What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?
When I look back at everything we’ve accomplished on the homestead this year, I can’t help but feel grateful, proud, and honestly a little amazed. Homesteading is such a journey — one filled with hard work, early mornings, trial and error, and moments when you wonder if you’re ever truly “doing it right.” And then there are years like this one, where you finally stop, take a deep breath, and think, “Wow… we really did that.”
This year brought us growth, new skills, big firsts, and countless lessons that have made us better homesteaders. Here are some of the biggest wins we celebrated on J & J Homestead.
Expanding to Three Runs for the Chickens and Ducks
One of the biggest transformations we made this year was expanding our poultry space. What began as a single run has now grown into three separate, fully functioning runs that give our chickens and ducks more space, better rotation, and improved protection from predators.
This expansion has done more than just increase square footage — it has improved flock dynamics, reduced boredom, and given everyone more room to forage, dust bathe, explore, and simply be happy birds. Watching the flock thrive in a setup that we built from the ground up has been incredibly rewarding.
Hatching Our First Chicks From Our Own Flock
This was a milestone that felt extra special. For the first time since starting the homestead, we hatched our own chicks, from our own birds, right here at home.
Those tiny babies grew into beautiful pullets and roosters — and the best part? They’re now laying eggs of their own.
There’s something deeply meaningful about having a fully self-sustaining flock. From egg to hen, from hen to egg, the cycle is complete, and seeing that come to life has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of the entire year.
Raising and Harvesting Our First Cornish Cross Meat Birds
This year we also took a huge step in our homesteading journey: raising our first batch of Cornish Cross meat birds. This was something we researched, prepared for, and approached with respect and intention.
From day one, we did everything we could to give these birds a healthy, comfortable life. And when harvest day came, we processed them ourselves — thanks in large part to the many helpful YouTube videos that walked us through each step.
It was humbling. It was empowering. It was a reminder of the responsibility and gratitude that comes with raising your own food.
And it was a major homestead win that taught us skills we’ll carry with us for years to come.
Our First Honey Harvest
This year also brought us one of the sweetest victories of all — literally. We had our first honey harvest from our own beehives.
Opening those frames and seeing the capped honey glistening back at us felt like magic. Harvesting it, filtering it, and finally tasting it… there’s nothing like it. The flavor reflects your land, your flowers, your ecosystem. It’s pure, raw, and impossibly local.
That honey represented not just a season of work from the bees, but months of effort from us as we learned how to care for the hives, prevent pests, encourage growth, and support the colonies.
It was a dream realized — and absolutely one of the highlights of the entire year.
Looking Ahead to Next Year
If this year taught us anything, it’s that homesteading is full of rewards you don’t always see coming. What started as ideas or goals early in the year turned into real accomplishments — tangible proof of how far we’ve come.
We expanded our poultry setup.
We hatched our own chicks.
We raised and processed our first meat birds.
We harvested honey straight from our own bees.
And we gained experience, confidence, and community along the way.
It has been an incredible year on the homestead, and I’m already excited for what next year will bring. More projects, more growth, more learning, and hopefully many more beautiful surprises.
Here’s to another year of hard work, joy, and the simple, quiet victories that make homesteading so meaningful.
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