They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
In case you didn't know, the reason our farm is called "Three Hearts Farm" is because we are under the patronage of the Holy Family. The Three Hearts represent Jesus, Mary and Joseph. There are many reasons that we chose them as our patrons, but the most obvious is that it is fruitful for us… Continue reading Our Holy Family Picture
Sometimes doing school in the shop is fun. Sometimes it is not. Sometimes, when your sisters get done before you and get to play with the world's greatest toy (the shop vac), it is just downright awful. That's why it is important to have an incentive for a small man to work for. In this… Continue reading The Box
This is a project that has been in the works for the last 6 weeks, having been interrupted by nearly everything else for most of that time. As with so many other projects, it starts with a frame built from 2x4's. I know 2x2's are lighter, and more than adequate for housing ducks, but still,… Continue reading Duckmobile
Clock is ticking! Saturday morning we go live with our Second Annual CiderFest! First step is getting the propane stove in the shop... fired up! It gets cold sometimes, when you are cutting up apples and grinding and smashing them all day, and the ability to warm your little fingers from time to time makes… Continue reading Preparations are Under Way
Homeschooling is a lot like farming. You never can tell how long it is going to take. The job that took 5 minutes last week might take 5 hours the next. The kids that did all their school perfectly without any need for input yesterday might not be able to manage 2+2 without asking for… Continue reading Odd Jobs
Measure twice, cut once. The pump for our rainwater catchment system is an inline RainFlo MHP75A Automatic Booster pump. The idea is that it will pump water from the catchment tank to the water lines that feed the pasture. Obviously, this means that the pump needs to be mounted on a sturdy surface, and additionally,… Continue reading Building the Pump Box
We had a bit of an issue last winter during a particularly cold and windy rain-storm, with water seeping through the roof of the shop. We could see it soaking down the rafters on the walls (the underside of the roof is insulated and sealed with plastic) about every 3 feet or so. Going outside… Continue reading I hate shoddy work
I hate it when projects have to get shoved to the back burner. God, in His merciful love, has therefore seen fit to decree that the farm shall always be filled with projects that are continuously being shuffled around the stove, to continue the metaphor, that I may learn patience, trust and detachment. One of… Continue reading Un-Ditching the Ditch
We recently bought a trailer load of lumber from an auction, getting a steal of a deal. We now need a place to put the lumber, so we can empty the trailer, so we can use it to haul trash again, as usual. So we are building a lumber rack, with some of the lumber… Continue reading Building a Lumber Rack
Cleaning things up, continuing to streamline our workspace. Pulled all the canning jars out of the shop and moved them to the basement. Since we are not building a canning kitchen in the shop, it makes more sense to have them in the house. This frees up this shelf, which means that it can be… Continue reading Shop Class
Little Farm in the Big City 