Good morning, Reader. How are you weathering this cold snap?

My husband, Benjamin, spent his weekend camping — of all things — up in the Boundary Waters with a group of friends. They’ve been making this trip together for the past 10 years, and I like to joke that they mostly sit around a fire talking about how much their wives would not enjoy this.

And he’s right. As much as I love the North Woods and the beauty of winter, I do not love being cold — or the snoring that comes with tent camping.

While he was away, the kids had an extra day home when school closed Friday due to the cold. That meant extra home-cooked meals — something I'm always grateful to have ground beef on hand for. We made chili, meatloaf, spaghetti, and tacos. Benj likes to tease me that whenever he’s gone, we burn through ground beef, and reflecting on this weekend, I have to admit it’s true. I love how convenient and tasty ground beef is as the base for our meals. Our family goes through one full beef each year, which includes over 200 lbs of ground beef, and with a house full of teenagers right now, that extra protein is such a blessing.

Come to think of it, what a blessing it is to have a family to feed and care for — a daily, God-given reminder that even ordinary work has purpose outside myself. On days when I start to feel insignificant or weighed down, I am reminded that caring for my family — and for myself — is also in service of my Savior: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). For me, that often looks like raising my family well, praying for others, and keeping my eyes on Christ in the daily work set before us.

With joy and gratitude,
Leah

P.S. I've received many texts, calls, and emails over the past few months asking when our 2026 Beef Bulk Shares will open. The wait is almost over — Monday, February 9 at 10:00 a.m (two weeks from today)! This is the only week of the year our farm offers bulk beef shares of 1/4, 1/2 or whole (for October butcher dates). We have just 8 steers available for bulk shares this year. Once they're spoken for we won't have more shares until 2027. Mark your calendar!

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