Category: Around the Homestead

It’s the first day of Autumn and it couldn’t feel more fall-like.  It was 57 degrees when I got to work this morning (6 am). 

Last night Randy worked on my mom’s car while I pick tomatoes.  They were a mess after all the rain, split and not good for anything but chicken food.  Tonight I will tackle the okra and peppers and hopefully dig a few sweet potatoes if it’s dried out some. 

Our Cornish Rocks are getting big.  We plan to weigh them tonight to see how long we have until they are butchered.  We did slow-growers this time around (as opposed to fast growers).  They are so much healthier and since they are free-range all day we have a sea of white pecking around behind our house.  Their mobility hasn’t been hindered as they’ve gotten bigger like the fast-growers.  They are still able to run, climb the ladder in the coop, and move about all day.  Makes it a little harder to put them in our freezer, but the work they require does make it a little easier.

Our lambs did well at the sale, so that is behind us for another year.  We banded their tails (this is for sanitary/health purposes since they are a wool breed), but did not castrate to try to practice more humane animal husbandry.  This didn’t seem to affect the price we received at the sale in any way.  We also held on to our lambs until they reached a higher weight in hopes they would avoid a feedlot altogether or at least not have to stay for as long a period of time.  These are two steps we have implemented as a way to raise our animals more humanely, but still make a profit (or at least break even, haha).  We would love to sell our livestock directly off the farm, but that just hasn’t worked for us in the past.

Pansies have been planted.  Mums are in bloom.  Pumpkins have been set out.  The scarecrow, “Scary,” is at her post.  All is festive at our home!  I usually do a festive, fall dinner on the Autumnal Equinox, but instead we plan to have dinner out with friends.  Hope everyone has a wonderful first day of Autumn!

Friday, I rode to work with Randy, did some shopping, and went to get a massage.  I received a deep tissue, aromatherapy massage.  It was wonderful.  I was sore and tired afterward and was instructed to take a hot bath with Epsom salt and apple cider vinegar and drink lots of water.

Randy worked a half day, so I picked him up after my massage and we headed home.  Initially we were going to go to the fair.  We both decided against it.  Our decision was part financial, part time, and mine was part cleansing.  I go to the fair primarily to eat.  Eating fair food after a massage I was using as the beginning of a cleansing or at least dietary modification didn’t seem to fit.  Our Plan B was to head home early, eat a light lunch, and work on some projects around the house; Randy in the garage working on his pickup, and I in the house, garden, or wherever getting caught up from the week.  We grabbed lunch from Subway.  I got a veggie sub to as a part of my vow to avoid meat from animals raised in feedlots (inhumanely-raised).  It was good!

We ended up in our family room, curled up on the sofas, watching Nostradamus 2012, and falling asleep for nearly a 2 hour nap.  It was so nice and out of the ordinary.  We woke up in time to do a few things before starting our evening chores. 

While shopping I did end up with a couple, long sought after, purchases:

A Crock Pot with a timer:  I can set the time and temp for cooking and when it’s done it turns to “warm” until we are ready for it.  It will be great for us since we work 10 hour days and spend 2 hours on the road.  Twelve hours is too long for pretty much anything in a crock pot.  I got mine on sale at Dillon’s Marketplace for $11.99…BARGAIN! 

Yesterday’s New Cat Litter:  Made from recycled newspaper, biodegradable, and non-toxic for our 4 kitties.  We will have a separate compost bin strictly for our cat litter to use on non-edible plants.

And a big(ger) bad of Couscous.  This is good with butter and honey for breakfast or cooked in broth like brown rice.

Dillon’s Marketplace was my main stop.  They have a great selection of organic and ethnic food.  This is also where I found my crock pot and cat litter.  Who needs Wal-Mart!

Saturday, I pulled out some of our not-so-productive tomato plants, worked up some hard spots in the garden, and tossed some turnip seeds out.  We plan to open the garden up to the sheep this winter.  So the turnips will be for them to eat.  The chickens can have what the sheep leave behind.  Before the sheep or chickens get their turn at the turnips, Randy and I will pull a few to use in place of potatoes for a few months.  We cook them along with our meat and hardly notice the difference.

Sunday, was spent preserving the garden harvest….29 quarts of tomatoes and 2 (bulging)quarts of okra (in the freezer) to be exact. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I have more photos to post soon!

I know I haven’t posted in awhile, so I thought I would drop by to apologize and give a quick update.

We have three kittens (rescued) as additions to our farm, Murphy, Max, and Macy.  Cooter was not impressed, but is adjusting.

We have a friend coming to stay the night on his way to WA state.  Yea!

This Saturday we sell our ram lambs and 3 cull ewes.  Really sad….I really want to find an alternative to culling our ewes if anyone has an economical suggestion.  Our pen did have 5 cull ewes, but 2 of them with 1/2 of their udder not producing milk (can’t raise twins very well=bottle lambs) made it back into our breeding pens.  I just couldn’t do it….it made me sick to my stomach to think about selling them and what might happen to them.  Luckily, I have a very compassionate and fairly patient husband who move the last of the two over for me one evening after I voiced my distress about selling her. 

This weekend I plan to (I’m only listing the fun/interesting stuff on my to-do list for ya):

Can tomatoes

Make fermented salsa (NT)

Make honey-sweetened homemade ice cream

Make whole wheat tortillas (soaked)

Soak beans for chili

Cook chili over an open-fire

Plant turnips for winter forage for our sheep and chickens

Dig sweet potatoes

And many more not-so-fun-or-interesting things.  Wish me luck!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.              Isaiah 49:10

We were fortunate enough to be given elk (steaks, burger, and sausage) from my cousin’s husband, Rob.  We made good use of some of it over the weekend and the past couple days.

Friday was elk burgers for dinner.

Saturday we had elk burgers and steaks for a late lunch served with tortilla chips and homemade salsa.  We ate Hebrew Nation hotdogs for dinner.

Sunday we had deer steaks and farmer’s market red potatoes fried in coconut oil and butter in a cast iron skillet.  They were the best potatoes ever (if I do say so myself)!

Monday we had elk sausage patties on the grill with farmer’s market red potatoes fried in coconut oil and butter in a cast iron skillet.  I also cooked some cabbage in the skillet after the potatoes were done.  It was ready in time for dinner, but was added to the leftovers for lunch today.

Tuesday, we totally cheated and grabbed fast food.  We had to sort sheep last night after work and just caved.  I bet I only eat fast food about 6-8 times a year (including pizza), so I don’t think that’s too bad.  Just defending myself!  *However today I feel awful and regret eating out last night.  Ugh!

Wednesday, we are having liver, onions, and mushrooms.  We were supposed to have rice, but just remembered as I’m typing this I forgot to soak the rice this morning.  Luckily mom sent home a box of summer squash and zucchini someone gave to her, so we will have lots of veggies tonight.

As hot as it has been, as much as we have to do in the evenings, and as tired as we are, I believe next weeks menu will consist of egg sandwiches and grilled cheese.  I’m not even kidding.  Last night (fast food night) was nice because we got chores done early and had time to do other projects (vacuum the pool, put away solar pool cover, and tend to the garden a bit).

I pulled a package of grass-fed steaks and another package of deer steaks out of the freezer for this weekend.  I’m also headed to the farmer’s market today for more yummy potatoes and anything else I can get my hands on.

*I soak all my meat (not including burger/sausage) in apple cider vinegar and water.  I use approximately 1 tablespoon per steak and cover with water while it thaws in the refrigerator.  The liver is soaking in lemon water. 

Last night we sorted off ewes to “dry off” (their milk supply).  Removed the bale feed from the ram lambs hay.  The little guys would not eat the hay with the feeder on it.  The minute Randy and I pulled the feed down they were all over it.  We have a ram lamb acting puny, so we will keep a close eye on him tonight and possibly try to doctor him if he can give us any sign of what is wrong other than just being lethargic.  Everyone else seems to be doing well, eating well, and growing okay. 

We finally have some takers for lamb if we decide to grow some to butcher weight next year.  We thought we would do it this year, but it is just mot going to work this year.  We also thought we would breed some of our Dorper ewes to one of Dad’s Dorper bucks for December lambing, but I don’t believe that will happen this year either.  It won’t happen next year because we will hopefully be thinking Nepal travel, maybe the following year.

We just ran an ad in the High Plains Journal to sell some of our ewe lambs and ram lambs.  Pray we are able to sell a few to help pay for our feed this winter.  We have too many sheep for the size of pasture we have for them.  We continue to look for land, but with the economy and jobs the way they are we still aren’t comfortable taking that leap.  If real estate was better, and we thought we could sell our house if we got in a bind it would be different.  Gone are the days of flipping houses!  Eventually we will have to get brave and expand.  Hopefully when that time comes the economy has recovered a bit and jobs are more secure.

Have a great day!

 Here is Friday in the wheat field:

Dad and Craig are moving to a new field.  Randy and I are stuck behind custom cutters emptying their grain cart into their semi.  So I snapped a photo while we waited.

 Yesterday evening in the field:

Sorry some of the photos are kind of blury.  Not sure if it is me or the camera.  I’m saving my pennies for a new one before we travel to Nepal (even though this one is only a year or two old and fairly expensive, I’m not bitter).

I planted so many new trees, fruit bushes, and flowers around our house this spring I am about to kill myself keeping it watered in this heat.  We have had triple digits here off and on the past two weeks.  The heat index for this week has been anywhere from 105-110 degrees. 

My evenings (after we come home from the wheat field, usually around 8:30) consist of me and my water can or a garden hose cruising around watering everything.  Randy and I can also be found replenishing the many water tanks for our animals, feeding the chickens, collecting eggs, tending to our dogs and cat, and doctoring and checking in on the sheep throughout our evenings. 

Gone are the days of killing time shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria Secret then having lunch and a beer at California Pizza at The Summit, but this is my life.  I couldn’t be happier!

This evening will be the same as yesterday.  Randy and I will get home from work.  Do the chores that are pressing (water, eggs, etc.) and head to the field.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

Well we did it.  We finally turned our a/c on.  With the weather forecasting 3 days in a row of triple digits and a predicted heat index of 106 we caved.  Those $60 electric bills are out the window from here on out.

I was sick Friday, but still managed to last all afternoon and night in the wheat field while they cut wheat.  Friday night and all day Saturday (it rained all day, so no wheat harvest going on) I felt terrible.  I (self-prescribed) echinacea, vitamin c, and truck loads of garlic.  By Sunday I felt well enough to hop on mom and dad’s 4-wheeler and mow a portion of the pasture.  Randy was on their zero-turn and mowed our east pasture and the south ¼ of the north pasture we use for our sheep.

I am now VERY sunburned, but feeling better than I did Friday and Saturday. 

Now it’s back to another week of work.  I had a Sunday evening of dreading going back to work.  I haven’t had one of those in awhile.  It is such an awful feeling.  My job really isn’t that bad.  I would just rather be home.

I forgot my camera at home, so will post harvest pictures another time.  We should be back in the field today.