May 2026 newsletter

New Life on the Ranch… and a Big Rebuild Ahead 
This has gone through a thousand edits because there's just so much we want to say. SPRING/RAIN/MUD...done
 
🐑 New Life (and Real Talk)
We’ve got a brand-new baby lamb, just about a week old, and thriving. First-time mama is doing amazing, and the whole herd seems to be watching over her.
Bo (our OG sheep) is still getting ready to lamb, and as of writing this… we just had TEN piglets born 🐖💥 with more on the way from two other mommas.
 
But let's jump into the hard talk part:
We lost a large portion of our sheep herd this winter. That hit us all hard, emotionally and financially. The cattle herd is also thin, meaning they aren't up to an acceptable-to-us weight to be sent to freezer camp. We won’t rush it, our cattle are pasture-raised, corn and soy-free, which means they grow slower, but better. The result is cleaner, healthier, better-tasting beef… it just takes time.
 
👉 No lamb available for the foreseeable future (hopefully next year)
👉 Beef herd is thin → limited availability (working hard to solve this)

We DO have:
🍯 Honey • 🥛 Milk • 🧈 Butter • 🥓 Pork (lots of pork)
• 🥚 Eggs • 🥩 Meat sticks & jerky *Working on the chicken 
 
🎟️ RAFFLE: Help Us Rebuild (and WIN Big) 

This started as a celebration of our nation's 250th birthday and has become a little more urgent for us:

• 🎟️ $10 tickets
• 🥩 Multiple meat prizes
• 🥇 FREE MEAT FOR A YEAR

Every ticket helps us:

• Restock the freezer
• Pay for processing
• Rebuild herds
• 👉 Buy tickets

 
🐔 Eggs Are Back
Chickens are laying strong again → limit increased to 4 dozen/order
 
👉 Order eggs
 
📦 Order Online (This Really Helps)
Ordering online helps us plan, forecast, and avoid shortages.
 
👉 Shop here
 
Pro tip: Check your order before delivery/pick up. With the shortages we are having, it could change daily. especially subscription peeps. We will always do our best to match what you want.
 
🚚 Delivery + 📍 Pickup
Delivery:

• $5 fee • NO minimum
• Chicagoland + surrounding areas
• Shipping via Southwest Airlines

Pickup Locations:

• Beecher (Ranch)
• Evanston (TruFit)
• Hegewisch (Baltimore Food & Liquors)
• Wicker Park / Noble Square

👉 Want to host a pickup spot or know someone who might? Reply to this email, we read them all!
 
⚡ Farmers Market Update
We were set for Manteno… but no electrical capacity for our freezer setup.
It’s the #1 reason we don’t do more markets—our food has to stay properly stored. We get this is a big ask of markets. Rest assured, if you placed an order to pick up there, we will be setting up delivery to you free of charge. 
We’ll keep looking for solutions (and yes, we’ll still come visit as customers 😊).
 
🐝 Bees & What’s Coming
We added 6 bee hives 🐝
Honey is in stock now from our friends in Southeastern Tinley Park and honey should be flowing here on the ranch by July!
 
❤️ Ranch Family Update
🎓 Nina graduates U of I May 16 → heading to U of AZ for her Master’s
🔧 Gus is back in telecom (health insurance is no joke)
🤝 Melissa doing some caregiver work
🛠️ Niko becoming a top-notch carpenter
🐄 Breck is absolutely crushing it as ranch manager
 
🤠 Texas Edition
Texas crew is growing strong—watch for their separate newsletter. Please add Texasedition@happyliferanch.com to your contacts list so the newsletter doesn't go to spam.
👉 Texas Edition
 
❤️ Final Thought
We’re rebuilding—not rushing, not cutting corners.
 
Mission:
To raise clean, honest food the right way—caring for the land, respecting our animals, and feeding families we’re proud to serve.
If you want to be part of that:
👉 Buy a raffle ticket
👉 Place an order
👉 Share what we’re doing
It truly means everything.
— The Happy Life Ranch Family 🐄 🐖 🐑 🐔