The Rusty Rake Homestead

01/07/2026

It’s easy in winter to stay inside and hibernate, but spending time with the chickens — hearing their little chatters and watching them enjoy their treats — keeps me connected, grounded, and grateful. Even in the snow, there’s life, routine, and simple joy out in the coop. 🐓💚 follow our Friday morning posts for fresh egg availability

01/04/2026

Just finished baking a batch of Barkies.

Made with rolled oats, banana, peanut butter, and egg.

**Human “treats”… best friend approved.

**Intended for human consumption. Michigan cottage food law does not permit the sale of dog treats. 😉🐶

**This is a graphic-Lucky was not involved in the baking process

01/02/2026

✨ FRIDAY PRE-ORDER IS OPEN! ✨
January 2, 2026
How it works:
1️⃣ I post items every Friday morning
2️⃣ Comment to claim (first come, first served!)
3️⃣ I’ll DM your total + pickup details
4️⃣ Venmo only, due within 3 hours
5️⃣ Pre-orders close 7 PM Friday
📦 Pickup: Sunday 12–2 PM

***SELF SERVE FARMSTAND HOURS***
Farm Stand Update:
Our self-serve stand will be paused for the winter and will reopen in the spring. During this time, The Rusty Rake Homestead will be moving to 100% pre-order, prepaid sales. Orders will be taken weekly every Friday with Sunday pickup from 12:00–2:00 PM. Thank you so much for your continued support through the slower season!

Be sure to check our page for updates to any possible changes!

All New Snowman Cakes-Handmade winter treats made with crushed cookies and frosting, dipped in creamy white chocolate, and finished with hand-detailed snowman faces. Each snowman is individually wrapped and shelf-stable, making them perfect for gifting or enjoying throughout the winter season.
(This wkends “cookie flavor” is nutter butter peanut butter)
⛄️Available as a 4-Pack Only
• $22 per 4-pack(2 available)

COZY KITCHEN COLLECTION:
•3 Bean Chili Mix $1️⃣0️⃣
•White Chicken Chili Mix $1️⃣0️⃣
•Cornbread Mix $6️⃣
•Original Recipe Chex Mix $6️⃣
•Heat Miser/Snow Miser Cracker mix $1️⃣0️⃣
(Firecracker & Sugar cookie flavors duo pack)
•Friendship Tea Mix $6️⃣
•Fireside Coffee Mix $6️⃣
•Bread Dipping Spice Kit$5️⃣
•DIY Pancake Mixes$8️⃣
•Homemade Vanilla Extract 8oz (made with organic Vanilla beans)$2️⃣5️⃣1 available
•Cake Slices(vanilla/raspberry-2 slices available)$8️⃣ big enough for 2 people
•Gourmet Chocolate Strawberry Popcorn $7️⃣
•Gourmet Toffee Crunch $1️⃣0️⃣ 1/2 lb bag
•Gourmet Salad Croutons $6️⃣
•Rosemary Sea Salt $5️⃣ 3oz (Rosemary grown by us)
•Basil Sea Salt $5️⃣ (Basil grown by us)

FARMSTAND FAVORITES:
•Artisan Bread$8️⃣(loaf style)
•Artisan Jams$9️⃣-1️⃣0️⃣(jams listed below)
•Gourmet Cookies: Chocolate Chip Cookie stacks $1️⃣2️⃣
•Fresh Eggs$5️⃣ (3-4 dozen available)

FARMACY:
•Extracts*** (Mullein, Elderberry, Lemon Balm & ImmuniTEA)$3️⃣0️⃣
***mdard does not permit the use of the word “tincture”
•Organic Elderberry Oxymel 16 oz $2️⃣5️⃣
•Elderberry Syrup Kit$2️⃣5️⃣
•Whipped Tallow made with all organic castor oil and frankincense $1️⃣5️⃣
•Skin Serum made with all organic Castor oil, Jojoba oil & Frankincense$1️⃣5️⃣
•Tallow Lip Balm Organic $8️⃣
•Transdermal Magnesium Spray$1️⃣5️⃣
•Organic Loofahs $5️⃣
•All New Goats Milk Soaps $7️⃣(2 pack)
•ALL NEW-Bath Salts(epsom salts, pink Himalayan sea salts. Dried rose petals & essential oils) $6️⃣

Jams Available:
Black Raspberry (2 available) 1️⃣0️⃣
Strawberry RESERVE (5 available)1️⃣0️⃣
Barfight Jam (6 available) 1️⃣0️⃣
Elderberry Jam (2 available) 1️⃣0️⃣
Peach Vanilla (2 available) 9️⃣
Concord Grape Jam (1 available) 8️⃣
Rudolf’s Jingle Jam $9️⃣(strawberry, cranberry & orange)

Thank you all for continuing to support our homestead through the winter season — this new system helps us reduce waste, stay organized, and make sure everyone gets the freshest goodies! ❤️🌱

This album is a new way for me to show you my items instead of reposting all my pics with descriptions repeatedly.

https://www.facebook.com/share/17jwVdEwyY/?

01/01/2026

Small kitchen joy unlocked.

When you’re a cast-iron skillet girl through and through… but your saucepans have been the odd ones out.

I finally bought a vintage Visions set — glass saucepans and one Dutch oven — and I’m honestly thrilled. I’ve been wanting to step away from stainless pans for sauces and slow simmers, and this feels like the perfect fit for my kitchen.

Fun fact: Visions cookware was wildly popular in the 1970s and 1980s, loved for being heat-resistant, non-reactive, and transparent so you could actually see your food cook. Practical, a little nostalgic, and very much my style.

Sometimes the old things really are the good things. 🧡

HAPPY NEW YEAR 🍳

12/31/2025

🌾✨ Happy New Year from The Rusty Rake Homestead! ✨🌾
As we step into 2026, we are filled with gratitude for our wonderful community. This year, we look forward to serving you with thoughtful intention, creating connections that feel a little like the days gone by—slower, simpler, and richer with neighborly connection.
🐔 Exciting news from the homestead: this May, we’ll be welcoming a very rare addition to our flock—the Whiting True Blue chickens! These beautiful birds lay stunning blue eggs and we’ll be raising them from day-old chicks for the very first time. We’re dreaming of next winter when their eggs will help carry us through the slower months, as the older hens slow down.
❄️ And don’t forget—our Winter Subscription Boxes are still available for pre-order for January, February, and March. Check out our earlier post for all the details and secure your box while they last!
https://www.facebook.com/100063643895526/posts/1474779221320194/?

Here’s to a year of community, connection, and the simple joys that make life at the homestead so special. Thank you for being a part of our journey—we can’t wait to grow, share, and create memories with all of you in 2026!

With warmth,
The Rusty Rake Homestead 🌿

12/30/2025

2025 held a lot of wins, and just as many lessons.
Some were joyful. Some were hard. All of them shaped me.

This year stretched me in ways I didn’t expect, and it changed how I see my work, my time, and my responsibility to the people and animals entrusted to me. Those lessons will absolutely shape how I move forward in the new year.

As we head into what’s next, my heart is set on being more intentional —
more intentional in how I connect with our community,
more intentional in the care of our animals,
and more intentional in what we offer at the farmstand.

Thank you for being here, for supporting small and local, and for walking alongside us through every season. I’m grateful for the growth, the grit, and the grace that carried us through 2025. 🤍
1 Thess. 4:11

12/30/2025

12/29/2025

❄️ SNEAK PEAK
Bundle Up — January Looks a Little Different ❄️

January is often a month of slowing down, resetting, and being a little more intentional — and we know that for many, that includes being mindful about sweets. Around here, we believe there’s room for both balance and a little winter joy 🤍

That’s why our January offering is kept simple and intentional — a small, shareable bundle made to be enjoyed slowly, shared with family, or saved for a cozy moment when it feels just right.

☃️ Mini Snowman Cakes (4-Pack)
Handmade winter treats made with crushed cookies and frosting, dipped in creamy white chocolate, and finished with hand-detailed snowman faces.

Individually wrapped, shelf-stable, and gift-ready.

✨ January Offering
• Mini Snowman Cakes (4-Pack) — $22
• Shelf-stable • Gift-ready • January exclusive
• Friday pre-order / Sunday pickup
• Limited quantities each week

Because January doesn’t have to mean nothing sweet at all — sometimes it just means choosing quality, intention, and a little winter joy worth bundling up for ❄️🤍

— The Rusty Rake Homestead 🌿

12/29/2025

EDIT- You have spoken and we are listening! We are going to keep the original logo and thank you to everyone that commented!

✨ Thinking About a Possible Logo Refresh… ✨

A little backstory first 💛
My original avatar logo was created by my daughter-in-law as a gift, and it has always meant so much to me.

As the years have gone by (hello aging and life changes 😉), I’ve changed too. Just for fun, I asked ChatGPT to take a real-life photo of me and update the avatar — and this is what it came up with.

Let me be clear 😄
I don’t actually believe I look exactly like this — these avatars are never spot-on. This was simply a creative, lighthearted way to explore something a little different and unique.

No final decisions here — just having fun and curious what you think!

👇 POLL TIME 👇
👍 Keep the original avatar (sentimental + classic)
❤️ Try the updated avatar (fresh + fun)

Thanks for playing along with me 💛