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.
Hello, friends – I know it’s been a while. My newest article, “Maintaining Your Pastures for Poultry”, will be in the Feb/Mar issue of Backyard Poultry. You can also find it on our Published Articles & Podcasts page.
In years past, we had a tradition of carving jack o’lanterns for Halloween (you can see some of them in previous posts). When we debated whether or not we would carve them this year, we realized that the last time we actually did jack o’lanterns was in 2020. Three years ago! It was time to revive the tradition.
The natural world is full of wonders. If you’re like me, you can’t help but notice – and revel – in these amazing moments that demand your full attention. One hot summer morning, as I was loading up my Gorilla Cart with 5-gallon buckets of fermented feed to begin the animal chores outside (there are “inside” animal chores, too, of course), something caught my eye. It looked like a floating bit of cottony matter. I watched it for a bit, soon realizing that it wasn’t merely drifting on the breeze – it was flying. It invited a closer look.
For this momentous post, I decided that I would focus on a creature that is often maligned (mostly by gardeners), but that I find immensely fascinating. It’s an animal that reminds me of two important things: that (1) there is an absolutely amazing world of tiny plants, animals, and other matter that is overlooked by people and (2) sometimes, we need to slow down and enjoy the wonders of the world around us – or even our own inner world – at a snail’s pace.
This is what happens if you cross rice pudding and custard
Laying season is now over for our geese, and we find ourselves with a few “extra” goose eggs that need to be put to good use. While goose (and duck) eggs are delightful in scrambles and other egg-based dishes, waterfowl eggs really shine in baked goods. As rice pudding fans, we decided to tweak a recipe we had for a custard-topped rice pudding – that we previously made with duck eggs – by using those enormous goose eggs, instead.
Hot, muggy weather has arrived here in our “neck of the woods”. I find it spectacularly unpleasant, but there are still aspects that can be enjoyed…such as the fact that fragrances seem to become trapped in the thick, steamy air. Who doesn’t want to be enveloped in what almost seems like a blanket of floral perfume?