Comments on: Farming from Scratch, Year Three

By: bonita

bonita — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:09:31 +0000

Have the cow bell and Beulah Petunia met one another?

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:17:03 +0000

This is the year I am learning to make soap, too. Maybe we can compare notes!

Right now, we have seven nannies expecting. Kidding should start the last week of February. Can’t wait!

By: Toni

Toni — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:53:45 +0000

Congratulations! Every year, every day, one second closer to living your dream!

By: Netherfieldmom

Netherfieldmom — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:01:57 +0000

Suzanne: Chickens need 14 hours of light a day to lay. Put a light on a timer to come on early in the a.m. That way they still go in and to bed at sunset. They’ll catch right up, unless you just like buying lots of chicken feed.

By: Ulrike

Ulrike — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:57:57 +0000

My friend is averaging 5 eggs/day from her 6 hens. She says it’s the hot mash she gives them for breakfast every morning.

By: Lindakimy

Lindakimy — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:58:49 +0000

I can’t understand why your chickens are not laying better. They are really so much better off than ours. We have 20 Buffs and 8 (or 9?) Reds and we are getting an average of 18 eggs a day. And it’s winter! They stay in their pens for the most part. If we let them out we have to really…really…watch our Blue Heeler. He thinks of the chickens as din-din. We feed a commercial laying mash (mornings) with a scoop of cracked corn (evenings) for dessert and whatever odds and ends of veggies that begin to go over in the kitchen. And when I weed I take them the grubs and bugs and most of the weeds. They get excited and it’s fun to watch. We don’t light their houses because that seems like excessive force to me. Would I want the lights left on day and night to increase my productivity? Uh. NO!

Anyway. I really love reading your blog. I think you are very brave to go off and act like one of our “foremothers” – most of us don’t have the grit or gumption to do that. You have chosen a real way of life and I hope you will succeed beyond your dreams. It will take time, no doubt. But, my, how your time is decorated with lovely goats and ducks and other experiences that tuck away as priceless memories.

My husband and I left suburbia for the country about 5 years ago. We downsized (well, we got rid of the mortgage at least) because he wanted to retire and we needed a place I could afford if I were to be on my own. I still work in town so I don’t have a lot of daily involvement with the chickens and such. Hey. DH is retired (thanks to my endless, underpaid job) so he feeds the hens, cleans out the chicken houses, and gathers the eggs. Fair is fair. I help with putting up veggies in summer but he does do a lot of that, too. We don’t live off our place and I wish we could. I just don’t know where the cash would come from for taxes, insurance, etc.

Still…I think it is a good thing to get closer to the earth to whatever extent one can. Even though we are not purists we are far more aware of the weather than we were before. We know when frosts come and we are learning every season about what grows well and what is just a pain in the patoot. We have dropped out of the rat race and I’m right glad about that.

Keep up the great work, please. Keep living your dream and posting about it. A lot of us read and sigh and go back to our lives with a bit of a lift.

Thanks. Really. Thanks.

By: Sharon Gosney

Sharon Gosney — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:20:28 +0000

I have a feeling this will be a good year for you. Hopefully you’ll get your barn. I opened a jar of rustic apple’s with raisin(from your blog) and mixed it berries and made a crisp with it ….so good. You should really think about putting a cook book together,I would buy one.

By: susan

susan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:58:23 +0000

The destination is a great, wonderful, dream, the journey is where all the laughter and the tears and everything in between happens. It’s the good part.
You are my favorite farmer. I love your blog, the passion you have for this farm is just wonderful. I hope I find my passion soon. I want to feel the same passion for something that you feel for your farm.
PS I love your staff, even if they are not great layers right now.
Keep up the good work!!!!

By: Janis

Janis — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:51:12 +0000

If you are wanting to upgrade your cheese–get a Jersey cow.
The butter, cream & cheese from this kind of cow is orgasmic ~!

You can sell butter from that cow for $10/lb at farmers markets.
You can barter or sell the raw milk for $5/gal
Or $3/ half gallon.

Go visit your local dairy farmer. They are all struggling and would probably sell you a good Jersey cow or bred heifer reasonable.

Lots for sale in our local ag newspaper, so find yours online.

Best of luck with your bovine adventures.

http://www.tailgait.blogspot.com

By: Jenny S.

Jenny S. — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:57:52 +0000

I’m so impressed with all you’ve done and honestly you’ve made me dream of goats, ducks, chickens, and more constantly. This NICU nurse is hoping she’ll get a chance for a more self-sustaining life one day. Until then, thought I should share this with you. Scottish highland cattle. Have you seen them before? Here are a couple of descriptions: http://hairycows.com/highland.htm, http://www.longmeadowranch.com/About-The-Ranch/Cattle/About-Highlands. I just think those cute, cuddly calves would fit in so well on your farm . They might even win over Clover