In this 242nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and I discuss 2024 Wins, Losses and Lessons Learned. As we start to lean into 2025 and put some mileage between 2024 and where we are today, it is a good practice to stop, reflect and think about what went well (wins), what didn’t (losses or failures) and what we learned along the way in 2024. It was an interesting year, and a lot of good things happened. Adam and I both agree that there is alway room for improvement, and I have a list of things that I will be focusing on in 2025 that will hopefully be in my Win column next year when we talk about this topic again.
It’s all part of learning, doing, growing and being a little better everyday. That’s where the magic is, and that, my friends, is a good thing!
2024 Wins, Losses and Lessons Learned
2024 has been a year full of interesting twists and turns. After making it through some shenangians and discussions about my homemade suet (see below), Adam makes a big announcement about this year’s big win: increasing his sales by a factor of six in 2024! Those are some great results for sure. Adam had some good wins, losses and lessons learned that were focused on his business modernfrontierfarms.com.
For me, my 2024 wins, losses and lessons learned were more focused on the garden and podcast. I realized early in the show that we were talking about things that were not related BUT COULD BE. I tried to repharase my items so they could apply to gardening, small business and life. My themes were really focused on: keeping things simple and functional while making slow and steady progress through focused intensity over time. At the same time, you have to keep showing up, even when you don’t feel like it OR you don’t feel like you are making significant progress.
This principle about consistently showing up has been an achilles heel for me over the years, especially with this platform and with my wellness journey. I make progress and get traction, and then I stop for some reason. Life happens, work happens, relationships happen, world events happen and/or I start traveling for work. Staying focused, showing up when you don’t feel like it and having that big why are critical to success with any endevour, and that is something I need to focus on in 2025.
I can feel the momentum changing as we start 2025, and I think it is going to be a good year.
Homemade Bird Suet for Wild Birds
What’s cooking, friends?
The kitchen here at The Landing has been incredibly busy and smelling great after the Christmas holiday. What’s going on over here?
One practice we adopted at Driftless Oaks Farm (our 10-acre hobby farm in Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, that we sold in 2023), was drinking our morning coffee and watching the birds that frequented our feeders, plants and flowers. We really grew attached to the hummingbirds, cardinals, rose-breasted grosbeaks, orioles, nuthatches, warblers, woodpeckers, blue jays, dark eyed juncos (in the winter), pheasants, owls, eagles, hawks and the occasional indigo bunting. I had never REALLY paid attention to birds before, but I adopted a deep love for these feathered friends. I worked hard keeping the feeders full and removing the nasty little furry critters that loved to get into the seed. Yuck.
Now that we are here at The Landing, we have really leaned into watching our feathered friends and feeding them. In talking with neighbors who lived here for many years and watching the cycles change, we have noticed the variety and number of birds that visit this property. I have never seen some of these birds before! I attribute this to being on the banks of the Willow River, and I am very grateful that we chose this interesting and unique property (it was one of my requirements on our Napkin Plan).
In order to help our feathered friends out, I put up some feeders in the yard. Just a couple you know…and then I expanded them. I have six active feeders going right now including the Big Bird Buffet that I constructed at the farm. Two of the feeders are suet feeders. Suet is a mixure of lard, peanut butter, oats, nuts, seed and dried fruit. Think of it as a bird protein power bar, and birds absolutely LOVE them.
I have been working on a homemade suet recipe, and I have been testing the bars (regular and spicy bars) this week in my homemade suet feeders. The suet bars only lasted three days, and I reveal which bar performed better (ie, which suet feeder was completely empty on Day 3.
I was surprised by the results!
I’ll have more on the Tommy Suet Cakes in the near future. And yes, I did taste AND come up with the name of the suet cakes on this show. That will be in the Win, Loss and Lessons Learned in 2025 show for sure!
Links
Show Sponsor
This live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: Modern Frontier Farms Website
Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!
When he isn’t at a Farmer’s Market or hanging out with his wonderful wife and beautiful kids, Adam can be found at the following locations:
Other Related Shows
Adam has been a guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast a number of times. Here is a quick list of shows where he has been the guest or cohost:
- Getting Ready for 2025; Setting the Stage for Success – ANT Live 12
- Watching Drones, Surviving Christmas Gatherings and Closing Out 2024 – ANT Live 11
- Highlights of the 2024 Acres USA Eco-Ag Conference – ANT Live 10
- 20 Simple Steps for Better Holiday Season – ANT Live 9
- How to Find Your First Customer – ANT Live 8
- Dreams and Goals: How to Manifest Your Future – ANT Live 7
- How to Find Your Passion: From Hobbies to Heartbeat – ANT Live 6
- Boredom: A Path to Mindfulness and Innovation – ANT Live 5
- Hustles and Hurdles: Side Hustles and the Gig Economy – ANT Live 4
- Mindset and Milestones: Prepping for a Life Upgrade – ANT Live 3
- The Importance of Getting Away – ANT Live 2
- Catching up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms – ANT Live 1
- Small Scale Life Episode 198 – Grass Fed Farm Business with Adam Rick
- Small Scale Life Episode 199 – Creating Heritage Meals and Deep Roots with Adam Rick
DISCLAIMER
At Small Scale Life, we are not medical professionals, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or therapists. We are not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice. Create and live your Small Scale Life as you choose, but do it carefully. Any actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.
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Special Thanks
For Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw