Hey y’all. Kristy here.
It’s late July and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: Nevada summer is NO joke. We’re up at 6200' in the mountains and the sun out here hits different. Dry, relentless, the kind of heat that makes you question every life choice that led you to stand outside at 2pm holding a shovel.
But we love it. We really do. There’s something about this place in the summer that just feels alive, even when everything is crispy and brown and trying to catch fire.
So I wanted to share what summer actually looks like for us right now. The real stuff we’re dealing with, and a few things we’ve learned the hard way (because of course we learned the hard way, that’s basically the homestead way, right? 😅).
The Schedule Shift
Everything moves early or late now. Matt is out doing chores by 6am most days (me not long after LOL), then we hide inside (or under shade) during the brutal middle hours, and we’re back out around 7pm when the sun finally lets up.
If you’re new to homesteading in a hot climate, this is the number one thing: stop fighting the heat. Work with it. Your body will thank you and you’ll get way more done.
Fire Season (The Big One)
I can’t talk about summer here without talking about fire.
Last year, the Conner Fire came way too close. Our property was saved because of a fire line that we had put in place, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that preparedness is the reason we still have a place to build on. We keep shovels staged, we maintain fire breaks, and we stay plugged in to local alerts (if you are in the Northern Nevada wildfire prone areas, definitely download the app Watch Duty).
Wildfire is the biggest threat to our homestead. Bigger than the heat, bigger than the water issues, bigger than anything else. If you’re homesteading out West, please don’t sleep on fire prep. Clear your defensible space. Have your tools staged and ready. Know your evacuation routes.
This isn’t the fun part of homesteading. But it’s the part that matters most.
What We’re Building Right Now
Our current focus is on 1.45 acres of the property where we’re putting up animal pens and fencing, plus getting food storage sorted out. The priority order for the whole homestead build is water systems, solar, cabin, garden, then livestock facilities. Solar, the cabin, and water systems are all paid for (huge win), so now we’re inching toward the garden phase, then livestock.
We’re planning for rabbits, goats, and chickens. Nothing’s living here yet because the facilities aren’t done, but the pens will be going up and the fencing will happen. Every weekend we make a little more progress and it starts to feel real.
Matt runs the tractor and the John Deere Gator like a champ. We’ve got our generators (two gas inverter, one propane) for backup power, and all the hand and power tools we need. It’s slow going with just the two of us and help from our friends, but it’s OURS, and that feeling never gets old.
Water and the Garden
Water is everything out here. We’re careful with it, we reuse when we can, and the plants we've planted are thriving because we’ve gotten serious about timing our watering for early morning. Midday watering in this heat? Basically just watering the air.
There’s nothing like walking out in the morning and seeing things actually growing, even when the rest of the landscape looks like the surface of the moon.
Skin Care That Actually Works in This Climate
Okay, real talk. The desert will DESTROY your skin. My hands get so dry from working outside, and regular lotion does nothing for that kind of damage. We use our own tallow balm every single day. It’s simple, nourishing, and it actually works on hardworking, sun-beaten skin. (Vinnie, our CEO, gives it his stamp of approval. He’s a very serious executive. 🐶)
The sun sticks and deodorant are in the daily rotation too. When you’re outside from sunrise to sunset, you need products that hold up. That’s literally why we carry these. American-made, sustainable, and made for real life, not for a magazine ad.
You can check out the whole home goods lineup at olneyranch.com/shop if any of that sounds like what your skin needs right now.
What About Y’all?
I’d love to hear how summer is going on your end. Are you fighting heat, drought, fire season, all of the above? What’s keeping you busy on your place right now?
Drop a comment below. Matt and I read every single one and we genuinely love hearing what other homesteaders are up to. This community is the best part of what we do.
Stay cool, stay fire-ready, and keep building.
-Kristy
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