Summer Salads

One of my favorite summer foods is a summer tossed salad.  With a kitchen garden overflowing with choices, there is no end to the combinations you can create.  I made a great salad last night.  I started with some lettuce, australian spinach (left over from the farmer's market I sold at yesterday), cherry tomatoes, cucumbers (I love the pickling kind for salads, so crisp and even the skin tastes awesome), green peppers, nastertium leaves and flowers (kids get a kick out of eating flowers), tarragon (love that herb, use it on all sorts of things), and a little cranberry vinegrette dressing...yum!

Other days I add zucchini or summer squash, fresh peas, green beans, or just about anything you can think of.  I love fresh fruit in a salad.  Wether it be strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches or apples....all add a nice touch of sweetness to this summer treat! Truly one of the great joys of summer...a fresh picked garden salad.

Fruits and Vegetables

Well, our garden is almost completely planted.  Our garden was inspired by ones we saw when visiting Old Sturbridge Village in Massachussetts.   We planted small beds of various plants with walkways between them, so we do not have to walk on plants to tend to them and we can focus on one bed at a time, so the large garden does not become overwhelming when time to weed.  We have planted two types of zucchini, yellow summer squash, dumpling squash, cucumbers, tomatoes (3 types), radishes, spinach, many types of lettuce, rhubarb, various herbs (medicinal, tea and cooking), asperagus, red potatoes, pumpkins (large and sugar), strawberries, green bush beans, yellow bush beans, green vine beans, peas, lots and lots of carrots (3 kinds)....that may be it. 

We also are  putting more attention to our fruit trees and bushes.  Our 6 blueberry bushes are abundant with baby fruit.  Our grape arbor is over loaded with grapes and has extended across the clothesline (I'll need to put up a new line somewhere else).  Our three apples trees are full of little apples (we have red delicious, macantosh and I think golden delicious) so we can be busy making applesauce this fall.  Our raspberry bushes (we have red, black and pricker-free red) are overtaking everything, but full of fruit.

It has been a lot of hard work, but we hope to have a plentiful harvest to enjoy this summer, share with family and friends, and freeze and can for winter enjoyment.

Homesteading....

Homesteading seems to be quite the trend lately. I suppose it fits in with all the "sustainable living" philosophies. I love the idea of homesteading. Maybe because of my fascination with life in the mid 1800s. Maybe because of a greater understanding of where food comes from and how it is grown/raised. Maybe its the "romance" of the idea. Or maybe Homesteading is just a word that describes how I had already decided I wanted to live, before I found that there was a term for it. Whatever the reason...our family is homesteading.

The dictionary (meriam-webster) defines homesteading as "To aquire or settle on land under a homestead law". That is what the definition is historically, but it doesn't describe how the term is used in modern days. Wikipedia defines homesteading as "a lifestyle of simple, agrarian self-suffiency." This is a much more appropriate definition to describe the modern idea of homesteading. It certainly fits into our idea of what our homestead is.

There are no more homesteading laws as there were when our country wanted to encourage movement to the uncharted west. Modern homesteaders are not exploring uncharted land looking for a new start to life, they are instead exploring new ways to live on the land they already have.

So, what does this simple, agrarian self-suffienct lifestyle entail? Well, we have dabbled in it the past few years, but his year are making a harkened effort to become significantly more self-suffient. We have long raised chickens for eggs, sheep for wool to make yarn, and goat's milk to make soap. We moved into this house with its old apple trees, blueberry bushes, grape vines, etc. and have used these, but not to their full potential. I grow herbs for cooking and I have attempted in the past to grow vegetables with varying degrees of success.

So, onto our "new" plan. We are almost finished rototilling (gosh, I wish I had my horses at the house...I'd surely have gotten an antique plow) a very large garden (with plans to double it the following year if we survive this garden). We will move our rhubarb and asperagus to the new garden, where we will attempt to grow a plethora of colorful veggies. We will expand the herb garden and grow some herbs specifically for making our own herbal tea (having made the decision to join the Mormon church, I have made the switch from coffee to herbal tea). We will work at better tending our grapes, blueberries, raspberries and apples so that we can make applesauce, jam, etc. to have in the winter. We will can or freeze much of our extra fruits and veggies to enjoy in the winter months. We are utilizing our alpaca/sheep/goat manure to fertilize our plants and gardens.

We will continue to raise layer hens for eggs, but we have added a small flock of cornish-cross chickens for meat. I don't know how we'll like this, but I have a couple friends who have expressed how easy it is to process your own chickens. And, after learning more about how the chickens in the grocery store are raised (ewww, is all I can say) it may be worth the emotional struggle to raise and slaughter chickens to feed my precious family a healthier meat (and happier meat from what I've heard) We will also make more use of our goat milk for drinking.

This is a start...we have a long way to go....but we are heading in the direction of a more physically and emotionally healthy lifestyle. I'll continue more on that topic at a later date. I'll let you know how this all goes.

~Kristen

Summer resolutions

I know resolutions are supposed to be made at new years- but it just never seems like the best time to start anew. Its cold, snowy, icey...just not the kind of weather that ignites my emotional and physical drive. Now, this time of year- I'm motivated to change, fix, work on things. So- how about Summer Resolutions, or End of the school year Resolutions. Makes more sense to me.

Okay- so what are my resolutions?

Riding- I am resolved to focus on my riding skills this year. I have really let that lapse- just no time to ride...I spend all my time feeding, cleaning, grooming, driving (the car) back and forth to the barn, and no time to just have fun with the animals. I miss riding. About 5 years ago I resolved to take riding lessons and learn how to jump. Well, I did that- and it felt great. Then I got a horse that was "nuts" and put the fear of God in me. Killed my confidence. I now have the most wonderful horse (Lady Felicia) and I need to get my riding legs back (and my confidence) so that is my number one resolution. (yes, it is Prancer in the picture- he's an awesome horse too)

Children- I resolve to work on being more patient with the kids when they don't do what they are supposed to (I can be quite a nag), or when they are whiny and difficult (like when Markie repeatedly throws his shoes on the floor and then screams for them, or when Lori is out grazing on the lawn- or eating maple leaves = which look surprisingly like the "tree stars" of Land Before Time ) That said- Lori has a great imagination. Some days she is a dinosaur (eating tree stars) or one of the goats (grazing on the lawn- yuck!!) of a pirate (complete costume going on here- the back of the couch is her ship) or on occasion, Spiderman (luckily she has not figured out how to walk up walls- but I"m sure she's tried). I need to laugh more and get frustrated less.

I also resolve to spend a little more time with the teenagers- so I don't lose touch with my boys.

Home- I should resolve to focus on housework, dishes and laundry...but I won't. I really don't like housework, don't like being indoors at all...so why bother. It appears that no one else in the house really cares either- or they'd offer to help.

Husband- I resolve to find more time for "us". With the farm and the busy lives of 7 children- we rarely have time alone together. I'd like to spend more time together. We have lots of "family time", but not enough "couple time".

Okay- sounds good. So...what's your Summer Resolution?

Having fun with farming!

I'm exhausted again today. So much work to do to keep up with the farm, if only days were twice as long!

As I was raking out the goat pens I was thinking about all the farm tasks and how some are truly fun, and others are not so much fun. I started making a mental list of each and thought I'd share my thoughts.

Fun Farm Tasks:

Babies!!!!!!! Holding baby animals, feeding baby animals, holding them again. Watching baby animals spring through the air. We've had lots of babies here this year, more than we normally do, and it makes it all so much more fun...chicks, bunnies, kids, lambs, crias...

Milking goats and sheep. Yeah, some days you just don't feel like doing it, like rainy days... but otherwise it is an enjoyable task, makes you feel so "natural" gathering your own milk, sort of like picking apples or harvesting veggies from your garden.

Shearing sheep. I find that is such fun, exhausting, but fun. I love the feel of the different wools and fibers, thinking about what I am going to create with the particular fleece...will it become yarn and then a sweater or scarf? will it be felted into a necklace? will it be sold to someone who will create something special with it?

Collecting eggs. Much like milking the goats...it is harvesting the fruits of your labor, and brings a smile to my face and a warm feeling to my heart. Of course, that is if I get the eggs before the girls do. My daughters love to collect the eggs.

Farmers Markets. I love farmers markets. Talking to people about our farm, our animals, our products. Seeing the interest in the customers. Hearing about what they are going to make with the skeins of yarn they just purchased. Hearing about their grandparents, or great grandparents farms of yesteryear. Chatting with other local farmers. It is such a fun way to get our farm products out to the public.

Feeding the animals in the morning. They are so happy to see me, I feel loved. :-) I talk to them, tell them about my day, ask about theirs. Give a little scratch behind their ear, or under their chin. Kisses from the horses and baby kids and lambs. Just starts the day off right.

Not so fun Farm Tasks:

Cleaning up manure. Ugh. Goat and sheep poo isn't too bad, llama and alpaca is easy...they make a nice pile for me to scoop up. Chicken poo, is gross and I dread having to clean chicken coops. Horse poo, doesn't smell bad and scoops up easy...but I just don't understand why horses that are free range and not closed up in stalls, feel the need to back into a stall to relieve themselves...rather than take a walk through the 4 acre pasture and find a spot off in the distance! Then there is rabbit poo. I hate cleaning rabbit cages more than anything else!!! but, I love rabbits, so I'm stuck with that chore.

Rain. Rain makes everything on the farm less fun. It makes mud. I hate mud. I get my feet stuck in mud. They get mud in their wool (which I then end of washing out), on their fur, in their feet.

Buying hay and grain. It just costs too much, but it is inevitable. Hubby does the human grocery shopping, I do the farm grocery shopping...I hate the money I have to spend, but it is worth it to have the opportunity to enjoy all the wonderful critters that live at our farm.

4H- A Family Affair

I never had the opportunity as a child to be a part of 4H. I never really knew anything about it until my boys were born and I started taking them to visit local fairs. As soon as Johnny was 7, I signed him up with a club about 40 minutes from us (this was the closest rabbit club to us). After a few meetings, we decided, with two other families, to start our own club. So, in 1999 I became a 4H leader. Our first club was just rabbits and cavies. The following year we added a poultry group. Things grew each year, we later added sheep. I am now a leader in a different club, in a different county, with a good friend of mine. Our club has again grown quickly and we have a very devoted membership, and very involved parents. We have kids working on Sheep,
Goats, Llamas/Alpacas, Poultry and Rabbits. We have a large Community Service component for our club- which the children and the community are benefitting from.


What do I like most about 4H? Hmmm. Maybe its sharing a love for farm animals with a great group of children. Maybe its the time I get to spend with my own children enjoying their animals. I love the fact that both boys and girls, of all ages, can do an activity together (unlike scouting- which my kids also enjoy- where sexes and ages are separated). I think one of the best things about 4H is that the parents can enjoy it along with their children.


I so often hear from parents in our club (and unlike my first club where most kids were dropped off and picked up- these parents more often stay and take part in the meetings) how they "are having as much fun as their kids in 4H!" What could be more wonderful than an organized activity that is truly fun for the whole family...pets included!


Want to find out about 4H clubs in your area? visit http://4-h.org

Shearing Time!

I don't know why, but this is my favorite time of year. It may be exhausting and busy, my back may hurt, I've nicked my hands a few times, and I think there is still a piece of wool in my right eye- but, I love this time of year!

Besides spending more time with the sheep, goats and alpacas (which is a welcome time for all of us, as we rarely saw eachother during the winter- other than to feed and water. It was a cold and snowy winter...not conducive to playing with farm friends). So, we get quality time together. There is just something about physically shearing a sheep, goat or alpaca that brings one back to their roots. Well, maybe not one's individual roots...I wasn't fortunate enough to grow up on a farm. My grandparents had a small farm...but no sheep. I'm thinking more like the roots of our ancestors...for whome farming was a way of life for them and their neighbors.

This is the first year that I've had electric sheep shears. I've had goat shears...which work great on goats, and okay on alpacas...useless with sheep. So, I've been shearing my sheep for the past 6 years with hand shears and/or sharp scissors. What a delight it is to shear with electric clippers!! I called my mom that first day to tell her that I had sheared 8 sheep in one afternoon!! What you need to understand is it often took me two days to shear one sheep by hand. Today I even sheared my first alpaca. His first time being sheared as well- the two of us made quite a team. I was rather proud of myself, but poor Sam was horrified. (by the way- to the dear friend that told me that alpacas only spit at eachother and not at people- that may be true- unless you are the person who is restraining them and shearing them- they DO spit at people! LOL). We did finally come to an agreement, I'd shear quick if he'd stop spitting green goop at me. Sam is shorn, not that pretty show cut that you see on people's website. More like the cut that a 3 year old does the first time they find scissors left in their reach. Let's put it this way...when I put him back in the pen and the other alpacas came over to check out his "new do" He spit at them! I can only assume they were laughing at him, and he wasn't at all amused. He'll get his payback, though, they all have the same barber!

The goats didn't look half bad- I've gotten good at them, and they are much more willing to stand still and let me cut. The sheep looked better than last year, and only the first few suffered clipper nicks. Overall, I'm pleased with my shearing. Not fancy, but effective.

Now my wool is moving its way from the wash sink, to the dye pot, and eventually on to the trampoline. Yes, the trampoline. Much to my children's chagrin, the trampoline makes the idea wool drying tool. Large, raised from the ground and black to attract the sun, the trampoline is made of some sort of a woven material, so it allows the wool to breath underneath, and dries it in record time! Don't worry, kids, in a few weeks you'll have your trampoline back!