We are closing our doors at 3:30pm today in order to bring our 'girls' to a larger farm to meet the fathers of what we hope will be precious kids this spring! We are very excited and nervous! I will let you know how it goes! Be well!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Mid-November
Monday is our catchup day. We run around like fools trying to patch, wash, dry, mend, clip, clean, and muck! This morning little Harriet the hen went from one nesting box to another testing them out. She was like Goldilocks sitting in each spot and feeling around and then deciding on another. Once she chose spot # 1 she promptly layed an egg! I marked it with a 1 in case she wants to hatch them but by this evening I'm not so sure that is her intention. I think maybe after a day of being broody she changed her mind!
Meanwhile, my goats have had no thoughts of kids on their minds and its been driving me nuts! I'm supposed to check for signs of heat then count every 21 days to see if they are in a cycle, then bring them to the farm to get....action.... So this morning I am out back talking to our new wood delivery guy complaining about my goats and he says to me, "You have to stimulate them". Now I'm thinking...hmmm....I'm not sure I want goat milk THAT bad....Once he realized my confusion he laughed and said - you need a male goat or the scent of a male goat! oh...ooops!
So, I called my sister-in-law who happened to be going to pick up a stud and took a ride with her. We picked the mini goat up and he had a very large goat smell. My sister-in-law was kind enough to take the goat to my house first so the girls could get a sniff and I could get a buck rag. Well, Buttercup got so rallied up whe nearly knocked Laura to the ground! YES! Maybe this is going to work out afterall!
After this adventure, John and I had to go to Oak Leaf Dairy and get hay for the girls and another fully stinking buck rag. We got there and those goats could curl your nosehairs. I rubbed them with the cloth and realized THEY ARE HUGE! They've got to be twice the size of my girls. So now I'm worried about hooking them up when the girls are ready. Sometimes, some parts, some moments in farm life are just not for me.
All in all it was a good day. The turkeys are finishing up their time on the farm, the hens are happy and using their nests, the guineas are getting ready for a much bigger flight cage, the goats are, I pray, going into heat, and the rabbits spent the whole day getting filthy digging tunnels. OH, I almost forgot, I ran my kiln today - its been 2 years and I'm back at the wheel! I wonder what the rest of the week will bring!
Be well!
Meanwhile, my goats have had no thoughts of kids on their minds and its been driving me nuts! I'm supposed to check for signs of heat then count every 21 days to see if they are in a cycle, then bring them to the farm to get....action.... So this morning I am out back talking to our new wood delivery guy complaining about my goats and he says to me, "You have to stimulate them". Now I'm thinking...hmmm....I'm not sure I want goat milk THAT bad....Once he realized my confusion he laughed and said - you need a male goat or the scent of a male goat! oh...ooops!
So, I called my sister-in-law who happened to be going to pick up a stud and took a ride with her. We picked the mini goat up and he had a very large goat smell. My sister-in-law was kind enough to take the goat to my house first so the girls could get a sniff and I could get a buck rag. Well, Buttercup got so rallied up whe nearly knocked Laura to the ground! YES! Maybe this is going to work out afterall!
After this adventure, John and I had to go to Oak Leaf Dairy and get hay for the girls and another fully stinking buck rag. We got there and those goats could curl your nosehairs. I rubbed them with the cloth and realized THEY ARE HUGE! They've got to be twice the size of my girls. So now I'm worried about hooking them up when the girls are ready. Sometimes, some parts, some moments in farm life are just not for me.
All in all it was a good day. The turkeys are finishing up their time on the farm, the hens are happy and using their nests, the guineas are getting ready for a much bigger flight cage, the goats are, I pray, going into heat, and the rabbits spent the whole day getting filthy digging tunnels. OH, I almost forgot, I ran my kiln today - its been 2 years and I'm back at the wheel! I wonder what the rest of the week will bring!
Be well!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Easy homemade FREE nesting beds for your Bantams!
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| This is our Bantam chicken house with my new FREE nesting boxes made from scraps in the basement. Let me tell you how they are made: |
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| First you have to search your basement or garage for a board, 9 screws and washers, a thin piece of wood like some left over trim, and 5 large plant containers - we used some from trees we planted. If you are local to us, I would be happy to give you some of our left-overs. |
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| This is the set up of how it works. screw planters to board using washers. screw thin trim to the front with washers. This is to hold in the shavings and/or straw when the bird exits the box. |
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| This is a picture of how I screwed the planter to the wood using an old washer. I brought the planter right up to the board's edge. |
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| Here you can see what it looks like. I had the board on a stand but that is unneccessary for sucess, its just an add on. |
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| Here is a front view. You can see the middle container has holes. This should have no effect. I like this design because I can powerwash the beds when they get dirty - and THEY WILL! |
I hope this is helpful to you! Be well!
I promise, I am not speaking from a podium, I am trying to explain to people why we've chosen this path :)
Last night John closed the store while I went to pick up my niece and
nephew for an evening of West African drumming. It is so much fun
even though I am terrible at it. The kids are great at it and
sometimes I just stop and watch them. My parents have always been the
adventurous type. Always learning something new. Right now it is
difficult to visit my dad because he is taking 3 college classes at
the local community college. My mother was the same way. I love that
about them and try to challenge myself regularly. We have great
nieces and nephews that are willing to try these challenges with us,
even if its something like trying squirrel stew!
Last night John had our new 1900's cookstove outside burning off the
protective oil wisely administered by its last owners. After the oil
was gone, the stove burned hot with wood John collected and we could
tell it was going to be a great investment. John smiled toward me and
said, "now that's sustainable living"! I had to laugh in response as
I was watching him from the jacuzi with a mass produced brew in my
hand. I guess we aren't totally sustainable.
Along with learning through new adventures, my parents also instilled
in me a desire to learn through reading. I have read a lot of books
on sustainable living, living off grid, farming, etc. A lot of the
accounts are the all or nothing type which makes for better reading
but definately not what I would consider better living. The truth is
all or nothing is not an easy way to go about life. My mother has
always told us 'everything in moderation'. I can't say I've always
followed that advice well, but I try. I will not be the sustainable
living guru that gnaws bark and bathes in cold water or lives on root
cellar scraps during the winter. I want a life worth living, not one
of deprivation. The choices we make will be to sustain our lives as
best we can while still enjoying them.
When John and I first met we talked about what is most important to
us. We agreed it was our families and friends and the time to enjoy
them and eachother. Time, that precious gift that we cannot get more
of and that we can not stop from slipping away. Our goal is to
maximize the quality of the time we have and to do that we must care
for the land that sustains us, care for the people that color our
days, care for the animals that feed us, care for the moments we have
and embrace them. Some friends cannot concieve of giving up the
vacations and TV and Dunkin Donuts and all the comforts we get used
to, but what are all those things if we don't have time to enjoy them?
nephew for an evening of West African drumming. It is so much fun
even though I am terrible at it. The kids are great at it and
sometimes I just stop and watch them. My parents have always been the
adventurous type. Always learning something new. Right now it is
difficult to visit my dad because he is taking 3 college classes at
the local community college. My mother was the same way. I love that
about them and try to challenge myself regularly. We have great
nieces and nephews that are willing to try these challenges with us,
even if its something like trying squirrel stew!
Last night John had our new 1900's cookstove outside burning off the
protective oil wisely administered by its last owners. After the oil
was gone, the stove burned hot with wood John collected and we could
tell it was going to be a great investment. John smiled toward me and
said, "now that's sustainable living"! I had to laugh in response as
I was watching him from the jacuzi with a mass produced brew in my
hand. I guess we aren't totally sustainable.
Along with learning through new adventures, my parents also instilled
in me a desire to learn through reading. I have read a lot of books
on sustainable living, living off grid, farming, etc. A lot of the
accounts are the all or nothing type which makes for better reading
but definately not what I would consider better living. The truth is
all or nothing is not an easy way to go about life. My mother has
always told us 'everything in moderation'. I can't say I've always
followed that advice well, but I try. I will not be the sustainable
living guru that gnaws bark and bathes in cold water or lives on root
cellar scraps during the winter. I want a life worth living, not one
of deprivation. The choices we make will be to sustain our lives as
best we can while still enjoying them.
When John and I first met we talked about what is most important to
us. We agreed it was our families and friends and the time to enjoy
them and eachother. Time, that precious gift that we cannot get more
of and that we can not stop from slipping away. Our goal is to
maximize the quality of the time we have and to do that we must care
for the land that sustains us, care for the people that color our
days, care for the animals that feed us, care for the moments we have
and embrace them. Some friends cannot concieve of giving up the
vacations and TV and Dunkin Donuts and all the comforts we get used
to, but what are all those things if we don't have time to enjoy them?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
November 2011 on the farm
Time is flying by over here in our little quiet corner of Connecticut. Our farm is growing, our store is growing, our lives are growing. It amazes me as I write this how much our lives have changed the past few years. Noone who has known me over the years would expect that I'd spend this morning feeding farm animals, mucking stalls, collecting eggs, and opening the doors of our own store - especially me. And it is all done with a smile on my face because those are the moments, the times when I am so comfortable with where I am and what I am doing. I am so blessed to have a partner that wants to share this crazy adventure with me. A partner willing to work hard, embrace the conservative living, skip the Dunkin Donuts (most days), and live a life the is so full we could never be considered 'poor'. This is the life. Be well.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Making your own granola - cheap and delish!
Along with making my own yogurt I like to make the granola that goes along with it! This is very easy and SO much cheaper than the healthy granola you buy in the store. I modified this recipe from 'Natural Meals in Minutes' written by Rita Bingham. The book is great if you like healthy meals but don't want to spend hours slaving over them! Great lunch box snacks!
What you need:
7 cups of rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup of honey
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
1/4 cup of water
nuts or seeds to your liking (I'm not a fan in my granola but many are)
1 cup coconut
Mix it all together and spread out on a baking sheet (I use cheesecake springforms because I am clumsy and will spill when mixxing it up between drying times). Put in oven at 150 degrees or as low as it will go (mine does not run at less than 170). Bake for 2 hours. I mix it up every half hour or so until its done.
Warning: When it is done it will feel soft - DO NOT continue to bake, this is correct and it will harden as it cools. I once made granola that could break teeth! If you accidently do that, use it in yogurt or with warm milk or you can try to put it in a bag with a slice of apple to moisten it up. Or maybe raisins - yum! If its too soft after it cools - throw it in for another 15-20 minutes. Put in a sealed container - I use large masson jars. It makes about a gallon depending on the nuts/seeds you add.
What you need:
7 cups of rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup of honey
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
1/4 cup of water
nuts or seeds to your liking (I'm not a fan in my granola but many are)
1 cup coconut
Mix it all together and spread out on a baking sheet (I use cheesecake springforms because I am clumsy and will spill when mixxing it up between drying times). Put in oven at 150 degrees or as low as it will go (mine does not run at less than 170). Bake for 2 hours. I mix it up every half hour or so until its done.
Warning: When it is done it will feel soft - DO NOT continue to bake, this is correct and it will harden as it cools. I once made granola that could break teeth! If you accidently do that, use it in yogurt or with warm milk or you can try to put it in a bag with a slice of apple to moisten it up. Or maybe raisins - yum! If its too soft after it cools - throw it in for another 15-20 minutes. Put in a sealed container - I use large masson jars. It makes about a gallon depending on the nuts/seeds you add.
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