So You Wannabe a Farmer

Winter is an uncertain time on the farm. Hungry predators find their way onto the property, rain forces sheep and pigs to seek shelter in the usual spots, and the goats - who despise rain - pile together under the eaves and on the front porch of the house. Garden planning is in full swing, regardless of whether those plans will actually be followed! Plus, frickin' chickens, a new rooster, the...

Surprise and Happy Holidays!  A little treat from Melissa and Wendy along with apologies for seemingly sneaking off under the cover of darkness without a word of warning or a decent goodbye.  (We call that the Spence Sneak-off.)  Enjoy the update! All that and more! So join us as we head out to the farm... Thank you for listening! If you are enjoying the podcast, please rate and review on Apple Po...

Summer is in full swing. Wendy and Melissa contemplate the viability of garden vision glasses to help in identifying green vegetables on green plants.  Brea, the beloved Barbados black belly sheep, is pregnant and the jury is still out on two of her closest pals, Torn Ear and No Tag (no, really, those are their names). Unlike in the big city, drunk dialing on a farm leads to another unexpected del...

June means the end of the school year, graduation, the summer solstice, the time when gardens take off, animals are busy eating the abundant greenery, sheep get sheared, s'mores are made and consumed, harvesting begins, and we get outside as much as possible.  Melissa and Wendy share details of their individual domains and ponder aspects of kashrut, or the Jewish laws governing food consumpti...

Well, we took an unexpected break. Life got in the way, what can I say? Sorry 'bout that! We're back now.  Listen in to hear what's been happening. There are animals, holidays, kitchen discoveries, budding plants, and so much more of the goodies you know you love. Thanks for hanging in there and we hope you enjoy the latest episode. All that and more! So join us as we head out to th...

Spring is officially here! Seedlings and flowers are popping, eggs are hatching, the trees are filling with leaves. Sheep get succumb to deadly parasites, heavy storms cause damage and destroy farm structures, and bees swarm. Joy!  Come see what the spring has in store on Chutzpah Hollow. It's been quite a season so far, and we've only just begun (I hear a song there). All that and more!...

Wendy self diagnoses  what Melissa dubs "asparagaphobia," otherwise known as fear of commitment. This disorder can be identified by high anxiety brought on by the realization that you planted asparagus in your garden and you won't see the fruits of your labor for three years. There are chicken births and chicken deaths and even a broody hen. Wendy forages for wildflowers to make fla...

A beautiful tiara is perfect for any occasion, especially International Women's Day! However, the flashing lights and multicolored flowers can feel slightly inappropriate when the conversation turns to butchering lambs. It's been a challenging week on the farm with two lamb births that didn't go as expected, and construction on the house feels never-ending.  Wendy experiences anothe...

It's a busy time on the farm! Spring preparations are underway indoors and out. Lambs are dropping while poultry is finding its way to the freezer, and such is life on Chutzpah Hollow.  In the kitchen, Wendy whips up homemade cream cheese and French pastries and Melissa goes berserk over some black bean soup she made from her home grown beans.  ...And there's still the mystery of what in...

Check out what seeds we are starting indoors, both on the farm and in the 'burbs.  We cover soil blocking, wool pellets, sanitizing your seed starting mix, and watering seedlings. But where do you put all these plant babies when it's time to go outside, especially when you have lots of space on your farm?  It's time for lambs to be separated from their moms, and while it's not...

Did you miss us? We've returned to kick-off 2023 with our usual ponderings, quick-witted banter, some new discoveries, and a bunch of shenanigans. You know, same as before but with just a bit more experience! Come join us as we catch you up on the latest updates from Chutzpah Hollow and the suburban gardens of Chez Spence.  All that and more! So join us as we head out to the farm... Thank you...

Well folks, Season 3 is officially complete! Wendy and Melissa review their fondest memories and standout moments from the year. Tune in to reflect along with them as they take a stroll through the successes, learnings (not failures!), and "udder" triumphs! See you soon for Season 4! *Please note: this episode was recorded while Melissa was on vacation and without the usual equipment, so...

So many references to frogs in this episode, and one involves a song! There is also a chicken crossing a road (no joke). Wendy practices a new skill...relaxing! Silence of the Lambs gets a few shout outs, and  among the non-farm related content, Wendy talks about how much of her family Thanksgiving was sourced directly from the farm. Back in Rockville, Melissa has some winter growing successes to...

The holiday season is here! That means a very bad day for certain turkey residents of Chutzpah Hollow. Wendy's favorite holiday means lots of farm grown food on the table to share with family and friends. And while the freezer is stocked with turkey, Wendy must reconcile her love of the OG chickens and her distain for the "meat monsters" whose only reason for being is as food for he...

Melissa questions whether she and Wendy will ever run out of things to talk about and  Wendy responds that while life on the farm can sometimes feel routine, according to Sam, it exists in a state of "chaotic pandemonium"... so no.  There should continue to be lots to discuss. Some of this week's topics include Melissa and Wendy reminiscing  about their experiences with high school...

Melissa celebrates another trip around the sun, the friends reveal how "the sausage gets made," and Melissa reveals her top ten takeaways from a recent visit to Chutzpah Hollow. Spoiler alert: Turkeys are still super-dumb. What more is there to say...just take a listen! All that and more! So join us as we head out to the farm... Thank you for listening! If you are enjoying the podcast, p...

This week Wendy is celebrating Sukkot on the farm, one of the Jewish harvest festivals. and the joy and bounty of fall.  Melissa buys herself a birthday greenhouse in preparation for winter,  and the bees get a mite treatment. The results are in...lambing 2022 can officially be declared a success! Wendy's tom turkey decides he his her protector.  Maybe a livestock guardian turkey? All that an...

A relatively mild but extremely exhausting case of Covid takes Wendy down and teaches her some lessons along the way (not to mention some interesting, possibly fever-induced ponderings). While she didn't buy property during the pandemic, Melissa did fulfill another dream of hers - becoming a certified coach.  Lambing continues, holidays abound, foraging, canning, and gardening, too! All that...

Baby lambs have arrived. I repeat, baby lambs have arrived on Chutzpah Hollow! Wendy is almost an official farmer now. Owning a tractor is the only thing between Wendy and being an official farmer according to Melissa's very unscientific system. Thirty new turkeys arrive, and while they are proving not to be the smartest animal on the farm, Wendy has a fondness for them and is excited to rais...

Sure, we're Tom Petty fans, who isn't? But this waiting involves pregnant sheep on the verge of delivery. Meanwhile, other comings and goings include a new batch of turkeys in (whose brains are the size of a pecan and bodies are the size of a small dog, according to Wendy) , more of the greenhouse out. Pickup truck in, adolescent mini cows (possibly) out.  Puppy shenanigans ensue requiri...

It's back to school time at Chutzpah Hollow (and in most of the rest of the country)! That means football games in 95 degree heat, returning to schedules, and lots of transitions on the farm. Among them, Wendy barters two Nubian billy goats for one Nigerian dwarf billy named Jerome, lamb watch and related preparations continue, a new garden is established, and a pickup truck is (finally) on t...

A So You Wannabe a Farmer first! We record from an undisclosed, remote location. In other words, while Melissa was at the beach on vacation eating ice cream and playing mini golf. Meanwhile, Wendy toiled away on the farm in the heat of August processing chickens, but also creating community. As only good friends do, Melissa corrects Wendy's proclivity to refer to worm castings as worm casings...

Welcome back! It's year two on Chutzpah Hollow and things are getting serious! It's time to stop messing around to get down to business beginning with the First Annual Chutzpah Hollow Shareholder's Meeting where Wendy and the boys reflect on the past year and plan for the future. With summer in full swing, we cover managing garden chaos and preparing for fall gardening, the state of...

On this week's episode, the last of the season, Wendy and Melissa reflect on the one year anniversary of Chutzpah Hollow. Animals and lawn mowers have come and gone, Wendy learned to enjoy gardening, and most shockingly, her children are still speaking to her! Another milestone - Wendy learns to let go. YouTube and the interwebs continue to supplement her efforts to figure it out on her own (...

The heat is on! While it's still July, it feels like August in both NC and MD.  Wendy's garden is taking off and turning wild and she is experimenting with companion planning. Melissa is busy pruning tomatoes and squash. Surprisingly, she has decided to invite a new species of critter into the backyard garden... no spoilers! The topic takes a turn away from the farm and veers toward the...