End of Summer Reflections: Dahlias, Turkeys, and Perseverance
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but pause and reflect on the season behind me. This summer was one of the hardest yet—starting a business, navigating loss, and pushing for each and every sale just to cover the feed bill for the next flock. There were days when the weight of it all felt almost unbearable. But there were also triumphs—moments when the birds thrived on fresh pasture, the fields came alive, and the dahlias stretched toward the sun, reminding me why the fight is worth it.
These dahlias have been my quiet teachers all season. I planted them in spring, tended their tender shoots, weeded around them, and kept the ducks from nibbling at their roots. Through heat waves, setbacks, and long days, I kept showing up for them. Now, in their full late-summer glory, they remind me that perseverance pays off. Every bloom is a reflection of the little things done consistently—watering, deadheading, protecting, nurturing.
Much like the dahlias, the turkeys I’ve been raising for Thanksgiving require daily care and patience. From the day they arrived as young poults, I’ve moved them across pasture, ensured they have shade in the heat, and protected them from the elements and predators. Every little chore—hauling water, shifting fences, checking feed—adds up to their health and well-being. Just as a flower doesn’t bloom overnight, a turkey doesn’t grow strong and hearty without steady attention day after day.
Watching the turkeys grow this season has been another reminder that farming is a long game built on faith and persistence. When November comes, they’ll be ready to nourish families around the table, and all those small daily actions will have led to something bigger than myself. Just like the dahlias blooming in their patch, these birds are proof that showing up every day, no matter how tired or uncertain I feel, makes all the difference.
It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind and forget how much those small acts matter. But just as each petal makes the flower, and every pound gained on a turkey comes from consistent care, every small step moves me closer to success. The dahlias and the turkeys stand together as proof that if I keep going—if I keep showing up, day after day, even when it feels impossible—there will be beauty, there will be harvest, and there will be reward.
So as fall arrives tomorrow, I carry this reminder with me: hard work pays off, persistence matters, and growth takes time. The end of summer marks not just the closing of a season, but a celebration of endurance. And like the dahlias and the turkeys, I’ll keep reaching upward, trusting that each small effort will lead to something beautiful.
And neighbor, I hope this season gives you the same reminders—whether it’s in your garden, your kitchen, or the rhythms of your own life. If you’d like to share in the fruits of this labor, our pasture-raised Thanksgiving turkeys are nearly ready and available to reserve. From our farm to your table, may your fall be full of good food, gratitude, and the beauty of hard work rewarded.
