Posts Tagged ‘Livestock’

Life’s Perfect Storm

Friday, May 18, 2012

Hi folks. I know it’s been a while since my last post and I apologize for that. There has been so much going on around here that writing, which I love to do, has seemed more like a chore rather than the true pleasure it really is. Have you ever had one of those days when work and school and kids and home and farm and future created the perfect storm of chaos that had your world spinning out of control?  Well— we have, but not just a day. This has been going on since April. Some responsibilities can not be push off to another day, like college, scholarship and internship applications; job resumes and interviews; butchering ducks, working when the boss asks for overtime or attending livestock shows. They all have deadlines that must be met, while every other non-essential task like laundry, cleaning, gardening, dishes, grocery shopping…and writing on a blog take a back seat.

Finally, though, the grey angry clouds seem to be dissipating and I can see faint rays of light streaming through. The storm, at long last appears to be lifting, albeit slowly.

It’s been an interesting time, though, if not a busy one. It has served to galvanize my plans and my dreams of what the future will look like. It has shoved in my face, over and over, the chaotic, drone-like, unsatisfying life I DON’T want and pulled me more towards the life I do want for myself and my daughter.

Life will not be totally calm, it never is when a child goes off to college, but it should be more manageable. We will take it one step at a time, one day at a time, always moving forward. And, the first step starts today. A day off work will give me a big chunk of time to rein in a life that has been bounced on the rocky shoals over the last several weeks and come out battered and bruised, but not broken.

I have great plans working in my head, but I’m not ready to share them just yet. I hate to be a tease, but ideas and thoughts need to be worked on and fleshed out before they can be shared. Bear with me folks, life is getting back on track and we are taking back the farm. Literally.

Great Summer Read!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Suburban homesteads come in many shapes and sizes, taking their own path to self-sufficiency, but, in my mind, a true homestead needs livestock to be complete. Whether two footed or four; feathered or furred or wooled, animals are what turn a backyard garden into a full fledged farm. Without them all you have is a garden, which is nice, but a homestead is a little more scrappy. It’s loud and it’s dusty and sometimes messy when it’s full of feathers and cloven hooves, paws and fur.

I found a new book for my homestead library recently – The Backyard Homestead’s Guide to Raising Farm Animals.

It’s the livestock companion to the original Backyard Homestead, and it’s a fine introduction to jumping on the livestock bandwagon. At first it may seem a little elementary for the more seasoned livestock person, but it’s perfect for those who have dreams of turning their landscaped suburban lot into a thriving mini-farm, or those who have never held a chick or readied a hutch for kits.

It’s a friendly read, full of easy to understand information about the basics of starting a flock of chickens, ducks, turkey’s or geese; a hutch or two of rabbits; or a herd of goats, sheep or pigs. It even has information about raising cattle on a small suburban homestead. It will give you a good idea of what you’re getting yourself into, along with wonderful plot maps on how to lay out your farm if you’re just getting started.

The illustrations and sidebar instructions are great and each species is broken into its own chapter, so you can read only those parts that interest you. Want goats, but not pigs. Fine. Can’t have bees, but can have chickens. No problem, just read the chapters you want.

Even with my years of livestock experience I’m still able to glean useful information from new sources. It’s becoming a new favorite around here. Grab one for yourself.

Victorian Farm – BBC documentary series

Saturday, November 13, 2010

The Victorian Era in England saw an agricultural revolution spread across the country. Old world traditional ways sat along side new modern technology and machinery. Like Frontier House and Colonial House before them Victorian Farm is a realistic documentary about a group of people who step back in time and live, work and eat as they did in rural Victorian England.

Working for a full calendar year, Ruth, Alex and Peter rediscover a lost world of skills, crafts and knowledge, assisted by an ever-dwindling band of experts who keep Victorian rural practices alive. Each month and season brings pressing priorities, from tending livestock and repairing buildings to raising crops, preparing food and crafting furniture and tools. Can they make a success of farming the Victorian way?

The 36 You Tube episodes are chock full of useful information for up-and-coming and seasoned farmers alike. For those who have just recently decided to live more self-sufficiently the series is a priceless addition to their research and knowledge, even though it is based in the English countryside.

If Victorian Farm draws you in, watch BBC channels for Edwardian Farm airing this fall.

New and used DVD sets and companion books are available through Amazon.com. However, the series is in a European format and will not work in U.S. DVD players.

County Fair Update

Thursday, August 12, 2010

4H County Fair

Well – we are on day three of our week-long county fair. We arrived on Monday afternoon, and after finding our pen assignments went about the task of unloading tack and animals, getting everyone settled in and watered. At 6pm the sheep were officially weighed in. The livestock office uses the weights to divide up the animals into classes. Although we have a scale at home and weigh our show lambs weekly this is always the most anxious part of the fair for me.

Tuesday was the busy sheep show day for us – full of washing and grooming, making sure to check in for each class on time and of course the judging. The excitement is high, but so is the anxiety as we wait to see how the judge places each animal. Brianne won her market class which qualified her to compete for 4-H Champion Lamb, and even though she didn’t win champion she was thrilled for her little friend that did.

After the market division the breeding sheep show started. Brianne had two ewe lambs and ram lamb in that division. She placed 3rd and 4th with her ewes and won Champion Ram with her little guy. She was excited because this was the first time she’s shown a ram at the fair.

Friday will be another action packed day as all the market animals are sold at auction. Brianne has worked hard building up a group of people who will support her by bidding on her lamb, so she is hoping to get a good price. Then on Saturday she will show off her livestock handling skills in the showmanship competition.

But, for now, we have two days off to rest and relax as the kids showing hogs and cattle are put through their paces.

We’ll have more to update you on later in the week.

So much going on

Saturday, April 17, 2010

There’s so much going on right now, on this homestead. It would take thousand of words to explain it all, and although I’ve love it if that were my primary gig it’s just not in the cards right now.

In farm news: we’ve had a wacky spring so far; wind and cold and rain so late in the season I can’t even remember the last time we had late April showers. The fire roars at night while the days claw their way into the low-60’s. My seedlings are not liking the cold at all and some of my spring planting has been pushed back waiting for warmer soil temps.

On the chick front, I think we will lose two of our chicks hatched last months. They’ve developed what’s called Merrick’s Disease and there’s nothing that can be done. The others are healthy and growing like weeds after a good rain. We moved some of the bigger one’s out to an old rabbit hutch because they were flying out of the brooder. I think the one’s that remain in the brooder will join their friends by next weekend. I’ve already chased three around the garage today.

On the up side though, Brianne’s show lambs are on their way, and we are excited to see what our friend found in his travels. This is a busy time of year for us with gardens and chickens and lambs and livestock shows, not to mention school and work. Our plate is so full we sometimes feel like crazed lunatics and a Vegas buffet.

May is just around the corner and if we’re lucky enough to get back into our normal weather patterns it’ll be game on. We’ll be working harder than ever to catch up and get this farm back on track. I can’t wait.

I am a Farm Girl Geek

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Farm clothing
Yep!
Yes, Sir!
That’s me.

I’m a farm girl geek. I own clothing with farm themes on it. I have sheep on my sweaters and livestock on my gloves. I don’t need to be reminded that I’m a farm girl at heart. But, I like to show other “closeted” farm girls that they don’t need to be afraid to show their true selves – even in our over consumptive suburban part of the world. It causes people to pause, to strike up a conversation about their own attempts to be more self-reliant. I applaud what ever measures they have taken. And, with these simple steps and small encounters we can build a network of friends with the same goals.

So – come out of the closet folks! Wear your farm gear proudly! And, start to build a network of like-minded people in your own community.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Shovelling Son

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A Reader Asks…

…How do you combine your homesteading life with your work life?

For most of us living on a suburban lot, but dreaming of a life in the country, a full-time job spent under fluorescent lights and behind ergonomic office furniture is a reality as much as it is a necessity. Our head may be in the corporate world, but our hearts are steadfastly entrenched in gardens and coops and fresh baked bread. This is the way I’ve lived most of my adult life – one foot in the corporate world and the other in the country.

Balancing the two can be a tricky proposition, full of schedules, compromises, hard work and strange looks from co-workers and neighbors alike. But – it can be done and done successfully.

At this point I think it’s fair to say that none of us are perfect, we don’t ALL live an off-grid, in a stick to ourselves kind of life. We are part of our community, with schools and organizations and activities. We are doing what we can, with the resources we have and within the parameters of city or town regulations.

I think it’s also fair to remind everyone (in case you haven’t read About Me) I have a degree in Agriculture, I’ve raised sheep since I was 11-years old, I was married to a farmer, I’m now single and I currently live on a third-acre that is zoned for all livestock except for horses. So, my capabilities for self-sufficiency are different from those who have limited space or stricter regulations.

Having said that – “How Do We Do Both”, and live as much of the homesteading life as we can? First, I think each person must take a hard look at their current lifestyle. What they currently do for fun, work, improving ones self, exercise, etc and then decide what part of the homesteading life or how much homesteading they want to do.

If you work an 80-hour week with frequent business trips you’d be hard pressed to keep a potted plant alive much less grow enough vegetables for your family’s dinner table. Even if this is not your situation, how much time you spend running kids to sports, working out at the gym or even hanging out with friends will affect how involved you can be in your own suburban homestead.

I think too, we have to remember that homesteading isn’t all about growing vegetables and raising livestock. It also includes recycling, conserving energy, and producing energy. The challenge and fun (I think) of suburban homesteading is finding ways to incorporate all five into your daily life.

So – how do I manage both?

Simply put – better on some days than on others. Honestly!

Read the rest of the story »

Homestead revelations

Monday, February 1, 2010

The shepherdess

Realizing you’re becoming a homesteader comes in tiny revelations over time. You’d think that having a box full of chicks in your kitchen or writing a check for 10-bags of grain and 2-bales of hay would bring it home to you, but those grand gestures usually don’t. Perhaps it’s because they’re too obvious or your mind is so busy trying to figure out how to get the chickens from the kitchen to the coop or how all that hay and grain is getting to the barn when you’re only 5’3″?

No, it’s the little things. Like realizing you just tracked sheep crap all over the house because you’re used to a life of lawns, not paddocks. Or when you arrive at the office brushing hay off your clothes. Or when you’re watching a period movie with sheep running around the sets and yelling at the screen “What!? Why the hell do they have a modern Suffolk sheep living in 17t Century England?!! And then getting angry at the film crew for their obvious lack of sheep research.

That’s the moment. That’s when you realize you’ve crossed over…over to the dark side of the barn. That’s when you understand you’re becoming a homesteader.

I’ve had those moments…at the office, when co-workers chat about the colder-than-usual morning while sipping on a Starbucks latte. One saying to another “Weren’t you surprised when you walked outside this morning?! Hello Winter.” And I realize how completely unfazed I was. Did I even take notice of it? Or did I go about business as usual? But had this been a morning year’s back, I would have been shocked. Back before my life revolved around a garden and a barn full of livestock, I let the weather happen to me. I didn’t live a reactionary life towards it (unless you consider putting on a sweater reactionary.) But now I stalk the weather reports and haunt weather.com. With a garden full of veggies and pumpkins and sunflowers to keep going until harvest, I fear the early frosts, and plan how much outside work I can get done before 7AM. I check the weather report all the time.

I knew for over a week we were going to have a frost advisory last night. So after work and school Brianne and I did all the morning chores in advance. We topped off all the water buckets and the rabbit’s lick-its. We loaded fresh lay mash into the chicken feeders and pellets into the rabbit’s trough. We forked in bedding for the lambs and fluffed the shavings in the nesting boxes. Brianne set things up so she’d have an easier and more comfortable morning. So come the dark blue light of 6:40AM Brianne would only need to drop feeders into the sheep pen. Which is all she did need.

This morning we walked outside looking ridiculous – heavy fleece coats, knitted musher’s hats and thick brightly colored plaid flannel shirts, once worn by grandpa. We looked silly, but we were warm (and the sheep could are less how we’re dressed.) Work went quickly and by the time we were back in the house the tea was ready.

I was never surprised for a moment. Which comes with the wooly territory, I guess.

Creative Commons License photo credit: jaci XIII

Grow Fresh Greens Throughout the Winter

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

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Just starting out on your journey to a more self-reliant life? Live in a home with very limited growing space? Or, looking for a fall and winter garden closer to the backdoor? How about trying a salad box?

Read more about these compact, easy to make mini gardens that will produce a bounty of salad greens and root vegetables throughout the cooler fall and winter months.

If carpentry isn’t your forte try using plastic storage boxes or recycled wooden boxes. For extra creativity any container will suffice (wagon, wheelbarrow, old bath tub) as long as it has drainage holes in the bottom and is large enough for the amount of greens you want to grow.

I use an old livestock watering trough with holes punched in the bottom. (For areas with harsher climates try adding hoops and greenhouse plastic to make mini hot houses.)

.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Foto Iervolino

Welcome to SuburbanHomesteading.com!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Every day we are bombarded with bad news about the economy, layoffs, and financial crisis – the negativity is overwhelming. As many of us juggle to make ends meet, we hear more and more that people should simplify, become more self-reliant, more self-sufficient, even become modern day homesteaders. But what does that mean? How does a normal suburban family make it all work on a very normal sized city or town lot?

That’s what SuburbanHomesteading.com is all about – learning to become modern day homesteaders right where we live.

You’ll not only discover how suburban families can live this newly emerging lifestyle, you’ll also discover information, resources, tools, links, products, recommended books and lifestyle guides that can help make this lifestyle a reality…plus so much more as you visit the various pages of our site.

But, before you “dig in” to SuburbanHomesteading.com, we want to help you understand the new and sometimes confusing terms you’ll encounter — terms which are too often misunderstood.

Homesteading is a lifestyle of simple, agrarian self-sufficiency. ‘Homesteader’ applies to anyone who chooses to live a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. ‘Suburban homesteading’, can be viewed as a simple living lifestyle, incorporating small-scale livestock raising and gardening, home food production and storage into suburban or city living.

Self-sufficiency or self-reliance refers to doing for one’s self and one’s family; not requiring outside help, support, or interaction for survival; it is a type of personal or collective independence.

Simple living or voluntary simplicity is a way of living that minimizes the all-encompassing (and often stressful) pursuit of wealth and consumption. It rejects the idea that ‘more-is-better’ and embraces the idea that you can have a better, more tranquil life with less. Voluntary simplicity is a way of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rewarding — a way of “being” that brings our most authentic and alive self into conscious living.

As we launch ‘SuburbanHomesteading.com’ to serve the ever-growing population of modern-day homesteaders, I think back to the way previous generations lived and survived the difficult times in our nation’s history. With every major struggle, including the Great Depression, we, as individuals and families, have had to take steps to care for ourselves. I think about the Victory Gardens of WWI, the frugality during the Dust Bowl era and food rationing during WWII. Our citizens learned much during these times.

But, too often, we ignore the old ways; much to our peril.

SuburbanHomesteading.com won’t be a diary or journal or musings of my life, although you will see some references to what I am doing.

Rather, this site is all about YOU. It’s a place where you, the 21st Century Homesteader, can come for information, ideas, inspiration and encouragement as we all travel down an unknown path to an uncertain future.

None of us knows how long this current crisis or its aftermath will last, but what I am sure of is that each and every person who learns to take care of themselves and their family — who learns to focus on the positive and not dwell on the negative — will ultimately be better off.

My challenge to you as you enter this new realm of simplicity and calm is to focus on what’s truly important in your life – family, friends, your health and doing for yourself. Leave the ugliness of the outside world…outside. Make a new world for yourself, regardless of your situation. One that is serene and slow, enjoyable and beautiful in its simplicity. Step out of the fast lane and onto the slow path.