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caramel Apple Fritter Bread
Apple C***r Donut Bread

Dunkin's Favorite All Star Dog Treats

Children's Books

What end of summer jobs are you puttering away on? Do you have Frost Prep tasks that you tackle, too? It seems like a race against the cold but it's a fun race. Tomorrow will be another busy day. Give us a honk if you see us working out in the yard.

We'll see you in the morning!

10/06/2026

For the most part, it was a quiet day on the Farm. The morning brought a few showers, but the afternoon cleared up and was just a beautiful, windy fall day. Dave loaded up on bread at the farmstand and it sold out quickly, so he spent the rest of the day restocking for tomorrow. We are also starting to clear out garden beds but had a nice surprise in the strawberry patch today. They aren't ready to be put to bed yet. Everbearing really means everbearing! They're already sending out runners for next summer's berry patch.

The mail brought us two new thornless blackberry bushes that we added to the Sensory Garden. They'll grow up the fence along with the one we planted earlier this summer. They'll be the "taste" sense in the garden next to the sound of the windchimes. We also received a little slate sign that I ordered for the gate on the garden. I love how it turned out and the garden now looks like it's been here for years. It will be fun to have all the heirloom flowers growing there next summer but for now, it's well-established and welcoming as it is. Our frog and the goldfinches sure think so!

We ended the day with one of those wonderful fall dinners that can only happen when someone is home and has time to make it. Being farm-based has afforded us the chance to enjoy slow food. Tonight's dinner was a French onion meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, and broccoli. Very old timey and very, very delicious. Annabelle, our champion onion caramelizer, made sure the onions were just right. We topped dinner off with a marvelous apple crisp made from our own organic apples and my cousin Mary Ann's recipe. You'd think we were all in the Fat Bear Week competition with how we're prepping for a long winter's nap. The food was just too good to resist!

The Farmstand will have more goodies that will be hard to resist tomorrow:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Molasses Crinkles
Lemon Crinkles
Tim's Favorite Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caramel Apple Fritter Bread
Spiced Pumpkin Pound Cake

Dunkin's Favorite All Star Dog Treats

Children's Books

Do your recipes change for fall? What are you making for dinner these days? Our family is a little tricky to cook for given the sensory issues we have but we can usually find something that everyone will eat. We hope you're enjoying the abundant local produce, too. Have a lovely, cozy fall evening!

We'll see you in the morning!

10/05/2026

It was a weird Sunday today. Both girls were more agitated than usual and each needed her own strategies for dealing with it. It made the vibe for the whole day a little off.

Abby wanted to go shopping and was spinning up repeatedly, taking short breaks to listen to music and then coming back asking to go somewhere. Dave didn't want to take her anywhere in her dysregulated state so we worked on helping her find her calm by having her copy the shopping list onto a piece of paper (the list is on a whiteboard that we usually just take a picture of) and then put her in charge of the list. At the store, she was focused on finding each item on the list and then crossing it off. That task helped her to stay in the moment, gave her a sense of control, and reinforced that she's someone we can count on. Being perceived as a competent teen is important to her. She came home with her crossed-off list, all the groceries, and a smile. We had some challenges later in the day but overall, she was able to be guided to regulation pretty easily.

Annabelle, who is typically very mellow and easy to please, spent much of the day stomping around and raging over something we couldn't deduce. Our attempts to communicate with her using her device and offering choices only served to further enrage her. Finally, I had had enough and sent her out to work on projects with Dave outside. Power tools and heavy lifting seemed to be the antidote. She also took some time at her own initiative to just stand and listen to the wind chimes in the Sensory Garden. It was exactly what we built the garden for.

Dave worked outside for most of the afternoon, reinforcing fences, finally finishing the compost bin structure, feeding and training animals, and just having some time away from the more challenging kid behaviors. Dawson and Marceline came over for a bit, and we talked about getting the root cellar pulled together as we harvest the last of the veggies. The season is definitely winding down, the air is getting cooler, we woke to frost on the grass, and I think our strange day with the kids was due in part to some of the changes.

Everyone will be back to school tomorrow so the rhythms will be restored a little and Dave and I will have some time we can work together to get things done. When everyone is home, one person has to stay inside with whoever is inside while the other gets stuff done around the property with whichever kid wants to help. We only get to work together when the kids are at school. It promises to be a nice day for getting work done tomorrow.

Dave will have the stand ready for action at 10:00 tomorrow morning. Here's what will be available:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Molasses Crinkles
Lemon Crinkles
Tim's Favorite Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caramel Apple Fritter Bread
Spiced Pumpkin Pound Cake

Dunkin's Favorite All Star Dog Treats

Children's Books

We hope your weekend was restful and that you're ready for the week ahead. It looks like it will be a mellow and sunny week here so we'll be working to get things processed, cleaned, or put away. We hope your week is full of the activity that centers you, too. If you're having a rough go, take a page from Annabelle's book and just get outside and do something. I bet you'll find that in a surprisingly few minutes, your calm will return and you'll be able to find the beauty in the breeze in the chimes. Have a great week!

We'll see you in the morning!

10/04/2026

10/04/2026

We had a lively day with lots of guests visiting the Farm today. It was like a housewarming party for the goats. Violet came and brought friends who explored the Sensory Garden as well as visiting the goats. I made a run over to Blue Seal to get more straw and hay for the cool nights coming this week. We want the goats to be able to snuggle in together in a well-insulated space so they can stay warm. I also found some goat treats that evidently are made out of something magical since the goats will do anything for them.

Dawson and Marceline invited friends from Dawson's work, Orono Brewing Company, and we had a fun potluck of soups, breads, b**r, c***r, and baked goods. Nothing like having 20 of your friends in for dinner and a bonfire to make you happy to live on a farm in the fall! It was great to see so many folks and their families, and we had fun just sharing the farm and its residents with them. The goats were thrilled that even more people seemed to have treats to share! Our kids enjoyed having other kids on the Farm, as well. It was a lovely night, and I hope we can do it again soon.

Dave has us all stocked up in the Farmstand for the morning. We'll open at 10:00 again this Sunday. Here's what will be out there:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Molasses Crinkles
Lemon Crinkles
Tim's Favorite Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caramel Apple Fritter Bread
Spiced Pumpkin Pound Cake

Dunkin's Favorite All Star Dog Treats

Cherry Tomatoes
Organic MacIntosh Apples
Purple Cabbage

Children's Books

It looks like it will be a beautiful day tomorrow. We've got a lot of work to catch up on so we'll be in the garden and working around the property all day tomorrow. Come say hi if you're at the Farmstand or just honk if you see us out in the gardens. We're always happy to have the connection and encouragement. Have a great rest of your weekend!

We'll see you in the morning!

10/03/2026

It was pretty gloomy here today. The day started with a beautiful sunrise but as the morning went on it became warm but overcast until the rain started in the afternoon. Our little pond has gotten so much rain that it's overflowing the banks. The rain has been good for all the gardens, and everything looks lush and beautiful if it isn't dying off for the season.

We're pulling up all the dying plants tomorrow morning and harvesting all the veggies that are ready. I'll be putting up the last of the ripened tomatoes and some of the green ones will be prepped for piccalilli relish. The goats will be thrilled with all the extra roughage coming their way throughout the day. We have some guests coming to meet the goats so it will be fun for them to feed them all the greens.

We sold out of a lot of things today. Dave has a long list of baking to do for tomorrow morning. He'll also be restocking the goodies up at Windswept Gardens. Here's what's up for the morning:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Molasses Crinkles
Lemon Crinkles
Tim's Favorite Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caramel Apple Fritter Bread
Spiced Pumpkin Pound Cake

Dunkin's Favorite All Star Dog Treats

Cherry Tomatoes
Organic MacIntosh Apples
Purple Cabbage

Children's Books

We have a lot going on tomorrow so we'll share quite a few photos tomorrow night.

In the meantime, we'll see you in the morning!