Bloom Tender

Over these past six months, Colin and I have stepped into a chapter that feels both ancient and brand new. We’ve put our hands into the soil of a historic farmstead, a place where the bones of an old house and the wide sweep of meadow remind us that time moves in circles, not lines.

The farmhouse is teaching us patience. Each board we sand, each wall we repair feels like listening to the whispers of those who came before. I feel the stories of farmers, families, perhaps even the quail and meadowlarks who once called these fields home. As we tend to its creaks and cracks, we are also tending to its spirit, asking it to hold us as we grow into its shelter.

The land, too, has begun to reveal its needs. Grants and partnerships are aligning to help us restore the grasslands, bringing back habitat for the Bobwhite quail, a bird whose call sounds like memory itself. In their return, we hope to stitch back together a tapestry of prairie life that has been frayed too long.

Our homestead is alive with feathers and laughter. Our newest friends, Buckeye chickens, Ohio’s own heritage breed, strut with pride. The Silverudd’s and Ameraucanas add color to the flock, while the runner ducks move like a chorus line across the wet edges of the field. Each of them is part of our work to pair farming with conservation, heritage with hope.

Bloom Tender is becoming what we always dreamed…a place where food and wildness, people and prairie, story and soil, all grow together. We are grateful for every friend and neighbor who has walked beside us so far. The vision is unfolding, root by root, wing by wing, and we cannot wait to see what blooms next.

Grab your coffee and get ready because it's DOUGHNUT MAFIA movie release!

Yes, you heard me... in one hour the greatest short of the year is about to premiere. This film requires you shove your face with your favorite donuts while laughing at this great comedy.

By the way... Dayton folks... Stan the Donut Man or Bills? There is only one right answer!

“The Doughnut Mafia”, premiers today at 11am EST on YouTube.

Thanks to Jordan Tyler the best director in OHIO!
Patrick Lamba, Patrick Johnston, Iabou Windimere, Jarrell Pyro Johnson,
Steven Pennington, Tom Angeletti,
Ethan DeLeon, Charlie Jiin, and
Scott Macmann for being such awesome Doughnut Mafiosos!

Watch it here:

The Doughnut Mafia - Cast -Seller - Holly Noel AngelBuyer - Patrick JohnstonGoons - Charlie Jiin, Steve "Papa" Pennington, Scott Macmann, Iabou Windimere, Jarrell Pyro JohnsonG...

🌿 Books I am Reading This Month: August Edition 📚

Continuing my journey of learning and sharing, I'm diving into a new set of books that inspire and challenge us to rethink our relationship with nature and ourselves. Join me in this virtual book club, and let’s broaden our understanding together! Here’s what’s on my reading list for August:

🌱 Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: Melding indigenous wisdom with scientific knowledge, this book teaches us the lessons of plants and the reciprocity of nurturing.

🧠 Atomic Habits by James Clear: Explore how tiny changes can yield remarkable results, transforming our habits and, in turn, our lives.

🥦 What Your Food Ate by David R. Montgomery & Anne Biklé: Discover how the health of our food is directly connected to the health of our land.

🌾 Healing Grounds by Liz Carlisle: An exploration of climate justice and the deep roots of regenerative farming.

🏙️ Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter: A tale of urban farming adventure in an unlikely setting.

🍄 The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing: Delve into the world of matsutake mushrooms and the lessons they offer about ecological resilience and the global economy.

Looking to grow your library? Share your favorite reads on ecology, farming, and sustainability below!

👩‍🌾 Follow Me:
🔗 Visit: thebloomtender.com | instagram.com/thebloomtender | facebook.com/thebloomtender
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Can anyone identify this large grass? Seems to be growing everywhere in Ohio...