January Farm Flow

And now.. we rest.

January at the farm feels quieter — not empty, just intentional.

Before the year begins asking for decisions, plans, and momentum, we’re taking a moment to settle in, catch our breath, and let things unfold a bit more gently.

Lavender Living: Home & Lifestyle

This month also marks the soft beginning of something new for us.

We’ve launched Lavender Living: Home & Lifestyle — a space that exists alongside the farm, not on top of it. It’s where reflections on rhythm, rest, home, and presence live. A slower, quieter corner for stories that don’t always fit neatly into farm updates or product launches.

Along with the blog, you’ll see a new Lavender Living Instagram account taking shape as well. This won’t replace Shelti Farms — it simply gives some of those deeper, lifestyle-centered conversations a place to land.

More to come there, but for now, it’s a gentle beginning.

Welcoming Bear & Tess

January also brought new life into our home — and our hearts.

We’re excited to officially welcome Bear and Tess to the family.

Bear is an Anatolian Shepherd / Great Pyrenees mix, and Tess is an Australian Shepherd. Deciding to bring them home felt like a milestone for us — not just practically, but personally.

This is the first time Daniel and I have intentionally invested in a family dog together, and the first time we’ve done so with the kids fully involved. We’ve had working dogs in the past, and we each had our own dogs before we were married — one of which has since passed, and one who is still hanging in there — but this feels different. More rooted. More shared.

After quite a bit of research, we knew an Aussie would be a great fit for our family rhythm, and Tess found her way to us just yesterday. Bear, on the other hand, arrived a bit unexpectedly.

While we’ve been softly looking for another chicken and small-animal guardian for over a year, I’ve been on the fence. Losing our guardian dog led to our chicken flock being nearly decimated, and while part of me wasn’t sure I wanted to rebuild — either the flock or add another dog — another part of me deeply wants to replenish what was lost.

As we continue investing in our Mini Nubian goats and look toward future growth, long-term protection matters. While we haven’t experienced predation with the goats yet, it’s not something we’re willing to test indefinitely.

Bear feels like a thoughtful step forward — one rooted in care, stewardship, and protection.

Looking Ahead (Gently)

As of now, there are no firm plans set in stone for the year.

That’s intentional.

There will be projects, planting, events, and ideas — and we’ll share more as they take shape. But before any of that, January is about rest. About recalibrating. About letting the year reveal itself instead of forcing it into form.

For now, we’re settling in, welcoming new family members, and taking a much-needed breather.

More soon — just not all at once.