A whole lot of people seem to think that it’s somehow cruel to both know and eat a particular animal. Or if not cruel, they at least insist that they simply couldn’t. It’s interesting that these people are caring and compassionate; they would want their meat to be ethically raised. But they don’t want to…
Farm Life
Georgia’s New Calf
On the first weekend of April, I noticed some changes in Georgia’s rear-end. Because this time of year, I pay very close, anxious attention to Georgia’s rear. It’s exciting and stressful – watching for the grand finale of my short stretch of free mornings. Disclaimer: If you’re not the type to enjoy an in-depth description…
Rainy Market Prep
A quick video-tour of what’s up on the farm: Pregnant cows, chunky chicks, and some preparation for the first farmers market day… tomorrow!
Devilish Surprise
During the long days in the hot and brilliant sunlight, erecting the high-tensile fence around our pasture, one thought consoled me: The Calf. As recompense for the free child labor that I provided, my parents had promised me the first calf from our family milk cow, Georgia. You can imagine my delight when the calf…
Springtime on the Farm
Here’s a video update of some of our current farm happenings. It’s been an exciting week; to my surprise, spring is coming again. The other day, I heard a kid say (with astonishment), “The sun is getting bigger! No, it really is! It’s coming closer!” So it is. Hurrah!
Rainy-day Sourdough Crackers
As I gradually woke up yesterday morning, I slowly became aware that rain was drumming soothingly. And it made me smile. When everything is parched and the earth is even more cracked than my dry hands, a little healing moisture is welcome. Plus, it gave me an excuse to have a “rainy day”, which (on…
Little Brook Sisters
Meet the three Myers sisters: Monterey is my oldest sister. She is responsible, earnest, and has the unique capacity to completely tune out of the rest of the universe when she is reading. She is the type of person who consistently dices potatoes perfectly. Adelaide is the middle sister. She wears funky, surprising clothing combinations…
New Chicken Tractor – Part 2
What a relief! I’m done with the chicken tractor! And I’ve ordered chicks! I’m ready for business! Except that right now, the chick brooder is housing 4,000 ft of irrigation tubing… So I might not be ideally prepared. As promised, here’s the rest of the chicken tractor building experience. By the way, last week when…
New Chicken Tractor – Part 1
Ok, I know I promised last week that I would build a new chicken tractor using this conduit bender. I procrastinated. So this evening I was making a chicken tractor and taking pictures. It didn’t last that long – when the rain started pouring, though, I gave up. Apparently I’m a fair-weather farmer. Hence, here…
Making a Conduit Bender
I’ve been exploring garden and chicken designs that use galvanized electrical conduit. I think it’s a common trait of homesteaders become completely enamored with a certain material and want to include it in every design. Anyhow, if you’re going to use conduit for a hoop structure of sorts, you’ll need a conduit bender like this….