Hello Dear Friends!

It's been a  while!  How are you?  Everything is going good here--My son is getting married in September so we are busy with wedding planning.  It's been exciting.  All is well with the farm.  We have had some odd weather ---well that seems to be the normal the last few years...I'm not sure what is normal anymore-LOL.  We had a wet spring followed by an unseasonably hot period (I mean Hot!) Only to turn into this beautiful weather with showers every few days.  Who could ask for more?!  We will see if this weather last through August-I sure hope so.  The garden did especially well this year--We planted earlier than we should have and am I glad we did.  We are now planning the Fall garden as much of the spring garden has finished.   I want to share a couple of recipes that we really enjoy canning:

Salsa

Sweet Relish

6 lbs cucumbers [Do not peel]
4 cups onions
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
Directions:
Grind and mix together with;
1/2 c canning salt
2 qts Boiling water.
Let stand for 1 hour.

Drain real well, then add the following,
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. tumeric
1 pint vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch
Boil 1/2 hour and seal hot in pint jars.
Makes around 6 pints.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.  Until next time......Keep the faith-find peace-and love those around you!  Blessings>faithfarm

Notice for Oklahoma Homeschoolers-Important

This email was forwarded to me today--Please read.

[Ochecalert] OCHEC Legislative Alerts SB472 and SB308 Introduced

Thankful

Its Monday morning and time for things to get back to some kind of routine here after the holidays.  It's been a nice break and we have all enjoyed it.  Its cold here this morning and they are saying we could have some ice coming our way today.  What happened to snow?  Seems like it is always freezing rain and sleet lately.  I would like to see one pretty snow before winter gives way to spring.

We had baby rabbits born this weekend--things are getting a bit crowded in there right now--tis the season-lol.  The goat kids should be arriving next month--hopefully the new barn will be ready just in time!  It looks to be an exciting spring full of new arrivals.  The pigs are bred now and should be birthing at the end of April.  That's real exciting for me as I have never seen new baby pigs.  I have spent the weekend reflecting on everything that we have done in the last few years and I am totally amazed at how much we have learned and grown.  There is really something to be said for starting from scratch.  Take this current barn we are building...only a few years ago it would have been a huge project that would have seemed almost impossible to do--and now it is something that we all enjoy and is actually fun.  Oh how things have changed in our lives--and all for the good.  I am so thankful to God for all his Mercy and Kindness.  Enjoy your day friends-each and every one is a gift.  Blessings>faithfarm

2009 Direction

Thoughts and great website (cheese)

Good Morning All!  I hope this finds you all well.  This week is always an exciting time for me--The last week of the year!  It is the time that I look back at all we have done in the year and make plans for the new.  I love to get out the notes from a year ago's plans and see what we accomplished and how they have changed.  So much happens here on the farm that is really hard to keep up with what happened when and it is a joy to realize all that has been done in the past year.  It is also fun to look at what was top priority in January 2008 and what is top priority in 2009.  It really shows if you are staying on track or if God has us going in another direction and how we have moved with that.  It's also a time to plan for the new years planting season.  Over the last couple of years gardening has gone from a 'have to do' to a real pleasure.  I do so look forward to planting now.  Deciding on what we we will plant and how much-what worked well last year and what didn't-How to improve--It's all alot of fun.  Every year I like to try something new in the garden and this year I still have not decided what that will be.  DD wants to grow purple potato's...I'm just not sure about that one yet-LOL.

Everything else is going fine here--Eight weeks and counting until kidding season begins...Fresh milk on the horizon!  I also found an amazing website on cheese making with great pictures---

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese.html

Anyone interested in making cheese should check out this site--alot of hardwork has gone into it, you will easily see.  I was impressed.  Does anyone else have a great homestead skill site they want to share?  Hint-Hint

I hope you all have a truely Blessed New Year>faithfarm

New adventures in homesteading

We have made some changes here at faithfarm and are trying some new things that I thought I would share.  First big change is the electric.  Last week we decided that we would try living without using electric as much as possible.  The method that we decided to "train" ourselves on goes like this....All power goes off except for one hour a day, usually sometime in the morning we turn the power on and we do whatever is necessary in that hour.  The logic if, there is any,  is that for one hour a day we could run generators or use alternate methods of power to do what we need.  So my hour of power goes something like this....I wash a load of clothes in the washing maching(I'm not ready to use the washtub just yet...I have one just procrastinating on that), I vacume the floor, charge power tools, and I have been making a batch of dough in the bread machine for baking in the oven later(just a time saver there),  I also use as much water as I need to do dishes ect for that time.  I fill every thing up from outside to inside.  I realize that not all this is going to go exactly the same using a total solar application or with a generator but it is close.  The only exception to the rule is the fridge and freezer.  It is not possible right now for us not to have them and they are the 2 items that will be the first to go alternative source.  We are using the computer on Monday's and Friday's for now which allows us to keep up with the news/weather and DD computer school work time.  The other days of the week we do school the traditional way-ye ol' paper and pen method-lol.  I know this sounds odd but it really has improved our quality of life around here.  We are less distracted by gadgets and are able to spend more quality time with each other.  We play games at night by lamp light and it is so much quieter and peaceful.  Everyone seems so much more relaxed and we have laughed with each other so much more.  It's hard to explain.  The whole experiment seemed really odd at first and there was some adapting to be made but just what little time we have been doing it has already changed our point of view on things.  Life is more peaceful and what I thought would be hard without all the electric helpers and timesavers is amazingly simple.  Who would have thought?  It is also giving us a better idea on what a minimum useage requirement  for a wind/solar system would be. 

The other two new things we are trying here is candle and soap making.  I think I have the candle making process down and we are working on the soap making.  I am using a simple goat milk soap recipe I found.  Both items I hope to have for Christmas gifts.  Our Christmas is going to be a hand-made Christmas this year--not just for the immediate family but the entire family is doing it.  It is an exciting time for all of us to see what each one has done.  I am really looking forward to it.

Everything else is going fine here-the animals are doing well and the rabbits are multiplying fast-lol.  I'm still working on the canned meat process for storing.

Peace and Blessings>faithfarm

Homesteading Skills

Good Morning All!  It's still dark and quiet here so I thought I would spend a few minutes sharing a thought I have about homesteading skills.  The term homesteading has many different definitions and has changed over time.  Basically it's striving for a more self-sufficient life or what many people call a 'simple-life style'.  That term actually makes me laugh....I have found very little to do with homesteading being simple-LOL.   All joking aside a big chunk of homesteading involves learning new skills and putting your hands to work.  There are many different skills associated with this lifestyle and many different ways to do it.  It's finding what works best for you and learning what your good at.  I think that is the key.  Yes you do need a general knowledge of alot of things but somewhere in that one or two things will rise to the top.  If your anything like me you can do alot of different things -- but one will be your joy--it's that one thing that you do that you look forward to and it brings you so much peace and happiness.  Only you will know what that is.  For me it is the animals.  I love working with the animals-all of them-good, bad, dirty, clean...every aspect of that I feel a great deal of satisfaction from.  (Yes I do find joy cleaning out the barn...as odd as that is!) For some it is gardening, baking, cooking, candlemaking, soapmaking, sewing, crochet, woodwork, building, leatherwork, metalwork.....the list goes on and on.  It is very useful to have some working knowledge of all aspects of homesteading or atleast know someone who is Blessed with a strength in that area.  The point is there is so much to learn-so many different things encompassed in this lifestyle that I can't imagine anyone being great at all of it.  Don't try to master all the skills...learn enough to do it if you have to...find the one or two things you love and make that your thing...your day will be filled with many things but in that day your blessed to do what you love.  I think God gives us all a talent.  It will come easy to you.  There is no denying it when you find it.  It's what you do. 

What is your special talent?  Do you share your gift of knowledge in that area to help others?  Something to think about>Blessings>faithfarm

Confessions of being prepared/homesteading

Canning meat

Daylight Savings Time Fall 2008

For all of you who are wondering when daylightsavings time is this year:

Sunday Nov. 2, 2008  02:00am  moves to 01:00am

I never have been a big fan of daightlight savings--but of the two choices I would rather gain an hour back than loose one!-LOL

Remember Spring--spring forward     Fall-- fall back!

Blessings>faithfarm

October and a great recipe!

Good Morning All!  I just love Fall and I really enjoy October.  Cool nights and warm sunny days-what could be better?   The new hens have started laying and breeding season has begun.   The rabbits should be in full production by the end of the month and the HE-Goat is visiting the does in the pasture.  I tried to do selected breeding to have some kind of order to kidding season but that just didn't work out so now the timing is all up to them.  Kidding season is always fun anyway--why try to fight it-lol. 

A friend gave me a recipe this week and I thought it was wonderful!  Just in time for fall.  You should try it-It is so easy and so good!

Caramel Dip

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (we like dark brown sugar best!)
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Drying Tomato seeds?

Winter Preparations???

Yes I know it seems odd to be talking about winter prep in August, but if your anything like me time just goes by too fast and with this crazy weather we have been having it just seems right.  All the ol' timers are talking about a hard winter and various tell-tell signs are agreeing with them.  Sooooo.......I thought I would share some tips about winter prep I found:

Prepare your home and family

• Prepare for possible isolation in your home by having sufficient heating fuel; regular fuel sources may be cut off. For example, store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
  
  
• Winterize your home to extend the life of your fuel supply by insulating walls and attics, caulking and weather-stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows or covering windows with plastic.
  
  
• Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock or equipment. Clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm.
  
  
• Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.
  
  
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
  
  
• Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
  
  
• Know ahead of time what you should do to help elderly or disabled friends, neighbors or employees.
  
  
• Hire a contractor to check the structural ability of the roof to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow - or water, if drains on flat roofs do not work.

Prepare your car

• Check or have a mechanic check the following items on your car:
  
  
  • Antifreeze levels - ensure they are sufficient to avoid freezing.
    
    
  • Battery and ignition system - should be in top condition and battery terminals should be clean.
    
    
  • Brakes - check for wear and fluid levels.
    
    
  • Exhaust system - check for leaks and crimped pipes andrepair or replace as necessary. Carbon monoxide is deadly and usually gives no warning.
    
    
  • Fuel and air filters - replace and keep water out of the system by using additives and maintaining a full tank of gas.
    
    
  • Heater and defroster - ensure they work properly.
    
    
  • Lights and flashing hazard lights - check for serviceability.
    
    
  • Oil - check for level and weight. Heavier oils congeal more at low temperatures and do not lubricate as well.
    
    
  • Thermostat - ensure it works properly.
    
    
  • Windshield wiper equipment - repair any problems and maintain proper washer fluid level.
    
    
• Install good winter tires. Make sure the tires have adequate tread. All-weather radials are usually adequate for most winter conditions. However, some jurisdictions require that to drive on their roads, vehicles must be equipped with chains or snow tires with studs.
  
  
• Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter season.
  
  
• Place a winter emergency kit in each car that includes:
  
  
  • a shovel
  • windshield scraper and small broom
  • flashlight
  • battery powered radio
  • extra batteries
  • water
  • snack food
  • matches
  • extra hats, socks and mittens
  • First aid kit with pocket knife
  • Necessary medications
  • blanket(s)
  • tow chain or rope
  • road salt and sand
  • booster cables
  • emergency flares
  • fluorescent distress flag

 Around here there a few things added onto our list:

Cut wood---Lots and lots of wood!

Stock up on feed and hay for winter.

Fix, mend, build adequate shelter for animals.

Prepare garden soil for winter rest.

Stock up on batteries, alternative lighting, matches, ect.

Go through winter clothing and boots-replace what needs replacing.

Medical supplies--Now is the time to replace outdated cold meds and freshen up the "cold box"  Keep comfort items such as Kleenex, 7-up, gatoraid, jello and soup on hand. 

Gather necessary hunting items and seasonings before they become high demand products.

Order kidding supplies and necessary vet kit items.

Food Storage:  Anytime is a good time to do this-we just make an extra effort to examine supplies on hand.

And what should have been #1:  Take a moment to think about all the things you thought about last winter to get ready for this winter.  Take note of those items that you thought were a priority in the middle of a winter storm.  Hopefully this years "if only's" won't be next years "I should have done's"

Hope this has been helpful!  Blessings>faithfarm

Wonderful Idea!!!!!

Here is plans for homemade "self-contained gardening system" !!!!  This is a great idea and it conserves water!  These plans are made available free of charge by http://www.josho.com/gardening.htm.  Cheap and easily done.

MATERIALS (figure 0):

• 2 18-gallon (or similar) tote boxes with lids, such as Rubbermaid. Dark colors are preferable. Also, a box that is somewhat wider is preferable to one that's deeper. (You can also use larger totes, but note that once you fill them with soil, they'll be very hard to move.) The more straight-sided the box, the better.
  

• 1 5" pond basket (these are plastic planters with perforated sides to allow the free flow of water). See note 3 at bottom of page regarding pond baskets.
  
• 1 2-foot length of 1-1/2" plastic pipe or tubing (1-1/2" should be the outside diameter). DO NOT USE PVC PIPE AS SHOWN IN THE PHOTO BELOW; I NO LONGER USE PVC IN MY "SELF-CONTAINED GARDENING SYSTEM". (See Note 5 at bottom of page.) I use flexible black tubing now instead; it works identically. Also: not shown in the pictures is the fact that I cut one end of the tube at an angle. This helps the free flow of water through the tube and into the water reservoir in the bottom of the finished box.

   

Figure 0

EQUIPMENT:

• a pencil or pen
  

• a drill with a 1/4" or larger bit and a 1-1/2" bit
  
• a saw (handsaw will work, but a jigsaw makes it much easier)

   

STEP ONE

Take one of the totes, the pen/pencil, and the pond basket. Mark the HEIGHT of the basket all around the outside of the tote (see Figure 1).

.
Figure 2

STEP 2

Cut along this line. When you've cut the entire box, discard the top (open) half; you won't need it. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

STEP 3

Turn the bottom portion upside down. Take the pond basket, put it upside-down on top of the bottom portion of the tote, and trace the circle. Cut the circle out, but you're going to cut about a half-inch or more INSIDE the circle (so that this hole is about an inch smaller in diameter than the top of the pond basket). After you've done this, drill a 1-1/2" hole in the corner of the tote bottom, and a lot of small (1/4" or so) holes all over it. See Figure 3. We'll call this piece the "base."

Figure 3

STEP 4

Take the pond basket and put it right-side up in the bottom of the second tote box (the one that hasn't been used yet). See Figure 4.

Figure 4

STEP 5

Put the base in the tote box (drilled side up), wedging it down as far as it will go, and positioning the pond basket directly under the big hole. See Figure 5. Because the big hole in the base is smaller in diameter than the top of the pond basket, the pond basket will help support the weight of the base once the soil is on top. And because the pond basket will be filled with soil, it will act as a wick for the moisture (much like the square wicks in opposing corners in the authentic "self-contained gardening system" that was my inspiration for this container).

Figure 5

STEP 6

Drill a 1/4" (or slightly larger) hole straight through the outer box AND the base just below the level of the base. This is the drainage hole. See figure 6.

Figure 6

STEP 7

Cut the end of the 2-foot length of 1-1/2" pipe at an angle (if you haven't done so already) and feed this angled end into the 1-1/2" hole in the base. This is the pipe you'll use to fill the box with water. See Figure 7.

Figure 7

STEP 8

You're pretty much done. Drill a matching 1-1/2" hole near the corner of the lid for the pipe to go out, and enough other equally spaced 1-1/2" holes in the lid for however many plants you're going to put into the box (I use the planting guide that came with my commercially-available "self-contained gardening system" to tell me how many plants of any given type I can reasonably fit in the box). SEE NOTE AT BOTTOM OF PAGE REGARDING THE PLANTING GUIDE. Fill the box with soil (the pond basket and the entire remaining box above the base). Pour on the fertilizer stripe as shown in the planting guide that accompanies the commercially-available "self-contained gardening system". (They also recommend adding lime or dolomite to the soil if you're planting tomatoes.) Put on the lid. There you are! See Figure 8 for the box I made for last year's herbs.

UPDATE: May 20th, 2005

Last summer, I tried an improvement on my homemade commercially-available self-contained gardening system. Didn't want to post it 'til I'd tried it. It worked just as I'd intended, so here it is.

The improvement is to the LID ONLY. I'd decided that drilling the holes in the lid to plant the seedlings through was pretty inconvenient if you were planting more than a couple of seedlings -- the dirt balls wouldn't always fit through the holes in the lid, so you had to plant them in the box WITHOUT the lid and then put the lid on and feed the seedlings through the holes...which could hurt the seedlings and was troublesome if the planted seedlings didn't line up perfectly with the holes.

So instead...

STEP 8 REVISED

Take the lid that fits onto the box. Cut out the center of the lid, leaving just a rim (about 2" worth), enough to snap back onto the box. (You can discard the center piece, we won't be using it.) It should look like this:

(Notice that I've cut a circular area in one corner for the pipe. This is not strictly necessary. I did it so that I could have the pipe all the way in the corner, leaving more room for plants.)

STEP 9

Now cut a piece of plain black tarp (vinyl, etc.) so that it is at least a couple of inches bigger around than the top of your self-contained gardening system. Cut a hole in it for the pipe to fit through. When you're ready to plant, cut "X"s in the tarp where the plants will go. (This is very much like how the real tops work on commercially-available self-contained gardening system.) (In this photo, there's some black tubing instead of the PVC pipe. NOTE: Do not use PVC pipe. See note at bottom of page.)

STEP 10

Now just snap the rim onto the box:

Note that because of the tarp, the lid may NOT snap neatly into place anymore. This may not be an issue for you, but if you're in a windy area, you might find it necessary to tie the rim in place:

There are several advantages to this arrangement. First, planting is significantly easier through the flexible tarp than through the inflexible plastic lid. Second, because the tarp is black, it helps heat the surface of the soil, which is better for the plants. Third, if you want to plant items in a different arrangement from year to year (with, say, fewer holes), all you need to do is cut a new piece of tarp instead of drilling a whole new lid.

NOTES (added 4/25/07)

1. One of the companies that sells "self-contained gardening systems" have been gracious in putting their planting guide online: Planting Guide - PDF Format. It's a large file; give it time to load. Print it out, and be sure to read the whole document before using your self-contained gardening system (whether it's commercial or homemade).

2. People have asked me why I haven't put photos of my plants online, so that I can demonstrate the effectiveness of these boxes. Except for a few years ago when I was first introducing my family to commercially-available "self-contained gardening systems," it's never occurred to me to take photos of plants. I will take photos of my plants this season (the 2007 growing season) and put them up.

3. Many folks have trouble finding "pond baskets." (BTW, the 5" refers to their HEIGHT, not their diameter, but the height is not at all crucial...it will just dictate how tall your insert is.) They're also sometimes called "water baskets." I find mine in the "water feature" area of my local gardening center or Home Depot/Lowe's-type store -- the area where they have fountains, pumps, and hoses. In the event that you can't find a suitable pond basket -- and they CAN be square, circular, tall, short, etc, -- you can improvise this a couple of ways and even perhaps save some more money. You can use a large coffee can, removing the top and bottom and punching lots of holes in the sides. (Just substitute the can for the pond basket in all the steps above...marking the height of the can in Step One, etc.) Or you can use a bunch of smaller cans, as long as they're all the same height, and spacing them out so that they help support the platform -- cutting the platform to the height of the cans in Step One, and cutting smaller holes, properly spaced, in Step Three instead of the one large hole.

4. A number of people have asked me what I do about staking. The commercially-available self-contained gardening systems have small holes at either end of each box, each of which will accommodate a small stake. These stakes are fine for small plants, but they don't come close to supporting the weight of tomato plants! So I have two methods I utilize. For one, I have my boxes up against a chainlink fence, and I tie the plants to the fence using plant ties. But frequently the plants are too big and lush to all be attached to the fence. So I buy the very sturdy, tall, heavy wooden stakes sold at my local hardware store's gardening department, and pound them into the ground around the boxes.

5. I no longer use PVC in any of my boxes. PVCs have been demonstrated to leach plasticizers and harmful chemicals, including endocrine disruptors. There are plenty of alternatives, so there's no good reason to use PVC and risk putting these chemicals in your homegrown fruits and vegetables.

MORE NOTES (added 5/14)

1. I've been asked what to do in place of PVC pipe for the watering tube. I'd recommend copper tubing (although this will a very small bit to the price of your homemade self-contained gardening system), available widely at home supply stores. Aluminum tubing would probably also work fine. Garden hose can be used as long as it's marked as drinking-safe. Other kinds of plastic may be acceptable.

2. What sort of plastics are to be avoided? Of course, you want to avoid these all throughout the self-contained gardening system, not just with the watering tube. The kinds of plastics we generally regard as safe are those with the numbers 1, 2, 4, or 5 (these numbers are usually found inside the recycling symbol). The ones we seek to avoid are 3 (Polyvinyl Chloride/Vinyl), 6 (Polysterene/Styrofoam), and 7 (Polycarbonate and others).

3. A terrific idea for using the parts of the second box that aren't used in construction. All credit for this wonderful "less waste" idea goes to one of the people who've written to me about their Adventures in Self-Contained Gardening Systems, Linda Alldredge. She writes:

   "The left-over tops of the boxes make instant frost covers for those of us in the north. We already have the lids—just put the lid on and set the whole thing right over your tender plants in the garden. Take it off in the morning. If you want to get fancier, cut out the center of the lid (like you did to hold the plastic) and drop in a piece of Plexiglas. Voila—instant cold frame.

4. Here's another idea for using the parts of the second box. This one comes from Denise Slipka: "I also wanted to let you know what we have done with the leftover top. My husband pulls a garbage bag through it, and then uses it when he rakes up grass or leaves or whatever junk he rakes in the yard! That way it stays open for him and he can rake it right in. I must say, he thought he was very clever for thinking it up!"

5. Another terrific idea just sent a couple of weeks ago (I haven't secured permission yet to use the contributor's name):

"A greener solution for your homemade [self-contained gardening system] water tube would be bamboo. I made a similar box after purchasing an original. A friend of mine in Cincinnati has a neighbor who planted bamboo as an border hedge. My friend constantly complains because he has to remove the bamboo shoots that grow on to his property. Over the years I've harvested poles of bamboo for many uses, one use being the watering tube for my homemade [self-contained gardening system]. Works great. "

 

Remember me???

Hi everyone!  I had a quick moment to spare so I thought I would update a bit about whats going on here at faithfarm.  The summer has been a whirl-wind of gardening, canning, family and friends.  I can't believe it is already coming to an end.  We are trying to get back into the school schedule and wind down some of the garden activity.  It has been an unusual year of weather here.  We had a couple of weeks of extreme heat followed by some of the coolest and wettest August weather I have ever seen.  It has been an amazing sight and I am loving every minute of it!  The garden produced cukes, tomatoes, peppers, potato, watermelon, squash, and pumpkin.  We have beans, sweet potatoes, peppers, and winter squash growing now.  All in all it has not been a record year of harvest.  Too many extremes I suppose but still plenty to meet our needs-Thank God.  We have had an abundant year of fruit though.  We have put up peaches, apples, plums, elderberries, blueberries, (we ate the strawberries), and we still have more apples and the pears will be ready soon.

On the home front: I have been trying to declutter the house and get it ready for winter schedule.  It is amazing how much stuff you gather over a year.  We are just now finishing this years lesson plans and getting "school" organized.  We have not done much work on the inside of the house as we usually do that in the winter.  We are still waiting on the new roof to be put on.  Hopefully it will be this week. 

On the farm front:   We are working on completing one of the goat barns this month and then the new fence and milkroom/birthing barn to be completed in October.  We are installing small solar lighting setups in the barn and yard and just purchased a video/audio camera that will be installed in the birthing room.  After last years birthing events we decided it would be worth every penny to be able to monitor the does from the house until the actual birthing started.  Yeah!  The midnight trips to the barn in the cold and wet will be less!  I'm pretty excited about this.  We have begun to bred the rabbits and are waiting on the goats now to begin this years breeding season.  The new hens should be laying anytime.  They are alot larger than I expected.  The new sows and feeder pigs are growing fast.  We are going to pick up the bore pig this weekend.  Everything else is going on normally.  We decided to not raise Turkeys this next year so come fall we will use what we have for holiday meals.  We have all but given up on the idea of having a dairy cow as our needs have been more than met with the goats milk.  The hay issue got resolved.  God provided a wonderful opportunity and our needs have been met for the winter.

On the family front:  Everyone is doing fine.  DS has found a steady job and is starting to make plans to build his house.  DD has become the baker this summer...you should try her pie crust!  DH is still working--Thank God!  His job has faired well through this bad economy, it is by no means secure but so far so Blessed!    All is well.

On the world front:  Do I even need to go there?  It's crazy.  Time must be short. 

On a personal note:  It has definately been a blurr of a year.  So much has happened and so much growth.  I am finally starting to get comfortable with some of the new homesteading tasks.  There was so much new and so much to learn and try that for years I walked around with my nose in a book and learned mostly from mistakes.  I have come to appreciate the "what not to do's" as much as the "what to do's".  Now, even as busy as it is, there is a routine and a calmness to the day.  Things are becoming much easier.  I have made some amazing 'homestead' friends both in person and online.  To them I give a heartfilled Thank you!  You have brought me wisdom and experience and much needed companionship.  I thank God for you. 

Blessings>faithfarm

Hello everyone!

Best choices for homestead animals

Good Morning!  It is a beautiful and SUNNY morning here!  I was doing some research on the best breeds of animals to have on a homestead and I thought why not ask the people who know best!  What breeds have you found to be the best on your homestead and why?

Chickens:

Goats:

Rabbits:

Turkeys:

Cows:

Pigs:

Dogs:

other?:

What animal breeds have you found to be hardy, healthy, easy to handle, bred well, and have a good feed ratio?  Any breeds out there you are disappointed with?  As for rabbits....I prefer the New Zealands and New Zealand cross.  Chickens--I like the brown egg layers--but there is a special place in my heart for the bantum breeds.  They are very broody and make great mother hens to just about anything I want to set them on.  Goats?  Well that is still up for debate--I like the quality of milk produced by the Nubians but so far have not been satisfied with the hardiness of the breed.  Alpines are heavy milk producers but their milk does not have the fat content and taste we prefer.  Maybe a cross of the two would be good?  I'm pretty new at the rest of the animals listed.......any suggestions or favorites?  I really like border collies---they are great dogs and so much help on a farm.  Any suggestions on how to pick out a good barn cat---a real mice catcher?  Blessings>faithfarm

The search for Tom continues----

Today we picked up a new turkey to keep company with our adopted hen.  We had hoped for a Tom Turkey....but instead we got a beautiful young hen.   So now we are looking for Mr. Right for two turkey hens-lol.  I'm sure the right one will come along soon!  Other than that things have been drying out here a bit.  We only got a 1/2 inch rain today.  Much improved from our daily average of late!  The heat of summer has started so the ground and garden are starting to show signs of improvement.  We are getting a few peppers and our fair share of cuke's.  Looks like this might be the first year ever to not have tomato's in June.  Our oldest son has returned home for a couple of weeks until work picks up.  This is such a blessing to me!  He is so much help and his youthful strength and humor are always welcome. 

We had a thunderstorm move through our area last friday and lightening struck something close.  The strike force knocked things off my wall, took out the phone, TV, Modem, and several powerstrips and lightbulbs.  It was quite odd how some things were affected and others were not.  I am still not sure where it struck but it was bright and made a sound like I have never heard!  This coming from an Okie who's been through her fair share of storms!  We are very fortunate that we did not lose anything important...no livestock were injured and no apparent damage to property.  By tomorrow we should have everything back in working order.  On another note the new roof is scheduled to be installed the week of July 6th.  Hooraaayyyyyy!  I am very excited about this.  I think this will really help make our home more energy effecient.  This has been a big goal for us and I am so grateful to see it happening.  I pray you all have a wonderful and peaceful night>faithfarm

Starting to feel the effects!

Sweet Potatoes

This is one veg. plant that I truely love to grow here.  It provides an abundant crop and has a beautiful vine with lovely flowers long after the heat of summer has browned the remaining garden.  The sweet potato has been ranked highest in nutritional value.  It is rich in complex carbohydrates, protien, vitamin A & C, iron and calcium.  Its dark flesh has high beta carotene.  It is claimed to have many health benefits ranging from helping with  Arthritis to Weight gain.  Besides all the health benefits it just tastes great.  Sweet potatoes can be baked, boiled, fried, mashed and fluffed. 

You can grow your own slips by putting a sweet potato on a bed of sand and covering  it completely with moist sand. Keep it moist and at room temperature for four to six weeks until sprouts are about six inches tall and have a few leaves. Remove the new shoots and their roots by gently twisting them off the potato. These pieces are known as "slips." Wait three or four days before planting the slips as little root hairs will develop, and they will help to ensure survival of the vine.  Then just make mounds of loose dirt about 12 inches high and 12 inches apart.  Plant the slip about 4 inches deep.  Keep well watered at first to establish a good root system.  Later it will not require much water.  Keep the weeds out as to not desturb the new roots. Later as the vines grow weeds will not be such a problem due to the heavy vine coverage.

I have had sweet potatoes store for as long as 6 months without change in flavor or texture.  It is a must add to any garden--they require little and produce so much.  There are several varieties that will grow just about anywhere.  Blessings>faithfarm