We wake before the sun most mornings here at The Hudstead in Great Falls. The animals need us, and honestly, we would not have it any other way. This is the life we chose when we left Myrtle Beach over five years ago, and every day reminds us why.

What does a day on our farm actually look like? It changes with the seasons and the weather, but the rhythm stays mostly the same.

Morning chores come first

Our guardian dogs are up with us. The Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherds patrol the property at night, and by dawn they are ready for breakfast and a scratch behind the ears. We check on any puppies we have, making sure everyone is healthy and growing strong.

Then it is time for the goats. Our Nigerian Dwarfs are small, but they have big personalities. They know the sound of the feed bucket and start calling before we even reach the gate. We milk in the morning, and that fresh goat milk goes straight into our soap and skin care products. Everything gets used here.

The chickens come next. We collect eggs, refill water, toss scratch grain, and make sure no one is sitting in a nesting box looking broody. Farm fresh eggs are one of the simplest things we produce, but people notice the difference.

Midday is for making things

After the animals are settled, we move into production work. Our soap does not make itself. We measure oils, mix lye, blend in goat milk, add scents from plants we trust. Every batch is small. We pour into molds, let them set, cut bars by hand, then cure them for weeks before they go to anyone.

Some days we are making soap for babies, gentle and plain. Other days we are working on something like Field Hand, which smells the way a good bar of soap should if you work with your hands. We also make beard oil and aftershave balm in the same kitchen, using ingredients we would put on our own skin.

The work is repetitive, but that is the point. You cannot rush a bar of soap. You cannot shortcut the cure time. If we wanted fast, we would have stayed in Myrtle Beach.

Afternoon means more animal care

The goats need another check in the afternoon, especially if we have kids on the ground. We watch for any signs of trouble, trim hooves when needed, move fence lines if the browse is getting thin. Nigerian Dwarfs are hardy, but they still need attention.

Puppies get socialization time. If we have a litter ready to start meeting people, we handle them, let them explore safe spaces, get them used to new sounds and textures. A good guardian dog starts with the right foundation, and that happens here before they ever leave the farm.

We also spend time fixing things. There is always a fence that needs a staple, a gate that is dragging, a waterer that froze and cracked over the winter. Farm work is half animal care, half maintenance.

Evening is when we slow down

We do a final check on all the animals as the light fades. Everyone has food, water, and shelter. The guardian dogs settle into their night shift. The chickens roost. The goats bed down in clean straw.

Then we come inside and catch up on orders, answer messages from people with questions about our products or our puppies, and plan what tomorrow needs. Some nights we are packaging soap to ship. Other nights we are updating the website or writing about what we do.

It is quiet work, but it matters. People want to know where their soap came from, who made it, what went into it. We can answer every one of those questions.

This life is not for everyone

We do not get weekends off. We do not sleep in. If a goat is in trouble at two in the morning, we are out there in our boots and pajamas. The work is physical, repetitive, and sometimes frustrating.

But we also get to watch puppies grow into confident guardians. We get to hand someone a bar of soap made with milk from goats they just met. We get to live in Great Falls instead of in traffic. We get to build something with our hands and our land.

That is worth waking up before the sun.

Questions people ask

What time do you actually wake up?

It depends on the season, but usually between five and six in the morning. In the summer we try to start earlier before it gets too hot. In the winter we wait for a little more light.

How long does it take to milk your goats?

With our current herd, morning milking takes about an hour from start to finish. That includes setup, milking each doe, straining the milk, and cleaning everything. Nigerian Dwarfs are smaller than standard dairy goats, so they give less milk but are easier to handle.

Do you ever take a day off?

Not really. The animals need care every single day. We can shift the schedule around a little or ask someone we trust to help with feeding, but we are here seven days a week. That was part of the decision when we started this farm.