As the wheel of the year makes another rotation, Autumn falls on Ironwood Swampstead. From now until the Winter Solstice, the days will continue to shorten and the nights will continue to lengthen as they have since the Summer Solstice.
This year we celebrated the turning of the wheel by attending Grand Rapids Pagan Pride and then Sunday, we enjoyed the much needed rain and shared in so much gratitude for a successful first in person event.
If you are someone who "seasons", as we do here on the Swamp, then the long stretch of summer growth is officially coming to an end. Here in the garden, we can see the slowing of the harvest basket while the last of the blooms reach for the sun. This time of year the focus is on harvest and reflection. For those who have spent the summer months toiling, tending, and preparing for this season, we enjoy the tempered days and bountiful garden hauls.
As we season each year by matching the energy of the earth, we extend this energy into all our life, far past the garden gates. We start to slow down and reflect on what we've learned during the newness of Spring and the rapid growth of Summer. Our focus turns from creating abundance to enjoying it. Each season offers us important lessons and energy to tune into.
These past seasons of growth have brought a lot of changes to our family and to the Swamp. Our larger garden was installed this year as well as an updated well-water system to provide fresh water to our property. We tried new fruits, vegetables, and flowers in the garden and have learned the hard way in many aspects of homesteading. We learned how to preserve our own food and canned salsa, apple butter, and apple sauce to be shelf stable.
Looking back at all that's grown, I feel similarly to how I do looking at the full harvest baskets. It was hard earned work and we are grateful for it. We are constantly learning the lessons of allowing the wheel to turn and the Universe to do her beautiful timely dance.
This Summer, The Ironwood Swampstead made her official debut as a local small business and what a beautiful start to a long journey. We've been overwhelmed with love and support from our Grand Rapids community and township as we learn how to conserve and cultivate our property.
We learned that the Swampstead lies on protected wetlands which is an amazing asset to our journey. Currently, we are working with an incredible ecologist and farmer to help us create a long lasting symbiotic relationship with our parcel of land.
Our Online Swampstand has opened and is full of handmade ritual items, crafted with care and intention right here on the Swamp. Every aspect of it's creation is done by hand and we are so proud of the products that we create. You can shop our full collection here.
As we move into the cooler months and prepare our garden beds, home, and hearts for another Michigan Winter, we invite you join us for all things Swampstead including recipes, DIYs, and updates on our family. Take a gander at life lately on the Swam and follow our journey on Facebook and Tiktok.
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