Being Sylvan

Trees are integral to the Sylvanmore name and legacy. “Sylvan” means “associated with woods,” and one of our family farms is named Woodland.

Along with our cultivated Christmas trees, there are several hardwood species around the farm. Sugar maples live next to sycamores, and poplar trees visit with oaks in the morning sunshine.

Walking through the woods is one of the most calming activities on the farm, whether checking fence, searching for mushrooms, or walking simply for the sake of walking. Leaves rustle, squirrels skitter, twigs crunch beneath our boots. We can take a deep breath and hear ourselves think.

Here, Jeff is analyzing young trees around the barn to see if they would make good firewood for next year’s first harvest. We’ve started a stack of logs and kindling for boiling sap from sugar maples down into maple syrup.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

• What is the most calming activity you like participating in?

Share your answer and this newsletter with someone who enjoys that activity, too.

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This Week on the Farm

In the November 19 episode of Sylvan Sundays, we featured our pygmy doe. Here she is in her prime spot under the feeder during breakfast one morning this last week.

Things have quieted down on the farm, and it’s a winter rest we’re grateful for. We spend this time preparing for next year, strategizing what our business will look like in 2024.

Farm Shop

Check out our Etsy shop! We’re winding down for the year, and looking forward to new fleeces in 2024.

Here’s what one customer said about Nyssa’s fleece: