There has always been one thing about me—my mind never slows down. I’ll be feeding the sheep, checking on the bees, mowing the yard, or washing dishes, and before I know it I’ve thought up ten more things I’d love to do. Some folks probably think I’m a little crazy, and truth be told, they’re probably right. The hardest part isn’t coming up with ideas. The hardest part is knowing I can’t do them all. For a while, I thought I had to. I wanted every product on my website to be something I made with my own two hands. The more I prayed about it, the more I realized God never intended for us to do life alone. That’s why I’ve started reaching out to other small businesses that make products I truly believe in. Not just any products, but products I’d gladly use in my own home, products made with care, and products that fit the kind of life I’m trying to live.

If you’ve ever started a small business, then you know it isn’t easy. Folks see the finished website, the pretty pictures, and the shelves full of products, but they don’t see the late nights, the research, the mistakes, or the prayers asking God to open the right doors. They don’t see the worry that comes with wondering if anybody will buy what you’ve worked so hard to create. Running a small business takes heart, faith, and determination. Sometimes all it takes is hearing one person say, “I believe in you,” to keep you going another day. These days we’re competing with companies like Temu and Shein, and I get it. Money is tight for a lot of families. Groceries cost more, fuel costs more, and just about everything else costs more too. I don’t blame anyone for trying to stretch every dollar. I am simply thankful for the folks who still choose handmade items, quality products, American makers, family farms, and businesses that truly care about what they’re selling. Every order means more than you know because it tells a small business owner, “Keep going.”

As I’ve continued building Wooly Wildflowers & Honey, I’ve found some wonderful small businesses making products I wish I could make myself. They create natural skincare, handmade gifts, wholesome body products, beautiful clothing, herbal items, and so many other things with love instead of rushing them through a factory. Instead of looking at those businesses as competition, I see them as friends. If we help each other, we all grow. That’s what community is supposed to look like. I’d much rather see ten small businesses succeed together than watch another giant company take more business away from local families. Every partnership I bring to Wooly Wildflowers & Honey has been carefully chosen because I believe in what they’re doing. If I wouldn’t use it myself or give it to my own family, you won’t find it on my shelves. It’s really that simple.

People often tell me they dream about living the “simple farm life,” and I always have to smile. Peaceful? Absolutely. Beautiful? Every single day. Simple? Bless their hearts. There isn’t much that’s simple about a farm. The animals don’t care if it’s raining. The grass never seems to stop growing. Fences don’t fix themselves, and there is always another chore waiting. Then there are the weeds. Lord have mercy, the weeds. My OCD and weeds don’t get along one bit. I feel like I can barely finish weedeating one place before another spot looks like a jungle. Because of that, I’ve been researching and experimenting with safer ways to control weeds using fewer chemicals. Some ideas work, some don’t, but I’m willing to keep learning because I want this farm to be as healthy as I can make it for my family, my animals, and the land God has blessed us with.

The older I get, the more I find myself asking questions about the things we use every day. What’s really in our food? What’s in our shampoo, soap, lotion, or the products we spray around our homes and gardens? I don’t believe we should live in fear of everything, but I do believe we should educate ourselves. There are many things we simply don’t know, and I think it’s worth taking the time to learn. I’m not saying you have to throw everything in your house away tomorrow. That’s not realistic. What I am saying is maybe try one thing. Switch to a natural soap. Buy honey from a local beekeeper. Plant flowers for the bees. Support your local farmers. Read the ingredient labels before you buy something. Little by little, those small choices can add up to a healthier lifestyle.

One Bible verse that has stayed with me is Psalm 85:12: “The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.” When I look around this farm, I see God’s fingerprints everywhere. I see bees gathering nectar, herbs growing in the garden, flowers blooming, sheep grazing in the pasture, and vegetables growing from the ground. God created an amazing world full of resources, and I believe He calls us to be good stewards of it. That doesn’t mean every natural product is perfect or that modern medicine doesn’t have its place—I thank God for doctors and medicine too. It simply means I want to appreciate what He has already provided and choose healthier options whenever I can.

If you’ve never watched The Pollinators, I hope you’ll add it to your list. It follows commercial beekeepers as they travel across America helping pollinate the crops that feed our country while showing why honey bees are so important and the challenges they’re facing today. I learned a lot from watching it, and if you enjoy farming, gardening, bees, or simply understanding where our food comes from, I think you’ll enjoy it too.

If you’ve noticed more brands showing up at Wooly Wildflowers & Honey that weren’t made by me, now you know why. I can’t make everything, but I can help introduce you to people who make wonderful products with the same heart and values I try to live by every day. That is a blessing to me, and I hope it’s a blessing to them and to you. Thank you for supporting my little farm, my family, and my dream. Thank you for loving my animals, my bees, and all the stories that come with them. Those aren’t just pictures on a website. They’re my real life. They’re the early mornings feeding sheep, the evenings checking on the bees, the donkeys that refuse to smile until I pull out a treat, and the horses that somehow think every picture is about them. Bless their hearts, it’s all real, and I hope it always stays that way.

So if you’ve been thinking about trying a more natural way of living, I hope you’ll give it a chance. You don’t have to change everything overnight. Just start with one small step, then another. And while you’re at it, if you know a small business owner, encourage them. Share their page. Tell a friend about them. Leave a kind review. Buy from them when you can. You never know how much that simple act of kindness might mean. We’re all just trying to build something we’re proud of, and I truly believe we’re a whole lot stronger when we build it together. From my farm to your home, thank you for being part of this journey. I can’t wait to share what God has been working on behind the scenes because I truly believe the best is yet to come.