It’s Pouring Rain and Opportunities: February at Deeply Rooted Ranch
The February rains seem to have shaken off the winter slumber at the ranch! Seeing the dandelion greens and henbits sprouting on the pastures, we knew it was time to prepare our farm for the arrival of spring. So here’s all we’ve been up to in the damp yet promising month of February!
The Rain, Soils, and Wildlife
Turns out, sleeping to the sound of pattering rain wasn’t the only upside of February showers. Given the volume of rainfall this year, it was a great opportunity for us to study the effect of rain on the land and livestock. This way, we can incorporate this knowledge into our planning efforts and ensure we’re never caught off guard.
This exercise helped us gain an in-depth understanding of how the soil on our 120-acre ranch responds to the excess water—where the runoff occurs and where it gets absorbed. With weather patterns becoming more erratic by the day, building resilient rainwater management systems is key to a thriving ranch.
Update on the Wild White Willows
If you’ve been following our monthly updates, you’ll know that our hoop house was battered by a storm last year, so much so that we had to leave it idle until last month. When we finally got to repairing it, we were greeted with a small forest of wild white willows!
Since leaving the Willows on the hoophouse site isn’t an option, we decided to transplant them to more conducive spots across the ranch with a little help from Jesse, our in-house agroecologist! Right now, we’re rooting several cuttings in barrels and preparing the new trees for being planted and used around the farm.
Willow trees have many uses on a functional farm like ours. We plan to use them for creating shade in our teaching areas along with hedging and windbreaking to protect smaller plants and livestock.
Fun fact, Willows produce a growth hormone so strong that they can stimulate root growth in other plants! So we are also saving some of the water that we’re rooting our cuttings in to give a boost to plants around the ranch!
Ready for Poultry Processing
DRR Processing is finally up and running at Deeply Rooted Ranch!
We’re also happy to announce that it has successfully gained USDA-approved status during the inspection. We’ll be starting with processing 120 chickens every six weeks, which will be a huge boost to our current poultry production.
We’re also excited to see the Central Texas farm community use our expanded processing facilities to ramp up their own production and business!
Foraging and Feasting in the Rain
The sweet spring dampness meant it was time to go foraging. We found lovely henbits, dandelion greens, and curly docks growing on the pasture just in time to grace the upcoming feast at our monthly Supper Club!
Did we mention there’ll be wildflowers blooming in just a few weeks from now? It’ll start with bluebonnets, which are about to paint our pastures into the most gorgeous shades of blue.
Speaking of feasting, our Valentine's Day supper club was a huge sold-out success! It was the perfect opportunity for our community to celebrate love against the stunning backdrop of the Deeply Rooted Ranch. We couldn't have asked for better weather, as we took our visitors on a ranch tour and shared a bit about the regenerative practices we use.
See Our Upcoming Events and Book a Ticket at an Upcoming Culinary Event Here
Gearing Up for Spring
It’s back to school at the ranch, as we prepare to host the first Fearless Farmers on-site intensive of the year. In just a few weeks from now, we will open our doors to the Fearless Farmers participants to complement their learnings with hands-on experience at the farm.
We will kick off the spring semester of Farm School on March 21, bringing regenerative experiences to homeschooling children aged 8 to 14. Held one day a week over two months, this drop-off program introduces them to the many activities involved in managing a regenerative farm and teaches them holistic decision-making principles in the immersive environment of our ranch.
Click Here to See our Spring Farm School Schedule
Meanwhile, our Preschool Days are perfect for kids aged three to five and their parents, giving them a chance to enjoy a wonderful day at the farm together while exploring cooking, gardening, beekeeping, and more!
Click here to Learn More About Preschool Days
The next couple of months will be the busiest for our educators. The same can be said about our market garden - ready with a bounty of fresh greens and herbs - reminding us of all that’s there to look forward to this spring!
If you’d like to join us at the ranch to enjoy the gifts of regenerative farming first-hand, explore our events calendar or reach out to us about your next private event! We offer space for everything from corporate retreats and field trips to wedding parties and evening wine events. We hope to welcome you soon!
