Category: Homesteading / Farming

Musings: Farming As Both Struggle And Inspiration

~ Carrie ~ 3 Comments

At times I wonder about the future of small-scale farming: with large farming operations buying up small farms and effectively putting smaller farmers out to pasture, why would someone voluntarily choose what is, at best, a hardscrabble lifestyle? It’s certainly not for the prestige, the ease, or the security (or the healthcare coverage)…but now that I’ve been a full-time farmer, I better understand why certain individuals still choose to farm.

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Gaggle Of Goslings: Out And About

~ Carrie ~ 4 Comments

It’s hard to believe that the Pilgrim goslings are one week old already. They’re growing fast, experiencing new sights, sounds, and snacks (greens), and most of them are very good about keeping up with the group when we take short walks on the farm (there’s always one laggard…usually preoccupied with something and not paying attention). I figured I’d better get an update posted before the littles are all grown up!

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Porcine Adventures: Playing Dead Perfectly

~ Carrie

This is not what you want to see: a pig proned out, seemingly dead. Castor gave me a start the other day when I happened upon him like this. After the initial shock, I realized that he was really just taking a long siesta in the sun.

See – he’s fine! But he can’t be bothered to get up right now.

This reminds me of the first time I saw a chick sunbathing – she was all awkwardly sprawled out, and I thought she was dead (!). Was I ever relieved to see her finally wiggle around a bit into a more comfortable position!

The pigs are happy in their mud wallows, but when the sun’s out, sunbathing is apparently in order. The next time I see one of them stretched out, limp, on a sunny day, I won’t feel my heart clutch in my chest because I’ll know they’re just relaxing.

Thanks for the coronary! 🙄

Chick Tales: A Bad Leg And A New Friend

~ Carrie ~ 1 Comment

There once was a very small yellow chick that hatched with a leg that turned slightly out to the side. It didn’t know it was smaller or slower than the other chicks, or that it couldn’t run like everyone else. The chick just tried its best to live like all the other chicks, doing the same things, even if it couldn’t quite keep up. This is the story of that little chick…and an unexpected friendship.

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