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.
Robins, plentiful around here, are hatching. Finding the cast-off shells from the successful hatches (and this one showed the signs of just that: the shell broken in the upper third, the inner membranes and blood vessels dry) is like finding a small, incredibly gorgeous treasure. Yes, a well-known jewelry retailer uses that hue as their “signature” color, but it belongs to the robins…and that beauty belongs to all of us.
I remember, one summer after we bought the farm (ha!), looking quizzically at a tall, leafy tree laden with fruit and wondering what in the world it was. A berry tree? And one where the berries seemingly grow right out of the branches? Will wonders never cease? I discovered that it was a mulberry, and that those berries are very much edible!
Continue reading “Kefir Madness: Mighty Mulberry”
That delighful fragrance wafting in the humid evening breeze is a telltale sign that flowers are blooming on the farm. When I smell that wonderful perfume, I take time to soak it in…and then I start making plans. Last year, I had planned to make Black Locust Flower wine, but missed the bloom. This year, we had a bumper crop of Black Locust blooms!
Continue reading “Wildcrafted: 2022’s Black Locust Flower Wine”
It’s turtle breeding season here, when the urge to find a mate and/or breeding grounds strikes, there’s no dissuading them. Even if it means that they must make a death-defying trek across a busy roadway to get to their destinations. We always try to give our wild turtle friends a helping hand when it’s possible to safely do so, even if that turtle has incredibly strong jaws and feet with sharp claws.
Continue reading “Haiku: Turtle’s Tenacity”
You may already know that I’ve previously written for Mother Earth News, and that I’ve done a podcast with Mother Earth News & Friends. Right, the links are in the “Publications and Podcasts” menu of our website. My latest piece, on raising roosters as a sustainable meat source and a practical means of managing unexpected cockerels, is in the June/July issue that just hit newsstands (and maybe your mailbox already).
Continue reading “In Print: My Newest Article In Mother Earth News”
It’s the hatching season…well, I hatch year-round, but this is the busiest time of the year for hatching! With multiple incubators and hatchers, eggs with different incubation needs and hatch dates, it can be a challenge keeping on top of everything that needs to be done. In this post, I’ll share some tips for staying abreast of the many tasks associated with setting groups of eggs at different times.
Continue reading “In The Incubator: Managing Multiple Hatches”