What a ride 2023 has been on the Scalfetti Farm! From settling into our new digs to cultivating memories that’ll last a lifetime, it’s been a year bursting with growth and adventure. Apologies for the delay in our usual newsletter – keeping up with all the excitement took precedence! But fear not, dear homestead fam, we’re back and ready to share the highlights of our journey with you.

Homestead Happenings:

Construction: Those fresh homes we moved into? They’ve blossomed into havens of joy and sun-soaked afternoons. Grandpa’s dream outdoor kitchen, thanks to Granny & Papa, has become our go-to spot for gatherings, filled with laughter, Sunday football, and dips under the Texas sun.

New Addition to the Homestead: Last summer’s property access hiccup led to some head-scratching, but thanks to Granny and Papa’s negotiation skills, we’ve secured a new slice of land with a driveway and a new home for Zac and Sam’s Uncle. Excited to welcome him to the homestead!

Homestead Highlights:

APPPA Conference: Rachael and I attended our first APPPA conference last January, soaking in knowledge on raising chickens and finding inspiration to expand our farm. Meeting fellow enthusiasts and even the godfather of pastured poultry, Joel Salatin, made it one of the best experiences yet. Check out their website for more info – we’re looking for new members!

Chickens Galore: Armed with newfound knowledge and a supportive community, we set ambitious goals. Incubating eggs, ordering chicks, and even a few ducks became our mission, though plans went awry as they arrived on different days. Cue the panic, cue the shop time! But in the end, we managed to raise various flocks and process our own broilers – tough lessons, but oh so rewarding.

Friends of the Farm: At the APPPA conference, we met Cindy, a real-life garden angel runnin’ The Giving Garden (check it out: https://www.the-giving-garden.org/: We’ve traded sweat, wisdom, and countless laughs on our homesteading journeys. Through Cindy, we met Michael, the Dallas Half Acre Farm king (https://www.instagram.com/dallashalfacrefarm/?hl=en#: https://www.instagram.com/dallashalfacrefarm/?hl=en#:). His hoop house salad magic and “can-do” spirit have been an inspiration.

In the Garden: While Texas heat challenged our garden, we’re revamping raised beds and the greenhouse for a better harvest this year. Stay tuned for updates!

Beyond Chickens

Now, its not all about the chickens! We managed to squeeze in four weddings (from DFW to Cabo to Marquette!), a beach bonanza at our family house (RIP, beach house!), and Rachael’s solo California adventure with the kiddos (brave woman!). Back home, Zac’s started his Montessori school adventure, Sam’s preschool playdates are pure sunshine, and both can swim, tumble, and dance circles around any city kid. And Rachael? Well, she juggles custom homes, Zumba classes, homestead queen duties, and whips up culinary masterpieces with our homegrown goodies. Oh, and we turned a spare room into a wrestling arena – prepare for a rumble in the homestead jungle!

So there you have it, homestead fam, a year condensed into one epic newsletter. It’s been a whirlwind and we wouldn’t trade it for the world. Keep an eye out for our next update, and until then, keep it real, keep it homesteady, and maybe even drop by for a virtual cup of sweet tea!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From the Homestead!!!

Construction:

Rachael and Mike’s Home Remodel

Rachael and I are thrilled that construction on our remodel is finally complete! After months of hard work and planning, we are so excited to be moving into our newly renovated home. It’s been a long road, but it was all worth it to see the finished product. Check out the Link to see the before and after pictures.

Granny and Papa’s Home Construction

Since we have moved out of the she-shed (the small apartment we have been living in the last year) Granny and Rachael did not waste any time moving her offices and sewing to the space.  This allowed Granny to reclaim her sunroom and set up the spare room for guests and grandkid sleep overs.

Farm/Homestead:

On the Farm

We finally received a lot of reprieves from the drought this summer with cooler temperatures and over 16” of rain during this last quarter of 2022.  

During this time, we added cross fencing for the pasture in preparation of the livestock this spring.

We also spent a few weekends working on drainage around the house and between the carport and house. This was a much-needed projects to eliminate the pond in the front yard.

Around the Apiary

We cleared a spot for the Bee’s new home and added a new gate prior to their arrival in September. Rachael even got the chance to be introduced to the bees with our Beekeeper during one of his visits. This will be an awesome addition to the Farm.

In the Garden and Behind the Coop

We just finished setting up our hoop house for the winter and the chickens are loving their new digs! The deep bedding keeps them warm and comfortable, and the hoop house provides extra protection from the elements. So far, egg production has picked up a little from being down a lot since day light savings. If you’re thinking about keeping chickens through the colder months, definitely consider giving this setup a try.

Inside the Shop:

I had the opportunity to spend some time working on shop organization this included adding a few temp lights, relocating the storage racks, setting up the wood shop and building a plywood storage cart. The storage cart took inspiration from this video by Izzy Swan https://youtu.be/4H7unsUqk68 if you want to build your own. The nice part of this project is, other than the casters, I had all the material already on hand! I am very pleased with how it turned out.

Family:

Zac and Sam had a busy and exciting start to the school year! Zac was excited to be starting pre-school again and seeing all of his friends. Sam had her first day of pre-school this year and was a little nervous but did great! It was also Zac’s 2nd birthday, so we celebrated with Sonic themed birthday at granny’s house! He and his friends had a great time playing on the playground and eating chili dogs.

As the holiday season approached, we made plans to visit Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas. The kiddos love spending time with their grandparents and were thrilled to have a few days to play with their cousins and enjoy all the holiday festivities.

We arrived at grandma and grandpa’s house on Christmas Eve and the kids couldn’t wait to tear into their presents. We had the chance to go to the conservatory, the science center, the zoo and even went up the Incline on Mt. Washington to get a view of the city.

In addition to wrapping up construction, Rachael and I also had the privilege of hosting friends over for Thanksgiving at our new home. It was so special to have our friends and loved ones together and to be able to share a delicious meal in our beautiful new space.

Now that the remodel is complete and Thanksgiving is behind us, we are looking forward to starting on some new homestead projects. We have a few ideas in the works and can’t wait to get started. Stay tuned for updates on our progress!

Papa has been working hard on a new project recently – setting up his man cave in the green shop. He’s always been a big sports fan and loves having a place to watch the games in peace and quiet.

The green shop is the perfect spot for papa’s man cave. It’s far enough away from the main house to give him the peace and quiet he craves, but still close enough to be convenient. He’s been busy setting up a comfortable seating area, TV, and all his sports memorabilia.

Rachael and I Caped the year off by putting together our 2023-year plan on the calendar full of events holidays and homestead projects and plans. This is the second year we have done this and it helped us stay on tract and focused on the important items over the year.

Final House Keeping:

To subscribe to future updates, click on the link below and sign up.

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Check out our website for all previous updates!!!

https://scalfettifarms.com/

Thank you for all the support! We hope you enjoyed our update.

With Love from the Scalfetti Farm

-Mike

Its sunny with a chance of hot in Texas!!!

Construction:

Granny and Papa’s Home Construction

The time has come! The day we got back from vacation, Granny and Papa moved into their new home! There are loose ends and punch work still to complete but they have spent the last few weeks getting settled in. Having them next door has been great, its so nice to cook in a real kitchen again!

Rachael and Mike’s Home Remodel

We had big changes in our home, the insulation was installed, drywall is up, walls are tape/textured and primed, and now we are working on the polished concrete floors! Next step millwork and trim! We are definitely  starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it can’t get here fast enough.

Farm/Homestead:

On the Farm

This month we entered a drought due to the consecutive days of over 100 degrees with no rain. It has been hard on the land and even harder to get things done. We were able to install automatic foundation watering systems (soaker hoses on timers) for the houses and outbuildings last weekend.  We also spent some free time doing a little property maintenance and got to use the new backhoe to dig out a few stumps. Its slow moving with this heat but we are keeping busy!

Behind the Coop

Last month’s chicken run upgrades (shade cloth and increased watering schedule) are continuing to work well. The chickens are doing well in the heat and really enjoying the summer watermelon rinds.

Inside the Shop:

It appears that our “new to us” Yanmar SA424 tractor was a rental tractor in its past life. This means the previous owner did not have the three-point linkage and the three-point lever had been removed. I assume this was done to prevent renters from engaging the lift arms while the backhoe was attached. Between eBay, Tractor Supply, Amazon, and our old tractor, I was able to put together the three-point linkage including “Pat’s Easy Change 3 Point Hitch System”. In addition, I fabricated a new three-point hitch lever from some flat stock. The lever needs a little stiffening and I need to replace the borrowed parts but otherwise its working great!

I repurposed casters from an old carpet dolly and build this box blade cart. This will allow me to move the box blade around when it’s not attached to a tractor and allow for easier positioning when I am ready to get it hooked up.

To make this better, I would replace the casters with locking ones and consider shorter casters. The height of the cart nearly maxes out the tractors lifting arms.

Family:

The whole family went on a vacation to Pigeon Forge, TN over the holiday weekend. It was a lot of fun seeing the top of the Smokey Mountains at the Anakeesta Resort, admiring all the awesome fish at the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and enjoying the rides at Dollywood. It was a much need break from the chaos at the homestead and was nice to have some down time with the family.

We are starting some serious discussions about getting a pool with how much the kiddo’s are enjoying their kiddy pool!

Final House Keeping:

To subscribe to future updates, click on the link below and sign up.

https://bit.ly/Scalfetti_Farms_Newsletter

Check out our website for all previous updates!!!

https://scalfettifarms.com/

Thank you for all the support! We hope you enjoyed this month’s update.

With Love from the Scalfetti Farm

-Mike

Summer is here!!!

Construction Progress:

Granny and Papa’s Home Construction

Granny and Papa are nearly ready to move in!!! The contractor is wrapping up the paint, cabinets, and flooring this month!

Rachael and Mike’s Home Remodel

We are steadily moving forward getting ready to start finishing out the inside! The siding and roofing are now complete along with the last of mechanical, plumbing, and electrical rough in. We are all set and ready for insulation!

Mike’s Shop Project

Exciting news for the shop, we have power!!! We got the electrical service set up and installed and secured the shop with the last of the roll up doors.

Farm/Homestead Progress:

On the Farm

We have a new piece of equipment on the farm! Our older tractor has served us well, but this is certainly a well need upgrade especially with the back-hoe attachment. This tool will be vital for maintaining the property and working on all the upcoming projects. I am very excited for the work this will allow us to do.

Around the Apiary

Nothing to update, we are schedule to have the Beehives arrive in August!

In the Garden

The garden is starting to produce some cucumbers and tomatoes, we even spotted a couple of cantaloupes growing! It seems like our adjustments are starting to pay off.

Behind the Coop

As soon as we finished last month’s bird netting project, the TX summer heat hit. It was so hot, we lost one of our older ladies. After the loss, we quickly replaced the bird netting with 40% shade cloth tarps and changed the timer to refresh the water twice a day. So far, we have not had any more casualties and the birds seem a lot happier in the shade!

Here is a picture of the Black Soldier Fly Larva mentioned last month. The chickens really enjoy these tasty treats!

Family Updates:

Granny and Papa have been busy packing their house for their move and preparing for the family vacation next month!!!

Zac and Sam really enjoyed their time with Grandma and Grandpa during their visit from Pennsylvania. It was great having them around especially spending time with the kids. We even got to see the dinosaurs at the Perot Museum during their visit!

Final House Keeping:

To subscribe to future updates, click on the link below and sign up.

https://bit.ly/Scalfetti_Farms_Newsletter

Check out our website for all previous updates!!!

https://scalfettifarms.com/

Thank you for all the support! We hope you enjoyed this month’s update.

With Love from the Scalfetti Farm

-Mike

Remember and Honor

Construction Progress:

Granny and Papa’s Home Construction

Granny and Papa are pushing for their construction to wrap up in June. There is still a lot to do but we were excited to get the septic system installed, the exterior get painted, the cabinets and trim work installed.

Rachael and Mike’s Home Remodel

We had a lot of progress on the outside of the house this month! The framers got the car port built, re-decked the balcony and are nearly complete with the siding repairs! Along with the outside work they were able to finish with the interior framing as well.

Mike’s Shop Project

We buttoned up the shop drainage this month by finishing the rock apron and the the trench drain between the old concrete and the shop.

In preparation of Granny and Papa moving onto the property, we moved my stuff out of the Papa’s green shed and into the blue shop

Farm/Homestead Progress:

On the Farm

I was out behind the shop getting the trailer ready for a friend and noticed these black things all over the trailer. To my surprise, I realized that we had a Mulberry Tree on the property!!! It was extra exciting because when we sold our last house one of the things we thought we’d miss the mulberry tree. We had a ton of fun with the kiddos picking the ripe mulberries last summer and with this find we will be able to continue the fun! Since then we found (2) more trees and a patch of black berries!!!

I understand that things are bigger in Texas but what is up with the worms? I found this guy while putting in the trench drain. I almost had to stop and go fishing with him.

With as many fences as we have I was happy that the pull behind string trimmer started right up with a quick carb clean and new gas!

We had this visitor chilling at the back door how cool!

Around the Apiary

Not much to update, we are schedule to have the Bee Hives arrive in August!

In the Garden

We are having a slow start to the garden this year, it appears that the soil we used for the planter beds was not the best. We made some adjustments such as additional compost which seems to be helping.

Behind the Coop

We finalized the layout of the backyard fence and determined that the chicken coop would be in the way. We decided to relocate the chicken run before it was in the way of progress.

We also started to have warm enough weather to start the black soldier fly compost system. The BSF’s are great at utilizing waist not suitable for the compost pile and turning it into protein treats for the chickens!

DIY Solution:

We utilize a deep beading system for the chicken run next to the garden. From time to time we need to add more wood chips to the run but the protective bird netting gets in the way. The bird netting we use is 14’x14′ and we need (2) nets to cover the majority of the run. To make the process of adding more mulch easier I wanted to be able to removed one side of the netting from the fence with out having to untie the the strings holding it in place. We came up with the solution in the picture below.

First we cut a 10′ section of 1/2″ rigid conduit in half, then connected it to another 10′ section with a coupler creating a 15′ length. Next we drilled (3) holes through the conduit and installed eye bolts. These eye bolts were used to to connect/disconnect the conduit from the fence using carabiners. We hung the conduit on the fence so we could tied one side of the netting to it tight enough so it didn’t sag onto the shade structure.

So far this is a good enough solution for the frequency we plan to add mulch. If we were adding mulch every weekend I would consider a different solution as the net does get hung up on their shade structure while removing it.

Family Updates:

Granny and Papa have great news, they are under contract to sell their house!!!

Zac ended his first year of school with an fun class performance.

Sammy is finally using more of her baby sign language and practicing talking as much as she can.

Rachael and I have been working hard on the weekends getting things set up. We were able to enjoy a nice evening driving around the golf cart dreaming of big plans over the holiday!

For those of you who courageously gave their lives and those of you who bravely fight today, Thank You, without you none of this would be possible.

Final House Keeping:

To subscribe to future updates click on the link below and sign up.

https://bit.ly/Scalfetti_Farms_Newsletter

Check out our website for all previous updates!!!

https://scalfettifarms.com/

Thank you for all the support! We hope you enjoyed this months update.

With Love from the Scalfetti Farm

-Mike

Happy Easter!!!

Construction Progress:

Granny and Papa’s Home Construction

They made ton of progress on Granny and Papa’s home. This month, the HVAC system, roofing, spray foam, drywall and tape and bed were all installed. We are very excited to see this progress, one step closer to moving on property!

Rachael and Mike’s Home Remodel

This month they completed the electrical, plumbing, HVAC rough in and we received our exterior framing, siding and carport materials. Additionally Rachael and I finished up the last of the interior demo and cleaned the house in preparation for the framers to return. We are pleased with the progress but ready to expand out of the She-shed!

Mike’s Shop Project

We got the concrete poured!

Have you ever seen concrete mixed on site by the concrete truck? Check out this video, the truck arrived onsite carrying only raw materials, then the operator punched in the mix design, the truck pushed out the specified mixture of materials into the hopper, the auger emptied the hopper while mixing the concrete up and out the shoot. I have been in construction a long time and this was a first for me, very cool!

In addition to the concrete, Quality Shop Buildings finished their scope by completing the missing roof trim and hanging the (2) big Over Head Doors. We also started working on the grades around the shop to improve drainage. We are still working on power but that has not stopped us from started to move in!

Farm/Homestead Progress:

Around the Apiary:

We officially are a registered Apiary! We received our formal approval earlier this month.

In the Garden:

We got the irrigation up and the plants in the ground and now we wait! I almost forgot, we planted (2) peach trees!!!

Behind the Coop:

The girls really picked up the egg production. They went from a dozen eggs a week to three dozen a week! We got eggs! They also got a new shade structure which now holds their water and feeder. We are please with how it turned out and wish we would have built it sooner. Lastly now that the cold weather is behind us, we set up the auto waterer which makes chores a little easer.

Family Updates:

Granny and Papa are eager to get in their new home and have a “Coming Soon” sign in their front yard!!!

Zac has been enjoying the his time outside and exploring the homestead. He had a blast at his first birthday party!

It is hard to put in words how much Sammy has grown this month but her little personality is really starting to shine and it is so much fun!

Rachael and I got a to have a long over due date night and ended up at the dive bar down the street. We are excited to go back with some friends!

Resource Recommendations:

If you want to learn a little about where to get started homesteading, I highly recommend “the Rooted Life” by Justin Rhodes. It is a easy read (he even has an audio version!) and does a great job including details for anyone that wants to get started, even those who don’t know where to start.

Final House Keeping:

To subscribe to future updates click on the link below and sign up.

https://bit.ly/Scalfetti_Farms_Newsletter

Check out our website for all previous updates!!!

https://scalfettifarms.com/

Thank you for all the support! We hope you enjoyed this months update.

With Love from the Scalfetti Farm

-Mike

Scalfetti Farms March 2022 Update

March madness has arrived on the homestead!!!

Construction Progress:

Granny and Papa’s Home Construction

Progress slowed down on Granny and Papa’s house as the focus was shifted to our house. Never the less, they were able to get the electrical roughed-in and ready for HVAC. Granny also coordinated the culvert expansion which has made it a lot easier to get in and out of the property!

Rachael and Mike’s Home Remodel

With the construction focus shifted to our house, we saw a lot of progress. The contractor nearly completed the interior framing, installed the new exterior windows and doors, started plumbing and electrical rough-in and even poured the carport concrete! We are very excited to see the progress, it is finally coming together!

Mike’s Shop Project

We were pleasantly surprised with the early delivery of the shop materials and even more surprised with how quickly they were able to build the building. Quality Shop Buildings was able to deliver and erect the building a month earlier than initially scheduled. We are now in the process of setting up the concrete, overhead doors and electrical installation. We are very eager to to get this finished up so we have the space to tackle even more projects!

Farm/Homestead Progress:

We have a website!!! Is is very much a work in progress but you can visit it at  https://scalfettifarms.com/ and see all previous monthly updates.

Around the Apiary:

No new updates on the bees, we are scheduling to have them arrive onsite once construction is wrapping up.

In the Garden:

By utilizing the permaculture principals Rachael and I are learning about, we spent a few weekends getting the garden set up right outside our back door! Next step – Irrigation, and Planting!!!

Behind the Coop:

As part of the our permaculture plan, we are working towards locating the most visited systems in Zone 1 (the area closest to the house). Additionally locating these in the correct Zone allows complementary systems to be next to each other. We moved the chickens next to the garden so we can feed them the garden scraps, and use the chicken’s deep bedding compost for the garden. It’s all close enough to the door to visit multiple times a day.

Family Updates:

Rachael has been in her element making on the fly changes to the plans of the house and selecting our finishes!

Zac is talking a lot more and really getting the share his personality with us. Rumor has it, Zac is everyone’s friend at school!

Sammy is loving tractor time with dad. Always on the move and fearless!
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Granny and Papa have been over nearly every night and weekend pushing the progress onsite, clearing brush in the woods and making sure the place is picked up!

I have been enjoying all the work on the weekends getting the homestead up and running. The 12 month calendars is working well to keep us focused on this years priorities.

Final House Keeping:

To subscribe to future updates click on the link below and sign up.

​https://bit.ly/Scalfetti_Farms_Newsletter​

You can also visit our website at:

​https://scalfettifarms.com/​

​

Thank you for all the support! We hope you enjoyed this months update.

With Love from the Scalfetti Farm

-Mike

Despite TX freezing over we had some great progress on the farm this month!!!

February Construction Progress:

Granny and Papa’s Home Construction

This month our builder poured slab on grade, framed the home, set windows, installed exterior doors, roughed in the plumbing, set the fireplace and nearly finished siding the house.

Rachael and Mike’s Home Remodel

Little progress was done on our house as the focus had been on Jennie and Tom’s construction. The plumber was able to locate the water and gas lines on the property and started “frost proofing” the yard hydrants.

Farm/Homestead Progress:

Big news for the farm, we are officially leasing bees! Harmony Hollow Apairy will be placing and maintaining (6) hives on the property for us. We are excited to be partnering with them and look forward to some honey!

In the Garden:

In preparation of planting our spring garden we built some raised garden beds and planted our seed starters. Rachael and I are competing to see which system works better, the recycled K-cups or the self watering tray we used last year… We will keep you posted!

In The Coop:

Our chickens are surviving the winter just fine with farmer Sammy supervising!

Family updates:

Rachael is back to working regular hours designing custom homes. Additionally, as a bonus, she is back to teaching Zumba!

Zac is back in school and doing well. He got invited to his first birthday party. We are excited to see how that goes.

Sammy is getting better at walking and starting to say some words! She is plotting her take over!
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Granny and Papa have been working away and clearing trees and getting ready to enjoy their new view.

Unfortunately after 14 years old Miss Millie passed away. She was a good dog and will missed. Rest In Peace Millie.

Thank you for all the support! We hope you enjoyed this months update.
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With Love from the Scalfetti Farm

-Mike

To subscribe to future updates click on the link below and sign up.

​https://bit.ly/Scalfetti_Farms_Newsletter

My name is Mike and with my family we are starting our multigenerational homestead and small farm in Dallas Texas.