Self-taught farmers confidently raising chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs. Our focus is on practices that are environmentally harmonious and respectful to our livestock. We appreciate the beauty around us, clean eating, fermenting, and responsibly utilizing the bounty of the land. If you like thinking for yourself, continuous learning, and connecting with the homesteader lifestyle, check us out.
Even though today is an unseasonably warm one, we’ve had several cold snaps lately that have caused temperatures to plummet below freezing. The plants have reacted accordingly: many simply dying on the vine, others becoming dormant. The colorful flowers of summer have all but disappeared…almost.
Continue reading “Haiku: Peeking Petals”
As the day grows darker, morphing from mild and breezy to downright gloomy and even ominous, my thoughts turn to why we, as a species, have made so little progress on averting (and now, mitigating) climate disaster.
Continue reading “Haiku: Rainy Day Ruminations”
As is expected at this time of year, egglaying has slowed in our flock. I don’t begrudge the girls their break from this resource-intensive task, and I don’t artificially light their areas to encourage them to resume laying. All things in their time. The eggs we do collect, though, are still lovely and delicious, and they make a tasty one bowl meal!
Continue reading “Farm Fresh: Eggs In Oyster Sauce Rice Bowl”
This sassy red hen is Beatrix. While she’s generally a healthy girl, she developed an infection called bumblefoot. I’ve seen it just a couple of times in the many birds we’ve raised and it can range from minor to serious (as in Beatrix’s case). If you raise chickens, it’s important to know what to do when you see the signs of bumblefoot so that you can take action to keep your birds healthy.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Beatrix’s Bedeviling Bumble”
It’s been busy around here with all the incubation-related activity, and I admit to having skipped an update with the results of the second candling of the two remaining eggs from this severely shipping-damaged group. After ending up with only 2 eggs (of 13) developing after the first candling, I didn’t have high hopes of having any eggs make it to lockdown. But one did.
Continue reading “Update: Lavender Ameraucana Hatch #3”
What constitutes a “perfect” Fall day? For me, it’s cool temperatures that bring crispness to the air and a touch of frost to the grass; clear, deep blue skies; a kaleidoscope of fiery leaf colors ranging from gold to salmon to crimson; and the welcome softness of the season’s light. It’s this quality of the light, in particular, that always causes me to take a moment to fully recognize that summer has departed for another year.
Continue reading “Haiku: Fall’s Finery”