It is immensely satisfying to have a farm! Even a small one like ours. There is something about getting up, and doing the morning chores that helps to ease my soul! I know that sounds a little crazy, however when I head outside in the crisp morning air, to refill the duck pools,water troughs, and feed buckets for the animals, it makes my day a little better! I love watching them, their antics and their interactions fascinate me. I love gathering the eggs, seeing how many we have, checking to see if my Goldie is still broody and sitting on a WOODEN egg!! It is great to go let out the ducks and see how many eggs we get from them, to see if another one of the ladies has started to lay! I guess it may be the routine of it all, or the fact that with each animal and their gifts we get more self-sufficient. It is awesome to go to the canning cabinet, or outside to the chicken coop to gather supplies for supper, rather than going to the grocery store. The greetings of the goats when you go outside, their faces happy to see you, and pushing and shoving to see who can get that first pat of affection, can not help but make you smile!
The things you can learn from your animals are endless. The other night, we went out to pen up the ducks. We free roam them during the day, but pen them at night to protect them from predators. Usually, they are near the pen, if not already in it, but this time they were not. We looked around and all of them were up by the turkey coop. When we tried to herd them down to theirs they would not go, they kept returning to the turkey pen! Upon, closer examination, we discovered one duck had somehow gotten IN the turkey coop, and could not get out. The other ducks would not leave her! They stayed as close to her as they could, only after we got her out did they head to their pen! I loved that,no duck left behind!! They would not abandon her. From how our hen mothers her chick, protecting her from the others, but also making her be a little independent, is very informative. I learn from my animals everyday!
Yes, it IS a lot of work! There is always a fence to mend, a shelter to build, a coop to clean out, or an area to winterize, but you feel a great deal of satisfaction when you are done. To know you are contributing directly to your food sources, to know they are treated humanly, and are happy, mean a great deal! The work makes you feel like you accomplished something, that you can directly see the results from. I never thought I would be doing this, but I am so thankful and blessed this is where I am!I think the way things are today, people try to get by with less and less work, what is easier and how can they do less, but for me the extra work is worth it. It is fulfilling, and makes you appreciate your food and life! I love my little farm!
It's funny to me how time changes things, when I was younger I dreamed of having a great job, lots of money, a big house, nice cars, and all the trimmings.. That was how success was measured, that was how I would be happy. The more stuff you have, the more money you make, the happier you would be. Well, now.. all I can say is NOPE! Now, I dream of a smaller home, less stuff, making less money, less bills and making do. The more I downsize, the more I depend more on me and less on fast food, big stores, large electric companies, the more content I get! My dream would be to have a small house run on solar panels, with a wood stove, OK the one thing I would have to keep is the indoor plumbing...lol. I think, if I had to, I could do without the lights, the television, the microwave (we actually did this almost a year ago, and truly have not missed it) but I need my hot shower, and all the other conveniences of running water..going outside in sleet and snow for a bathroom run would NOT be fun!
Modern technology is not a bad thing, I do not mean I want to go back to pioneer days completely, but I do think a lot of the older ways of doing things are better and sometimes,healthier! Since, we have started raising our own food, I know we feel better and have more energy! Yes, it takes a lot more time and work, but it also brings about this level of satisfaction that I cannot explain. There is nothing like frying some farm raised bacon from the freezer, scrambling a couple eggs from the chicken coop, and toasting a couple slices of fresh home baked bread, spread with some of your own goat butter!Then pour yourself a glass of cold fresh goat milk.. and it is a meal you cannot compare.
Now, I do not miss satellite television, I enjoy sitting on the porch with a hot cup of coffee, watching the interactions of the farm animals, the simple routines of feeding and milking and gathering calm me, I do not sit and dream of that big house or new car, I dream of a small tractor, or the time and energy to put up a new fence for that new animal addition. I do not need more things, I need less, and the more I downsize the more satisfied I get. You can't take it with you, right? So what is the point? More things, mean more bills, and more work for more pay to buy the more things.. Less bills, mean less stress, and less stress means happier..and isn't that what we all want and need? Like I stated earlier,technology is not a bad thing, and neither is owning nice things, I just think we all need to take a closer look at what is important to us!
Well it has not been that long that we have had fresh goat milk...and it is even better than I had
imagined!
I have known the great benefits of goats milk for a while but honestly had not put them to the test, or tried goats milk before getting my own goats. The goat milk is rich and delicious on its own, the health benefits of raw goat milk is amazing, but there is so much more that the goats milk can be used for.
Last night we have made goat cheese for the first time. It was a pretty basic recipe, but that has made me want to try to make more cheese. Maybe we will try mozzarella next. We mixed the cheese with herbs and it turned out so good! It was rich and creamy and delicious. We also made butter that was awesome and so easy! This has made me so glad we got the goats, it made me love them even more (if that is even possible!)They are such sweet, friendly creatures!
Next we are going to try our hand at making soap with our own goats milk and own our bees wax from Ric's Bees!!
It is so exciting to know that the cheese you use,you made and produced , from milking the goat, and actually making the cheese to testing the final product!! It makes everything you do more exciting and worthwhile.There is nothing quite like creating something from start to finish! It is rewarding, and taste so much better!If you have not tried raw goat milk, I recommend that you do!I think you will be pleasantly surprised! I was!
Help! I think I am addicted to farming! The more we get into this, the more excited I get. In the beginning, it was a small raised bed garden, then we discovered the joy of canning...so you KNOW the garden had to get bigger! Then, what started with a few small chickens for eggs has blossomed into so much more!
The couple of bantams we had led to regular sized chickens. I mean bigger eggs for baking and such made sense, right? That went so well we decided to get some meat chickens, to have our own fresh, farm raised chickens...yep 25 of them! FYI, it takes a while to process 25 chickens the first time! Thank goodness for a friend who coached us through it all! Then we decided, hey we should get a hive of bees! They would make the garden do so much better, and the honey?...Bonus!! Next, we looked into goats, they were so cute, and if we got a small breed of dairy goat, we could have fresh milk, cheese, butter and soap.Aa couple wouldn't be too much trouble. Well, say hello to our 8 goats! Yep, you heard me right, 8!! My girls are awesome, they are so sweet, the milk is awesome and I am so glad we got them.
So they led to, get ready for this, turkeys! Yes, turkeys. We are now the proud owners of 3 full grown turkeys and 1 turkey poult, that is about 6 weeks old! Not to mention, one is sitting on a few eggs, ok 14 eggs, but who's counting! I love the gobble noise they make, and I enjoy watching them! Not to mention I hear the eggs are good for baking! I can't wait to try them!
So, that should be it right, well um..no! This weekend we are getting another new addition that I am so excited about, and hopefully another type when spring rolls around! I will fill you in later on another blog. The point is, its addicting! A lot of work? Yes! But it is worth it! The hard work, to see the fruits of your labor, the knowledge and entertainment you get from all the animals! Knowing what your eating, it's great! Some people think I have gone off the deep end, but the more we do, the more I want to do. I enjoy building the pens, putting up fences, canning my own tomatoes and gathering my own eggs! It is such a great feeling to pull a chicken from the freezer for supper and know the work that went into it, and it tastes amazing! It is addicting, satisfying, and I love it! Where will this all lead, I have no clue...but keep an eye out, you never know what's next!
Why do you homestead? Many people say when asked, that they want to go back to when things were simpler. That is why most say they want to be more self sufficient and homestead, to live the simple life. Well we have been gradually moving to a self sufficient lifestyle and building our own homestead. We have chickens, goats, bees, turkeys, a garden, a greenhouse. We have cut down drastically the processed things we buy, we don't go out to eat as much and have really made a good homestead that is ever growing and we absolutely love.... but the simple life?? I don't think so.
Life is much better back to basics, but never simple. Simple would be getting hungry and going to McDonald's, instant gratification. Or even simpler, popping a TV dinner in the microwave. But now we don't even have a microwave. Simple would be hanging out inside watching TV surfing the web on a rainy lazy afternoon. At a homestead there is no such thing as a lazy afternoon. We have to take care of the animals, all of them, and in any weather, rain or shine. There is always a fence to put up or repair or something to fix or make. Simple would be buying your veggies at the grocery store. At a homestead you have to plant the seeds, water, weed them everyday(skip this even for a few days and you suddenly have a forest), and then when they are ripe pick them. Then you can cook them. Or preserve them so you can have those fresh veggies in the winter months instead of doing the simple thing and going to the grocery store when they are out of season.
Let me explain however that this is not complaining about this lifestyle. Like I have said before, There is nothing more satisfying than having a deliciously prepared meal that you grew, raised, processed, harvested and cooked completely on your plot of land with your own hands. I, however do not want people to underestimate exactly how much work this can be. But all the hard work makes the benefits that you reap all the more rewarding.
You know exactly what is going in your food so you don't have to worry about the next recall in the supermarket. You know how the animals were treated, their environment they lived in, the food they ate. You know what seeds you used and what, if anything, went on the vegetables and that no pesticides or herbicides were used. There is also nothing more delicious than eating food you grew and raised. Eating this type of food also gives you more energy and makes you feel better. You get to experience the outdoors more and the bond you make with the animals is so rewarding.
So the next time someone asks if you would like to live the simple life, think about it before you answer.
I live a busy life, between work,family,and the farm, it seems as though something is always going on. I have a "to-do list" at all times, and it never seems to end, it just keeps growing! If I get 10 things done, I remember 10 more things I need to add. My friends and family joke that I cannot sit still, and that I am not happy unless I am doing something, and sometimes I think there is a lot of truth in that!If I spend too much time, relaxing, watching TV or reading, and forgo the list, I feel as if I have wasted the day. I get frustrated with myself, even when I am sitting down and resting a bit I have that list going through my head, thinking of things I should be doing. Don't get me wrong, there are activities and chores on that list I do enjoy, tending to the animals,canning etc, but it's not the same thing, Why can't I just relax and not feel guilty about wasting my time?Does anyone else feel like that? I know that my list will never get done, there will always be something more to add,something that comes up, I guess I just need to figure out how to take a day off...from chores as well as work!A task easier said than done, I do not think it is in my DNA! So, I guess I need to try to figure it out! The nearest I get to unwinding, I think is when I go camping, there is just something about being out in nature,sitting by a campfire,in the cool night air,that just seems to soothe my soul! Unfortunately I do not get to go like I use to,too many responsibilities, but maybe I need to plan a trip soon to recharge my batteries!Life in this world is so fast paced,we all get caught up in it,but take a moment to relax with something you enjoy.. I think if we all did this a little more, we would all be better off, Sometimes I lose sight of this, but it is something I plan to work on! Happy relaxing!!
I love my family, I am so thankful that all 5 of my children are close, that we can talk about anything together, and that we can always depend on each other. One of my most favorite things, is to have them all here at the same time, to pour a cup of coffee, and sit back and watch them talk! They are all so different, from one politically extreme to the other, from laid back and chill,to hyper and full of energy, from quick tempered to low key..but the thing is no matter how passionate they feel on something,or how loud the discussions and debates get, they respect each other and do not make it personal! As, I was laying in bed this morning,my thoughts went to them,and I thanked God he blessed me with each one of them. I was thinking of how, if I could give them advice to help make their life easier..what I would say.
First thing, keep your faith, God has always been present in my life, but I can see so many places where he has seen me through, so many of my prayers answered,sometimes not in the way I wished, but looking back it was always for the best. Pray daily and read the bible and give God a chance to lead you where he wants you.If you give Him a chance he will always be there, and trust me when I say He has answered many prayers about and for each one of you.
Next, do not be afraid to be different! Today, people are so worried about appearances, and what others think, they hide their real thoughts and ideas for fear people will not understand. Being unique is wonderful , It brings out new ideas, and ways of doing things. When you stop trying to please everyone else, you can find out who you truly are. It will make your life so much more content!
You will learn so much about yourself and others, and your true friends will always stick with you, even if they think your odd..lol
You are entitled to your opinion, and others are entitled to theirs! You do not ALWAYS have to be right, and sometimes its better to agree to disagree! As, important as being yourself is, it's also important to remember that, that does not mean everyone else has to be like you and think like you too! Always put yourself in the other persons shoes, before you judge or get angry. They are a different person, raised different,different environment growing up than you, so they are not always going to think like you! I hate confrontation, but lots of times I do not argue because I always try to see the others viewpoint and where they are coming from before I speak! I promise you it helps a lot!
Honesty is very important, I have learned this the hard way! Sometimes, I will not be honest to spare someones feelings, or to avoid conflict. One thing I have learned over the years, IT DOES NOT HELP!! It makes things worse, That does not mean you have to be a jerk, just be honest, and if it is difficult , it will still be better for everyone in the long run.
My grandmother was an amazing woman, I have never met anyone like her . Her favorite thing to say was "If you cannot say something nice, do not say anything at all" and she lived by that! If your criticism of someone is not asked for, or will not help them, keep your mouth shut! It is so much better and more fulfilling to build others up, not tear them down! It is amazing how one positive word can change another persons day! Try it, it will make you both feel good.
I guess the last thing is do not judge others, do not let your misconceptions cloud what you see. Working with the homeless I have learned so much! The outside is not important, it is the inside that really counts, and you may not know what the other person is going through. Love is very forgiving, and it is also important not to lose sight of it. Love is more important then being right, its forgiving when others do you wrong, its stepping up to help when you are needed, not just thinking of what you will get in return, or how it benefits you!
Wow, I could write a book..hehehe, so much more I could say. If only I had known this stuff when I was young, but I guess it is part of growing up and learning about yourself and life. What advice would you give? What would you tell your children? What one thing do you think would help make their life easier? I would love to hear from you!
We have been working hard to grow our little homestead. What started with an idea, a small box garden and 3 bantam chickens has grown quite a bit! We now have 2 dozen chickens for eggs, numerous bantams, 2 Nigerian Dwarf goats, and a hive of bees! We have raised and processed 27 meat chickens as well, and our garden is quite a bit larger. We also have fruit trees, bushes and vines. We make our own bread, laundry detergent and dish washing detergent. We can a lot, from jams, syrups, to vegetables, soups and meat! As far as we have come , there is so much more we want to do! Now, we are trying to decide which type of animal to add to our little homestead..pigs or turkeys?
To start with we had about decided on pigs. We figured we could feed them with scraps, and make a pen out back and in some time have delicious fresh pork, food that we know was raised well and ate healthy! We could take them to be processed, so it would not be too much to handle. However, they do get very big , and eat a lot, and for some reason I am a little apprehensive about it!
Then, we visited a nearby farm , and I sort of fell for the turkeys! Not the turkeys that have been genetically altered to be so huge they cannot even reproduce on their own,like the ones they sale in the store, but the ones that are the way they are suppose to be. Not huge, but one of the original breeds! They are smaller , and do not seem to be much more difficult than chickens, a little different but not too hard. Then there is the bonus of having a fresh farm raised turkey for the holidays, or any other time. No worries on the chemicals that would be ingested from the store bought ones!We could process those on our own , and it would be less investment to begin with too. So which way do we go? Pigs or turkeys? Drop us a message and tell us what you think..
Since, we started this journey, I have wanted goats. Not just any goats but milk goats! I researched and read on all types of goats,before I decided I wanted Nigerian Dwarf Goats. They seemed perfect, small in size , perfect for our needs, friendly, great rich milk, perfect for cheese and the output for such a small goat is pretty impressive. So I worked on saving enough money, and preparing a place for them. However,things get put on the back burner, we got chickens, they were cheaper and easy to manage and gave us fresh eggs, then we got meat birds, and it was always something, from a new roof, to repairs to something.. but I kept reading and hoping and praying,, then one day a close friend called me to meet someone who had a pregnant goat..not just any goat but...you guessed it, a pregnant Nigerian Dwarf Goat! I figured I could really learn a lot from meeting her.. and get more knowledge for the future.. but it went better than planned.. I immediately clicked with Hillary, and before I knew it I was the proud owner of 2 Nigerian Dwarf kids!Now that I finally have them here at home, it is even better than I ever imagined! They are the sweetest, cutest little babies! Hillary is an amazing fountain of information, and I quiz her often..lol... but I have learned so much. It will be awhile before I can breed them, before I can began my dreams of goat milk, cheese , soaps and such, but I can wait.. a step at a time. In the meantime they are very entertaining, great companions, who cry when they see me coming, and make me smile.. if you want to learn more about my new babies here is a link to why their milk is so awesome..
It is amazing to me how a person's perspective can change! I remember, and not too long ago at that, going to the store and by the time I was ready to check out, having a cart full of convenience, processed foods! I would go to a big box store and load up on snacks, frozen pizza, sugary drinks, etc! I would be happy with my choices, and glad I would have something quick to pop in the oven or microwave to fix in a hurry! Now, wow its like I am in a different world! We have not used a microwave, in months! We took it out, so we would be less tempted to grab those quick processed foods when we were hungry. Now, I truly do not even miss it! The visits to a grocery store or few and far between, and when I do go its for things like toilet paper, paper towels, chocolate or coffee!! Now, we make our own bread, snacks,etc. We grow our own fruits and veggies, and what we do not grow we get from local farmers. We raise our own chicken for meat and eggs, we buy our pork and beef from local farmers too.We grow our own herbs, they taste so much better, and we dry them to use throughout the winter!We have our own bees and are using honey instead of sugar more and more!We use the wax to make our own candles. In the next week we will be bringing home goats, and when they are a little older they will help provide us with milk,cheese, and soaps! We make our own dish washing detergent and laundry soap, although we do order some ingredients, I still like the simple cleaning products, that work great and are cheaper and has less chemicals in them! I feel such a since of accomplishment when we finish canning a batch of green beans, or tomatoes! I love that I know exactly what went into them , and that I can go outside and pick a tomato and take a bite, and not worry about what chemicals were sprayed on it!We all feel better, I have more energy, and have lost a few pounds without even trying! When we eat out, we do our best to eat at locally owned places that use local fresh products. I bypass things that I once would load up on , and truthfully I do not even miss them! I am so glad we started on this journey, I think we all appreciate our food more, and I look forward to continuing down this path!I am proud of how far we come , I look forward to how far we go!
