Our property is 22 acres and the back 10 have been a hayfield since we got here 12 years ago…but not, because we’ve had so many issues with finding reliable...
The Grass IS Greener…When You Graze It
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Cows and Chickens and Horses Oh My!
“Don’t bother me. I’m carbon farming.”
When we got this place, half of our 22 acres was a dedicated hayfield. However, getting a 10-acre hayfield actually hayed was a problem for us. No one wants...
Nine New Chicks…Surprise!
It has been sooooo crazy busy with the two "situations" that took over my life in March 2022 that I didn't even notice we were one hen short at night. Bob and...
More Horse Barn Progress: The August 2022 Project
Since Bob is gone so much for work and so tired when he is home, I rely on his two-week vacation every August for tackling the big stuff. Nope. His vacations...
And Rosie Makes Three…Cows, that Is
Just when I thought Scarlett was not pregnant after all, since her due date came and went, she gives birth to a lovely heifer on a cold, wet afternoon in late...
Pig Slaughter Day at Our Small Farm
Today is slaughter day at our fledgling farm--pig slaughter day. And so I am in town at a coffee shop as I write this. Because I hate pig slaughter day. I...
Bringing Home the Bacon…Bits
We drove for 4 hours each way to pick up bacon bits today, but it was worth the drive. These are Berkshire pigs, an awesome breed, and we couldn't find a...
Frankenbabies…
Ten days ago, these little buggers showed up in the mail. They've been in a pen in the barn until tonight when I moved them to the chicken tractor. I didn't...
Dear Sweet Annie…the Reason I’m Done With Rescues
See that worried look in that mare’s eye? That’s how Annie came to us, worried and hurting, confused about what had just turned her life upside down, unsure...
Our Scarecrow Is Only Scaring Me!
We haven't had eggs in 5 weeks. We've finally deduced the crows are going into the chicken coop to eat the eggs. It's time to finally do something about this...
A Tale of Two—No, Wait, Three—Roosters
While trying to start a farm and figure out the poultry part of it, we’ve realized we’ll need two different chicken setups: one for our laying hens and one...
And We Have a Chicken Coop! (aka the chickens have a nicer house than I do!)
In the past few days, Bob and his son Jake were able to pick up where Andrew left off before leaving for vacation to get the chicken coop almost done, and...
Because Rebuilding the Farmhouse Wasn’t Enough…We Added a Rescue Horse to the Mix!
We call our farmhouse project a renovation. You know what our bank calls our farmhouse project? A rehab. I told the bank the project is going to put me into...
Small Farm Dreaming: The Start of My Dairy Cow Education
Although our ultimate goal is a small farm, right now our time and energy is wrapped up in farmhouse renovation. Here it is late February already, and we're...