Ristau Family Farm

07/28/2026

finally getting some color in the garden 🌼❤️🤍
the zinnias and celosia are really starting to show off. i keep hearing zinnias can grow 6 feet tall… is that actually true? mine are gorgeous, but nowhere near that. 😂 the celosia look good but have not changed since i got them. 🤷‍♀️

07/25/2026

something exciting is blooming here… 💜
from the first cut in the field to the final handmade products, every piece started right here on our little lavender farm.
our first collection is almost ready, and i seriously can’t wait to share it with you! which product are you most excited to see first? 🌿

07/21/2026

anyone know why the river is so brown today?

anyone know why the river is so brown today? i noticed it on my way to the airport this morning and it looked way muddier than usual. just curious what caused it. 🤷‍♀️

07/21/2026

anyone know why the river is so brown today? i noticed it on my way to the airport this morning and it looked way muddier than usual. just curious what caused it. 🤷‍♀️

07/21/2026

part 5 of building our lavender farm irrigation system🙌. today we finally started running the drip tape through the rows. definitely more work than we expected, but seeing every row come together makes it worth it. Maverick and Charlie didn’t seem to mind the extra labor, go figure 😂🤷‍♀️🌿💜

07/19/2026

idaho summers are brutal.
when temperatures climb, chickens can lose electrolytes through panting, drink more water, and put extra stress on their bodies.
our summer routine is simple:
fresh, cool water
plenty of shade
hen harmony in their water for daily nutritional support
taking care of the little things helps keep our girls comfortable through these hot idaho days.
thanks GrubTerra for letting us try hen harmony with our flock.

07/17/2026

Today we said goodbye to Bertha, the last of our original flock. She was the final chapter of the eight hens that started it all. ❤️

07/16/2026

The Drip Depot order finally arrived! 📦 We unpacked everything, started laying the drip tape, and took another big step toward automating irrigation for our first-year lavender field. We have about 500 plants in the ground now, with plans to keep expanding. Every little step gets us closer.

07/13/2026

Part 3 of installing our DIY drip irrigation system! 💧
This is the point where it finally starts looking like an actual irrigation system instead of a pile of PVC. Huge credit to Shaniko for making it all come together. Could we have buried the main line? Absolutely. Did our budget have other plans? Also absolutely. 😂
We’re building Ristau Family Farm one project at a time, and every step gets us closer to keeping 500+ lavender plants happy.
Part 4 is up next… drip tape! 🌿

07/11/2026

Part 2 of installing our farm irrigation system! 💧 We tracked down the leak with a little help from Maverick, figured out what needed to be replaced, and made our shopping list. Every project on a small farm seems to come with a surprise, but we’re one step closer to getting water to our lavender field.

Follow along as we build our drip irrigation system from the ground up at Ristau Family Farm in Emmett, Idaho. Part 3 is coming next!