Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs...week 2

There's an old song that laments the oppressive nature of signs.

Perhaps that's why we didn't put ours out until the day we opened.

After all the planning, building, baking, stocking, painting, planting, and rearranging, it turns out that letting people know you exist is actually an important step in running a business.

Who knew?

We had our soft opening on Saturday and, despite being "officially closed" until tomorrow, we've already felt the love from so many people stopping in. Some of you came intentionally. Some of you were curious. A few of you may have made a wrong turn. Regardless, we're glad you found us.

Some visitors were fortunate enough to enjoy a cup of coffee and help judge my questionable biscotti. To be fair, I didn't exactly follow the recipe and wasn't entirely sure what I was aiming for. They certainly weren't the biscotti you'd be served alongside an espresso in Italy. Yet they were enthusiastically consumed by many, which leads me to wonder whether recipes are more of a suggestion than a requirement.

Others stopped by when we weren't here or somehow slipped past our notice. Kitty and Cora, our resident feline greeters, seem particularly confused by this development. For years it was their job to race to the door whenever a car arrived. Now Rob and I are giving them some stiff competition.

Meanwhile, summer has finally arrived.

The sun is shining, a soft breeze moves through the fields, and the tall grasses are beginning to evoke scenes from Little House on the Prairie. The vegetable plants are still patiently waiting for permanent homes in the garden, though I have at least been keeping them hydrated and reassuring them that their day will come.

This week we're serving cold brew made with Yeti from Peace Coffee. After tasting it for the first time, I was left wondering where cold brew had been all my life. Smooth, rich, and slightly sweet, it may become a permanent fixture around here.

We're also experimenting with a few new offerings: black iced tea and a cold-brewed blend of Yeti coffee, black tea, and chai spices—cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and allspice. If that sounds unusual, that's because it is.

Rhubarb will be making an appearance this week as well. You'll be able to purchase fresh stalks to prepare however you'd like. As for what else it might become, I'm giving the rhubarb some space to let me know. Around here, I've learned that forcing outcomes rarely works as well as listening. Whether it becomes a coffee cake, a crumble, muffins, or something entirely unexpected remains to be seen. The rhubarb and I are still in negotiations.

And while you're here, take some time to wander through the store.

Some items are made right here on the farm: painted drums, rattles, aura sprays, facial moisturizer, eye cream, and all-natural sunscreen.

Others have traveled much farther. We have glasswork from Unst, the northernmost inhabited island in the Shetlands, wool from Shetland sheep (they really do seem to outnumber the people), and artwork from an artist in Inverness, Scotland.

There is no requirement to buy anything.

Not even a cup of coffee.

We're simply trying to create a place where people can stop, linger, explore, and connect.

So come by.

Stay awhile.

See what finds you.