Desert Song Urban Farm

01/01/2025

Tallow making, day 2: Today, twenty-four hours later, the beef fat is very soft— like jello, or pudding. It’s even less pleasant than it was yesterday, and I’m still days away from having anything I’d want on my skin or in my food. I push the whole cooked mass through a cone-shaped sieve, crushing and pressing and pouring until all but large impurities are through. (This is my dog’s favorite day of the week. He stays close by. 🙂) The pot goes on the stove to boil, and the foam gets skimmed off the top. Finally, the contents get poured into stainless steel bowls to cool overnight. I toss those large pieces still in the cone to the dog and to the chickens, and my longest and least pleasant tallow-processing day is done.

31/12/2024

Not really a “pretty” day on the farm. I started the first stage of processing new tallow. It’s my least pleasant task— messy and very time consuming— and it doesn’t look or smell very pleasant at this stage. It amazes me that this mess of locally sourced beef fat can turn into to a wonderful lotion that has literally saved my skin. Many of you have messaged to say the same thing. It does make it all worth it in the end. I also started re-stocking, after selling out of so many things during the holidays. Today it was all about making Creosote lotion. Tomorrow I’ll get it packaged and pretty and ready to nourish your skin and mine.

30/12/2024

It’s a rest day, so no farm work. My husband still lets the chickens out in the late afternoons, and the light was nice, so I got a few photos.

This is the season of rest for chickens, too: The short days tell their bodies to take a break from egg laying, so we only get one or two per day from the whole flock right now. In the spring they will begin laying again, and by Easter we’ll feel a little desperate to get all those eggs eaten or sold.
For now, they get a free pass, resting their bodies and re-energizing for the next season.

A fun fact: The new spring eggs will have more strongly tinted eggshells ( blues, greens, browns, and olives) because of this rest time.

28/12/2024

Farm log today: I turned an old weedy garden bed into new space for chamomile; put nine plants in to supplement the ones that will come up naturally next month. Chamomile is extremely important to my business: It’s a main component in our best-selling Most Soothing Salve, in our chamomile-infused tallow lotions, and in some of our herbal teas. Also harvested a little lemongrass to dry for herbal tea. The plant is looking ragged and needs to be cleaned up and divided and transplanted in February.

28/12/2024

Farm log for today: Busy day, and so exciting! I put together a new seed starting area, and got lots of seeds planted. Taking photos like this helps with keeping records of what was started and when. It doesn’t look very pretty now— just a lot of soil— but it’ll (hopefully!) make for a beautiful grade this spring

26/12/2024

Merry Christmas to you all. May you find peace in your hearts because of His coming.

12/12/2024

Just a friendly reminder that you have until December 14th to order our Simple Christmas Box or our Christmas Box Extravaganza!!

Order at our website: https://www.desertsong-urbanfarm.com/product-page/cozy-autumn-gift-boxes

Peace 🤍

10/12/2024

Exciting news! I was invited to have a vendor spot at this intriguing event. Come and enjoy some relaxing mama time (tickets in the link provided) or come shop from 12:30-2:00 when the event is open to the public.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sip-shop-self-care-womens-social-tickets-1102313662839

10/12/2024

Packaging Plain & Simple tallow lotion tonight. I’d sold out completely, in the middle of my busiest season, so I’m here tonight making origami boxes and wrapping lotion sticks with pretty paper. Seems a shame that I’ll have to put labels on them, eh? My husband is nearby, playing Christmas music, and the vibe tonight is pleasant. Cozy. Earlier today I looked, with horror, deep into an ugly part of my soul that I hadn’t known existed. Processing it, getting to the bottom of it, I found that the grace of God was still there, compassionate and loving me so so deeply. I’m feeling lighter, cleaner, refreshed in that grace and love. I hope you have these moments too, finding yourself loved by a God who so wildly loves you that he would sacrifice his life to have you safe and loved in him.

06/12/2024

Our herbal tea, farm grown and hand blended, is selling out FAST! I am busy making and packaging more now. By this coming Sunday morning, all the tea I can make this season will be blended, charmingly packaged, and loaded into our online store. Our tea tubes are lovely little gifts, inexpensive and delightful. For a more generous gift, a half pint jar of tea will give a loved one a month of cozy mornings or afternoons. This coming year, our gardens will expand to accommodate demand for this ever-more-popular winter treat.

Note: Lavender-Peach-Basil will not be back in stock until this coming Sunday. If that’s what you’re wanting, check back then!

Herbal tea can be found here: https://www.desertsong-urbanfarm.com/herbal-tea

03/12/2024

Desert Song Urban Farm bought a goat today!

No— not for us. 😜

Through Compassion International, we can gift a goat to a family in need. Goats provide nutrition, income generation, community connection, financial independence, soil regeneration, fire protection, and a whole lot of joy.

This is the sort of donation that keeps on giving. One of the best things about giving goats (or pigs, chickens, seeds for gardens) is that it keeps economies local. Also, a single parent can generate income without being away from children who need them at home. It’s a win for everyone!

Interested in doing the same?

Check out the Compassion International website; go to “catalog”, then to “income generation”. There are some great choices besides just goats available there.

03/12/2024

Desert Song Urban Farm bought a goat today!

No— not for us. 😜

Through Compassion International, we can gift a goat to a family in need. Goats provide nutrition, income generation, community connection, financial independence, soil regeneration, fire protection, and a whole lot of joy.

This is the sort of donation that keeps on giving. One of the best things about giving goats (or pigs, chickens, seeds for gardens) is that it keeps economies local. Also, a single parent can generate income without being away from children who need them at home. It’s a win for everyone!

Interested in doing the same? Here’s the link:

https://www.compassion.com/catalog/income-generation.htm

02/12/2024

Our Cyber Monday special has been added to our online store! This extravagant collection will be available now through December 12th.

A wonderful box of goodies, just for the holiday season. Give the whole, beautifully packaged box to someone special, or break apart the pieces for stocking stuffers, small office gifts, additions to your own gift baskets, or hostess gifts.
Included:
*Eight beautiful, all natural goat milk and tallow soaps. Each one is a different variety
*Two of our best selling tallow lotion sticks
*One small Cold Season Chest Rub
*Two of our charming tubes of hand grown and blended herbal teas
*Five tallow and beeswax lip balms
* One tallow, beeswax, and essential oil candle in a hand folded origami box
Hurry! This amazing offering, a $178 value, is only available through December 14th.

An extravagant box of goodies, just for the holiday season. Give the whole, beautifully packaged box to someone special, or break apart the pieces for stocking stuffers, small office gifts, additions to your own gift baskets, or hostess gifts. Included: *Eight beautiful, all natural goat milk and ta...

27/11/2024

I received this lovely message from a new customer I met at a show we did earlier this fall. It’s so satisfying to know our products do so much good! While it’s illegal (and rightly so) for me to make medical claims about our products, I can tell you that our customers give very enthusiastic feedback. Check out our “testimonials” page on our website to read more!

https://www.desertsong-urbanfarm.com/blank-7

23/11/2024

Finally—our Welcome Baby gift sets are back in stock! Filled with good things for a new mom and her little one, it’s the perfect gift for a baby shower or a welcoming right after baby is born. Baby shoes are made in my workshop. I select darling cotton prints for the outer, and line every shoe with super soft flannel. Herbal tea is formulated specially for new moms from herbs, flowers, and fruit grown on our farm. We’ve also packed the box with soap, salve, and lotion for mom as she recovers from birthing and begins breastfeeding, and for baby’s super delicate skin. Only a few sets are available at this time. If we sell out, check back soon! You can find this box under “Collections and Gift Sets” on our website at desertsong-urbanfarm.com.

https://www.desertsong-urbanfarm.com/product-page/welcome-baby-gift-box