How the Flock Saved the Farm
I don't know if you've ever looked a grasshopper dead in the eye while watching it munch the last leaf of your lettuce plant, but I have. And let me tell you, those little beasts are ruthless. Like tiny, crunchy locusts sent straight from the pit of hell just to test our resolve. This year, they came in thick. Clouds of them. Hopping across the garden beds like they owned the place, daring us to stop them. And for a minute there, it felt like we couldn't. We watched helpless as our tender seedlings planted with such care, watered by little hands, and whispered over with hope started disappearing. Bite by bite. Leaf by leaf.
The thing is, grasshoppers don't just show up for no reason. They are a sign and an indicator that something is off balance. That the soil is tired, the land is stressed, and nature is waving a red flag. It's a harsh reminder that while this land may be beautiful, it's been mistreated in the past. Damaged. And it's crying out for healing. And that's something we are determined to fix here at True North. This isn't just about saving the tomatoes. It's about restoring the land, bringing life back into the soil, balance back into the ecosystem, and reverence back into the way we treat this earth. We don't take this work lightly. It's not just gardening, it's stewardship. But don t worry, we weren't alone in this battle.
Enter the cavalry. Our feathered army. The Guineas, the turkeys, the ducks, and our always dependable chickens. Now, let me be clear about the Guineas? They are loud. Like, screaming-at-nothing-at-all kind of loud. They run around squawking like they've just seen a ghost in broad daylight. And they will start a ruckus over a shadow.
But bless their noisy little souls, those awkward helmet-headed birds are the best pest control we ve ever had. They're on patrol from sun-up to sundown, zipping between rows of flowers and sage brush like tiny feathered border collies. Annoying? Absolutely. Effective? You bet.
The turkeys do their part too, with their curious, gentle lumbering through the beds. They are not as quick, but they are methodical. Even if Melanie has decided that she is a princess turkey who needs constant snacks.
Elliott also is always the little prince. He prances around puffing out his feathers waiting for you to tell him he is such a handsome boy. He is sooooo handsome!
They will quickly make their way to my window if it is too hot out and they need their misters. Yes, we did put misters in so that they would not get too hot.
The ducks are slower and more polite about it, waddling along and picking off bugs like it's afternoon tea. Ember is always quick to talk to everyone. If she spent half as much time eating bugs as she does complaining about everything we would forever be bug free. Though we can't blame her annoyance when Melanie decides their little pond is exactly what she needs.
Ashlin's chickens oh, the spoiled chickens. They're in it for the long haul. Steady, focused, true blue. Penelope is the chatter box, ready to tell you a tell all day long Maggie May believes she should be inside. And Marshmallow, she is just way too cute. Ang is our little flock protector and ready to call the girls down to the hen house if he feels it is unsafe.
Together, this little misfit crew turned things around. We didn't have to spray poison. We didn't have to wave a white flag. We just had to trust the rhythm of nature, the way it was always supposed to work. Predator meets pest, and the garden gets to live another day. And now? Now we ve got tomatoes blushing on the vine, cucumbers curling happily in their corner, and squash blossoms so big they could catch rain. It is green and wild and alive. A little jungle we've built with love and sweat and loud birds.
Out front right when you pull into the gate, something new is growing too. Grams flower garden. She's been dreaming it into being since the snow melted. A little place just for beauty. Somewhere for the butterflies to rest, for the kids to snip stems and carry inside in grubby fists. Right now, it's just getting started. Roses, magnolias and a whole bunch of beauty we can't wait to see grow. Soon it'll be a riot of color. We were all so excited to finally enjoy it daily. Grams has a gift. Somehow, every flower she plants blooms with a kind of quiet magic. Like the soil knows her hands. That garden is already becoming one of the most loved corners of the homestead and not just by the bees.
And yes since I am always a wee bit extra. Grayson and I put in a little fairy house with glow in the dark rocks so that the fairies would feel welcomed in our little garden. Inch by inch we are creating memories while also honoring the land we have grown to love and call home.
It hasn't been easy. The pests came in droves, and for a while it felt like defeat. But we are still here. Our garden is still growing. And every time I hear those Guineas screech like the sky is falling, I smile a little. Because it means the plants are safe. And honestly, I'll take the noise if it means I get to feed this family with food we've grown with our own hands. Even if the Turkeys think they are the stars of the show.
Michelle,
aka Gigi