Dear friends,

Please enjoy a 653 word, 3 minute read.

Hello from a sultry "spring" day at Hill House Farm. With warm southerly winds, pastures showing green highlights, snowdrop flowers poking through wet ground and migrating ducks on the pond, spring can't be far away.

Soon the miserable days of winter, with early snow and record cold not seen since 1899, will be distant memories. During the worst days of subzero, -25 degree windchill, the biting cold stung our hands through neoprene gloves, nostrils froze, barn windows formed geometric kaleidoscopes, Clorox bottles turned solid, barn doors swelled shut and snow squeaked. We learned the hard way that frozen extension cords can shock the unsuspecting, and yes wet hands do stick to cold metal! During the worst hours of the artic assault, one of the ducks on the pond hunkered down in the driving snow and did not move. Stationary and covered in snow, and certain it had died, an entire chain of thoughts triggered in my head, most importantly: How was I going to get it off the ice and buried? Luckily her down coat saved her and she popped back up when the worst was over.

Lambing is now officially complete. We have 9 beautiful lambs in the barn that are rapidly growing and eager to greet visitors, especially the 5 bottle feeders. After last year's strong performance, this year was tough. We lost a set of triplets after an extremely difficult birthing process that required using a hay bale as an "operating table" and lengthy CPR to revive the newborns. We also had a stillborn lamb that broke our hearts. And due to one case of mastitis and a new mother with poor milk supply, we ended up with 5 bottle feeders, requiring us to prepare and feed 635 bottles over the past 6 weeks.

Fortunately, we also enjoyed many special experiences, including watching our farm visitors (many children) interact with and feed the lambs. Working with Lauren to deliver most of the lambs. Encouraging one of Dr. Allie's vet assistants to deliver her first lamb, and having Sydney bottle feed the lambs and exclaim, "this is the best day of my life." Cyndi enjoyed watching the lambs terrorize me as they greeted me at the stall gate, made figure 8's around my legs, then played "ring around the rosie" as I walked in the stall, and worst of all, head butting me in the groin with excitement to be fed. Then after a particularly difficult few days, falling asleep in the dentist chair WHILE getting my teeth cleaned and taking a nap in the middle of a haircut. The idea of after dinner drinks also now has a new meaning when you are bottle feeding every 6 hours.

For next year, we are investigating options to avoid lambing in January, which is fraught with so many challenges. We may even try another breed of sheep better known for its mothering behaviour and ability to lamb out of season. Interestingly, 3 breeds in particular are known for this: Dorpers, Polypays and Dorsets.

In other news, Cyndi started her garden in the greenhouse and the farm cats are growing more and more comfortable with us. Soon they will be free in the garage and then have free reign across the property. We finished (at least for now) the horse barn project, we continue to cut, collect and split firewood for next fall and I am in the process of ordering chickens. Please let me know if you are interested in my raising laying hens for your own coops.

Also, whether you are a regular egg buyer, we need more cartons!!! You can put them in the garage

If you made it this far, thank you for your interest in the farm and our journey. We are excited for another year of your visits, support and friendship. We hope spring brings us better days ahead for the farm, each of you and the world around us.

Your friend,

Harry

Dear friends,

I hope you had a successful and wonderful 2025 and celebrated a fun start to 2026. Today is the second page of a 365 day book, let's relish the journey. Please enjoy a 1,360 word, 6 minute 15 second read to get you started, you are still on vacation so I know you have the time!

I am watching the world through a snow globe, wintry day from my desk, which the family affectionately calls "Mission Control." The last time I wrote, it was also snowing, but of course that was Valentines Day of 2025. I am still wearing insulated underwear! I did, however, change it since then, and took a break for the summer months. If you see me between Thanksgiving and April Fools day, I am wearing an added layer of insulation, including possibly my pajamas from the night before, which are a convenient option as well.

Much transpired on the farm since then that has changed our lives for the better. I am, as always, forever grateful for everything we have, including your friendship, support and many visits.

We completed the last lambing season with 14 lambs born, losing only one to a difficult castration operation. Mother Nature can giveth and taketh away without warning. The Circle of Life is a romantic thought on the upside and miserable during the losses. Even still, it was an overall very successful year with eight 4H students purchasing 12 lambs for the fair and home. David, Lilly, Jack, Julia, Natalie, Kevin, Nita and especially Sadie, had a great fair. They enjoyed many successes and some lessons learned for next year. I am extremely proud and happy to share Sadie's triumph. She purchased one of the last 2 lambs, a ewe lamb (girl) at a discount. The students always favor the wethers (boys) that typically have more muscle. Through her dedication, hard work and ingenuity she won Reserve Champion (2nd place) out of 65 lambs. To win, she gave her lamb food/vitamin supplements, walked her twice a day, groomed her regularly and developed a special cart for the lamb to walk using only her back legs, creating essentially a sheep Stairmaster to build up her glutes! And judges love a muscular backside. Congrats to Sadie, we could not be more happy for and proud of her accomplishment!!

This year six of the ewes are pregnant with the first due date tomorrow. So the anxious waiting and camera watching begins. After 200 lambs born at Hill House farm, we still never know what to expect and are always surprised.

The chickens also were a huge success the past year. After purchasing another 100 peeps from a new hatchery and selling 40 to customers. Sixty new pullets and 25 older birds lay 5 dozen eggs a day. Thankfully, we built-out the larger coop making it bigger and better. Every time I think we are done investing, we find another project. Ok, so I can't stop reengineering most things in my life. Farmers experience slim margins most years, peppered with bad years and a few good. Then on top of a tough business, they must make huge capital investments. Of course, that ignores the impact of our unpredictable, sometimes devastating politics. If you see a farmer, remember to thank them!

For egg sales, we really appreciate everyone donating egg cartons and rubber bands. KEEP IT UP even if you are not an egg customer! Especially 18-egg cartons. New cartons cost 50 cents each, saving us about $450 a year for over 900 dozen eggs sold. The eggs are all loving cleaned by Cyndi! For the past 35 years, everything good in my life is because of Cyndi

For a time we were running low on egg baskets, until we learned one of our customers kept a couple for himself to give golf lessons. Apparently they were bigger than what he received at the range : )

In the spirit of surprises, one of our female ducks ran afowl (pun intended) of a snapping turtle and lost half her beak in the unfair fight. After a week of trying to save her with meals of scrambled eggs, peas, sweet potatoes, soaked duck food, oatmeal, fruit and worms, we discovered the trick was feeding her with a scoop so she could push the food past her broken beak. We really bonded hand feeding her. I think she knew we were trying to help, but just had no clue what to do. For the winter months, we moved her into the chicken coop, giving the chickens a new big sister. Inspired by the chickens, she is now laying eggs again. They are clean in the fridge if you want to try some. In New York City, duck eggs cost over $1 each. Ours are free!!

We sold 11 tons of awesome compost this year, adding a few new clients and delaying several others till next year (thank you for your patience). Firewood sales were strong as well, allowing us to sell out of 18 ricks, our new top-end target. If you have any trees being taken down please let us know, we always can use fresh wood (thank you Dave!!). Splitting is underway for next year, giving us an excuse for wearing insulated underwear and pants through the winter months.

Last year, Aimee returned to the horse barn after a brief departure and recruited a new boarder Addy. Addy, and her horses Java and Penny, are from Wisconsin and former barrel riders. She brings fresh energy and ideas to the barn, including the desire to try skijoring (after I check the insurance policy). In the spirit of continuous improvement, we insulated the tack room, replaced the paneling, added a mini split system, and are upgrading the electronics to include Wi-Fi and stall cameras. Next on the list is a big screen TV and kegerator.

Due to all of our good fortune this year and your support of the business we experienced record sales. allowing us to donate $1,930 in total to both the book bank and food bank. Both great causes for education and helping those with food insecurity, which affects 1 in 6 people in the Cleveland area.

Unfortunately, over the past year, not everything was rainbows and butterflies. We lost 3 of our farm mascots. Lucky Duck, Scooby Doo the alpaca and Daisy the sheep. They all died from different conditions due to old age. They did not pass alone as we were in each case by their side. Between them, we believe they lived a combined age of 41 years, providing us and our many visitors an opportunity to hand feed, reason to smile and memories to cherish. They made the farm a welcoming home to visit.

While we lost 3 of our favorites, in the spirit of the Circle of Life, we added several more. Apparently our marketing of the Scottish Collies was very successful as we visited the puppies and came home with our own Oliver, nicknamed Ollie the Collie. He is the best farm dog we ever had, able to walk the property without eating and chasing everything in sight. A true joy, Ollie has boundless energy. At 55 pounds he makes the perfect lapdog for Cyndi to end every evening.

Currently, we are socializing two feral kittens in the garage. Lauren (visiting from Amsterdam) adopted the role of cat master and has them literally eating out of her hand. Fingers crossed they stay on the farm and earn their keep catching mice and moles. Lauren will also be a huge help with lambing the next 2 weeks!

Lastly and possibly my excuse for not writing sooner, we are very proud and happy to welcome Morgan to the farm family. She married Harry in September during a magical farm weekend filled with joy and celebration. They were introduced through a friend in 4H and have been a couple for over 10 years. They are the quintennial childhood sweethearts and we could not be happier.

For 2026, we hope you all can take a step toward realizing your own childhood dream, it is never too late to start!

Your friend,

Harry