Acre by Acre Homestead

08/08/2026

There's something peaceful about a summer rain after dark.

The day's work is done. The garden has been checked. The animals are settled in.
Then, just when the world starts to quiet down, the rain finally arrives.
No hoses. No sprinklers. No worrying about whether everything got enough water today.
Just standing on the porch for a few minutes, listening to the sound of rain soaking into the ground, knowing the garden is getting exactly what it needed.
Tomorrow the weeds will probably be a little taller. The grass might need mowed again. The to-do list won't be any shorter.
But tonight... we're just thankful.
Sometimes the best way to end a long day is simply to stop and listen.
🌧️🍉🌱

Acre by Acre Homestead
One rain, one harvest, one memory at a time.

07/27/2026

07/22/2026

☀️ Missouri summers don't mess around!
When the temperatures climb, our gardens feel it just as much as we do.
We've learned a few things the hard way over the years:

💧 Water early in the morning whenever possible.

🌱 Water deep instead of a little every day.

🍂 Add mulch to help hold moisture and keep roots cool.

🚫 Water the soil—not the leaves.

👆 Before turning on the hose, check the soil first. It might not need as much water as you think.

A little planning can save a lot of water, help your plants through the heat, and even lower your water bill.
We're still learning something new every season, and that's part of what makes homesteading so rewarding.
What watering tips have worked best for you during these hot Missouri summers? Drop them in the comments—we'd all love to learn from each other! 🌱💧
Acre by Acre Homestead Progress Over Perfection

07/13/2026

🐸 Sometimes the hardest workers on the homestead are the ones you almost miss.
While checking on the squash today, I spotted this little guy tucked away beneath the leaves.
He's not just hiding from the heat—he's helping out by eating insects that would rather snack on the garden than leave us a harvest.
One of my favorite parts of homesteading is learning that not everything in the garden is there by accident. Nature has a way of finding balance when we give it the chance.
The smallest helpers often make the biggest difference.
🌱 Acre by Acre Homestead Progress Over Perfection.

07/10/2026

🌅 Sometimes, you just need to take the back roads.
Life gets busy.
Work gets stressful.
The to-do list never seems to end.
Tonight, on our way home from cheer practice, we decided to add a few extra minutes to the drive and take the back roads home.
The windows were down.
The kids picked the music.
For a little while, nothing else mattered.
It got me thinking...
At the end of the day, homesteading isn't about how much produce you grow or how much meat you put in the freezer.
It's about building a life where you can slow down and appreciate the little things.
The conversations with your kids.
The quiet country roads.
The music playing through the speakers.
The memories made between point A and point B.
The weeds will still be there tomorrow.
The chickens will still need fed.
The garden will still need watered.
But our kids won't always be this little.
Sometimes, the most important thing you can grow... isn't in the garden.
It's the moments you spend with the people you love.
🌱 Acre by Acre Homestead Progress Over Perfection.

07/07/2026

🌱 Today's Harvest
There's something satisfying about walking out to the garden and coming back with food you've grown yourself.
Today's harvest included fresh zucchini and cucumbers, and the watermelon patch is finally starting to reward all the hard work. Seeing those first little watermelons growing is a reminder that every hour spent weeding, watering, and waiting is worth it.
Homesteading isn't always glamorous. There are days filled with weeds, rain, setbacks, and unexpected challenges. But then there are days like today that remind you exactly why you keep planting.
Every harvest starts with a seed, a little faith, and a lot of hard work.
We're thankful for another day of fresh food from the garden and excited to see what the rest of the season brings.
🍉🥒 What's your garden producing right now?
— Acre by Acre Homestead Progress Over Perfection.

07/02/2026

Some days, Mother Nature has a sense of humor.

Today's forecast called for a 10% chance of rain and sunny skies. Instead, I found myself rushing to put tools and equipment away three different times. I'd get soaked with sweat working, then drenched by the rain, dry off... and do it all over again a few hours later.

Meanwhile, the incubator has been busy. Baby chicks are hatching every day, and most are healthy, active, and thriving. Unfortunately, not every chick makes it.

As hard as that is, it's also a chance to teach our kids an important lesson. We do everything we can to give them the best start possible, but sometimes life is simply out of our hands.

Homesteading has a way of teaching patience, resilience, gratitude, and the value of showing up—even when the day doesn't go as planned.

Tomorrow we'll do it all again.

🌱 Acre by Acre Homestead

Progress over perfection.

06/28/2026

🌱 A Day in the Life at Acre by Acre Homestead

This morning started with a little excitement.

A chick that began hatching yesterday had gotten stuck in the shell overnight. The membrane had dried to one side, so we carefully stepped in to help. Thankfully, the little one is now walking around, fluttering its wings, and chirping away like nothing ever happened. 🐣

The plan for the rest of the day was simple: finish weeding the watermelon patch.

Well... life had other plans.

I got everything tilled that I could and made it about halfway through weeding the last section before car parts showed up early. That meant it was time to switch gears and help work on the car.

After that, I figured I'd better get the yard mowed while I still had some daylight... and somehow managed to slide the mower into the ditch. 😅 Thankfully, we got it pulled back out without any damage.

To top it all off, I went to check on our broody hen... only to discover she wasn't alone anymore. We now have THREE broody hens sitting on eggs!

Did I finish everything I planned today?

No.

Did we make progress?

Absolutely.

That's the reality of homesteading. Between a full-time job, family, and everything else life throws at you, some days don't go according to plan. But every little bit of work adds up.

One acre.
One project.
One day at a time.

What unexpected thing happened at your place today?
🌱

06/17/2026

No filters. No edits.

Just another evening at Acre by Acre Homestead.

Sometimes the best thing you can grow isn't in the garden at all—it's gratitude for moments like these.

🌅

What's the view from your porch this evening?