Quick project just to make watering the sheep and cows easier. And by easier, I mean automatic, nine months out of the year.
Author: Ryan Kraeger
"I only remember the very first part of the book where he described the man of steel and velvet and I remember the deep chord that phrase struck. I remember the image I had of a hand of living steel wearing a velvet glove, a hand that could crush or caress, strike a killing blow or wipe away tears, lift mountains or cradle an infant. The rest of the book was an afterthought."
From an essay about Aubrey Andelin's "Man of Steel and Velvet".
Geese and Ducks off the Garden
This post is out of date, by almost a week. Geese have grazed the wheat down to about 3 inches on average. Supposedly this is a good thing, and is supposed to encourage new root and tiller production and a thicker stand, as well as provide nitrogen for initial spring growth. We shall see. However,… Continue reading Geese and Ducks off the Garden
Potato Experiment
Fun fact about our potatoes this year. The best yield we got were from volunteers, plants that sprouted from potatoes left in the ground from last year. Not sure why. Possibly Yukons are just more prolific than Butterballs; perhaps the fact that they were in the ground over the winter, cool but not frozen, damp… Continue reading Potato Experiment
The Christmas Cookies Begin!
Christmas Cookies! Few things evoke the nostalgia of the Advent season like the baking of Christmas Cookies. There is something magical about spending a quiet afternoon indoors, while the weather outside fulfills its seasonally appropriate frightfulness, listening to the Julie Andrews, Bing Crosby and the Vienna Boys Choir in their original vinyl glory on the… Continue reading The Christmas Cookies Begin!
Little Chef
Cooking for this crowd isn't easy, especially on days when life is hectic, which is practically every day. We place a premium on meals that are quick, hit all the major food groups, and dirty the smallest number of dishes. E.g. Chicken over rice. One Lb leftover chicken, shredded and lightly fried in bacon lard… Continue reading Little Chef
Three Hearts Poster
We recently came across this beautiful print of a pen-and-ink drawing of the three hearts, sold by a family owned company in Steubenville, OH. Thinking it would make a beautiful fixture in our workshop, we ordered it, and I successfully turned a 10 minute project into a several day project, framing and mounting it. First… Continue reading Three Hearts Poster
First week of Advent
A day late, but… Happy first week of Advent!
Roast Duck
We skipped the turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Instead we roasted two of the ducks that we harvested last weekend. Kathleen stuffed them with apple and onion slices, and rubbed them with salt and pepper. She set them in the turkey roaster and filled the bottom with half an inch of apple cider to steam… Continue reading Roast Duck
Old Timey Pumpkin Pie
I subscribe to an online (and print) magazine called "Cultivate" by homesteader and food journalist Holly Hickam, produced by the School of Traditional Skills. If you are at all interested in food, homesteading, or food freedom, you should totally subscribe as well. The weekly newsletters are a very entertaining read. In last week's issue she… Continue reading Old Timey Pumpkin Pie
Ducks in the Garden
Tuesday we spent the whole day at the farm. It was a light school day, and we had people coming over to pick up their turkeys for Thanksgiving, so it made sense to make if a farm day. Rocking the cool farmer look. We checked on our ducks in the garden. They were still hiding… Continue reading Ducks in the Garden
Little Farm in the Big City 