Farm Life

Late Summer on the Farm: What August Really Looks Like Here

If you follow along on Instagram, you've probably noticed August is when I stop posting cute lamb photos and start posting pictures of tomatoes with a thousand-yard stare. That's not an accident. Late summer on a small farm is less "idyllic sunset chores" and more "why is there a chicken in the garden again," and I think it's about time someone told you the truth about it.

So here's what August actually looks like at C-Ewe Farmstead.

Mornings Start Before I'm a Person

Chores start early here, mostly because Missouri in August doesn't believe in mercy. If I wait until a reasonable hour to check water troughs, I'm doing it in soup-level humidity with cattle giving me the "well, are you going to fix this or not" stare. So it's boots on, coffee in hand (sometimes still in the pot, let's be honest), and out the door while it's still cool enough to pretend I have my life together.

Between the Black Angus, the Wagyu, the Katahdin sheep, and a flock of chickens who have never once made a quiet decision, morning chores are basically a farm-themed obstacle course. Water first — everybody drinks like it's their job in this heat — then a walk through to eyeball who looks off, who's grazing normally, and who's dramatically flopped in the shade like they're the first animal to ever experience summer.

The Garden Is Winning, Honestly

I'd love to tell you August is harvest glory, and some days it is — baskets of tomatoes, peppers, squash, more zucchini than any household could reasonably need. But mostly it's a negotiation. The garden gives generously and then dares me to keep up with it before anything rots on the vine. This is the time of year I start seriously questioning how many tomatoes one family actually needs to can, and then I can them all anyway, because apparently the answer is "more."

If you've ever stood in a hot kitchen surrounded by jars, sweating in a way that has nothing to do with the stove, welcome to my August.

Sourdough Doesn't Care That It's Hot

The starter does not know it's summer. It does not care that I'm tired. It just sits there quietly demanding to be fed, like a very low-maintenance pet that occasionally turns into bread. Baking in a hot kitchen in August is its own kind of chaos, but there's something steadying about it — even on the days that feel like an endless loop of chores, there's a loaf cooling on the counter by evening, and that counts as a win.

The Slower, Quieter Part

Here's the part nobody puts on a farm Instagram grid: some evenings, once everyone's fed and watered and the sun's finally easing up, we just sit. Watch the cattle graze. Listen to the sheep complain about something only they understand. Let the chickens do whatever chaotic nonsense chickens do at dusk. It's not glamorous, but it's the actual heart of small farm life — not the highlight reel, just the rhythm of showing up every single day for animals and a garden that depend on you.

That's the honest version of August around here: early mornings, a garden that's out-producing my patience, a starter that never takes a day off, and a family farm just trying to keep pace with the season. If you're living some version of this too, I'd love to hear how your August is going. Drop it in the comments, or come say hi on Instagram @cewefarmstead.