The garden is late, and the deer are early!

WARNING !! RANTING AND A DISTURBING PHOTO OF FARM LIFE AHEAD, PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
When we went up to the garden Monday to pick the shell peas, and pull the garlic, this is what we found -  what was left of our 90′ strawberry row.  We now have 75 plants that look just like this.  My daughter had [...]

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

This past week we did the hay at a friends farm about 10 miles away.  We do this as a favor to our friends, who need the grass cut in their field to keep the land open and to alleviate the fire danger.  The hay is on the light side, but on the plus side [...]

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Just trying to get my mind right…

Attitude adjuster.

I love hay season, despite the hard work involved.  It goes with our philosophy of taking care of our needs first, before we sell any products.  How credible am I if I’m not able to fill my larder/barn first?   “Be your own best customer…” Growing most of our own food and that of our animals [...]

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Water - harvesting, using, and protecting

Living in an area known for it’s abundant rainfall, and clean water, you might think we have a blasé attitude about water usage.   We don’t.  Maintaining our own watershed and water supply is perfect insurance that we work very hard to NOT waste water.  Most of the hubbub in the news is about peak oil - [...]

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When the simple life isn’t so simple

I haven’t posted since last week because everytime I sit down at the computer - I’m torn.  Do I say what I really need to say, does it even need saying?   Or do I not say anything here and get myself into trouble by commenting on other blogs.  Say too much, you’re bragging, not enough [...]

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This is seed rotting weather

Our temperatures here have been hovering between 42 and 52 for a week.  The sun, if we see it, is like a phantom.  Here and then gone, making you wonder, was that the sun?  Definitely not good gardening weather.  At this point, June 6, I’ve lost my window to plant my Calais Flint corn.  I [...]

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Home again, Home again, jiggety-jig

We went on our excellent adventure yesterday.  Even though we have been cutting back on grain eating animals, we still haven’t weaned ourselves off of pork.  Normally, we bought 7 -10 weaners and would use them to work our compost piles, or to turn the deep bedding in our feeding sheds.  Re-thinking this portion of [...]

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I’m worried

Not about Jetta, just about the world we live in, in general.

Last night, while working in the greenhouse, this was the only bee in there!  We couldn’t keep our honey bees safe from black bears, so we quit trying to raise them, thinking native pollinators would do enough. 
Living in a maritime climate, we have many cloudy, overcast [...]

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Food

My fencing bucket.

We pick up used food grade containers wherever we can, for storing chicken feed, minerals etc.  Most of the time I don’t look at the labels.  If we do, we are always surprised at the what the labels say.  I have 55 gallon drums that held tomato paste, 7 gallon buckets that held [...]

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the woods

 Woods - a.  short for the “the logging woods.”  This means more to a logger than any other word.  It is a job and home both.  A man going to the woods is going to work in a logging camp.  Back to the woods means back to the job.  b.  Also used to mean uncut [...]

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What??

I started out writing a post about firewood, since that’s what I concentrated on yesterday.  But, the outside world can creep up on us in a flash.  After reading my mail and listening to a message on our phone recorder, I lost my concentration.
Received in the mail:  a newsletter from our health insurance co. with [...]

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Family cow III

Every farm and farm family is unique, due to location, expectations for the farm, etc.  I’m hoping to convey how keeping a family cow fits into our lifestyle.  In my farming life, I have only been without a family cow for months, never years.  My methods are my methods, and suit my needs, which have changed [...]

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TANSTAFM, but almost

No, there isn’t any free milk.  But, I think I probably owe my family cow money!  If your looking for dairy production information, you’ll need to look elsewhere.  I hope to convey how a dairy cow fits in on our homesteading lifestyle, and sneak in a little rant.
It is hard for me to put into [...]

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The original recycling…

It used to be, that companies wanted your business.  They would entice you to buy their products by giving you something to re-use, or give away a prize inside.  Resources weren’t wasted and frugality was a way of life.   Companies weren’t propped up by subsidies, so their bottom line was important.  It was economical for [...]

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“I need a wife!”

Every time I say that, my dear husband lets out a big sigh and replies, “be careful what you wish for…”  Now what do you think he means?  This private joke always comes up frequently.  This past weekend was certainly qualified as one of those times.  We are both planners, but often something comes up [...]

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