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Pig-headed or chicken-hearted????Not too long ago, I was checking on the animals and I heard one of our sows emit an occasional whine. This sow doesn't usually whine, so I thought I should check it out. I could see from where I stood that she was standing with her head down, jerking her had back on occasion, whining as she did so. My curiosity was peaked, needless to say.Upon closer inspection, I noticed a hen (a species which is not generally characterized for their intelligence) had chosen a nice cozy spot in the hay WITH THE SOW to lay her egg. The sow was apparently familiar with this pasture-based delicacy for she was eagerly awaiting, not-so-patiently for the not-to-be-rushed, taking-its-sweet-time-to-arrive ovem. As the sow stood there waiting, she would occasionally, very slowly and cautiously move her snout quite close to the deliverer of the mouth-watering delight (perhaps to check and see if her appetite could be satisfied). No sooner did the snout of the rather large and foreboding 300-plus-pound big-fat-hog approach the delicate, still-as-a-mouse, no-heavier-than-5-ounds, bony, ball of feathers when the hen quickly and effectively pecked the hog's snout. This action brought on a whine and a drawing back of the snout just as quickly as the peck was administered. This action continued to be repeated numerous times and with each time I could not hold back the chuckles. I couldn't help but ask the question, "Just who is being pig-headed and who is being chicken-hearted here????" 03:04 - 2007-Sep-25 - comments {0} - post commentHealth care - the way it used to beOnce upon a time not too long ago, folks rarely became sick. Most grew their own food. Many had their own eggs and even folks in town would butcher a chicken now and then. Beef and pork was wholesome and raised on pasture. Folks consumed lots of lard and didn't stick up their noses in disgust at organ meats or blood sausage. Of course, they drank their milk raw from primarily grass-fed animals and would have laughed at any new-fangled notion that there was any other way to drink it. On that same note, they would have thought we were loosing our scruples if we were to describe a feed lot or factory farm or pesticides.On the rare occasion when folks did become sick, an old timer told us that his grandmother would go out to the pasture or woods and gather some roots, leaves or blossums, boil them and make the ill person drink it. The sickness would be gone shortly thereafter. My grandparents each had their own remedies they would use and wouldn't have been concerned that any of them weren't government-researched and approved, nor would they have lived in fear of their children being thaken away from them by the authorities when they treated them with their home-made remedies. Neighbors shared remedies and evne treated one another. No one sued anyone back then. They all knew what worked and didn't need any university studies to back it up. Sometimes, they would take a trip to the doctor and he would fix them up using his own methods, many were what we would consider alternative. There was no insurance. There was no licensing. There was no FDA. There was no government oversight. The cost of the visit never caused any of the folks to drop their jaw in disbelief or cause them to have to sell the farm, ever. The doctor would have no business if that were the case. In fact, sometimes, they would barter and trade without the use of any cash. No biggie. Food was traded for health care. Food was every bit as valuable as health care in those days. There was relationship-based accountability, not bureaucratic-based accountability. The community looked out for one another. They regulated what came into the community and determined whether or not they were genuine. If there was a quack doctor around, word got around very quickly and he was chased out of town quicker than a coon dog can tree a coon. On occasion, the doctor would make house calls. One elderly aunt told me she finally figured out that another baby was on the way when the doctor came to the house. Again, no insurance, etc. Services were paid in cash or somethign was traded. No paperwork had to be filed out and filed either. Another old time farmer told us there used to be sanitariums that had goat farms next door. THe raw goat's milk was considered essential to the healing of the patients. Again, no FDA, no USDA, no insurance, nothing. Patients left healthy and never in fear that they couldn't afford the treatment. If the treatment were unafforable, the sanitarium would receive no business. My grandparents cared for their parents in their home until their death. They considered their wisdom, their stories of old to valuable to miss. They welcomed their parent's good influence on their children. THey even strung a line from the house to the outhouse in order to help great grandpa find his way after he lost his sight. THey would have thought a "nursing home" was a home where breastfeeding women gathered (and would have thought that was a waste of time). If the government ever wanted to stop and regulate the way they gave and received health care, I would not be surprised if the whole commmunity tarred and feathered the poor soul who came to enforce it! Of any government oversight over helath care, they would have said, "God gave us brains, we have the right to use them." Reminiscing on the good ol' days of health, freedom and common sense, Lisa 12:24 - 2007-Jul-12 - comments {3} - post commentThe Egg HogI promised to write about "the egg hog". I'm sure some of you are wondering what on earth an "egg hog" is. Perhaps some of you are thinking we've gone over the edge here at Lighthouse Farm and are venturing into the field of biotechnology as we work on splicing egg-layer genes with hog genes to come up with the world's first egg-laying hog. Can you just picture it? A big, fat sow laying on her nest of eggs. I suppose we would have to come up with a featherweight version of a hog in order for that to work. ..Of course, none of this would ever happen on our farm. We believe that what God created is indeed good. To interfere with the mixing of species is not only an insult to the One who designed them, but we believe its asking for trouble. Pride comes before a fall. Back to the "egg hog". We have quite a few hens who are broody currently. One is choosing an old leaky barn to become broody in. We like to play "Where's the chicken?" which is similar to "Where's Waldo" as we take guests into the barn and point to the place where the chicken is. No one has found her yet. Once we actually place our finger on her, of course, they have the eyes to see. She has chosen the dirt floor of this old barn right next to a garbage lid and underneath a bicycle that is almost, but not quite lying on the ground (it's angled at about 30 degrees). She is underneath one of the wheels, is a bright golden color and yet remains absolutely motionless and camaflouges into her surroundings. Three of our broody hens have chosen to be broody right on the straw floor of the pole barn within close proximity of one another. What has been quite perplexing is that each time we gather eggs and check on our little maternity ward, the number of eggs beneath each chicken changes. Sometimes they will have large numbers of eggs and sometimes only a couple. Hmmmm? What could be causing this? Of course, we're in the middle of baling hay, helping an elderly member of the family, feeding ravenous hay-baling appetites, tending the garden, etc, which leaves little time to investigate. However, our youngest took on the job. She spent a considerable amount of time observing. This took much patience, but she was determined to find an answer. So, in the sweltering barn, this is what she observed. One broody chicken very non-chalantly reached over toward the broody hen next to her, placed her beak underneath her, reached for an egg, pulled it toward her (by scooting it underneath her beak) and proceeded to put it beneath her. Ah-ha!!! Day after day, she proceeded to do this. Never mind that as large as she fluffs herself out, she now has eggs peaking out and spilling out around her. She is now named the "egg hog". Strange as it may seem, we somehow admire this fowl for she has gone against the grain of our society and values life. In fact, she can never have too much of it! The Farmer's Wife 11:29 - 2007-Jun-28 - comments {0} - post commentBack in blogdom after chasing sheepLet's face it, when the sheep escape their pasture, the choice between sitting down to blog or chase sheep never really even presents itself. It's a no-brainer! Our normally very well-behaved sheep have suddenly become very ornery. We have taught our children that animals will not escape if they are provided with greener pastures. However, if the pasture is greener on the other side, expect trouble. This theory has proved true up until recently. Our beautiful gourmet sheep have decided that the grass is greener on the other side, even if it is not. Even if it's shorter, even if it's just been plowed, they want to be everywhere where they are not supposed to be.The good news is that we think we have the problem somewhat fixed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us to his own way....There is a reason the Lord compares us to sheep. We have taken a looooong sabbtical from blogging and plan on returning intermittently. With full plates, something has to go at times and as much as we enjoy blogging, that is usually the first one to get shoved off. With farming, escaping sheep, spring babies and a very sick elderly family member, we haven't had much time to sit these days! Not complaining at all. We are very much enjoying being outside working, producing, being fruitful. We are halfway done with kidding. Three does are due next month. We also have a heifer due next month. Five sows are due withing the next couple to few months. We will have pigs ready for processing starting next month. In a few weeks the co-op we sell our meat to will be coming to the farm for a tour, so we're very busy trying to get ready for that. We are still cleaning up the farm and it is quite a large task. It's amazing what our little family of four can accomplish and we're very thankful for that! We are finished with planting the garden and if all goes well will have enough food to last us all winter. All the sheep have been sheared and lambing is finshed. With all of our ewe lambs now and all of our current sheep and if they all produce lambs like they did this year and if we can sell them all, we will almost have enough to pay fo property taxes (until they raise them with all the new building projects they have in line). We have mixed feelings about this. We are happy to maybe have enough income off of one venture of our farm to pay for property taxes and yet at the same time, our entire family works hard at this venture and we will see none of the profits nor will we enjoy them indirectly for we use none of the services which the majority of our property taxes go toward. I personally can think of many, many ministries and small businesses I'd rather support with that money for they are very fruitful, productive and frugal, but we are to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and I need to stop allowing my mind to wander into that area.  John was invited to speak more about Authentic Agriculture at a workshop at the Iowa Homeschool convention with Dr. Jim Bartlett of Biblical Concourse of Home Universities. They thoroughly enjoyed their time there and had a wonderful visit with part of the Bartlett family. Thankfully, things went rather smoothly with chores while John and one of our daughters was gone. Our other daughter and I took care of the animals and the animals cooperated (for the most part). If all goes well and I am able to have time to sit, I'll write about "The Egg Hog". Until then, Lisa The Farmer's Wife 12:33 - 2007-Jun-12 - comments {1} - post commentOde to Winter 2007The Winter That Wouldn't Let Goby the Mesko Family As we sit here in April Huddled against the cold, The winter of 2007 Is getting very old. It started in October With rain and freezing temp's. The cattle braced against the sleet And looked like four-legged wimps. November brought the first snow And we started feeding hay. The sheep preferred to forage Out in the pasture day after day. The water pipes froze in December As the temperatrue dipped below zero. "This is Minnesota," we said "Where the weather is as cold as Nero." On the 10th of January Our sow went into labor. Twelve below and shivering, This moment she did not savor. The white stuff came in February. The piles they did grow. The children dug and played and made Houses in the snow. We had to use the snowplow And sometimes got stuck. The pigs piled warm and high And the sheep showed lots of pluck. March is spring in most places, With green starting to peep. In 2007, March brought blizzards Through which we could only sleep. March 26th proved an odd day, We all grinned with glee, For the sun came out, melted the snow, And it was 81 degrees! Our hearts turned toward spring, Four inches of snow on April 10th Spring has sprung, it’s here for sure, 11:46 - 2007-Apr-16 - comments {1} - post commentChicken and Hog DVD's are now finished!!My husband is a former county extension educator who has taught food production skills on our farm. Due to popular demand, we are beginning to format these workshops and educational experiences onto DVD. And (drum roll), we have finally finished our first DVD's!With the first one, John teaches how to butcher a chicken from start to finish. It's so easy our children join in to learn how to eviscerate. Our oldest summarized it as "a very pleasant experience." With the second DVD, we include four generations of family members, including John's 94 year old grandmother and his parents as they pass on the tradition of hog butchering. This was such a special experience for all involved. We are all still taking about it. Hog processing from start to finish is demonstrated as well as how to cut up the meat which really is a mini meat science course. With both DVD's John touches on the Biblical reason as to why we eat meat. This has been so appreciated by our workshop participants and stands in stark contrast to the beliefs saturating our culture which stem from movies like Bambi and Charlotte's Web (which villify man for taking animals for sustenance). In both DVD's, the anatomy of the animal is covered which is biology in its most natural state! Most of the citizens in our country were quite familiar with the butchering of chickens and hogs. This was viewed as a very normal event and looked forward to eagerly and gratefully as they put food on their table. These DVD's are our effort to teach, inform and normalize that which used to be normal. If you would like to see John's introduction, go here http://www.lighthousefarm.com/video/AAintro.mp4 If you would like to read more about the DVD's, go here http://www.lighthousefarm.com/dvdpage.htm If you would like to purchase them, go here http://kunaki.com/MSales.asp?Publisherid=111506 Blessings, Lisa (The Farmer's Wife) 10:14 - 2007-Mar-12 - comments {1} - post commentVideo clip of the birth of a pigletWe posted a video clip of a sow giving birth to one of 16 piglets! If you are interested in viewing it, you may go here http://www.lighthousefarm.com/video/piglets.movAbout 5 weeks ago, the sow in the video gave birth to 16 piglets one evening at 10 below temp's. For those of you who don't know, 16 piglets is phenomenal. As a matter of fact, that's a first on this farm, ever. Sows usually average around 8-12 per litter. I will add that the runt died due to his mother laying on him. This is not unusual. But to have 15 piglets and to have that many survive, brings us to our knees in humble gratitude. They are all doing very well at 5 weeks of age now. They continue to nurse from their mother and are now eating along with her. I grew red mangle beets this summer specifically for the animals and throw one in to them now and then. They love them. I left the dirt on the beets which they consume very quickly. Confinement piglets need iron supplements shortly after birth. We just give our pigs soil which contains iron naturally. Piglets are fascinating to watch. Unlike many other farm babies, their mother does not lick them clean after they are born. As a matter of fact, the sows never lick their offspring at all. The piglets know to go to the sow's udder and they know where to find nourishment and warmth. Within days of their birth, they begin rooting with their tiny disk-shaped snouts. They also quickly learn to get out of the way when big mamma comes along or they will get stepped on. If they are suddenly startled, they bark very much like a dog and scatter to hide and stand very still. Did you know that birds are not the only ones who build a nest for their young? Pigs also build nests to give birth in. They also build nests to keep their young warm. If they are outside, they will dig a deep pit (2 feet deep) in the ground which blocks wind. If they are inside, we provide hay, which they will pick up with their mouths and make elaborate nests - sometimes with edges 2-3 feet high. The piglets learn very quickly to bury themselves in the hay to keep warm. We do not confine our hogs like the hog industry does. We do not put the sows in tiny crates which do not alow them to move around, where they are forced to stay in one place with room only to lie down. Nor do we confine our hogs in buildings in tiny small spaces on concrete. We do not give them the hormone which is given to pretty much all confinement hogs which makes them lean. We believe in working with the way God created animals to be instead of working against His design. We believe this contributes to healthier animals and healthier people. We believe God made pigs fat for a reason and do not work against His design in that way by feeding them the "lean" hormone. We render the lard and use that for cooking much the way all of our country did prior to the industrial revolution. Enjoy the clip! The Farmer's Wife (Lisa) www.lighthousefarm.com 08:21 - 2007-Feb-23 - comments {2} - post commentNews about Haitian friends!!!!!A couple of summers ago, we hosted a Haitian widow and her daughter on our homestead for a summer. The little girl had to have life-saving surgery and almost didn't make it once arriving to the States. What an absolute joy to hear from the missionaries that arranged for her trip to the States that she is doing very well!!!!We were able to see pictures of her and her mother which warmed our hearts! What an experience it was to host these folks. While it was a lot of work, we look back on it with very fond memories. I will not go into the details of this experience here for I blogged about it earlier. I only want to add that it is definitely more blessed to give than to receive. And a homestead is a wonderful, wonderful place to bring folks to who need help and encouragement. While it is tempting for us homestead-types to enjoy the peace of our place ourselves, please pray about an opportunity to serve someone. When a struggling, hurting person is able to witness the awes of God's creation it brings much perspective. You may view current pictures of this lovely family on www.totheleastofthese.org In Christ, lisa@lighthousefarm.com 11:43 - 2007-Feb-16 - comments {0} - post commentAuthentic AgricultureTMDo we really need another word to define agriculture? I think so. Folks, I don't come at this easily. I am not normally one to wrangle about words, but we all must agree that the government has adulterated words like "organic", and "natural", and they are working hard at "grass-fed". Remember, once the USDA defines a word, it's open to legislation. This means it can be re-defined by the highest bidder.I say let's coin our own word, define it first, and lay claim to it before anyone else does. I put forth "Authentic Agriculture". Authentic means "made or done in the original, traditional way, or in a way that faithfully resembles an original." What is "original" agriculture? Well we look to our origins and the Bible for our guidance on that. Ask yourself this question. If you were stranded on a desert island, and had nothing but the Bible in your hands, no TV, no grocery stores, no big ag coumpaines, no universities, nothing but the island and the Biblie, what would you conclude about agriculture? Would you think it normal to pump animals full of drugs to help them live in cramped quarters? Woudl you think about food in an industrial, efficiencey-minded manner? Would you think about killing weeds with chemicals? Would you conclude that man should buy all his food from a grocery store, where it has been grown and prepared by minimum-wage-earning strangers? I say not. Here's what I would conclude, using the Bible as my guide: 1. God created everything. Gen 1:1 2. God was the original, authentic farmer 3. Man was created to cultivate the soil. Gen 2:5,15 (infact, nothing grew until man showed up. God put it all on hold for us to care for.) If man desn't in some fashion practice this God-directed, God-ordained accupation, he is not fulfilling his purpose as given to him by his Maker. 4. God gave everything to man, for his good, and for God's glory. Gen 2:16,9:3 These become foundational elements of Authentic Agriculture. It is imperative that we use the Bible and God's creative process as our foundational definition of Authentic Agriculture. Remember, "he who defines the argument, carries the day." The main reason for this definition is to redeem the current state of affairs in agriculture for the Glory of God. In addition to this, if Authentic Agriculture does no include as a foudnational element, our dependence on God and His authority over all of creation, then it will be twisted by supposedly well-meaning folks who want it to be regulated, challenged and defensible. As Christians, we can stand on the word of God in this definition. Once that has been established, the government won't touch it for fear of impinging on our freedom of religion. In addition, the reason for the trademark is to protect it from being stolen and redefined by corporate ag or the USDA. More details will be rolled out in subsequent posts... Good Farmer John 09:36 - 2007-Jan-31 - comments {3} - post commentWelcome!Welcome to our blog! This is where we journal about the latest experiences our family has had as we resurrect my husband's boyhood farm. My husband is a former extension educator as well as former industrial seed company agronomist/economist. He left all that along with a steady paycheck to pursue a passion of our family's to have a family business and to grow food the way it was meant to be grown. We are quite literally starting from the grass roots!We have hosted many workshops teaching others how to garden, can, raise and process chickens. My husband has consulted with farmers in the U.S. and was even asked to volunteer to take a trip to Russia to teach about sustainable agriculture. All that to say that we are passionate about what we do and are passionate about sharing it with others. We are excited to announce another project we have been working on... By spring, we will be releasing the firstfruits of our educational DVD's! We are wrapping up our DVD on chicken and hog butchering as well as one on a family tradition of making a traditional sausage from Hungary! In addition, we have several more DVD's in the works. Producing one's own food is an art and a tradition that was once considered the norm and was expected. Even folks in the city had chickens as well as a pig and a garden which were used for their sustenance. We are excited that it is a tradition that is no longer on the verge of extinction. Our purpose in making these DVD's is to not only encourage and teach those who wish to learn, but also to expose folks to the realities of where their food comes from. Ham doesn't come from the grocery, it comes from a real, live animal that was created for our sustenance. Chicken legs don't grow on foam trays in the grocery store, they come from an animal that was created and raised for our food. Stay tuned for official release dates of our DVD's! We are sure you won't be disappointed! Also, feel free to check out our website and sign up for our newsletter www.lighthousefarm.com Blessings to you and yours, The Farmer's Wife 10:18 - 2007-Jan-4 - comments {2} - post commentA Peaceful Night in the PastureA few nights ago, we headed out to the pasture to have a small bonfire surrounded by the cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. A few grunts emerged from the pig's pasture next door. My husband suggested this activity as we all gathered around the fire to keep warm. He asked us to imagine what it must have been like for the shepherds in the field tending their flocks at night when an angel of the Lord came upon them to make the greatest, most holy, most miraculous birth announcement this world has ever heard, that our King was born...!!! Scripture tells us they were sore afraid.We sat in the dark, imagining, in wonder and awe. Then, we could think of no other response than to sing parts of Handel's Messiah, the parts that referred to Jesus' birth. Our Lord and King came to the earth in simplicity...He lived His Holy life in simplicity...it never ceases to amaze and humble me. Bowing down to the King of kings, The Farmer's Wife 07:20 - 2007-Jan-2 - comments {4} - post commentBig Sale at The Old Schoolhouse!!Check out The Old Schoolhouse Sale here http://the oldschoolhousestore.com/afterchristmas/After Christmas Sale.htmlEvery day until January 1st, the 1st ten shoppers who purchase 4 or more products will receive some free goodies (over $300 in value). For starters, they will receive, the current 19 promo gifts they offer to their magazine subscribers http://theoldschoolhousestore.com/5-1-06_Prom.html Plus, they will receive THREE audio CD's from The Old Schoolhouse (Secrets of Successful Homeschooling, Homeschooling the High-schooler, and The Well-Integrated Homeschool). PLUS, they will receive a free one year subscription to The Old Schoolhouse magazine. Plus, a Draw Write Now book! Plus, the largest order of each day will receive these gifts as well. Hmmm. Sounds like a good deal to me. The Old Schoolhouse Store has graciously been carrying the first fruits of our products. It's a wonderful company run by wonderful folks. Be sure to check them out! Blessings, The Farmer's Wife 11:36 - 2006-Dec-28 - comments {1} - post commentRendering LardHave been busy rendering lard these past few days and will have more to go! Wow, is it delicious. If you haven't had freshly rendered lard, you're missing out. I plan on using it for all of our cooking and look forward to it. Popcorn popped in lard just cant' be beat. And the cracklin's left over from rendering lard - well, I must say, they are a real treat! They taste much like the crispy fat of bacon. Mmmm-mmmm!Lard has had a bad reputation. In my spare time, I plan on tracing and investigating why this is so. I have a very strong suspicion that someone stood to gain a lot of money by destroying lard's reputation... It actually is very high in Vitamin D for one. There is a growing evidence of research which is showing that fat from healthy animals raised the way God intended them to be raised, eating what God intended them to eat, is actually very good for us. Rendering lard is quite simple. The girls and I took the shavings which John cut from the pig and froze them. Later, we put them through a hand cranked meat grinder. You could also cut them up into pieces. We then placed them in a crock pot on high with the lid off. The purpose of rendering lard is to slowly boil off any water left in the fat. It has to be done low and slow. I stirred the lard occasionally. It took around 8 hours for the lard to be finished. SInce the crock pot would not heat the fat higher than 220 degrees, I dipped off as much lard as I could, then transferred the rest with the leftover pieces of un-rendered fat into a saucepan and slowly simmered it for about 45 minutes until the little fat pieces fried into these delicious crunchy delights! I drained off the rest of the lard and saved it. The finished lard must be refridgerated or frozen and can be used for just about any recipe that calls for oil. The cracklin's can be eaten as is, or they can be added to the tops of salads or mixed into biscuits or whatever you can think of. We have given ours away as gifts and we are saving some for a hearty breakfast, mixing them with our homemade biscuits using a traditional Hungarian recipe. My father told me that when he was a boy they had no such thing as corn oil or safflower oil or canola oil. They had lard. Period. And it was good!! I have had some requests to post pictures of our hog butchering. Since we have dial-up internet in our neck of the woods, I can't seem to post pictures without the internet disconnecting...every time, no matter how many times I try or what time of day...so I've given up. Instead we are working on something else to be able to make it available which I think folks will appreciate more.... stay tuned!!! Blessings! The Farmer's Wife 02:55 - 2006-Dec-19 - comments {3} - post commentHog Butchering TimeWe processed our first hog on the farm with 4 generations of family members present to make a traditional Hungarian sausage! What memories and what a joy that was!I apologise for not blogging in quite long time. We've had our plates full and blogging was pushed off. I am not sure how often I will be able to blog in the future, but just to let you know we are working on some exciting projects that our family has had a blast putting together. We are in the end stages of finalizing a deal with a local organic grocer who wants to purchase meat from us regularly - this is the closest thing to a steady paycheck a farmer will ever get. We also have some things we are working on to present to the general public that we are excited about and right now that's all I will share, stay tuned....!!!! Yesterday, we finished cutting up one of our hogs. The whole process went very well and we were so very blessed to have John's 94 year old Hungarian grandmother as well as his parents present to assist with teaching and demonstrating how to prepare Hurka, a traditional Hungarian sausage which is absolutely delicious. Four generation under one roof cooperating, teaching, producing together. We were so very thankful to have had that opportunity as it may very well be the last. For now that's all I have time to blog. I have lard to render. Plus, those other projects are calling us to be completed... (!!!!!) So very grateful for the wisdom of our elders and for our pork harvest, The Farmer's Wife 09:48 - 2006-Dec-11 - comments {4} - post commentJohn Ray - Founder of BiologyOur family just read about John Ray (1627-1705) and were fascinated to discover that he grew up helping his mother gather herbs in the fields which she used to prepare medicinals for her family and for her community. In fact, he later wrote a book cataloging plants of the British Isles which contained a long section on medicinal use of plants and also denounces astrology, alchemy and witchcraft associated with such.He worked his way through college starting at the age of 16 and stayed on as a lecturer. According to J.G. Crowder in The Founders of British Science, "Ray (told his students) that, instead of devoting themselves to games and dissipations, they would gain more satisfaction from the contemplation of the wisdom and goodness of God, as demonstated in the exquisite works of nature." Botany and zoology weren't standard subjects in the university at that time and yet, Ray invited his students to accompany him on their time, as he studied and researched flora and fauna. Apparently, Ray had intended to become a clergyman, but lived during a time when the state governed in the affairs of the church so much so that he could not endear himself to such a religion as that and would not compromise his faith. Therefore, he was dismissed from the university with no means of supporting himself or his widowed mother. Of course, God works all things for the good for this is when Ray was freed to do that which the Lord called him to do. A former wealthy student asked him to undertake scientific research together at his expense. This student knew a good thing when he saw it and made a great investment. Ray then proceeded to accomplish his great work in biology. Ray's belief in God went hand-in-hand with his scientific research. He did not divorce the two. His research gave evidence of divine wisdom. In fact, he wrote a classic entitled, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation. He readily acknowledged that there was a Creator. As we work on our homesteads, may we "contemplate on the wisdom and goodness of God, as demonstrated in the exquisite works of nature." In awe of the wisdom and goodness of God, The Farmer's Wife 08:35 - 2006-Oct-21 - comments {4} - post commentA Breath-taking Field TripOur family has taken many field trips over the years, but this type has to be a first for us. We've heard stories about this type of field trip, but haven't participated. We always listened politely and with empathy hoping and planning we would never experience it.We certainly have taken all sorts of field trips. Trips to historical farms, battle re-enactments, museums, oratorio's, symphanies, musicals, plays, wilderness areas, 3 week camping trip along Lake Superior through 3 states, farming conferences, history festivals, etc. were trips that were planned for and quite enjoyable. Now, I will say that the field trip we took recently was one in which we weren't charged at all...well, atleast we weren't charged financially for it. You see, we brought some new calves onto the farm. We have a system which has worked just peachy for us. It allows the current herd and newbies to get to know one another and as the newbies are let loose, the current herd shows them the boundaries and all is well here on the farm. Well, these new calves seemed as if all was well while they integrated. Quiet, gentle, no problems, until we allowed them out of their confinement and they ran swiftly toward our long driveway right through the electric fence. Meantime the older, wiser cattle (is there such a thing) who usually head them off joined them in their escapade bending metal posts as they ran through the fence. Our whole family saw part of our life (savings) pass before our eyes as we kicked into high gear and sprinted to head off the herd. We spread out and managed to stop the running and slowly herded them back into the pasture area that now had electric fence on the ground with broken posts. How did we manage to keep them in? We didn't. Atleast the original runaway calves didn't stay put for long. Not long enough for us to fix the fence anyway. So, for hours (I think, atleast it sure seemed like hours) we headed these guys off. They even split up - one took off on the north end of the pasture while the other took off on the south end of the pasture. John was left to herd one by himself while the girls and I took on the other one. And thus went our trips through the field over and over and over and over, again and again and again as we tried to figure out how to fix the fence while trying to keep them confined. We couldn't just let them run for they were heading for the road to the east side of our property and the road on the north side of the property. We didn't want pressed beef nor any pressed metal or injuries. We finally did somehow manage to fix the fence while containing and herding the runaways after many sprints up hill and cross country. It certainly was breathtaking as well as near heart-stopping. Extreme, I think is the "in" word that could describe our field trip. And, the fixed fence didn't stop the runaways. After grazing with the herd (who now ignored the runaways), they would would bawl and bawl and head for the electric fence. So now we are on the perimeters of the fence (which John made extra special hot just for them) hoping they touch it enough to get a good hard jolt. One approached the fence and touches it with his nose and we hear the spark as he jerks back. We cheer. Does that stop him? No, he and his partner touch it many times with a jerk backward. The fence is definitely hot enough. Now I'm getting very weary of these slow-learning stupid animals. I keep thinking what a joy it will be when they meet the freezer over a year from now. Over a year?? That is a long time to deal with these beasts. I was rather tired and perhaps due to the blood rush to my brain from all of the sprints, I began to remember a song that I had forgotten from long ago as a runaway began to bawl again and head toward the fence that stood between me and it. A song popped into my mind, "Stop in the name of love, before you break my heart." I did hope these bovines would stop and my heart had gotten a pretty good work-out with all those up-hill cross-country dashes... After a while, we began to learn their patterns. They would graze with the herd for a time. Then they would start bawling and that is when they headed toward the fence. So, between bawling we managed to get some things done, like chores, and when the bawling began we all headed toward the fence to head off the runaways. We did this into the evening. John even got up at night when he heard them begin to bawl. So, how and when did this field trip end? The very next day, thank the Good Lord, one of our heifer came in heat. It was enough to keep the runaway steers home for good. Atleast they haven't escaped over a week... Learning to herd animals and outsmart them, listening to instructions so you don't get trampled, working together as a team, patience and problem-solving were just some of the things we learned as a family in more depth as a result of our field trip. Hoping there will be no part two to this field trip story, The Farmer's Wife 05:18 - 2006-Oct-20 - comments {2} - post commentFat and SassyConstantly eating and eating. Roaming around and eating anything and everything. Pigging out. Eating like hogs.They slurp loudly. They eat with their mouths open and smack their mouths with food falling out. They provide a great example on how not to eat. Fat jiggles on pretty much all parts of their bodies. Double chins run in this family. When we visit them and don't bring them some treats, they whine and then leave to get their own treat. Usually it's clover or grass or roots. Must be health food nuts. Of course, their favorite treat which we bring them daily is goat's milk. They attack it as if they hadn't eaten in years. No joke. Talk about a food fight. Even though there is plenty to go around they push each other out of the way and hog it down. They sure are healthy and robust though. Sleek and shiny and solid, just they way they were meant to be. Even the runt, the youngest of 14, is extremely filled out. It's difficult to pick him out anymore. As a matter of fact, he is probably one of the most chunky in the clan. They do keep their quarters fairly neat and they don't stink. And they seem content. As happy as pigs in mud. Probably because they are. Looking forward to the pig harvest in December, The Farmer's Wife 03:53 - 2006-Oct-11 - comments {1} - post commentReal Men Eat Quicheand even make requests for it! I ought to know for I am married to a real man who likes quiche! Last night we had such a meal. I make my own variation of quiche depending upon what garden produce I have available. Last night, I used lots of eggs, raw cheese, milk from our goats, sea salt, finely chopped swiss chard, tomatoes (red and green) and onions, as well as a little oregano and minced garlic.I served this with mixed salad from our garden. My daughter helped me make homemade buttermilk biscuits made from freshly ground spelt flour and our own goat's milk topped with butter and gjetost. Gjetost is a Norwegian goat cheese which my daughters and I made from the copious amounts of leftover whey from mozzarella we had made. It is made by boiling down the whey, which can take 6-12 hours until it is of a spreadable consistency. It is quite tangy in taste. Although it has been some 10 years since I've had Velveeta, I do find myself wondering if gjetost is what those manufacturers were trying to mimic! For dessert, we had strawberry sorbet made from frozen strawberries, sucanat and goat's milk kefer (kind of like yogurt only more of a liquid consistency). My real man and my real children and this real wife enjoyed our real food last night. After partaking of our real food we proceeded to get some real work done. There is nothing like real food that sticks to your ribs and gives you fuel to finish a task, even if it is quiche! :) Off to fix my real hungry gang some real food for lunch, The Farmer's Wife 12:34 - 2006-Oct-7 - comments {2} - post commentGreen Tomato RecipesWe have quite a few green tomatoes left that I don't want to go to waste. So, I've found several recipes to use that maybe other folks would be interested in._________________ Green Tomato Pie 3 cups green tomatoes, sliced 3 T flour 4 tsp grated lemon peel 6 T lemon juice 3 T butter 3/4 t cinnamon 1/4 t salt 1 1/3 cup sugar (I use sucanat) 4 T butter pastry for 9 inch 2-crust pie Combine 1st eight ingredients in bowl and pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Cover with top crust. Pierce crust with fork to allow steam to escape. Bake 10 min. at 450 degrees, reuce heat to 350 degrees, and bake another 30 minutes. Serves 6-8 ___________________________________________________ Green Tomato Cake 2 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup vegetable oil or melted shortening (I use coconut oil) 3 eggs 2 t vanilla 3 cups flour 1 t salt 1 t baking powder 1 t cinnamon 1/2 t nutmeg 1 cup pecans or walnuts 1 cup raisins 2 1/2 cups diced green tomatoes coconut (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla 'til smooth and creamy. Ad flour, sl=alt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; slowly beat into egg misture. Blend well. Stir in nuts, raisins and tomatoes. Pour into greased 9X13 inch pan. Top with coconut. Bake X 1 hour. Serves 12 ______________________________________ Of course, there is also fried green tomatoes. I dredge sliced tomatoes in beaten eggs before coating them with cornmeal and then frying them. Mmmm! I don't fix them often for I'm the only one in the family who enjoys eating them! I've also seen recipes for green tomato relish that I plan on using this year. I plan on freezing some green tomatoes as well. Some folks blanch a cored green tomato before freezing them in a baggie. Some folks drop a cored green tomato in boiling water for a couple of minutes, peel the skin off and then freeze them in a baggie (this is how I froze many of our red tomatoes to be used in the winter for soups, etc.). Some folks wrap their green tomatoes in newpaper and store them in a basement. They eventually ripen. I've even seen recipes for green tomato salsa and green tomato ketchup. Enjoy! The Farmer's Wife 01:29 - 2006-Oct-6 - comments {4} - post commentHarvestIn spite of a drought, our freezer is full, by the grace of God! We are humbly thankful for the Lord's provision this year! We are a pasture-based farm and a drought means no pasture. While at times this year our pasture didn't look very green and lush, we would have just enough growth to sustain the animals and they even gained weight on this compromised pasture! The beef, sheep, pigs and chickens all did very well. We have lamb in the freezer and, wow, is it ever delicous, juicy and tender! One would never guess by tasting it that we had a drought. We have some beeves which will be processed in a couple of months. And the piglets will be ready in Dec./Jan. Both the piglets and beeves look very healthy and robust.The harvesting is just about complete in our garden. We have some beets, a few carrots and some swiss chard left. We also have quite a few green tomatoes which I think I am going to make some relish out of as well as freeze some to go into making bread (as in green tomato bread, instead of zucchini bread). We are just about ready for winter food-wise. Grateful for the harvest, The Farmer's Wife 12:32 - 2006-Oct-4 - comments {3} - post commentTwo Cents Worth on Pinching Pennies...We have the privelege of knowing a gentleman who is older and wiser than us. He is extremely resourceful and is described accurately by our children as, "He can fix anything!" Yes, it is true. He can fix anything. He also has his own little workshop where he has collected many old parts from many different things, for you never know when you might need it. He describes his workshop as, "If I don't have it, you don't need it!" Yes, that is also true.One day, he was working on a project that required some washers. Lo, and behold, he ran out of washers (in his shop that has everything)! He checked out the local hardware store to find each washer would cost him $0.06. He came home without any washers, for he determined he could do a whole lot better than that. He finished his project substituting pennies for those washers. So, instead of those silver-colored washers, there was a glint of copper glimmering from behind those screws on his project and he saved himself $0.05 per washer. Now that's common cents for you!!! The Farmer's Wife 03:39 - 2006-Oct-2 - comments {5} - post commentCockle burrs and stinging nettle a blessing?After a walk in the woods, we may immerge with a clump of cockle burrs on our socks, clothing or hair. We find cockle burrs in unmentionable places on the pup. It is also not unusual to find a glob of cockle burrs clinging to the sides of the pigs and cattle. We have been amused at the weapons their tails become when the tips are loaded with cockle burrs (as long as we don't get hit by them). Have you ever tried to remove a clump of those pesky burrs from wool? A lamb got twisted up in a burdock plant in the pasture this summer. It was quite interesting untangling him. It is simliar to untangling many threads from a piece of velcro while the thread tries to dodge you as you try to untangle which makes it tangle even further.Imagine our surprise to discover this pesky plant known as burdock is a medicinal herb as well as a medicinal food! According to "Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs", it is a tonic, diuretic and is great to use for acne. The leaves and roots can be consumed and can also be made into tinctures or poultices along with the seeds. Burdock is also a sign of fertile soil which must mean our soil just can't be beat! All of a sudden, this burdensome plant is now viewed as a beneficial blessing! Interesting to note that our flock of ewes we purchased in the spring preferred the burdock leaves when they first arrived.... Stinging nettle is also prolific here, especially in the old hog lot. Each of us have accidently touched it (minus our gloves) while putting up electric fencing. It is not an enjoyable experience. The stinging sensation and the burning lasts for about 10-15 minutes and is impossible to wash off. It just has to last its course. We haven't viewed nettle with much fondness either until we discovered that it, too, is known as a medicinal herb and food. According to "Growing 101 Herbs That Heal" it is a whole-body tonic, rich in vitamins and minerals. The author of "Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field & Marketplace" wrote that he refuses to travel without some nettles. He claims it is one of the most nutrient-rich foods there are. All of a sudden, when we see our healthy crop of nettles, we think, "No pain, no gain." What we once viewed as annoying, we now view as a treasure trove. There are many common everyday plants that are being rediscovered. Cheri of www.sweethollowfarm.com shares in her classes how to prepare medicinal herbs which is a fabulous idea and a great service. Making herbal preparations has been around long before medical schools were ever established and has been helpful for a number of folks for generations. It is an art and ancient skill that is making a come-back. Not too long ago we visited with a neighbor who told us a story about an elderly farm wife who used to live in these parts. Her grandson visited her and came down with the flu. She proceeded to venture into the woods to emerge with some roots and leaves which she cleaned and boiled and encouraged the young man to drink. The next day, the young man felt wonderful. To view simple plants the Good Lord gave us as His provision for our sustenance, enjoyment and health takes a deliberate mind-shift. Afterall, there are no glitzy television commercials, billboards or magazine ads insisting that they be noticed. No one stands to make a million from it. They are simple, just waiting to be discovered for those who have the eyes to see. Enjoying simple pleasures with my family, The Farmer's Wife 08:54 - 2006-Sep-23 - comments {3} - post commentGourmet Meals At The Farm TableGrilled, marinated, grass-fed, tender and juicy Icelandic lamb chops, roasted Purple Viking potatoes with purple onions, sea salt and 4 minced cloves of our very own Spanish Roja garlic, fresh diced tomatoes and onions marinated in sea salt and raw apple cider vinegar on a bed of Sucrine lettuce, homemade breadsticks made from freshly ground spelt flour with melted garlic butter dip and homemade apple sauce was what filled our house with wonderful aromas this weekend.All of the food except the spelt was grown on our farm. For the table, we used a pretty blanket throw and a centerpiece vase of beautiful pink Cosmos flowers from our garden. For the background music we used a CD of classically arranged hyms played with stringed instruments. Our company consisted of Grandpa and Grandma and the conversation was delightful. Gourmet = food that is of the highest quality and flavor, prepared well and presented in an artful manner. Yes, the quality just couldn't be beat, the flavor and aromas were rich and the color combination was a feast for the eyes. And the satisfaction, well, there just is no statement to describe the feeling that comes from partaking of fantastic food that you produced on your own farm (I write this with humility and awe). The meal was fabulously delicious in our humble abode which we prepared, consumed and savored after handmilking the goats, gathering the eggs, fighting off a rooster that was in the protective mode (who will be in the stew pot if he pulls that again!), slopping the hogs (while they put their muddy nose prints on our clothing nudging us to pet them), catching and wrestling rams to a new pasture, stepping in some fresh cow pies, fighting cob webs in the old, decaying barn, putting another load of farm clothes in the wash, and sledge-hammering some concrete chip by jarring chip (this was John's project, it hurt just to watch it). We may live simply (and love it!), but we also eat like kings! John remembers well his father's statements many times after eating of the provision of their farm while growing up, "President so-and-so doesn't eat this good!!" Grateful for God's provision of such good food and the opportunity to grow it, The Farmer's Wife 03:57 - 2006-Sep-18 - comments {1} - post commentSeeds Worth SavingSaving seeds was considered the norm in days past. My grandparents and great grandparents and generations prior to them considered that a normal part of their summer. They selected for seeds that thrived on their farms. All of the seeds grown back then were open-pollinated. Of course, seed-saving won't work quite well with the hybrid seeds of today, but is a dream with open-pollinated varieties.We are in the process of saving the open-pollinated varieties of plants that are thriving on our farm. Ones worth saving for our northern climate were the Northern Pickling Cucumbers which gave and gave all summer long and Green Hubbard Squash which thrived without being watered all summer long. It was located next to the sweet corn at the top of a hill and did very well in our drought. The squash is huge and beautiful and we are looking forward to making pie from it. The sweet corn, however, was in a sad state. In a time-saving crunch, we purchased hybrid corn from a local store which did not do well in our drought at all. We were able to salvage some ears of corn for some meals and put away a few quarts from our knee-to-waist-high hybrids. We are currently in the process of searching for a good open-pollinated variety of sweet corn for next year. We were quite pleased with our beneficial flowers as well and are in the process of saving seed from those. Zinnias and Mexican Sunflowers have to be the favorite. These flowers have bloomed all summer long. Not only were they a beautiful addition to our garden, they attracted quite an array of beneficial insects as well as Humming Birds. Selecting and saving seeds will not only keep the seed bill down from year to year, but it is such a wise way of selecting for those plants that thrive on each property. It keeps heritage alive within a family - what I wouldn't do to have some of my grandparents seeds now. I would plant them with such a sense of honor to my heritage and eat the produce while reminiscing about my wise agrarian ancestors. Also, it is a wonderful way to teach observational skills to our children as they learn to detect and discern what characteristics to look for in a seed worth saving. A wonderful book which we refer to often is entitled, "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth. It provides excellent instruction on seed saving. As we build our seed inventory, we purchase our seeds from "Seeds of Change", "Bountiful Gardens" and "Seed Savers Exchange", all of which are open-pollinated varieties. We are eagerly awaiting our seed catalogues in order to begin planning for next year. The Farmer's Wife 10:13 - 2006-Sep-6 - comments {2} - post commentSweet cartoonPassing up junk food to partake of the garden produce??? Go to this link if you would like to see a sweet cartoon portraying a little girl who does just that! http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMd53OOaah4I am sorry I cannot insert the connecting link - can't seem to figure out why I can't do that. Anyway, this was sent to us and we thought it was a great start to get the message across that what man makes cannot compare to what the Lord makes. With messages bombarding our culture advertising pop and candy with all of its glitz, this was a refreshing change. Maybe some of you creative types can expand on this - including the beauty of family working together to produce food???? Enjoy, Lisa 09:11 - 2006-Aug-25 - comments {3} - post commentCommercial rice supply has been contaminatedAccording According to the FDA and USDA our rice has been contaminated recently by biotech rice. I can't seem to find out whether or not this is the variety that has the human gene in it. Here is the report www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A7_0_1OB?contententidonly=ture&contentid=2006/08/0307.xmlInteresting that this has not been approved for human consumption, yet the FDA is not concerned about it at all. The company had not sought regulation for it, but the FDA is not at all concerned. Now, try being a farmer and try selling raw milk from your farm. Try selling meat from your farm without having an inspected facility. Try selling prepared food from your farm without a huge investment in a commercial kitchen which must be inspected regularly and see if the FDA considers it no biggie. We want to do what civilization has done forever and we have such restrictions placed on us and yet this biotech company messes up our rice supply jepherdizing our food supply and messing up the purity of our rice supply and rice seeds and possibly our health and it is no big deal... Have mercy on us, The Farmer's Wife 01:05 - 2006-Aug-23 - comments {3} - post commentSpermicidal CornIn my last entry I wrote about the not-so-sci-fi agricultural flicks that are currently happening in our culture. Someone asked about a link to the spermicidal corn. Here it is www.organicconsumers.org/patent/pharming012802.cfmThey are touting it as a population control measure that they say is much needed. When they presented it years ago to the company employees of which my husband was a part, they touted it as population control in third world countries. As my husband sat in on the meeting with the president of the company excitingly announcing the wonderful things GMO could do to help the world from inserting vaccines into corn to inserting human anitbodies into corn to inserting spermicides into corn, he couldn't believe it. The ethical boundary lines had been crossed. He looked around the room to see what others thought of it. No reaction. He was the only one to quit as a result of this and they were informed of the reason why. Before he quit he asked the group of phd corn breeders if the GMO corn can be contained. No, they answered. No. This stuff drifts and contaminates other field. Other farmer's crops are contaminated. What happens if vaccinated corn gets out? What happens if our fields are contaminated with spermicidal corn (which is being grown in Indiana now)? Currently some farmers are being sued and fined for having GMO's in their crops even though they did not plant them. Monsanto is pursuing those who have saved seeds in order to develop their own crops. Remember the parable of the ten virgins with the oil lamps? Five were foolish and five were prudent. The foolish ones took no oil with them for their lamp and tried to bum some oil from the gals who were prepared. The prudent ones did not share for there was not enough oil to share. In the end the prepared virgins were able to be with the bridegroom while the foolish ones were treated as strangers by the bridegroom. Preparedness is exalted. We are preparing. The girls are excited learning about saving seed. "Seed savers exchange" is a wonderful place to learn about this lost craft. The Famer's Wife 12:03 - 2006-Aug-19 - comments {2} - post commentAgricultural Science Fiction Horror Flick or Truth?Stuff of science fiction thrillers within the agricultural realm, including cannabalism and deformed hogs:1. Pigs are given hormones which deform their bodies such that one has to question whether or not this is a real pig. Their hams are grotesquely out of proportion to the rest of their body resembling plastic implants. They are extremely lean to the point that little to no lard is able to be detected with the naked eye. They are bred to have snouts half the length of a normal pig for the head is just wasted meat in this sci-fi- hog. There is no need for this hog to root as it was created to do. Truth or fiction? One hundred percent truth. Seeing is believing and it is an awful sight to behold. The pigs we saw had bulging blood-shot eyes. Scientists thought this is what the consumer needed in a hog and therefore it is found in nearly all pork you eat from the supermarket according to my agricultural economist husband. No one knows the long-term effects this hormone will have on people. Could the hormone have the same effect on people it has on hogs?? Abnormally large hams, eyes bulging and bloodshot... I'll let you determine that for yourself. 2. Cannabalism forced onto consumers without their knowledge. Truth or fiction? It depends on your definition of cannabalism. The definition is being debated currently and smells of the "when is a baby a baby" from the abortion debate. Currently human genes are being inserted into rice crops in California and in other parts of the world. They say it's for our health. It is a well-known fact that these crops CANNOT be contained. The pollen drifts and contaminates other crops. Soylent Green was a sci-fi- movie staring Charleton Heston many years ago. It turns out it wasn't too far from reality. See www.futurepundit.com/archives/002736.html www.organicconsumers.org/2006/artcile_1196.cfm for further info. 3. GMO companies are inserting spermacides into crops to help with population control in thrid world countries. Truth or fiction? Truth. My husband sat in on a meeting at Dow AgroSciences where this was discussed and was at the trial stage years ago. He quit and now we are farming starting literally from the grassroots to impact the world for Christ. Time for chores now. I can't go into GMO and Monsanto due to time. It would be beneficial and informative for folks to view "The Future of Food" which is a very informative documentary. The Farmer's Wife 04:39 - 2006-Aug-18 - comments {2} - post commentSImple EntertainmentWe don't go to movies. We don't hang out at the mall. We don't watch TV. We don't go to sports stadiums. We aren't bored either. In fact, there is sooo much to learn and do that we will never be bored. And boy, do we have a good time!Take our barnyard animals, for instance. We have half a mind to move a couch out to the barnyard. Each species has characteristics that are unique to its kind and are fascinating to observe. We learn by observation what their strengths are and discuss how we can utilize them to help us on our farm. We are also thoroughly entertained by their antics. It is hilarious to watch the sheep RUN to Farmer John when he starts up the chain saw. They know his voice, but they RUN to his chain saw (for they know he is cutting down trees in the barn yard and the tree leaves must be like candy to them.) Yes, it is quite fascinating to watch God's creatures. The other day our daughters were folding laundry and laughing when the oldest exclaimed, "Who needs a stadium!?" While they were folding laundry, they watched the puppy and the cat out the back door through the screen. The cat was trying to non-challantly walk away from the puppy. The puppy saw her every move and was motivated to terrorize her whether she was moving, lying, sitting, spitting, batting her claws or lashing her tail impatiently. The girls were laughing hysterically. Very simple entertainment. In our state, some stadiums are going to be built which our children and children's children will more than likely be paying for. The chances are slim of us ever putting a foot in them, but we are forced to pay nonetheless. We choose simple entertainment and simple living, but are forced to pay millionaires for facilities, well, I had better stop right there... Farmer John took all of us to the sale barn. The same one he used to attend with his father when he was youner. The same one we heard so many stories about. We heard how he sat ALL day long at the auction and how his dad would sneak in bids without neighbors knowing who was bidding. We heard how absolutely crowded the place used to be. We walked into this auction which was sparcely populated and almost over before it began. Times have changed. Farmer John did explain much to us while we were there. We enjoyed watching the way the men bid for animals. Actually, it was a hoot. One gentlemen did not want the man sitting beside him to know he was bidding. So, he took the hand that was next to his friend, put it on his opposite shoulder and bid by lifting one finger. We also got a kick out of watching the bull scratch intimidatingly at the ground while eying the gentleman in the ring with him. At that point, I had a "thought" pop into my mind that would add some more spice to the old place and cause the tongues to wag and I leaned over and told my dearest husband my "thought" as this bull was being auctioned off. I told him I have half a mind to beller out a question about the bull to the rambling auctioneer in my thickest southern drall, "Excuuuse me! How much did ya'll say ya'll wanted for this here fine-lookin' milkin' cow?!" He laughed and his face turned red as he looked me in the eye to see if I was indeed serious, then in case I was, he shared, "If you said that, they would run you out of town so fast!" Of course, I would tell them proudly I was Mrs. John Mesko! Baling hay is another form of entertainment for us. With there being a drought, we were only able to get one cutting off of it. And yes, it was a lot of work, but what satisfaction there is to put hay away for your animals for the winter. The girls rode on top of the hay bales as we stacked them from the baler. They helped with scooting some bales and learned how to stack them on the wagon by watching us. What beautiful weather we had when we baled. The weather wasn't too hot, the breeze was perfect, the sky was turquoise with beautiful white clouds. I couldn't help but sing out praises to our King of kings as we baled! How exciting it is to take hikes through the woods and track for animals. What a blessing it is to walk through our pastures and plan and dream. Simple things provide simple pleasures in life. Man could never improve on the entertainment and pleasures God provides in His creation. The Farmer's Wife 08:31 - 2006-Aug-15 - comments {2} - post comment"Gardening is like a treasure hunt!"Exclaimed our six year old as we strolled through our garden discovering the many delights! How true her statement is. Our gardens are full of treasures to fill our tables, pantries and freezers with healthy, wholesome foods to provide sustainance throughout the winter until next year.And what a treasure hunt it is! What fun it is to look through the cucumber patch to try to locate the ripened cucumber hidden underneath the leaves. What a joy it is to search for the camaflouged snow pea hanging on the vine. What a pleasure it is to seek through the bushes for the ripened green beans. Who needs "I Spy" to build visual discrimination skills when God provides it naturally and multi-dimensionally in a garden? To watch the flowers grow and bud and then finally bloom and burst forth into color is such a delight. We so enjoy watching the beneficial butterflies and bugs we welcome to our garden when we plant flowers to attract them. What anticipation builds as we wait and watch those green tomatoes begin to turn red until they are ripened to a beautiful, rich red color. This is probably the most anticipated vegetable from the garden. We refuse to buy those pale. rubbery, red counterfiets they call tomatoes from the grocery store. We can enough salsa and tomato sauce to last us a year and only eat fresh tomatoes during the summer from our own garden. No, we wait all year for the real thing. We just picked a year's supply of onions, dried some of them in the dehydrator for soups this winter and tied up a majority in panty hose to keep them fresh. We harvested and cured a year's worth of gourmet garlic. And are beginning to harvest our tomatoes. In our drought conditions, our year's supply of sweet corn did not make it. However, we did get a good start on green beans and potatoes and beets to last atleast through the fall. We also managed to finely chop and freeze a significant amount of beet greens and swiss chard to last us a good part of the winter. We add this to soups and omelets. We love the challenge of trying to raise our own food. We also love the taste and decreased grocery bill as well. We didn't make our challenge of raising everything this year. We've been here four months and have so much to tear down and build and settle, but we've made a decent start. We know the soil conditions better now that we've worked with it and are planning the location of the expansion of our garden for next year. This time next year I pray there will be little to no time to blog due to even more treasure hunting! Time to harvest more cucumbers with my daughters, The Farmer's Wife 10:46 - 2006-Aug-11 - comments {3} - post commentPigs don't stinkThis may come as a surprise to some of you, but pigs don't stink. They do chew loudly and sloppily and slurp when they drink, but they do not stink. That is, if they are raised well. If they are forced to lie in their own excrement in an enclosed area, well, the smell is unavoidable as well as sickness and the meat is just not as good.When we have the industrial mindset when it comes to raising animals, we do not take into consideration the amount of space each animal needs and we cram as much as we can into the space we have. Then the pasture and/or pen becomes barren and picked over and loaded with manure, minerals are depleted and parasites become a problem. When we raise the animals the way they were created to be raised, we allow them to live the way they were intended to live and eat what they were intended to eat which contributes to their health and they don't smell. Our pigs are outdoors with access to sunshine, grass, dirt/mud and fresh water. They have a good-sized lot to root through and do what they were created to do. The little pigs are allowed to go outside of their boundary as they fit easily under the electric fence. They pesture the goats, chickens, cows and sheep. They root through their manure. They root through dirt piles, wood chips, venture out to pasture, clean up decayed hay. Soon we plan on fencing them into the lot we are planning on planting to an orchard next year. They can clean up the tree roots and prepare the soil for us. We feed them kitchen scraps, give them access to organic Thorvin kelp (which we feed to all our animals and like it so much we are now selling it). The kelp provides a natural source of minerals and vitamins contributing to their overall health. We also give the pigs extra milk from our goats. Their little hams are growing by the day. We have selected gilts we plan on breeding early this winter. They are the ones who are absolutely thriving on pasture in that they are growing quickly, are hardy and forage well. We've already sold our extra piglets without even trying to market them and are looking forward to expanding our pastured hog operation. More and more folks are realizing the taste and health benefits coming from animals raised the way they were created to be raised just can't be beat. Gotta go slop the hogs, The Farmer's Wife 09:22 - 2006-Aug-4 - comments {2} - post commentDiggin' For Gold!!Squeals of delight, utter amazement, and disbelief pealed out as we dug for gold!! Yes, gold right here in Minnesota on the family farm! Our family couldn't believe the number of gold nuggets! Each shovel-full was loaded with gold! With each nugget we plucked from the soil, we dreamed of what we would do with it. We were nearly drueling by the time we called it quits for the day. Wow, Grandpa and Grandma didn't tell us the conditions were ripe for gold up on that thar hill!That same night we first dicovered it, we put the gold on the grill along with roasted garlic from our harvest. Then we smothered it in butter and let the gold melt in our mouths with each delicious mouthful. Our oldest was six years old when she informed a gentleman that Gold was her favorite variety. Yes, Gold has got to be the family favorite, although we do like Purple Viking and Red ones as well. Mmmm-mmmm! The first taste of our own Yukon Gold potatoes fresh from our first garden on the farm was far from disappointing! The Farmer's Wife :) 09:03 - 2006-Jul-28 - comments {2} - post commentRain - a Blessing or a Curse?I remember about 25 years ago, our part of the country was experiencing a drought. The whole community was concerned for they knew it was devastating for the farmers. When some folks' wells began to dry up it became even more concerning. Our little church held a prayer meeting to ask the Lord to send much-needed rain. I was a teenager then and remember it vividly. We had a hobby farm at that time and did not depend on it for a living, yet there were farmers around us who did. When the rain came and soaked the parched earth a week later, I remember running out into the rain and allowing it to soak my hair and clothes. looking up and thanking the Good Lord for His pleasant, replenishing, refreshing rain. Rain was God's gracious provision and it was a blessing.I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but North Dakota is experiencing a drought. Some farmers are selling their livestock because they can't feed them. The pastures are dry, some are dusty. Here in Minnesota some of us are quite concerned as well. Things are becoming quite crunchy around here. Half of our sweet corn is ruined. Good Farmer John is considering turning the animals out into our field corn before it completely dries up. The pastures are not as green as they once were. Parts of it are brown and crunchy. Our family is praying the Lord would send much-needed rain. The farmers' livelihood in the Dakota's and Minnesota, the community's food is dependent upon that rain. However, recently at a church we visited, we heard testimony from a young man who labeled rain as something sent by the enemy. It was viewed as an attack of satan. His part of the state received a rain shower and since it soaked this young man as he ran from his vehicle to his church function, he viewed it as an attack from the enemy in order to discourage him from ministering. So, which is true - is rain a curse sent by satan, or is it a blessing sent from God? If God sends rain and you get soaked when you are heading toward a church function, while at the same time farmers in the area missed that rain and are concerned, is that rain a curse or a blessing? When we are less and less in touch with our food and where it comes from and how it grows and our utter dependence upon it, we might view anything, including a rain shower, that might be a little inconvenient to us at the moment as an attack from the enemy. When we realize that our food will not grow without water and we will go hungry without food, when we are concerned about the farmers' livelihood and we are dependent upon the meat they provide, the crops they grow, we will be on our knees beseeching the Lord. Certainly, flooding may be viewed as an attack of the enemy, or a judgement from the Lord, but we're talking about drought conditions in this case. Please remember the farmers in the drought areas in your prayers and ask the Lord if He would be so gracious as to send us some rain. Trusting the Provider of rain, The Farmer's Wife 09:35 - 2006-Jul-27 - comments {2} - post commentMy Sheep Know My Voice - er - Chain Saw...When the farmer calls for our sheep, they respond, usually with "baa's" and a few will meander over to him. But what brings them running, and I mean RUNNING, is when he rev's up his chain saw. Seriously. He rev's that loud thing up and no matter where they are, no matter how far out in the pasture they are, no matter how hot it is, they come running toward him.Why? You ask. Well, they know he is cutting down some trees in the lot next to the barn for them. They love to eat the leaves. Even while he's still buzzin' away, they are right there starting to munch on the leaves. It usually takes them less than an hour to devour them. Whenever we need to check the sheep for anything and we don't have much time, Good Farmer John gets the chain saw out. Not sure what we're going to do when we run out of trees... The Farmer's Wife 10:58 - 2006-Jul-26 - comments {4} - post commentThe Old Farm DogThe old farm dog has gone to her grave. We obtained her over 12 years ago when we lived on an acre of land, a Golden Retriever. I trained her to know the boundaries of our first property which she followed for the most part. Many times I would find her right on the property line watching the neighbor boy play outside.She was a natural hunter. We allowed her to go into a field once when we were taking a walk and she weaved back and forth to scare up pheasant for us to shoot. She actually did scare one up and looked back at us, waiting for us to do our part. We didn't even own a gun back then. And we never di get around to hunting with her. She was a natural retriever as well. One walk brought us to a pond filled with pond lilies. She immediately jumped in and began to retrieve the lilies one by one, dropping them at our feet. We had to literally drag her away from that pond to get her to stop or she would have cleared out that whole pond. We lived in the city for about 4 years with her. Not a good place for a dog, atleast this dog. She's a farm dog although she managed. She had two litters of 11 puppies each and proved to be an excellent mother. The neighborhood children were enthralled with the puppies. That was the closest any of them had ever come to a farm, visiting a farm dog (misplaced in the city temorarily) with pups. We finally moved to the country once again, 8 acres. She marked the whole territory and patrolled it daily. She was great at keeping animals away. Stray, diseased cats didn't dare venture onto our property. Rabbits and chipmunks were her meals. Raccoons were not a problem around the house. Moles were dug up and killed. Never had a stray dog problem. When we began to aquire farm animals, she learned her place. Her "birdiness" showed as she stalked our chickens. A couple of scoldings was all it took for her to know they are not to be touched. It wasn't long before she allowed them to congregate around her, as she napped and they scratched up the ground around her. She even warmed up to the cats we accumulated to keep down the mice. She allowed them to keep themselves warm next to her and occasionally cleaned them as she used to clean her pups. Moving out to the country convinced us of the importance of a farm dog. She barked at any one and every one who drove into our driveway. Some folks were too scared to get out of their cars and would honk their horns to get our attention. We never had a robber or any vandalizing, although our neighbor did. She was our doorbell before the doorbell. When we were in the milking parlor or out in the garden and heard her barking, we knew we had guests. She was showing her age about a year ago. Although she was as energetic as a puppy, she was quite grey around her face, and a bit stiff in the mornings, especially when she slept on concrete. John bought a puppy in preparation to replace her. We've known the older dogs are effective in training the younger ones. The old dog had some good qualities we wanted to see in her replacement. She taught the pup to bark at any one and every one that pulled into our drive. She taught the pup how to dig up moles. She subdued the pup and taught it to mind us by her example. She tried to teach the pup that cats were no big deal, but never seemed to perfect that lesson. She sustained a back injury prior to our move to Minnesota which aged her considerably. Now, she was no longer energetic and was a bit tempered with the pup. We're not sure if the injury was due to some rough playing with the pup or if she sprained it when she chased (and nearly caught) the huge stray dog that ventured onto our little homestead. Our daughters prayed she would live until our move. They were hoping she would be able to help clear out the wild animals and teach the pup to do so before she passed on. We loaded her onto the back of our pick-up for the big move. She and the pup found a spot somewhere in the piles of stuff that were crammed in there. We made the trip in 15 hours with minimal stops. It was dark once we arrived. We opened the back of the truck and called for the dogs. The pup scrambled out eagerly. We waited for the old farm dog. Nothing. We called her again. Nothing. Just when we thought it was the end of the line for her, we heard some movement and slowly the farm dog emerged, looking very old and stiff. Looks like the Lord agreed with the girls' prayers. She managed to be effective in getting rid of the raccoons around our immediate living area. However, she gradually was growing stiffer and less energetic. Instead of getting up to bark at folks who ventured up our driveway, she barked from her lying-down position. Nearly every night when the coyotes howled and yipped from our south woods, she barked louder in return which silenced them and they never ventured near our living area. In her younger days she would have wandered out to that woods to mark her territory during the day and would have taken the whole pack on when they came at night. But her bark must have been effective for we haven't heard the coyotes these past few weeks. On occasion in the middle of the night, she barked unlike anything we have ever heard. Very ferocious and aggressive. We often wonder if on those nights she was barking away the black bear that has been spotted by a couple of folks in our area. The pup is now 6 months old and is close to full-grown size. She hasn't learned all that she needs to defend our property, but she is on the right track. This past month she has not rough-housed with the old farm dog. The old farm dog rarely got up anymore. Her last night with us, she managed to bark at some predator unkown to us. Her last effort in defending the place. The old farm dog is no longer with us. She's served her purpose now and it's time for the young pup to take over. And such is the way of life. The Farmer's Wife 11:00 - 2006-Jul-24 - comments {3} - post commentAn Alarming Nightime VisitorA black bear has been sited in our immediate area by 2 different people. Almost every night we hear the yip-yipping and howls of coyotees from the south woods area on our farm (until our old dog and pup raise their barks in protest). We have sited a skunk on the farm, raccoon, as well as the chicken-slaughtering mink.These past few nights have been extremely sauna-like hot. The climate is quite sultry up here in the northern country (?). One night we left the back door open and put up a make-shift screen in order to let some kind of relief of cooler air in. We lay on top of our covers to go to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, my dear husband jerked and jumped atleast a foot off the bed. I rolled over, looked at him. He lay asleep (I learned later he was awake and laying still trying to figure out what just happened). I thought it surely must have been a dream. (Much later he told me it felt as if someone was sticking needles in his leg...) Not much later, it was my turn to jump about a foot off the bed in fear out of a deep sleep for it seemed as if something of significant size was moving the mattress on my side of the bed... I was so sleepy and disoriented, I pulled a sheet over me thinking that would protect me from whatever "it" was. In the meantime, my dear husband jolted upright in response to my jolting jump. I mumbled that it felt like something was moving the mattress. He immediately went into protective mode, turned on the light and looked around the bed... He gasped and jumped back a little. With that I gasped and my heart skipped a beat. My dear husband never gets scared. What could it be??? In a split second, my thoughts covered the possibilites. Sleep left me quickly as I thought of the black bear, the coyotees, the skunk that could have easily and quietly broken through our screen.... He sighed, "The cat." Yes, our cat made it in. We don't allow animals in the house, but she made it in through our "screen". John put her outside with her purring quite loudly the whole time. As he returned, I lay in bed replaying what must have happened. I pictured this cat squeezing in through the screen, massaging her claws on John's leg with John jolting and jumping and later the cat coming on over to my side rubbing along the mattress very aggressively (you just gotta know this cat for that's her way of doing things) while we are being half-scared to death. That's when I laughed and laughed and snorted and laughed and cried and laughed. Couldn't stop. Nose dripping, tears running down my face. Dear husband so tired and trying to sleep while the bed vibrates with my laughter. We're just a bit tired today. Can't seem to handle all that comedy in the middle of the night. The Farmer's Wife 11:00 - 2006-Jul-17 - comments {1} - post commentFarming MagazineThe most recent edition includes an article by Farmer John himself who was invited to write about some folks in Indiana. These folks returned to the family farm and are making it raising and selling grass-fed beef and lamb, chicken and eggs, as well as milk from their cow share program. The article focuses primarily on their experience with sheep and contains some excellent marketing advice.Farming Magazine is a magazine that is worthy of reading. Some of the regular contributors include Wendall Berry and Gene Logsdon, to give you and idea of the type of writing that can be found in the magazine. If you are famliar with thesse gentlemen, you can assume accurately that one would not find any encouragement (even along the lines of advertising) to embrace any tupe of the big industrial ag mindset in regards to farming in this publication. They very much support small family farms that are sustainable. If you're interested you may view the magazine and article at http://www.farmingmagazine.net/articles.htm Regards, The Farmer's Wife 10:07 - 2006-Jul-13 - comments {3} - post commentA Pig's NestA pig's nest will put Big Bird's nest to shame. Prior to birthing her piglets, Miss Bacon built quite a nest out of hay - two and three feet high on the sides. Grandpa, Grandma and John told us they built quite a nest. It sure is one thing to hear about it and quite another to actually witness it. Grandpa also correctly predicted when those piglets would be born. We were told by the previous owners they would come the end of May. Grandpa took one look at the sow and told us it wouldn't be until the first of June. He knows his pigs for that is when Good Farmer John came into the house one morning to announce the birthing of our first piglets. We all ran outside just in time to witness the birth of the last one. Fourteen piglets. Wow.The girls and I were told to keep an eye on them throughout the day. We were told it is not unusual for a sow to inadvertantly lay on a piglet and suffocate it. After breakfast, we took at look at the bunch and could only count thirteen. We counted again. Thirteen. Oh no. I felt around underneath the mass of piglets that were snuggled against their mother to make sure we had counted correctly. One piglet bit my finger. For a moment I wondered if a rat had bit me. No, it was a piglet. I was surprised at the sharpness of their teeth. I moved some piglets over to get a better look. Sure enough little piglet hooves were sticking out from underneath Miss Bacon. I pulled the dead one out. Miss Bacon was oblivious to it all. Sound asleep. Snoring, in fact. Labor wore her out. We put the piglet in a bucket to be buried later. It wasn't long before the piglets learned to get out of the way when big mama moved (got up, left the nest, came back to the nest). She would grunt to let them know the barge of her body was on the move and they would part ways. Kind of reminded us of the parting of the Red Sea only it was a parting of grunting mass of piglets, right down the middle. She didn't suffocate any more of her bunch. And now we have quite a few little grunting hams running around here. The Farmer's Wife 09:27 - 2006-Jul-9 - comments {0} - post commentMeager chicken harvestLast night we butchered our remaining 8 meat chicks. We started with 100, the rest were fed to the wildlife (mink to be exact - not our intentions, by any means!). In the middle of butchering our meager harvest of chickens, our neighbor stopped by. Apparently, the mink slaughtered his chickens as well. Can't find anyone that is too fond of mink these days. Oh, well, such is life.One great thing that came out of our meager harvest was that our 10 year old daughter had expressed determination to learn how to eviscerate the chickens. Last year she and our youngest were put to work at final inspection (which meant they picked the pin feathers off of the butchered chickens). They also taught other children how to do this when we hosted our chicken butchering workshops. This year our oldest wanted to do more. So, John walked her through the first one, assisted her with the second one and she took off! She was soooo thrilled that she could do it! It wasn't long before our youngest began to express a desire to learn how to separate the "food tube and air tube" from the dead chicken in preparation for eviscerating. Then she asked if she could remove the heart and studied it after she pulled it out. After hearing stories of the noble women of the past and how they butchered their own chickens for dinner, the girls were inspired to take a step and learn how to do it as well. Some children get a kick out of kicking a ball around a field, some children get a kick out of putting food on the table. My hat is off to the latter! The Farmer's Wife 10:24 - 2006-Jul-7 - comments {4} - post commentBacon + Garlic = Piglets?Over two months ago, we brought home a pregnant sow. The girls decided to name her Miss Bacon for we told them we might butcher her after she has her piglets. Therefore, the name was their way of having the right perspective on this hog so as to not become too attached. We even did a meat science study using her as the model as we visualized her ham parts, bacon area, tenderlins, pork chops, rib roast, rump roast and her many sources of lard. It is not unusual to find us commenting on what big hams she has.Shortly after Miss Bacon's arrival, I decided she needed a little bit of extra care. She actually looked very healthy despite the fact that she had been raised in a barn on a bed of sawdust and had never been outside or rooted up dirt the way the Good Lord intends pigs to be raised. The previous owners did handfeed her plenty of good vegetable scraps which we think contributed to her healthy appearance. After Miss Bacon had settled into her new home and enjoyed sunshine and was allowed to root up soil outside for the first time in her life, I thought it would be a good idea to give her some garlic. I love garlic, especially for medicinal purposes. All of our animals have had garlic at one time or another. It is so good for a number of things. Mostly I use it as a preventative. Even though Miss Bacon did not look wormy, since she was pregnant, I thought it would be good to give her garlic just as a precaution anyway. She ate it like a pig for a few days. Then one day one of our daughters ran inside to inform me that she thought Miss Bacon was in labor. She was lying on her side and grunting in the barn. Sure enough, it looked convincing. She did not get up and greet us or beg for scraps which told me something was definitely up. We brought in an old towel and waited and waited and waited. Eventually, we wandered outside to get some other things done and checked on her occasionally. A few times I checked on her, I heard Miss Bacon leak some gaseous emissions from her hindquarters and noticed an odd, quite pungent odor lingering in the barn. Still, she lay on her side grunting away. At that point I began to question the legitimacy, or should I say cause, of her labor. Perhaps she was not laboring to emit piglets, perhaps it was a labor of a different sort, a labor of emissions of a different kind, emissions of impurities of which garlic tends to draw out. Naturopaths call it a "colon cleansing". The next day, Miss Bacon was on her feet again, with no little piglets in tow. However, she acted as if she had been through labor for she was not her usual "bouncy", rooty self. She was not at all interested in any scraps I fed her. Of course, I was merciful and quit feeding garlic to her. After a long labor of colon cleansin', I'm sure the appetite would be affected to a certain degree. It was a few days before she recovered and began to eat like a pig again and a couple of weeks before she went into the bringing-forth-piglets-type of labor (more on that later). The Farmer's Wife 10:37 - 2006-Jul-6 - comments {4} - post commentA Rare July 4th Tribute to FarmersToward the end of a 4th of July celebration in town, cannons fired and a man commented to Mr. Wilder, ******************************************************************** "'That's the noise that made the Redcoats run!' Mr Paddock said to Father. "'Maybe,' said Father, tugging his beard. 'But it was muskets that won the Revolution. And don't forget it was axes and plows that made this country.' "'That's so, come to think of it,' Mr. Paddock said... "That night when they were going to the house with the milk, Almanzo asked Father, 'Father, how was it axes and plows that made this country? Didn't we fight England for it?' "'We fought for Independence, son,' Father said. 'But all the land our forefathers had was a little strip of country, here between the mountains and the ocean. All the way from here west was Indian country, and Spanish and French and English country. It was farmers that took all that country and made it America.' "'How?' Almanzo asked. "'Well, son, the Spaniards were soldiers, and high-and-mighty gentlemen that only wanted gold. And the French were fur-traders, wanting to make quick money. And England was busy fighting wars. But we were farmers, son; we wanted the land. It was farmers that went over the mountains, and cleared the land, and settled it, and farmed it, and hung on to their farms. "'This country goes three thousand miles west, now. It goes "way out beyond Kansas, and beyond the Great American Desert, over mountians bigger than these mountains, and down to the Pacific Ocean. It's the biggest country in the world, and it was farmers who took all that country and made it America, son. Don't you ever forget that.'" --from "Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder (our family's favorite book on sustainable agriculture) ****************************************************************** With only 2-3% of the population farming now, we are rapidly loosing those freedoms these farmers fought so fearcely for. We are even on the brink of losing our rights to farm our own land and raise our own food. We are purchasing more and more of our food from China as more and more farms in the United States are driven out of business. This is very grievous and concerning. Our salute goes to the farmers of the past who didn't sell out to another country, who fought for their families, land and country, who settled and tamed the wilderness and who met basic needs by feeding their families and communities from their sustainable farms. They were independent, self-sufficient, common-sense, knowledgeable, family-oriented, strong, tough, hardy, leaders of their communities, respectable, Bible-believing, discerning, non-gullible folks who are rare breeds in this day and age and who we could benefit greatly from by studying them. Grateful for our agriculture heritage, The Farmer's Wife 11:43 - 2006-Jul-4 - comments {2} - post commentFencing in more pastureIt didn't take long for our flock of sheep to eat down our pasture. God's "lawn mowers" certainly do a thorough and speedy job! For about a week we have been working at fencing in some more pasture for them, a much larger area that should keep them busy for a while. Eventually, we will like to establish more of a regular rotational grazing program with set pastures. Since we are still taming the land and cleaning up and establishing the seasonal rhythms here, we will fence in what needs to be fenced in a parcel at a time.Yesterday, we finally finished the fencing. What a great lesson in electricity this is for the children. It also took teamwork to finish the fence. The oldest cut enough flags out of scrap fabric to tie to the top wire of the fence. Each of the girls had jobs of placing two insulators on each of the posts and space them appropriately as well as to tie a flag on the top wire. Once we were finished, John led the sheep to their new and greener pastures. Once one followed him, the rest joined in. It sure was a beautiful sight to watch that flock partake of their provision. Now to work on weeding the pumpkin patch... 08:55 - 2006-Jun-30 - comments {0} - post commentThree months on our new place....Three months ago, we packed up and moved north to our new farm. Three months ago we had no water, no electricity, no sewer, no phone. Now, we have that and more thanks to my hard-working husband. We have put a temporary roof on top of the old farm house, plowed and planted 5 acres to field corn, mulched and weeded our large garlic patch, planted a good-sized garden as well as a large area to sweet corn, pumpkins, gourds, squash and decorative corn (for the farmer's market), mulched and are still weeding those gardens, cultivated the field corn, raised 70 chicks for egg laying, almost raised 100 chickens for butchering (a mink slaughtered over 90 of them before they made it to our freezer), bought a flock of 25 sheep, sheared them and fenced in pasture for them, bought a pregnant sow and now have 13 3 week old piglets, castrated the boars, bought 2 heifers, are still milking 3 of our goats does, weened two goat kids, scrapped metal to make ends meet financially, baled 34 acres of hay, mowed the front yard of the old farm house for the first time in many, many years (it was the dustiest mowing experience I'd ever had!), chain-sawed trees down that were leaning on top of the old pole barn, old machine shed, old hog barn and the large old hay/animal barn (to try to help them last a little longer) and listened to many, many delightful and entertaining stories from Grandpa and John about the farm.We are leaner, more brown, have more muscle and sleep deeper slumbers compared to three months ago. We've never worked harder in our lives, yet never experienced such fulfullment. Friends from Indiana encouraged us and sent us off with this verse, "The land now desolate will be tilled, instead of lying waste for every passer-by to see. Everyone will say that this land which was waste has become like a garden of Eden" (Ezekial 36:34-35). While it is not a garden of Eden, we sure are enjoying tending the land. The Farmer's Wife 10:00 - 2006-Jun-28 - comments {2} - post commentBlood suckers in Minnesota :(We have now personally met most of the blood-sucking types of varmints that can be found in Minnesota. Shortly after moving here three months ago, my youngest itched the back of her scalp and to her horror found a lump which turned out to be a tick. She bravely grabbed it, pulled it out, looked at it long enough to notice its wiggling legs, threw it on the ground and immediately reported to Mommy and Daddy in a rather excited, yet horrified tone, I might add. Ticks were our first blood-sucking encounter. Remembering something I'd read about garlic repelling ticks, I did some research. Yes, raw garlic can repell ticks. So, daily we eat a clove of raw garlic with our meals and haven't had any tick problems. It isn't unusual for the girls to remind me to get the garlic out daily. They don't mind removing ticks from the dogs daily, but don't relish pulling them off their own bodies.Encounter number two with blood-sucking critters in Minnesota is one that was no surprise. The mosquitos quickly followed the tick incidents. They are pretty much relentless. What is a blessing, however, is that we are on top of a hill which gives us a pretty good breeze which deter the mosquitos somewhat. Due to the nature of our work, farming, we are outside most, if not all, day. This gives us plenty of exposure to mosquitos. In the pole barn, the woods, or down at Grandpa and Grandma's or prior to a storm or during breezeless days, we are targets. It is not unusual to see us working outside with a cloud of black bugs around each of us with us swatting and swinging our arms around our bodies while trying to do jobs (such as putting up electric fencing, weeding the garden, baling hay, feeding our animals, you name it - it's called multi-tasking). We have found it is pretty much impossible to multi-task (swat mosquitos AND get something else worthwhile done) after the sun goes down. Occasionally, the pests manage to sneak into our home only to show up in the middle of the night once we hit a deep, much-needed sleep. A mosquito buzz close to your ear in the dead of night is not a comforting sound to the bone-tired. Our one clove of garlic a day is not enough to deter them. However, I did discover a natural, chemical-free alternative that works and has been a worthy investment. Herbal Armour is very effective for four hours and is on supply in our household and has occasionally been used prior to bed time. Blood-sucker number 3 is one we have heard of and read of, yet have not experienced. Grandma and Daddy told us of their experiences with leaches after swimming in lakes in Minnesota. You know, the slimy worm-like creatures that stick to your body and, well, make a meal out of your blood? We also read of Laura and Nelly's experience with leaches when they waded in stagnant Minnesota waters in "On the Banks of Plum Creek" and were pretty much grossed out. Not sure if these things can be repelled. We'll just stay away from stagnant waters. Blood-sucker number 4 is what wiped out 92 of our meat chicks and we have yet to catch the weasly, persistent, sneaky slaughterer. Mink are common here in Minnesota and are not friends with poultry farmers. Mink are not on our admiration list currently. There you have it - blood sucking critters from the land of 10,000 lakes. Anyone want to come visit???? :) The Farmer's Wife 03:55 - 2006-Jun-27 - comments {1} - post commentMiss Bacon and Rocky Mountain OystersA pregnant sow produces a lot of bacon. We purchased a pregnant sow 2 1/2 months ago and we now have 14 pigs. 14 sources of bacon. Amazing. We would have had 15, but Miss Bacon (the sow) accidently laid on top of one of her many piglets and it died (a common occurrence). I have never raised pigs. My husb�nd is quite familiar with them.The expression, "Eating like a pig", has taken on a whole new meaning now that I have witnessed both visually and auditorily what exactly that means. One can never fully appreciate that expression until one has experienced it! When I bring Miss Bacon (the name our girls gave the sow) and her 13 2 week old piglets their grain mixed with goat's milk, I call them, "Little pig! Little pig!" and they come running. They know what they are going to be getting. I pour their slop into their pans and they almost inhale it! Hearing 14 pigs loudly chomp their slop with their mouths open with slop dripping out the sides of their mouths as they step into their food (I guess they want to experience as much of it as they can!) is such a great teaching tool for any children (or adults for that matter!) who have a hard time remembering to eat with their mouths closed. We have enjoyed watching pigs. They are fascinating creatures. We have appreciated the power found in their snouts. They are capable of "plowing" up the ground as well as or even better than any manmade plow. Their snouts are so powerful. My husband says if you can control the snout, you can control the pig. The top of the snout is very firm like thick cartelege. The bottom part is very soft. When the sow roots up the ground she is capable of easily moving large logs that I am incapable of budging. I've seen her roll large stones that I cannot budge. I've even seen the little pigs move stones that are heavy for me to lift. We are considering utilizing their powerful snouts to plow up a field we wish to use for planting field corn for next year. Not only will they plow it up but they will fertilize it as well. What fascinating creatures God made! Our pigs are tame for the most part. When Miss Bacon was pregnant, I scratched her underneath her neck and along her sides and she would almost immediately drop to her side and roll over to let me scratch her tummy while she grunted contentedly. We joked that I was the "hog whisperer"! Anyway, the piglets are much the same way. We scratch them underneath their chins and their sides and they drop for more. A couple of days ago, I helped my husband castrate the 5 boars, which are now referred to as barrows. It wasn't at all as bad as what I thought it was going to be. My husband's father walked us through a couple. I held the piglets while my husband performed the surgery. One daughter video-taped it while the youngest watched through her fingers which partially covered her eyes. One of our daughters expressed interest in eating the Rocky Mountain Oysters, but we hadn't thought about that beforehand and weren't too keen on the thought of eating them off the ground. To be honest, a little bit of the "city" crept back up and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So, the chickens made a meal of those Rocky Mountain Oysters - they actually fought over them. Apparently, they are to be coated with egg and flour and then fried. Maybe in the future... maybe... We definitely are looking forward to having some fresh pork in our freezer this winter. We will also have some to sell. Plus, we have some gilts (female pigs) which can be bred to produce more b�con. The parable of the talents takes on a new meaning as our livestock begins to multiply! 09:06 - 2006-Jun-27 - comments {5} - post commentSheep without a shepherdThere they stood. - bedraggled, dred locks of wool, mud and manure caked into wool, standing in a mud lot without a green thing for them to eat, hooves in terrible need of trimming, smelling like, well, smelling like dirty animals.A few weeks ago we purchased a flock of sheep. We noticed the ad in the paper and the price was right. We hooked up the livestock trailer and drove over an hour to the place to take a look and the description above is what we found. The folks who owned them obviously didn't have time for them. From the looks of the place, their priorities were elsewhere. We knew we wanted to purchase sheep eventually. This was ahead of schedule, however, yet the price was right. We knew we wanted Icelandic sheep for they are a multi-purpose breed - great for meat, wool and milk. Plus, they are hardy and perfect for pasture. Supposed to be great at lambing on pasture. This breed has been around for about a thousand years. Iceland does not grow grain, therefore their sheep are on pasture. We took a good, hard look at this flock of sheep. We knew we would have our work cut out for us to get this flock in tip top shape. We are familiar with getting animals into good shape however. Years ago when we purchased our first goats, we worked at getting them into good shape. Now, most folks would say they were in good shape to start with. We are more picky. Getting minerals into b�lance and giving them food the good Lord intended them to eat is all part of the process. Our goats do not smell. They get all the brush and grass they would ever want, plus they are in the sunshine. We feed them kelp ad lib. They are healthy. We have never sheared sheep and we knew this flock would be a tough one to cut our teeth on, yet this was the Lord's provision for us. So, we loaded the flock onto the trailer and brought them home. We took them off of the junk grain they had been on and gave them all the good hay they could want. We put out kelp which they eat and eat and eat. We can't put it out fast enough. They obviously need the minerals and iodine. We let them out to pasture and they grazed and grazed as they partook of that which the good Lord intends them to eat. They no longer smell. As I read the instructions, my husband sheered them one at a time over the course of a week. The wool was matted together, filled with sticks and debris and dirt and manure. There were some parts the clippers just couldn't get through, so we resorted to scissors. Thankfully, none of them had been fly struck. We chose to use the wool as mulch this year for the manure would be beneficial to the garden. However, for the future our girls have dreams of felting, spinnning and carding wool. I also plan on checking into the use of wool as wall insulation in the future. The sheep look so much better. They already view us as their shepherd. So trusting. We have talked of the many analogies found in God's Word. Matthew 9:36, "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd." We read that verse with new eyes for now we do know what a sheep without a sheperd looks like. Christ then says in verses 37-8, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Being a shepherd, a good sheperd takes a lot of work. Good shepherds are workers. Work is not a popular word these days. These days we have been brainwashed into believing we deserve a break today. However, the only break we are commanded to take is on the Sabboth and that is a break the Lord has extended to us because He is very gracious, not because we deserve it. In all truth, we deserve death. We truly do need to renew our minds in our attitudes toward work. It is a privelege and an honor to participate with the Lord in caretaking! It is exciting to take a not-so-good animal and bring it into tip top shape! The sheep are no longer without a shepherd and we look forward to the wool and meat we will be harvesting from our flock! Shepherding for Him, The Farmer's Wife 08:30 - 2006-Jun-19 - comments {3} - post commentHaying with my man!Some married couples take trips to Hawaii together, some couples go on cruises together, some schedule regular weekly dates together, some go see all the latest movies together. My husband and I make hay together!!! Yesterday, we spent time together taking turns driving the baler and loading the wagon with bales of hay from 20 acres and, oh, what fun it was! I would readily and eagerly choose to spend time with my husband helping him do something productive over sitting in some old theater paying exhorbitant money to watch a movie that dulls our minds, compromises our values and supports a godless system anytime!We put away hay for the winter to provide for our animals. We were productive, active, enoying the sunshine, fresh breeze, getting a good workout without having to pay for it at a gym. The girls are too young to lift bales. We didn't cart them off to a sitter. No way would we let them miss this experience. No, they were able to ride on top of the mounds of hay (and thoroughly enjoyed it!), observing how to bale hay, watching their parents working together, encouraging us, bringing us water and singing praises to the Lord thanking Him for His provision as we harvested our first crop of hay from our farm. We experienced life together. There is more to this story. We also experienced a multi-generational approach to baling hay as well. Grandpa was such a blessing in that he raked the hay into tighter rows which made baling go a little more quickly, plus last night he pulled the wagons into the poll barn to bring them undercover and out of the rain that was prodicted to come today. Grandma drove the truck and trailer around the field as we loaded loose bales late last night to help us finish up. And when we finished bringing the last of the hay under cover last night, I do believe the folks in town must have heard our hoots and hollars of rejoicing! I wouldn't have traded yesterday's experience for anything! Thank you, Lord, for granting it to us! Proverbs 31:17, "She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong." Eve was made to help Adam keep and cultivate the garden. It is a privelege and honor and the core of our calling as women to help our men. May we embrace who the Lord made us to be more and more as we "make hay" with our men. Loving my man, The Farmer's Wife 10:56 - 2006-Jun-15 - comments {3} - post commentMink solutions, anyone?We have lost over 80% of our Cornish Roaster chickens due to a mink. We have tried trapping it with a cage. We have tried leg traps. We tied our 6 month old puppy by the portable chicken pen. All without succes. Has anyone had any success with getting rid of mink? If so, please let me know.The worst night was when the mink killed 40 of our chicks. What a waste. The next night my husband stayed outside all night ready for combat with the chicken slaughterer. He caught a glimpse of the mink, which saw him and deaprted before he could end its life. The farmer's wife 04:09 - 2006-Jun-13 - comments {1} - post commentGoat meets pig...Shortly after moving to our farm, we purchased a bred sow (pregnant pig). Since we had been here less than two months, we put the pig in the pasture with the goats. The reactions were quite comical as we observed. Two of our goats were absolutely terrified by the massive hog. One of them jumped the electric fence and took off across the pasture to the other side of our farm (her milk production was down that day).However, the lead goat acted as if that pig was no big deal. She is in charge, always, especially when it comes to food. We fed the goats in their trough and scattered the pig's food on the ground. The lead goat observed that good food on the ground and left her trough to let the pig know that the food belonged to her and her alone. She coolly approached the pig who is three times her size and did what she frequently does when she wants to put others in their place. She butted that pig in the head. The pig continued eating as if nothing happened. The buting incident didn't even phase her. The lead goat, however, shook her head. We could almost see the stars circling above her head as she stood dazed for a minute, then she promptly left the pig, returned to her feed trough and never challenged the pig again! 09:20 - 2006-Jun-13 - comments {0} - post commentI Smell a Skunk...Broody hen, loose feathers, broken egg shells and a faint smell of skunk lingering in the air...We had a hen who became broody and put a total of 8 eggs underneath her. She chose to sit under some very old doors that were leaning against a wall of a very old building, formally known as the "hog b�rn". She sat and sat. Our daughters marked the calender 21 days from the time she began to sit in eager anticipation of the hatching of those eggs. Daily they gave her some grain and freshened her water. Until one morning, they ran inside to inform me that there were a bunch of loose feathers lying on the ground next to broody hen and there were a few broken eggs shells. Upon further inspection, I concluded we were dealing with a skunk (the odor gave it away).Bless little broody hen for sticking with her four remaining eggs. She must have put up a fight, for I know skunks are capable of killing chickens. We put up screens and boards to protect her while my husb�nd set a trap. The next day, the girls disappointingly announced that the rest of the eggs had been eaten, broody hen left her nest, and the trap had been ignored. My husband put a water hose into the hole that was on the opposite side of the hog barn. We know the skunk has been residing in this hole for we have noticed its lovely scent before. Prior to the broody hen incident, my husband set a trap many times tyring to trap the thing. However, we mistakenly thought the thing had left after many failed attempts at trapping it and the absense of its odor. This time with the hose on full blast in the skunk hole, my husb�nd stood with gun cocked ready to rid ourselves of the egg destroying varment. We waited and waited. Nothing. Plan B: he filled in the hole with dirt. So far, we have had no further egg robbing. We can hope and pray the thing has permently fertilized the ground or moved on to greener pastures. In Indiana, red-t�iled hawks and raccoons were the culprits we warred with as they made meals out of our chickens. Skunks are yet a different predator that we are learning about here in Minnesota. We learned they are capable of digging underneath fencing to get to your chickens and eggs. Oh well, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away... The Farmer's Wife 09:24 - 2006-May-26 - comments {0} - post commentURGENT!! Please forward!!!!This may be a silver lining...Legislation has been introduced which would block all funding for NAIS (National Animal Identification System). It will be voted on Wednesday, so there is not much time to contact your U.S. legislature and ask him to block all funding for NAIS. I would encourage you to call and send an email. Congessman Ron Paul is the gentleman who introduced the amendment.You may go to www.libertyark.net to find out more about the amendment. Go to your state's website to find out the contact information for your legislatures. Last, please forward this message to everyone you know. Thank you! Lisa 10:53 - 2006-May-16 - comments {1} - post commentDid Adam Smell Like That?Last week, my husband plowed and disked some ground in preparation for a pumpkin patch. The girls and I were walking up the driveway after getting our mail and visiting Grandpa and Grandma as he was finished the disking. The soil looked so rich and dark. The smell of freshly plowed ground drifted our way. Such an earthy smell, not offensive at all. I told the girls, "Just think, God made Adam from dirt like this." My six year old was silent a moment, then reflected, "I wonder if Adam smelled like this after God made him?""And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). And for those like my husband there is just something about the soil that draws him. He was made from it to cultivate it in a very literal sense. He is an agronomist. He is an agrarian, a Christian agrarian. The complexity and chemical structure of the soil fascinates him. Bringing it into b�lance so it can produce healthy food for us challenges and motivates him. Since his boyhood days, the soil has drawn him. To see him subduing it and cultivating it in order to bring fruit forth from it is part of who he is and how God made him. I love watching him plow and I love watching our daughters as they frolic joyfully barefoot behind him through the freshly plowed ground. "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it" (Genesis 2:15). Grateful for good, healthy soil, Lisa 06:28 - 2006-May-12 - comments {1} - post commentMinnesota!!!!!Five weeks ago, we made the move from Indiana to Minnesota. We sold our house and had a week and a half to pack and move for the new owners to take possession. We had a few friends who graciously helped load the moving truck, livestock trailer and pick-up truck. What a blessing that was. One family even sent us off with a song they had harmonized and that is when the tears came. What a blessing to hear the beautiful voices of this family of 7 harmonize together as they blessed us with Scripture in song.And then we were off. We must have looked a bit hill-billy driving on the interstate. My husb�nd drove the huge moving truck while I drove the pick-up and livestock trailer that was packed to the brim with some of our stuff along with our goats, chickens, dogs and cats. I did received some interesting looks! Our daughters loved it and the Lord blessed us on that 15 hour drive in that we did not have any wind to struggle against at all through any of the states. We were without electricity for a little while after moving. It was a bit like camping out and we made the most of it. For the first several nights, we slept in John's folks home until we had the generator up and running. My husband has gotten much done and he impresses me with his ability to do anything and everything, a true farmer. We now have meat chicks that will be ready to butcher and sell in about a month. We have egg layers from which we will sell eggs in about 5 months. We also have a pregnant sow. We want to keep a tradition alive that has been passed down from John's Hungarian grandmother to his parents as we learn about how to make Hungarian sausage this fall. Our garlic is doing beautifully and we have potatoes and onions in the ground. The rest of the garden is underway. John has plowed a field for corn he bought from a local farmer which will be used to feed the animals who need it. We are thoroughly enjoying our time together and we have never been busier in our lives. With increased work load comes increased appetites. I am learning to keep up with the demand. I understand my grandmother more and more. She used to cook huge breakfasts for her agrarian family which gave them a bit of a boost to make it through the day. Oh, that I could talk with her now! I plan on blogging more regularly now that my family is settled in. I have only touched the tip of the ice berg with this one. I love the new look of Homestead Blogger and am enjoying catching up on what is happening with everyone. Have a blessed day, Lisa 04:07 - 2006-May-8 - comments {3} - post commentProblem solved - God is goodWe have sold our homestead in Indiana and have less than a week now to pack and move to Minnesota!!!!! We prayed the Lord would bring just the right folks and that He would continue to use this place for His glory. I just talked with the new owners yesterday and the woman told me she knew God brought her to this place. She knew we were Christians when we walked in the door and the decorative painting drew her as well. One room has a prayer of St. Patrick's painted as the border.
When I painted our walls and murals four years ago, I had a sense that I was painting them for our temporary enjoyment, but that I was also painting them for the next family that was supposed to live in this house. I told the woman that the Lord had me paint those walls for her.
She confessed that she was a backslidden Chrstian and was ready to turn her life around again. Her mother died two years ago and her last wish was that all of her children would walk with Jesus. She is from upstate New York, grew up in the country and really wanted that for her young children as well. She wasn't surprised that we home-educated and asked some questions about it. Towards the end of our conversation, she shared she thought she might re-consider homeschooling. Before she left our home, my daughter played the piano for her and she reciprocated by playing some songs she had composed as well as some hymns.
God is so good!
The theme song of our move is one sung by Buddy Davis: "Problem solved, God is good, He fixed the problem just like I knew He would...."
We will be offline for a while now. We will have no electricity once we move north for a time. We had such a short notice and it takes time for electricians and electric company to get their part done... plus the ground is still frozen up there, so it is going to be difficutl for my husband to dig a trench to bury the cable in. We will check back in when we have some "juice"!
Blessings to all, Lisa Mesko 01:32 - 2006-Mar-21 - comments {1} - post commentThe Rat Trap and One Happy GirlThe Barn Rat is no longer among us thanks to a unique trap and a brave girl. You see, we've had a rat in our barn. The cats are too scared of it to have it for lunch - it's about as big as they are. The girls and I were watching one of our goats deliver her kids while this rat watched us. Very strange to actually see this big dude watch us...
Well, we had had it. How could we get rid of this creature? We didn't wish to use poisons for our dogs, cats or chickens could be effected by it. The dogs, cats or chickens could also get into a rat trap. Hmmm... We had the inexpensive idea of setting up one of our large trash cans with some grain at the bottom to attract the rat. Lo and behold, it worked! The critter let his stomach get him into trouble and couldn't get out of the trash can.
Our 10 year old was so excited that our trap worked. She also really wanted to be the one to kill it. Now, you must understand, she is a very feminine young lady and derives no thrills from killing animals. After reading so many stories of pioneer women and farm women who were very much feminine, yet didn't hesitate to rise to the challenge of protecting their families or animals if need be, she was inspired to stretch herself beyond her comfort zone. So, she grabbed Daddy's shovel, set her lips in a firm line, squared up her shoulders and went to work. And that is the end of the story for that rascally Barn Rat! 12:19 - 2006-Mar-15 - comments {1} - post commentNew PodcastWe made a new podcast with a very interesting sponsor. My husband was very creative with this one. Click here and then click on podcast http://noblecalling.blogspot.com/
The Farmer's Wife Lisa Mesko 09:26 - 2006-Mar-8 - comments {0} - post commentFarm Restoration - The Beginning
Good Farmer John 09:21 - 2006-Mar-8 - comments {1} - post commentAn Honorable Gentleman Has DiedDuring our college years at a well-known university 20-some years ago, we had the honor and privilege of hearing a guest speaker debate one time that has forever made an impression on us. He was not a professor of our universtiy - he wouldn't be allowed to teach what he tried to share there. But he sure did put some of our professors to shame.
Dear Lord, may we have the same demeanor as Dr. Morris when mud is being slung our way. May we speak truth firmly, yet gently, trusting in You the whole way. Amen 04:16 - 2006-Feb-28 - comments {0} - post commentWhy teach our children about agriculture?Some people have asked me "Why do you spend so much time and money training your children in agriculture?" It's a fair question. You might wonder why it's so important to us. I'll endeavor to explain myself.
This leads to the further reflection, that no other human occupation opens so wide a field for the profitable and agreeable combination of labor with cultivated thought, as agriculture. I know of nothing so pleasant to the mind, as the discovery of anything which is at once new and valuable -- nothing which so lightens and sweetens toil, as the hopeful pursuit of such discovery. And how vast, and how varied a field is agriculture, for such discovery. The mind, already trained to thought, in the country school, or higher school, cannot fail to find there an exhaustless source of profitable enjoyment. Every blade of grass is a study; and to produce two, where there was but one, is both a profit and a pleasure. And not grass alone; but soils, seeds, and seasons -- hedges, ditches, and fences, draining, droughts, and irrigation -- plowing, hoeing, and harrowing -- reaping, mowing, and threshing -- saving crops, pests of crops, diseases of crops, and what will prevent or cure them -- implements, utensils, and machines, their relative merits, and [how] to improve them -- hogs, horses, and cattle -- sheep, goats, and poultry -- trees, shrubs, fruits, plants, and flowers -- the thousand things of which these are specimens -- each a world of study within itself.
Farmer John 11:46 - 2006-Feb-24 - comments {3} - post commentCheap, Safe Food???By the time everyone in the US reaches adulthood, chances are, they know how to purchase and operate a car, kick a soccer ball and play Nintendo. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the production of one's own food. Years ago, common knowledge typically included an understanding of food production. Vegetables, herbs, fruits and grains were routinely produced, processed and stored in households. Alas, "the good life" has reached most of us now, and the knowledge, experience, and I argue, the freedom associated with self-provision is not part of it.
Good Farmer John 08:46 - 2006-Feb-22 - comments {0} - post commentNew NAIS links worth readingHere's an interesting article entitled, "Why you should oppose the USDA's mandatory property and animal surveylance program" which also has a plug for a grass roots organization being launched in response called Farm For Life:
Interesting reading. We must continue to pray and get the word out about all of this.
The Farmer's Wife 02:23 - 2006-Feb-20 - comments {0} - post commentOld Tractors Never Die
Good Farmer John 02:00 - 2006-Feb-20 - comments {2} - post commentA Lawyer comments on Constitutional Rights and NAISThis is a very interesting read written by a lawyer about NAIS being unconstitutional. It was found at http://reliableanswers.com/politics/nais.asp This article is quoted entirely:Animal ID Makers in Hog HeavenNational Animal ID System (NAIS)Mary Zanoni, Ph.D. (Cornell), J.D. (Yale), Comments on NAIS "Draft Program Standards" and "Draft Strategic Plan"I have carefully examined the Draft Program Standards (Standards) and Draft Strategic Plan (Plan) issued by the USDA (the Department) on April 25, 2005, in furtherance of the Department's proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Many aspects of the Standards and Plan appear to create insurmountable legal, fiscal, and logistical problems. The comments below address five categories of problems:
1. The Standards and Plan Violate Many Provisions of the Constitution.
First Amendment Violations - Many Christians (as well as persons of other religious beliefs) cannot comply with the Department's proposed program because it violates their First Amendment right to free exercise. For example, the Old Order Amish believe they are prohibited from registering their farms or animals in the proposed program due to, inter alia, Scriptural prohibitions. The way of life of these devout Christians requires them to use horses for transportation, support themselves by simple methods of dairy farming (most ship milk to cheese producers, since their faith prohibits the use of the technologies required for modern fluid milk production), and raise animals for the family's own food. The proposed NAIS would place the Amish and other people of faith in an untenable position of violating one or another requirement of their most important beliefs. Further, it is not unlikely that enactment of the NAIS as presently proposed would force the Amish and other devout people to seek migration to another nation. It would greatly injure the status of our country among the community of nations if the Department's actions were to result in the forced migration of such simple, devout, and peaceful people. Fourth Amendment Violations - The Department proposes surveillance of every property where even a single animal of any livestock species is kept; and to require, at a minimum, the radio-frequency identification tagging of every animal. (Standards, pp. 3-4, 6, 17-18.) Perhaps the Department had in mind as its model large commercial facilities where thousands, or in many cases tens of thousands, of animals are housed or processed. However, aside from large livestock businesses, there are also tens of millions of individual American citizens who own a pet horse, keep a half-dozen laying hens, or raise one steer, pig, or lamb for their own food. In these instances, the "premises" that the Department plans to subject to GPS satellite surveillance (Standards, p. 10) and distance radio-frequency reading (Standards, p. 27) are the homes of these tens of millions of citizens. The government is not permitted to use sense-enhancing technologies to invade the privacy of citizens' homes. Kyllo v. United States, 533 U.S. 27 (2001). The sanctity of the home is entitled to privacy protection in circumstances where an industrial complex is not. See Dow Chemical v. United States, 476 U.S. 227, 238 (1986). Therefore, the Department should abandon its present proposals, insofar as they entail enormously intrusive surveillance against unsuspecting innocent citizens who have done nothing more than to own an animal (a common form of personal property under the American system of law). Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment Violations - The proposed NAIS is the first attempt by the federal government at forced registration in a huge, permanent federal database of individual citizens' real property (the homes and farms where animals are kept) and personal property (the animals themselves). (Standards, pp. 8-13; Plan, pp. 8, 12-13) Indeed, the only general systems of permanent registration of personal property in the United States are systems administered by the individual states for two items that are highly dangerous if misused: motor vehicles and guns. It is difficult to imagine any acceptable basis for the Department to subject the owner of a chicken to more intrusive surveillance than the owner of a gun. For example, whereas the owner of a long gun generally can take the gun and go hunting beyond the confines of his or her own property without notifying the government, the Department proposes that the chicken owner, under pain of unspecified "enforcement," must report within 24 hours any instance of a chicken leaving or returning to the registered property. (Standards, pp. 13, 18-19, 21; Plan, p. 17.) Even more important than the trammeling of basic property rights under the program is the insult to fundamental human rights, which must remain free from government interference.
Surely it is overreaching for the Department to propose, as it has, the constant surveillance of one's home and animals when the citizen is only attempting to raise food for the household or for a limited local area, and there is no intention of distributing the food on a wider scale. The foregoing numerous constitutional infirmities are bound to enmesh the Department and state governments in extremely costly litigation for years to come. Therefore, please reconsider the Department's plans to institute a program so at odds with fundamental American values. 2. Practical and Cost Impediments to Enforcement.As discussed more fully below (see no. 5, Lack of Notice), most owners of a small number of livestock are not even aware of the USDA's proposals at present (see, e.g., "Helping to Head Off A Livestock I.D. Crisis," Lancaster Farming, May 28, 2005, p. A38, discussing difficulties of informing all farmers of the NAIS requirements). The Department does not plan to issue "alerts" to inform livestock owners of the requirements until April 2007, only eight months prior to the date when it will be mandatory to submit the GPS coordinates of one's home and the RFID of one's animal to the USDA database. The final rule governing mandatory home and animal surveillance will not be published until "fall 2007" (Plan, p. 10), leaving only a couple of months, at best, for notification and compliance before January 2008. The citizens apt to own small numbers of livestock are rural dwellers who have chosen their way of life partly as a means of escaping excessive corporate and government bureaucracy. These factors suggest the likelihood of a noncompliance problem of heroic proportions. In addition, the proposals call for an animal owner to report, within 24 hours, any missing animal, any missing tag, the sale of an animal, the death of an animal, the slaughter of an animal, the purchase of an animal, the movement of an animal off the farm or homestead, the movement of an animal onto the farm or homestead. (Standards, pp. 13, 18-19, 21.) The Department plans to demand the following actions by all animal owners according to the stated timeline:
Moreover, the NAIS will "prohibit any person" from removing an I.D. device, causing the removal of an I.D. device, applying a second I.D. device, altering an I.D. device to change its number, altering an I.D. device to make its number unreadable, selling or providing an unauthorized I.D. device, and "manufacturing, selling, or providing an identification device that so closely resembles an approved device that it is likely to be mistaken for official identification." (Standards, p. 7.) Thousands of enforcement agents would have to be employed to find the potentially tens of millions of unregistered premises and violations of the animal identification and animal tracking requirements. Indeed, beyond the expense, the specter of these government agents entering onto citizens' property to find possible unregistered homes and animals brings to mind the actions of a frightening police state, not the actions of a government agency whose mission should be to assist rural people, not to hunt them down. The proposed NAIS makes clear that animal owners will have to pay the costs of registration and surveillance of their homes, farms, and livestock. ("[T]here will be costs to producers, private funding will be required..." (Plan, p. 11) "Producers will identify their animals and provide necessary records to the databases... All groups will need to provide labor..." (Plan, p. 14.) In fact, the financial and labor requirements for animal owners would be huge. Livestock owners, even the owner of one pet horse who takes rides off the property, would have to invest in RFID reading devices and software to report information. The Standards and Plan do not enlighten us about the amount of these costs. Many rural people do not have (and do not want) computers at home and even those who have them often cannot get high-speed connections. Even if some system of written or manual reporting were allowed as an alternative, this would only greatly increase the labor required for citizens who elected it. Indeed, with or without access to technology, the labor requirement would be huge. Consider a small-to-moderate size dairy, milking 160 head. A total of about 150 cattle (75 bull calves, 50 cull cows, and 25 excess heifers) would leave such a farm each year. The farmer would be required to report each tagging of an animal and each event of an animal shipped off the farm (300 reportable events). Plus let's assume that the farmer has 50 growing heifers outside during pasture season, and, as heifers are prone to do, they breach the fence and go off into the neighbor's fields twice during the season, and the farmer has to herd them back. This results in an additional 250 reportable events - 50 instances of heifers having to be tagged (strictly speaking, the rules would require tagging before they leave the farm -- (Plan, p. 8) -- one hopes the enforcement agents might overlook the technical violation of the farmer perhaps not being able to tag them until they are herded back), plus 100 instances of individual heifers leaving the farm, and 100 instances of individual heifers returning to the farm. The farmer now has at least 550 total reportable events, or an average of over 1.5 times per day, 365 days per year, that the farmer must interrupt his or her other work and submit data on premises identification, animal identification, and an event code to the USDA's database. Further, the animals shipped from this farm would generate at least an additional 600 reportable events per year for other stakeholders (i.e., 75 bull calves into and out of the auction house, then onto a veal farm, off the veal farm, and to a slaughter facility (375 events); 50 cull cows into and out of the auction house, then to a slaughter facility (150 events); and 25 heifers into and out of the auction house, then onto new farms (75 events). Thus, only one modest-sized farm would generate well over a thousand events per year requiring recordkeeping and reporting. Indeed, the only economic advantage of the NAIS is an advantage to the corporations that manufacture high-tech tags, ID equipment, and the vast amount of hardware and software required for the system. This "advantage" is totally outweighed by the economic costs to both large and small segments of the livestock industry and the social and civil-rights costs to small producers, home farmers, and non-farming animal owners. The Department's mission should be to protect and foster agriculture, not to protect and foster manufacturers of tagging and computing equipment. 3. Infirmities in Supposed Justifications.The primary justifications given by the Department for the NAIS are animal health issues, specifically, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). (Plan, p. 1.) There has been no FMD in the United States for over 70 years and the possibility of its reintroduction is speculative. Of course, FMD is a viral disease exclusively of cloven-hoofed animals and does not infect humans. Moreover, FMD is primarily an economic disease. Animals may become temporarily lame or refuse to eat because of the lesions caused by the virus, but nearly all animals recover within a few weeks. Thus, the primary effects are a setback in weight gain for animals produced for meat, reduced lactation in dairy animals, and restrictions on exports for countries where FMD is present. NAIS proponents need to carefully consider whether a disease, of no risk to humans, not present in the United States and only of temporary effect to animals, can possibly justify a gravely flawed system such as the proposed NAIS. There have been only two known cases of BSE in the United States. There have been no cases of humans contracting, while within the United States, the related condition of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The Department has put into place all necessary safeguards and assures that the American beef supply is safe and that transmission of BSE prions to humans cannot now occur in the United States. After the banning of meat and bone meal from ruminant feeds in 1997, any possible instances of BSE would now occur only in relatively old cattle. Obviously, the number of such cattle diminishes yearly and even assuming the longest potential lifespan of cattle; any slight possibility of BSE in the U.S. cattle herd will disappear in about 12 to 15 years. Thus, BSE is a very low-incidence, self-limiting, rapidly disappearing disease in the United States. BSE has not resulted in transmission of a single case of human disease in the United States. BSE is, rather than a health threat, primarily an economic problem affecting exports and imports of cattle and beef. It is apparent that the Department's position that sufficient controls are in place is correct. Thus, as with FMD, BSE cannot justify the creation of a huge, permanent, expensive, and intrusive NAIS. A further asserted justification is the risk of "an intentional introduction of an animal disease." (Plan, p. 7.) Far from preventing deliberate interference with the livestock industry or food supply, the proposed plan creates numerous new opportunities for mayhem. The Department's own proposals suggest that the counterfeiting and theft of tags will quickly become a problem. (Standards, p. 7.) Application of counterfeit tags could easily mask the introduction of a sick animal into a facility containing thousands or tens of thousands of other animals. Consider also the scenario in which someone brings a sick animal to a slaughter facility and falsely reports its farm of origin as a large operation with tens of thousands of animals in production. The resulting baseless scare has the potential to create a huge disruption of food supplies and the profitability of animal agriculture, regardless of whether the hoax might ultimately be discovered. 4. Lack of Consideration of Alternate Methods.As discussed above, the NAIS is a violation of civil rights, extremely expensive and burdensome, likely to be ineffective, and not justified by human health, animal health, or food safety considerations. Given these numerous and probably insurmountable flaws, the Department should carefully consider alternative methods that would be much more successful in accomplishing the stated objectives. The security of America's food supply and the resilience of livestock in the face of diseases are best served by the decentralization and dispersal of food production and processing, and of the breeding and maintaining of livestock. If more citizens could depend on food raised and processed within, say, 100 miles of their homes, the danger of large-scale disruptions would be minimized, the costs of transport would be less affected by volatile fuel prices, and any food-borne diseases that might occur would be contained by the natural geographic limits of the system. Similarly, if animals, such as cattle, for example, are kept in small herds of, say, ten to a hundred animals, infectious diseases will have much more difficulty in spreading beyond a discrete geographical area. In this regard, the NAIS would actually be counterproductive, since it would tend to drive more small producers and small processors out of business. Thus, the Department should consider an approach and programs to support and promote smaller, local herds and local food processing. Smaller herds would also entail the possibility of many more closed herds than our agricultural model supports at present. Especially in dairy operations, where artificial insemination is the norm, only modest government incentives would be necessary to encourage small and medium sized producers to maintain closed herds. In the case of beef cattle, and of other species not commonly using AI, a state-level program requiring vet checks and recordkeeping for new animals introduced to herds would be obviously far simpler, as well as more effective, than the proposed NAIS. Another contribution the Department could make to food safety and animal health at low cost would be the encouragement of integrated producer/processor operations. Despite economic and marketing forces that are stacked against them, many small producers throughout the United States still process and market their own dairy products, or raise meat that is processed on site or at small local slaughterhouses and distributed directly to consumers or to local retail outlets. Consumers love not only the high quality of such products, but also the assurance that comes from actually knowing the farmers who, for example, finish their steers on grass and have the butchering done at a local small business. Very modest programs of financial incentives and encouragements to the streamlining of federal and state permitting procedures would help this hopeful segment of our nation's agriculture to flourish. Many recent developments in the agricultural sciences have demonstrated time and again that the least-cost and least intrusive method is the most effective and protective of health. For example, leading-edge research now rejects the routine deworming of all cattle and sheep, in favor of eliminating parasite-susceptible individuals as breeding stock. The once-heralded approach of routine deworming, it turns out, only resulted in resistant super-parasites and perpetuation in the gene pool of animal families naturally subject to the largest infestations. Similarly, in recent years our thinking has done an about-face on the subject of routine use of antibiotics in the feed of beef steers and dairy heifers, and in udder infusions for dry dairy cows who exhibit no clinical mastitis. Once heralded as a means of increasing weight gain and providing extra insurance against fresh-cow mastitis, those routine uses of antibiotics in healthy animals are now rejected because they are known to produce resistant super-bacteria that may cause not only animal infections, but human infections. Unfortunately, it takes years for knowledge gained in the latest research to reach the farmer, and the inappropriate overuse of anthelmintics and antibiotics is still very common. Thus, another low-cost and simple initiative the Department could undertake would be an intensive educational initiative to end the inappropriate use of drugs in animal agriculture. The foregoing are just a few of the many possible more effective animal-health and food-safety initiatives to which the Department could devote its finite resources. It is appropriate for the Department to study fully these alternatives before concluding that a bloated NAIS bureaucracy is our only alternative. 5. Lack of Notice and an Opportunity to be Heard for Small Farmers and Animal Owners.The original impetus for a nationwide animal I.D. program came from a private membership group, the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA). (Plan, pp. 1, 4.) The members of the NIAA include such well-known industry entities as Cargill Meat Solutions, Monsanto Company, Schering-Plough, and the National Pork Producers Council. Further, of those NIAA members listed as "National Associations and Commercial Organizations," nearly 25% appear to be manufacturers and marketers of identification technology systems. In April 2002, the NIAA "initiated meetings that led to the development of" the NAIS. (Plan, p. 1.) The NIAA "established a task force to provide leadership in creating an animal identification plan." (Plan, p. 4.) The NIAA already had been promoting animal I.D. for months before the Department, through APHIS, became involved in the effort. Moreover, the Department says that "[t]he development of [the Draft Program Standards] was facilitated by significant industry feedback." (Standards, p. 1.) Essentially, a private group has dominated animal I.D. thinking and has dictated the NAIS plan now being proposed by the Department. Moreover, the Department asserts a "broad support for NAIS" (Plan, p. 1) when there is no such support. The Department says that it conducted "listening sessions" for six months (June-November 2004) on NAIS. However, only 60 comments were apparently made during these six months of sessions. If the Department had made a truly widespread attempt to determine citizens' views on animal I.D., surely it would have received far more than 60 comments on an issue that affects tens of millions of Americans. The Department relies upon the NIAA's survey of itself as supposed evidence of public support. (Plan, p. 7.) The Department quotes responses from the survey and cites the National Institute for Animal Agriculture as its source. However, when one visits that page, one finds a statement by the NIAA that the survey is not scientific, that the survey's results are intended for use by NIAA members only, and that any reproduction of the survey is prohibited. Thus, the Department is presenting as "evidence" a private, unscientific report that the public is forbidden to quote in opposition. To correct this gross violation of normal agency procedure, the Department must immediately publish this entire NIAA survey in the docket and issue a press release specifying that the public is permitted to use the survey freely in studying the relationship of the NIAA to the genesis of the NAIS. This is not only a spurious example of "public support" but also an affirmatively misleading rationale for a mandatory NAIS. It tells us nothing about truly public support to say that the NIAA, an organization of the largest livestock businesses and manufacturers of identification equipment, considers mandatory I.D. to be good for its own private interests. One further troubling instance of the failure to consider the needs of the larger public deserves mention. The NIAA lists as public institutional members some state departments of agriculture and animal health commissions. These include representatives of several states with significant populations of members of plain faiths, e.g., Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa. Yet it appears no consideration whatsoever was given to the fact that the NAIS as proposed would violate the right of these citizens to practice their religion without government hindrance. Thus, the NAIS is not the result of any true consensus or concern for the welfare of the citizenry as a whole. Rather, the NAIS is the predictable result of allowing a small coterie of financially interested "stakeholders" to create the agenda for animal identification. ConclusionThe NAIS proposals as embodied in the Standards and Plan are unworkable because of economic costs, the huge burdens of reporting, and enormous and needless complexity. Their justifications based on animal diseases and food safety would not be served but in fact would be harmed by the NAIS. The Department has failed to consider numerous alternative methods that might actually further animal health and food security without the vast problems of the proposed NAIS. The Department has limited any input on the NAIS chiefly to a small group of parties with a preexisting bias toward mandatory animal ID; the Department did not make its plans known to small farming interest groups and did not seek any input from such groups. Last, and first, the most fatal flaw of the proposed NAIS is its disregard for fundamental human rights enshrined in our Constitution: the right to religious freedom, the right of property ownership, the right of privacy. Not since Prohibition has any government agency attempted to enshrine in law a system, which so thoroughly stigmatizes and burdens common, everyday behavior and is so certain to meet with huge resistance from the citizens it unjustly targets. Therefore, the Department should:
Very truly yours, Mary Zanoni, Ph.D. (Cornell), J.D. (Yale), Mary Zanoni practices law in St. Lawrence County, a leading dairy-producing region of New York State. She serves as the Executive Director of Farm for Life, a nonprofit group supporting small-scale and sustainable farmers, and citizens who raise livestock and crops for their own food. (We refer to this last category as "home farmers.") 03:52 - 2006-Feb-18 - comments {0} - post commentTeaching an Old Dog New Tricks
Contrary to popular belief, one can indeed teach an old dog new tricks. Our daughters are demonstrating this concept quite clearly as evidenced by the picture (and a bit of explanation from them). This old dog is is being taught to plow the ground, of course. The older daughter is holding the reins (aka jump rope) while the younger daughter is lifting and lowering the "plow blades" (a.k.a the handle to the wagon) while assisting the beast with the pulling of the plow (for the beast was not strong enough to pull the whole plow cantraption thing-a-ma-bob).
Going against conventional (mocern) wisdom and coming up with innovative, low-cost approaches to farming will be keys to our survival on the farm. Good Farmer John is considering this new approach to plowing and possibly marketing the idea to other farmers... then again, maybe not.
The farmer's wife :) 09:40 - 2006-Feb-15 - comments {1} - post commentBig Bellies and Big BagsI just took a look at a couple of big bellies and big bags. I love to see those huge swollen bellies this time of the year - on goats, that is. Just two more weeks or so and two of our does will have their kids. Their bags are starting to become swollen with milk starting to come in. Our family really likes to see those udders grow for that means just one thing - FRESH MILK SUPPLY!!! We usually try to time the mating of the does so we are able to have fresh milk year round. This year our schedule has changed a bit with the upcoming move to Minnesota. We decided to downsize our herd to three of our best does and one buck. We figured that would be easier to move cross country when moving time came.
We have been without fresh milk now since November and are craving it. We are unable to obtain any raw goat's milk where we live. It is illegal to sell it in Indiana. That hasn't stopped friends of ours from allowing consumers to obtain raw milk from them. They sell cow shares to those who wish to have raw milk. The state has tried to shut them down, but the protest of the part owners of the cows was very loud and persistant, so they let them do their thing.
Our girls are allergic to cow's milk or we would buy from them (yes, they are even allergic to raw cow's milk for those who are curious). For a time one of our daughters was unable to consume pasteurized goat cheese. Only raw goat dairy products agreed with her for a while. For the past few months we have had to be satisfied with purchasing raw goat cheese and goat yogurt from the co-op. I can't seem to find any that will guarentee they don't use any antibiotics, so we are excited in more ways than one to be able to consume our own goat's milk and goat's milk products again soon. Our goats have never had any antibiotics. They have never had mastitus. They just don't get sick. We have plenty of pasture for them to graze on, plus they receive many minerals via kelp.
Our first goats were sickly when we purchased them years ago. Their coats were rough, one had a very thin coat and was nearly bald in spots and that was in the middle of winter. It took a good year to get them to the point that they were healthy. Now their coats are thick and shiny.
My oldest daughter told me she wants to learn about goat midwifery this year. We have studied it some. We never have had to intervene yet, atleast in a major way. If we're blesseed enough to witness a birth, we just wipe the birth sack off of the nose of the kids to make sure they can breath. Last year we had our first set of triplets that we were able to witness! What a joy that was! We have even had a few families over the years who happened to be visiting when goats gave birth, so they have had the excitement of being able to witness the miracle of birth.
These animals always seem to know what they need to do to have their kids - lie down, then stand up, then lie down, then stand up, then turn around, etc. I taught childbirth education classes for years and the women who had their babies naturally and easily always seemed to know what they needed and what they needed to do. Years ago, the girls and I were able to witness one of our cats giving birth. She purred through the whole experience while we pet her. Amazing. When all of the kittens had been born, my three year old (at the time) concluded in awe, "Creation....it's a miracle!"
We are certainly looking forward to witnessing some more miracles with our goats in a couple of weeks!
Blessings, Lisa for the Mesko's 05:29 - 2006-Feb-14 - comments {4} - post commentHosting Haitians on the Homestead
Yes, ministry is wonderful to do on the farm. My husband and I were counseling a very troubled couple with a marriage on the rocks and in the middle of it all, our children burst in to inform us one of our cats was having kittens and they couldn't find them. What a relief this proved to be as we all hunted for those kittens and tried to save their lives. It happens to provide a bit of perspective. What a great place our farm proved to be for a young man who needed accountability. He stayed with us and helped my husband build a chicken coop learning that a mind focused on a worthy task rarely gets into trouble.
Aw, but I digress, this post describes some of the lessons we learned together last summer while hosting these blessed folks. If you would like to read of more details of the story, you may go to www.yolandahope.blogspot.com
(As we left the hospital after her 2nd surgery, we bid the hospital farewell, "Orevwa, lopital!")
Grateful for the opportunity to serve on our homestead, Mrs. Lisa Mesko for the Mesko family 12:20 - 2006-Feb-2 - comments {2} - post commentMinnesota, Here We Come (after we sell our house) and "the Chip"We are ready. We have downsized and gotten rid of a bunch of stuff in order to prepare for our move to Minnesota. We have written business plan after business plan to prepare for our new farm business in the land up north. We know that we know that we know that we are supposed to move and have received confirmation after confirmation. Homesteading my husband's family farm is our calling. Our 8 acre homestead in Indiana is up for sale and we've had a few folks stop by and some interest, but no formal offer yet. Once it is sold we are going to move!
We know we have much work to be done in Minnesota. The old house is missing part of a roof and the beautiful old barn has a leaky roof as well. Fixing those two up as well as preparing the place for grassfed beef and making more portable chicken pens for pastured poultry, preparing a place for our egg layers and our milk goats, preparing a new garden biointensively, preparing and planting an orchard, expanding our homestead ebusiness, enjoying living near my husband's folks and grandmother,etc. etc. will be keeping us very busy for a long, long time. Homesteading is NOT for the faint-of-heart! We are soooo looking forward to it, though!
Currently, we are a bit concerned about the "chip" the government wants all farmers to place in their animals. It will be mandatory in a few years. We are in the midst of writing congressmen, etc, in protest. It is another effort to restrict and blot out the little guy. Some folks are wondering it this is a precursor to the mark of the beast. We've decided we can't sit by and be silent as more and more of our freedoms are being stripped away. What would have happened in 1962 if the church would have spoken up when prayer was being taken out of schools? I think our country would be in a much different place. The USDA says the chip is for the purpose of food security, however, we all know pasture raised livestock is much more healthy compared to the feedlot industries. And plus, if something were to happen, we sell to such a small number of folks, it would be easy to trace. Please, please research this and speak up. If the USDA is successful in pushing this through, some small farmers will be forced to go out of business due to this added expense. What about those who for religious reasons refuse to accept the chip? Will they fine us to such an extent as to force us out of business? Please get involved and let folks know. Write your congressmen, write letters to the editor about NAIS. Here's the gov't link about this:
http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/newsroom/factsheets/nais_overview_factsheet.shtml
My husband has worked for the government. This will eventually be mandatory. Eventually, we will not be able to buy or sell our livestock without the chip on our beasts. Please, speak up and get the word out.
Sincerely, The farmer's wife
09:50 - 2006-Jan-18 - comments {3} - post commentAnd God saw that it was goodWhen God finished creating the world, He remarked that it was good.Gen 1:29-31 "Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food " and it was so. "
We were disappointed to notice we will be running out of our garden onions and home-dried apples probably by February. However, we still have quite a bit of salsa and tomatoe sauce as well as homegrown and butchered chickens in our freezer to last us until summer! We have also allowed our milk goats to dry up due to their preganancies and our upcoming move to Minnesota. However, this spring we will once again be able to partake of the rich, healthy, delicious milk. We've been without it for about one month and our daughters are missing it! Thankfully, the chickens are still producing eggs for us through the winter.
We definitely don't live in Eden any longer, yet we are thankful the Lord still graciously allows us to produce such delicious food even if it is alongside of thorns and thistles and by the sweat of our brow.
Grateful, The Farmer and his Wife 11:15 - 2005-Dec-31 - comments {0} - post commentGreetingsGreetings Homestead Bloggers!We are in the process of moving back to the home farm in East Central Minnesota. We have been homesteading on 8 acres in Central Indiana. We've an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of raising our children on a farm large enough to support our family to the point where I don't have to leave home every day to work for someone else. To this end, we have started a small e-business focused on the needs of new and beginning farmers. We are located at: www.lighthousefarm.com Looking forward to posting various stories here about our move! JM 10:25 - 2005-Dec-30 - comments {3} - post commentPig-headed or chicken-hearted????Not too long ago, I was checking on the animals and I heard one of our sows emit an occasional whine. This sow doesn't usually whine, so I thought I should check it out. I could see from where I stood that she was standing with her head down, jerking her had back on occasion, whining as she did so. My curiosity was peaked, needless to say.Upon closer inspection, I noticed a hen (a species which is not generally characterized for their intelligence) had chosen a nice cozy spot in the hay WITH THE SOW to lay her egg. The sow was apparently familiar with this pasture-based delicacy for she was eagerly awaiting, not-so-patiently for the not-to-be-rushed, taking-its-sweet-time-to-arrive ovem. As the sow stood there waiting, she would occasionally, very slowly and cautiously move her snout quite close to the deliverer of the mouth-watering delight (perhaps to check and see if her appetite could be satisfied). No sooner did the snout of the rather large and foreboding 300-plus-pound big-fat-hog approach the delicate, still-as-a-mouse, no-heavier-than-5-ounds, bony, ball of feathers when the hen quickly and effectively pecked the hog's snout. This action brought on a whine and a drawing back of the snout just as quickly as the peck was administered. This action continued to be repeated numerous times and with each time I could not hold back the chuckles. I couldn't help but ask the question, "Just who is being pig-headed and who is being chicken-hearted here????" 03:04 - 2007-Sep-25 - post commentHealth care - the way it used to beOnce upon a time not too long ago, folks rarely became sick. Most grew their own food. Many had their own eggs and even folks in town would butcher a chicken now and then. Beef and pork was wholesome and raised on pasture. Folks consumed lots of lard and didn't stick up their noses in disgust at organ meats or blood sausage. Of course, they drank their milk raw from primarily grass-fed animals and would have laughed at any new-fangled notion that there was any other way to drink it. On that same note, they would have thought we were loosing our scruples if we were to describe a feed lot or factory farm or pesticides.On the rare occasion when folks did become sick, an old timer told us that his grandmother would go out to the pasture or woods and gather some roots, leaves or blossums, boil them and make the ill person drink it. The sickness would be gone shortly thereafter. My grandparents each had their own remedies they would use and wouldn't have been concerned that any of them weren't government-researched and approved, nor would they have lived in fear of their children being thaken away from them by the authorities when they treated them with their home-made remedies. Neighbors shared remedies and evne treated one another. No one sued anyone back then. They all knew what worked and didn't need any university studies to back it up. Sometimes, they would take a trip to the doctor and he would fix them up using his own methods, many were what we would consider alternative. There was no insurance. There was no licensing. There was no FDA. There was no government oversight. The cost of the visit never caused any of the folks to drop their jaw in disbelief or cause them to have to sell the farm, ever. The doctor would have no business if that were the case. In fact, sometimes, they would barter and trade without the use of any cash. No biggie. Food was traded for health care. Food was every bit as valuable as health care in those days. There was relationship-based accountability, not bureaucratic-based accountability. The community looked out for one another. They regulated what came into the community and determined whether or not they were genuine. If there was a quack doctor around, word got around very quickly and he was chased out of town quicker than a coon dog can tree a coon. On occasion, the doctor would make house calls. One elderly aunt told me she finally figured out that another baby was on the way when the doctor came to the house. Again, no insurance, etc. Services were paid in cash or somethign was traded. No paperwork had to be filed out and filed either. Another old time farmer told us there used to be sanitariums that had goat farms next door. THe raw goat's milk was considered essential to the healing of the patients. Again, no FDA, no USDA, no insurance, nothing. Patients left healthy and never in fear that they couldn't afford the treatment. If the treatment were unafforable, the sanitarium would receive no business. My grandparents cared for their parents in their home until their death. They considered their wisdom, their stories of old to valuable to miss. They welcomed their parent's good influence on their children. THey even strung a line from the house to the outhouse in order to help great grandpa find his way after he lost his sight. THey would have thought a "nursing home" was a home where breastfeeding women gathered (and would have thought that was a waste of time). If the government ever wanted to stop and regulate the way they gave and received health care, I would not be surprised if the whole commmunity tarred and feathered the poor soul who came to enforce it! Of any government oversight over helath care, they would have said, "God gave us brains, we have the right to use them." Reminiscing on the good ol' days of health, freedom and common sense, Lisa 12:24 - 2007-Jul-12 - post comment
The Egg HogI promised to write about "the egg hog". I'm sure some of you are wondering what on earth an "egg hog" is. Perhaps some of you are thinking we've gone over the edge here at Lighthouse Farm and are venturing into the field of biotechnology as we work on splicing egg-layer genes with hog genes to come up with the world's first egg-laying hog. Can you just picture it? A big, fat sow laying on her nest of eggs. I suppose we would have to come up with a featherweight version of a hog in order for that to work. ..Of course, none of this would ever happen on our farm. We believe that what God created is indeed good. To interfere with the mixing of species is not only an insult to the One who designed them, but we believe its asking for trouble. Pride comes before a fall. Back to the "egg hog". We have quite a few hens who are broody currently. One is choosing an old leaky barn to become broody in. We like to play "Where's the chicken?" which is similar to "Where's Waldo" as we take guests into the barn and point to the place where the chicken is. No one has found her yet. Once we actually place our finger on her, of course, they have the eyes to see. She has chosen the dirt floor of this old barn right next to a garbage lid and underneath a bicycle that is almost, but not quite lying on the ground (it's angled at about 30 degrees). She is underneath one of the wheels, is a bright golden color and yet remains absolutely motionless and camaflouges into her surroundings. Three of our broody hens have chosen to be broody right on the straw floor of the pole barn within close proximity of one another. What has been quite perplexing is that each time we gather eggs and check on our little maternity ward, the number of eggs beneath each chicken changes. Sometimes they will have large numbers of eggs and sometimes only a couple. Hmmmm? What could be causing this? Of course, we're in the middle of baling hay, helping an elderly member of the family, feeding ravenous hay-baling appetites, tending the garden, etc, which leaves little time to investigate. However, our youngest took on the job. She spent a considerable amount of time observing. This took much patience, but she was determined to find an answer. So, in the sweltering barn, this is what she observed. One broody chicken very non-chalantly reached over toward the broody hen next to her, placed her beak underneath her, reached for an egg, pulled it toward her (by scooting it underneath her beak) and proceeded to put it beneath her. Ah-ha!!! Day after day, she proceeded to do this. Never mind that as large as she fluffs herself out, she now has eggs peaking out and spilling out around her. She is now named the "egg hog". Strange as it may seem, we somehow admire this fowl for she has gone against the grain of our society and values life. In fact, she can never have too much of it! The Farmer's Wife 11:29 - 2007-Jun-28 - post commentBack in blogdom after chasing sheepLet's face it, when the sheep escape their pasture, the choice between sitting down to blog or chase sheep never really even presents itself. It's a no-brainer! Our normally very well-behaved sheep have suddenly become very ornery. We have taught our children that animals will not escape if they are provided with greener pastures. However, if the pasture is greener on the other side, expect trouble. This theory has proved true up until recently. Our beautiful gourmet sheep have decided that the grass is greener on the other side, even if it is not. Even if it's shorter, even if it's just been plowed, they want to be everywhere where they are not supposed to be.The good news is that we think we have the problem somewhat fixed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us to his own way....There is a reason the Lord compares us to sheep. We have taken a looooong sabbtical from blogging and plan on returning intermittently. With full plates, something has to go at times and as much as we enjoy blogging, that is usually the first one to get shoved off. With farming, escaping sheep, spring babies and a very sick elderly family member, we haven't had much time to sit these days! Not complaining at all. We are very much enjoying being outside working, producing, being fruitful. We are halfway done with kidding. Three does are due next month. We also have a heifer due next month. Five sows are due withing the next couple to few months. We will have pigs ready for processing starting next month. In a few weeks the co-op we sell our meat to will be coming to the farm for a tour, so we're very busy trying to get ready for that. We are still cleaning up the farm and it is quite a large task. It's amazing what our little family of four can accomplish and we're very thankful for that! We are finished with planting the garden and if all goes well will have enough food to last us all winter. All the sheep have been sheared and lambing is finshed. With all of our ewe lambs now and all of our current sheep and if they all produce lambs like they did this year and if we can sell them all, we will almost have enough to pay fo property taxes (until they raise them with all the new building projects they have in line). We have mixed feelings about this. We are happy to maybe have enough income off of one venture of our farm to pay for property taxes and yet at the same time, our entire family works hard at this venture and we will see none of the profits nor will we enjoy them indirectly for we use none of the services which the majority of our property taxes go toward. I personally can think of many, many ministries and small businesses I'd rather support with that money for they are very fruitful, productive and frugal, but we are to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and I need to stop allowing my mind to wander into that area. John was invited to speak more about Authentic Agriculture at a workshop at the Iowa Homeschool convention with Dr. Jim Bartlett of Biblical Concourse of Home Universities. They thoroughly enjoyed their time there and had a wonderful visit with part of the Bartlett family. Thankfully, things went rather smoothly with chores while John and one of our daughters was gone. Our other daughter and I took care of the animals and the animals cooperated (for the most part). If all goes well and I am able to have time to sit, I'll write about "The Egg Hog". Until then, Lisa The Farmer's Wife 12:33 - 2007-Jun-12 - post comment
Ode to Winter 2007The Winter That Wouldn't Let Goby the Mesko Family As we sit here in April Huddled against the cold, The winter of 2007 Is getting very old. It started in October With rain and freezing temp's. The cattle braced against the sleet And looked like four-legged wimps. November brought the first snow And we started feeding hay. The sheep preferred to forage Out in the pasture day after day. The water pipes froze in December As the temperatrue dipped below zero. "This is Minnesota," we said "Where the weather is as cold as Nero." On the 10th of January Our sow went into labor. Twelve below and shivering, This moment she did not savor. The white stuff came in February. The piles they did grow. The children dug and played and made Houses in the snow. We had to use the snowplow And sometimes got stuck. The pigs piled warm and high And the sheep showed lots of pluck. March is spring in most places, With green starting to peep. In 2007, March brought blizzards Through which we could only sleep. March 26th proved an odd day, We all grinned with glee, For the sun came out, melted the snow, And it was 81 degrees! Our hearts turned toward spring, Four inches of snow on April 10th Spring has sprung, it’s here for sure, 11:46 - 2007-Apr-16 - post comment
Chicken and Hog DVD's are now finished!!My husband is a former county extension educator who has taught food production skills on our farm. Due to popular demand, we are beginning to format these workshops and educational experiences onto DVD. And (drum roll), we have finally finished our first DVD's!With the first one, John teaches how to butcher a chicken from start to finish. It's so easy our children join in to learn how to eviscerate. Our oldest summarized it as "a very pleasant experience." With the second DVD, we include four generations of family members, including John's 94 year old grandmother and his parents as they pass on the tradition of hog butchering. This was such a special experience for all involved. We are all still taking about it. Hog processing from start to finish is demonstrated as well as how to cut up the meat which really is a mini meat science course. With both DVD's John touches on the Biblical reason as to why we eat meat. This has been so appreciated by our workshop participants and stands in stark contrast to the beliefs saturating our culture which stem from movies like Bambi and Charlotte's Web (which villify man for taking animals for sustenance). In both DVD's, the anatomy of the animal is covered which is biology in its most natural state! Most of the citizens in our country were quite familiar with the butchering of chickens and hogs. This was viewed as a very normal event and looked forward to eagerly and gratefully as they put food on their table. These DVD's are our effort to teach, inform and normalize that which used to be normal. If you would like to see John's introduction, go here http://www.lighthousefarm.com/video/AAintro.mp4 If you would like to read more about the DVD's, go here http://www.lighthousefarm.com/dvdpage.htm If you would like to purchase them, go here http://kunaki.com/MSales.asp?Publisherid=111506 Blessings, Lisa (The Farmer's Wife) 10:14 - 2007-Mar-12 - post comment
Video clip of the birth of a pigletWe posted a video clip of a sow giving birth to one of 16 piglets! If you are interested in viewing it, you may go here http://www.lighthousefarm.com/video/piglets.movAbout 5 weeks ago, the sow in the video gave birth to 16 piglets one evening at 10 below temp's. For those of you who don't know, 16 piglets is phenomenal. As a matter of fact, that's a first on this farm, ever. Sows usually average around 8-12 per litter. I will add that the runt died due to his mother laying on him. This is not unusual. But to have 15 piglets and to have that many survive, brings us to our knees in humble gratitude. They are all doing very well at 5 weeks of age now. They continue to nurse from their mother and are now eating along with her. I grew red mangle beets this summer specifically for the animals and throw one in to them now and then. They love them. I left the dirt on the beets which they consume very quickly. Confinement piglets need iron supplements shortly after birth. We just give our pigs soil which contains iron naturally. Piglets are fascinating to watch. Unlike many other farm babies, their mother does not lick them clean after they are born. As a matter of fact, the sows never lick their offspring at all. The piglets know to go to the sow's udder and they know where to find nourishment and warmth. Within days of their birth, they begin rooting with their tiny disk-shaped snouts. They also quickly learn to get out of the way when big mamma comes along or they will get stepped on. If they are suddenly startled, they bark very much like a dog and scatter to hide and stand very still. Did you know that birds are not the only ones who build a nest for their young? Pigs also build nests to give birth in. They also build nests to keep their young warm. If they are outside, they will dig a deep pit (2 feet deep) in the ground which blocks wind. If they are inside, we provide hay, which they will pick up with their mouths and make elaborate nests - sometimes with edges 2-3 feet high. The piglets learn very quickly to bury themselves in the hay to keep warm. We do not confine our hogs like the hog industry does. We do not put the sows in tiny crates which do not alow them to move around, where they are forced to stay in one place with room only to lie down. Nor do we confine our hogs in buildings in tiny small spaces on concrete. We do not give them the hormone which is given to pretty much all confinement hogs which makes them lean. We believe in working with the way God created animals to be instead of working against His design. We believe this contributes to healthier animals and healthier people. We believe God made pigs fat for a reason and do not work against His design in that way by feeding them the "lean" hormone. We render the lard and use that for cooking much the way all of our country did prior to the industrial revolution. Enjoy the clip! The Farmer's Wife (Lisa) www.lighthousefarm.com 08:21 - 2007-Feb-23 - post comment
News about Haitian friends!!!!!A couple of summers ago, we hosted a Haitian widow and her daughter on our homestead for a summer. The little girl had to have life-saving surgery and almost didn't make it once arriving to the States. What an absolute joy to hear from the missionaries that arranged for her trip to the States that she is doing very well!!!!We were able to see pictures of her and her mother which warmed our hearts! What an experience it was to host these folks. While it was a lot of work, we look back on it with very fond memories. I will not go into the details of this experience here for I blogged about it earlier. I only want to add that it is definitely more blessed to give than to receive. And a homestead is a wonderful, wonderful place to bring folks to who need help and encouragement. While it is tempting for us homestead-types to enjoy the peace of our place ourselves, please pray about an opportunity to serve someone. When a struggling, hurting person is able to witness the awes of God's creation it brings much perspective. You may view current pictures of this lovely family on www.totheleastofthese.org In Christ, lisa@lighthousefarm.com 11:43 - 2007-Feb-16 - post commentAuthentic AgricultureTMDo we really need another word to define agriculture? I think so. Folks, I don't come at this easily. I am not normally one to wrangle about words, but we all must agree that the government has adulterated words like "organic", and "natural", and they are working hard at "grass-fed". Remember, once the USDA defines a word, it's open to legislation. This means it can be re-defined by the highest bidder.I say let's coin our own word, define it first, and lay claim to it before anyone else does. I put forth "Authentic Agriculture". Authentic means "made or done in the original, traditional way, or in a way that faithfully resembles an original." What is "original" agriculture? Well we look to our origins and the Bible for our guidance on that. Ask yourself this question. If you were stranded on a desert island, and had nothing but the Bible in your hands, no TV, no grocery stores, no big ag coumpaines, no universities, nothing but the island and the Biblie, what would you conclude about agriculture? Would you think it normal to pump animals full of drugs to help them live in cramped quarters? Woudl you think about food in an industrial, efficiencey-minded manner? Would you think about killing weeds with chemicals? Would you conclude that man should buy all his food from a grocery store, where it has been grown and prepared by minimum-wage-earning strangers? I say not. Here's what I would conclude, using the Bible as my guide: 1. God created everything. Gen 1:1 2. God was the original, authentic farmer 3. Man was created to cultivate the soil. Gen 2:5,15 (infact, nothing grew until man showed up. God put it all on hold for us to care for.) If man desn't in some fashion practice this God-directed, God-ordained accupation, he is not fulfilling his purpose as given to him by his Maker. 4. God gave everything to man, for his good, and for God's glory. Gen 2:16,9:3 These become foundational elements of Authentic Agriculture. It is imperative that we use the Bible and God's creative process as our foundational definition of Authentic Agriculture. Remember, "he who defines the argument, carries the day." The main reason for this definition is to redeem the current state of affairs in agriculture for the Glory of God. In addition to this, if Authentic Agriculture does no include as a foudnational element, our dependence on God and His authority over all of creation, then it will be twisted by supposedly well-meaning folks who want it to be regulated, challenged and defensible. As Christians, we can stand on the word of God in this definition. Once that has been established, the government won't touch it for fear of impinging on our freedom of religion. In addition, the reason for the trademark is to protect it from being stolen and redefined by corporate ag or the USDA. More details will be rolled out in subsequent posts... Good Farmer John 09:36 - 2007-Jan-31 - post comment
Welcome!Welcome to our blog! This is where we journal about the latest experiences our family has had as we resurrect my husband's boyhood farm. My husband is a former extension educator as well as former industrial seed company agronomist/economist. He left all that along with a steady paycheck to pursue a passion of our family's to have a family business and to grow food the way it was meant to be grown. We are quite literally starting from the grass roots!We have hosted many workshops teaching others how to garden, can, raise and process chickens. My husband has consulted with farmers in the U.S. and was even asked to volunteer to take a trip to Russia to teach about sustainable agriculture. All that to say that we are passionate about what we do and are passionate about sharing it with others. We are excited to announce another project we have been working on... By spring, we will be releasing the firstfruits of our educational DVD's! We are wrapping up our DVD on chicken and hog butchering as well as one on a family tradition of making a traditional sausage from Hungary! In addition, we have several more DVD's in the works. Producing one's own food is an art and a tradition that was once considered the norm and was expected. Even folks in the city had chickens as well as a pig and a garden which were used for their sustenance. We are excited that it is a tradition that is no longer on the verge of extinction. Our purpose in making these DVD's is to not only encourage and teach those who wish to learn, but also to expose folks to the realities of where their food comes from. Ham doesn't come from the grocery, it comes from a real, live animal that was created for our sustenance. Chicken legs don't grow on foam trays in the grocery store, they come from an animal that was created and raised for our food. Stay tuned for official release dates of our DVD's! We are sure you won't be disappointed! Also, feel free to check out our website and sign up for our newsletter www.lighthousefarm.com Blessings to you and yours, The Farmer's Wife 10:18 - 2007-Jan-4 - post comment
A Peaceful Night in the PastureA few nights ago, we headed out to the pasture to have a small bonfire surrounded by the cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. A few grunts emerged from the pig's pasture next door. My husband suggested this activity as we all gathered around the fire to keep warm. He asked us to imagine what it must have been like for the shepherds in the field tending their flocks at night when an angel of the Lord came upon them to make the greatest, most holy, most miraculous birth announcement this world has ever heard, that our King was born...!!! Scripture tells us they were sore afraid.We sat in the dark, imagining, in wonder and awe. Then, we could think of no other response than to sing parts of Handel's Messiah, the parts that referred to Jesus' birth. Our Lord and King came to the earth in simplicity...He lived His Holy life in simplicity...it never ceases to amaze and humble me. Bowing down to the King of kings, The Farmer's Wife 07:20 - 2007-Jan-2 - post comment
Big Sale at The Old Schoolhouse!!Check out The Old Schoolhouse Sale here http://the oldschoolhousestore.com/afterchristmas/After Christmas Sale.htmlEvery day until January 1st, the 1st ten shoppers who purchase 4 or more products will receive some free goodies (over $300 in value). For starters, they will receive, the current 19 promo gifts they offer to their magazine subscribers http://theoldschoolhousestore.com/5-1-06_Prom.html Plus, they will receive THREE audio CD's from The Old Schoolhouse (Secrets of Successful Homeschooling, Homeschooling the High-schooler, and The Well-Integrated Homeschool). PLUS, they will receive a free one year subscription to The Old Schoolhouse magazine. Plus, a Draw Write Now book! Plus, the largest order of each day will receive these gifts as well. Hmmm. Sounds like a good deal to me. The Old Schoolhouse Store has graciously been carrying the first fruits of our products. It's a wonderful company run by wonderful folks. Be sure to check them out! Blessings, The Farmer's Wife 11:36 - 2006-Dec-28 - post comment
Rendering LardHave been busy rendering lard these past few days and will have more to go! Wow, is it delicious. If you haven't had freshly rendered lard, you're missing out. I plan on using it for all of our cooking and look forward to it. Popcorn popped in lard just cant' be beat. And the cracklin's left over from rendering lard - well, I must say, they are a real treat! They taste much like the crispy fat of bacon. Mmmm-mmmm!Lard has had a bad reputation. In my spare time, I plan on tracing and investigating why this is so. I have a very strong suspicion that someone stood to gain a lot of money by destroying lard's reputation... It actually is very high in Vitamin D for one. There is a growing evidence of research which is showing that fat from healthy animals raised the way God intended them to be raised, eating what God intended them to eat, is actually very good for us. Rendering lard is quite simple. The girls and I took the shavings which John cut from the pig and froze them. Later, we put them through a hand cranked meat grinder. You could also cut them up into pieces. We then placed them in a crock pot on high with the lid off. The purpose of rendering lard is to slowly boil off any water left in the fat. It has to be done low and slow. I stirred the lard occasionally. It took around 8 hours for the lard to be finished. SInce the crock pot would not heat the fat higher than 220 degrees, I dipped off as much lard as I could, then transferred the rest with the leftover pieces of un-rendered fat into a saucepan and slowly simmered it for about 45 minutes until the little fat pieces fried into these delicious crunchy delights! I drained off the rest of the lard and saved it. The finished lard must be refridgerated or frozen and can be used for just about any recipe that calls for oil. The cracklin's can be eaten as is, or they can be added to the tops of salads or mixed into biscuits or whatever you can think of. We have given ours away as gifts and we are saving some for a hearty breakfast, mixing them with our homemade biscuits using a traditional Hungarian recipe. My father told me that when he was a boy they had no such thing as corn oil or safflower oil or canola oil. They had lard. Period. And it was good!! I have had some requests to post pictures of our hog butchering. Since we have dial-up internet in our neck of the woods, I can't seem to post pictures without the internet disconnecting...every time, no matter how many times I try or what time of day...so I've given up. Instead we are working on something else to be able to make it available which I think folks will appreciate more.... stay tuned!!! Blessings! The Farmer's Wife 02:55 - 2006-Dec-19 - post comment
Hog Butchering TimeWe processed our first hog on the farm with 4 generations of family members present to make a traditional Hungarian sausage! What memories and what a joy that was!I apologise for not blogging in quite long time. We've had our plates full and blogging was pushed off. I am not sure how often I will be able to blog in the future, but just to let you know we are working on some exciting projects that our family has had a blast putting together. We are in the end stages of finalizing a deal with a local organic grocer who wants to purchase meat from us regularly - this is the closest thing to a steady paycheck a farmer will ever get. We also have some things we are working on to present to the general public that we are excited about and right now that's all I will share, stay tuned....!!!! Yesterday, we finished cutting up one of our hogs. The whole process went very well and we were so very blessed to have John's 94 year old Hungarian grandmother as well as his parents present to assist with teaching and demonstrating how to prepare Hurka, a traditional Hungarian sausage which is absolutely delicious. Four generation under one roof cooperating, teaching, producing together. We were so very thankful to have had that opportunity as it may very well be the last. For now that's all I have time to blog. I have lard to render. Plus, those other projects are calling us to be completed... (!!!!!) So very grateful for the wisdom of our elders and for our pork harvest, The Farmer's Wife 09:48 - 2006-Dec-11 - post comment
John Ray - Founder of BiologyOur family just read about John Ray (1627-1705) and were fascinated to discover that he grew up helping his mother gather herbs in the fields which she used to prepare medicinals for her family and for her community. In fact, he later wrote a book cataloging plants of the British Isles which contained a long section on medicinal use of plants and also denounces astrology, alchemy and witchcraft associated with such.He worked his way through college starting at the age of 16 and stayed on as a lecturer. According to J.G. Crowder in The Founders of British Science, "Ray (told his students) that, instead of devoting themselves to games and dissipations, they would gain more satisfaction from the contemplation of the wisdom and goodness of God, as demonstated in the exquisite works of nature." Botany and zoology weren't standard subjects in the university at that time and yet, Ray invited his students to accompany him on their time, as he studied and researched flora and fauna. Apparently, Ray had intended to become a clergyman, but lived during a time when the state governed in the affairs of the church so much so that he could not endear himself to such a religion as that and would not compromise his faith. Therefore, he was dismissed from the university with no means of supporting himself or his widowed mother. Of course, God works all things for the good for this is when Ray was freed to do that which the Lord called him to do. A former wealthy student asked him to undertake scientific research together at his expense. This student knew a good thing when he saw it and made a great investment. Ray then proceeded to accomplish his great work in biology. Ray's belief in God went hand-in-hand with his scientific research. He did not divorce the two. His research gave evidence of divine wisdom. In fact, he wrote a classic entitled, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation. He readily acknowledged that there was a Creator. As we work on our homesteads, may we "contemplate on the wisdom and goodness of God, as demonstrated in the exquisite works of nature." In awe of the wisdom and goodness of God, The Farmer's Wife 08:35 - 2006-Oct-21 - post comment
A Breath-taking Field TripOur family has taken many field trips over the years, but this type has to be a first for us. We've heard stories about this type of field trip, but haven't participated. We always listened politely and with empathy hoping and planning we would never experience it.We certainly have taken all sorts of field trips. Trips to historical farms, battle re-enactments, museums, oratorio's, symphanies, musicals, plays, wilderness areas, 3 week camping trip along Lake Superior through 3 states, farming conferences, history festivals, etc. were trips that were planned for and quite enjoyable. Now, I will say that the field trip we took recently was one in which we weren't charged at all...well, atleast we weren't charged financially for it. You see, we brought some new calves onto the farm. We have a system which has worked just peachy for us. It allows the current herd and newbies to get to know one another and as the newbies are let loose, the current herd shows them the boundaries and all is well here on the farm. Well, these new calves seemed as if all was well while they integrated. Quiet, gentle, no problems, until we allowed them out of their confinement and they ran swiftly toward our long driveway right through the electric fence. Meantime the older, wiser cattle (is there such a thing) who usually head them off joined them in their escapade bending metal posts as they ran through the fence. Our whole family saw part of our life (savings) pass before our eyes as we kicked into high gear and sprinted to head off the herd. We spread out and managed to stop the running and slowly herded them back into the pasture area that now had electric fence on the ground with broken posts. How did we manage to keep them in? We didn't. Atleast the original runaway calves didn't stay put for long. Not long enough for us to fix the fence anyway. So, for hours (I think, atleast it sure seemed like hours) we headed these guys off. They even split up - one took off on the north end of the pasture while the other took off on the south end of the pasture. John was left to herd one by himself while the girls and I took on the other one. And thus went our trips through the field over and over and over and over, again and again and again as we tried to figure out how to fix the fence while trying to keep them confined. We couldn't just let them run for they were heading for the road to the east side of our property and the road on the north side of the property. We didn't want pressed beef nor any pressed metal or injuries. We finally did somehow manage to fix the fence while containing and herding the runaways after many sprints up hill and cross country. It certainly was breathtaking as well as near heart-stopping. Extreme, I think is the "in" word that could describe our field trip. And, the fixed fence didn't stop the runaways. After grazing with the herd (who now ignored the runaways), they would would bawl and bawl and head for the electric fence. So now we are on the perimeters of the fence (which John made extra special hot just for them) hoping they touch it enough to get a good hard jolt. One approached the fence and touches it with his nose and we hear the spark as he jerks back. We cheer. Does that stop him? No, he and his partner touch it many times with a jerk backward. The fence is definitely hot enough. Now I'm getting very weary of these slow-learning stupid animals. I keep thinking what a joy it will be when they meet the freezer over a year from now. Over a year?? That is a long time to deal with these beasts. I was rather tired and perhaps due to the blood rush to my brain from all of the sprints, I began to remember a song that I had forgotten from long ago as a runaway began to bawl again and head toward the fence that stood between me and it. A song popped into my mind, "Stop in the name of love, before you break my heart." I did hope these bovines would stop and my heart had gotten a pretty good work-out with all those up-hill cross-country dashes... After a while, we began to learn their patterns. They would graze with the herd for a time. Then they would start bawling and that is when they headed toward the fence. So, between bawling we managed to get some things done, like chores, and when the bawling began we all headed toward the fence to head off the runaways. We did this into the evening. John even got up at night when he heard them begin to bawl. So, how and when did this field trip end? The very next day, thank the Good Lord, one of our heifer came in heat. It was enough to keep the runaway steers home for good. Atleast they haven't escaped over a week... Learning to herd animals and outsmart them, listening to instructions so you don't get trampled, working together as a team, patience and problem-solving were just some of the things we learned as a family in more depth as a result of our field trip. Hoping there will be no part two to this field trip story, The Farmer's Wife 05:18 - 2006-Oct-20 - post comment
Fat and SassyConstantly eating and eating. Roaming around and eating anything and everything. Pigging out. Eating like hogs.They slurp loudly. They eat with their mouths open and smack their mouths with food falling out. They provide a great example on how not to eat. Fat jiggles on pretty much all parts of their bodies. Double chins run in this family. When we visit them and don't bring them some treats, they whine and then leave to get their own treat. Usually it's clover or grass or roots. Must be health food nuts. Of course, their favorite treat which we bring them daily is goat's milk. They attack it as if they hadn't eaten in years. No joke. Talk about a food fight. Even though there is plenty to go around they push each other out of the way and hog it down. They sure are healthy and robust though. Sleek and shiny and solid, just they way they were meant to be. Even the runt, the youngest of 14, is extremely filled out. It's difficult to pick him out anymore. As a matter of fact, he is probably one of the most chunky in the clan. They do keep their quarters fairly neat and they don't stink. And they seem content. As happy as pigs in mud. Probably because they are. Looking forward to the pig harvest in December, The Farmer's Wife 03:53 - 2006-Oct-11 - post comment
Real Men Eat Quicheand even make requests for it! I ought to know for I am married to a real man who likes quiche! Last night we had such a meal. I make my own variation of quiche depending upon what garden produce I have available. Last night, I used lots of eggs, raw cheese, milk from our goats, sea salt, finely chopped swiss chard, tomatoes (red and green) and onions, as well as a little oregano and minced garlic.I served this with mixed salad from our garden. My daughter helped me make homemade buttermilk biscuits made from freshly ground spelt flour and our own goat's milk topped with butter and gjetost. Gjetost is a Norwegian goat cheese which my daughters and I made from the copious amounts of leftover whey from mozzarella we had made. It is made by boiling down the whey, which can take 6-12 hours until it is of a spreadable consistency. It is quite tangy in taste. Although it has been some 10 years since I've had Velveeta, I do find myself wondering if gjetost is what those manufacturers were trying to mimic! For dessert, we had strawberry sorbet made from frozen strawberries, sucanat and goat's milk kefer (kind of like yogurt only more of a liquid consistency). My real man and my real children and this real wife enjoyed our real food last night. After partaking of our real food we proceeded to get some real work done. There is nothing like real food that sticks to your ribs and gives you fuel to finish a task, even if it is quiche! :) Off to fix my real hungry gang some real food for lunch, The Farmer's Wife 12:34 - 2006-Oct-7 - post comment
Green Tomato RecipesWe have quite a few green tomatoes left that I don't want to go to waste. So, I've found several recipes to use that maybe other folks would be interested in._________________ Green Tomato Pie 3 cups green tomatoes, sliced 3 T flour 4 tsp grated lemon peel 6 T lemon juice 3 T butter 3/4 t cinnamon 1/4 t salt 1 1/3 cup sugar (I use sucanat) 4 T butter pastry for 9 inch 2-crust pie Combine 1st eight ingredients in bowl and pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Cover with top crust. Pierce crust with fork to allow steam to escape. Bake 10 min. at 450 degrees, reuce heat to 350 degrees, and bake another 30 minutes. Serves 6-8 ___________________________________________________ Green Tomato Cake 2 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup vegetable oil or melted shortening (I use coconut oil) 3 eggs 2 t vanilla 3 cups flour 1 t salt 1 t baking powder 1 t cinnamon 1/2 t nutmeg 1 cup pecans or walnuts 1 cup raisins 2 1/2 cups diced green tomatoes coconut (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla 'til smooth and creamy. Ad flour, sl=alt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; slowly beat into egg misture. Blend well. Stir in nuts, raisins and tomatoes. Pour into greased 9X13 inch pan. Top with coconut. Bake X 1 hour. Serves 12 ______________________________________ Of course, there is also fried green tomatoes. I dredge sliced tomatoes in beaten eggs before coating them with cornmeal and then frying them. Mmmm! I don't fix them often for I'm the only one in the family who enjoys eating them! I've also seen recipes for green tomato relish that I plan on using this year. I plan on freezing some green tomatoes as well. Some folks blanch a cored green tomato before freezing them in a baggie. Some folks drop a cored green tomato in boiling water for a couple of minutes, peel the skin off and then freeze them in a baggie (this is how I froze many of our red tomatoes to be used in the winter for soups, etc.). Some folks wrap their green tomatoes in newpaper and store them in a basement. They eventually ripen. I've even seen recipes for green tomato salsa and green tomato ketchup. Enjoy! The Farmer's Wife 01:29 - 2006-Oct-6 - post comment
HarvestIn spite of a drought, our freezer is full, by the grace of God! We are humbly thankful for the Lord's provision this year! We are a pasture-based farm and a drought means no pasture. While at times this year our pasture didn't look very green and lush, we would have just enough growth to sustain the animals and they even gained weight on this compromised pasture! The beef, sheep, pigs and chickens all did very well. We have lamb in the freezer and, wow, is it ever delicous, juicy and tender! One would never guess by tasting it that we had a drought. We have some beeves which will be processed in a couple of months. And the piglets will be ready in Dec./Jan. Both the piglets and beeves look very healthy and robust.The harvesting is just about complete in our garden. We have some beets, a few carrots and some swiss chard left. We also have quite a few green tomatoes which I think I am going to make some relish out of as well as freeze some to go into making bread (as in green tomato bread, instead of zucchini bread). We are just about ready for winter food-wise. Grateful for the harvest, The Farmer's Wife 12:32 - 2006-Oct-4 - post comment
Two Cents Worth on Pinching Pennies...We have the privelege of knowing a gentleman who is older and wiser than us. He is extremely resourceful and is described accurately by our children as, "He can fix anything!" Yes, it is true. He can fix anything. He also has his own little workshop where he has collected many old parts from many different things, for you never know when you might need it. He describes his workshop as, "If I don't have it, you don't need it!" Yes, that is also true.One day, he was working on a project that required some washers. Lo, and behold, he ran out of washers (in his shop that has everything)! He checked out the local hardware store to find each washer would cost him $0.06. He came home without any washers, for he determined he could do a whole lot better than that. He finished his project substituting pennies for those washers. So, instead of those silver-colored washers, there was a glint of copper glimmering from behind those screws on his project and he saved himself $0.05 per washer. Now that's common cents for you!!! The Farmer's Wife 03:39 - 2006-Oct-2 - post comment
Cockle burrs and stinging nettle a blessing?After a walk in the woods, we may immerge with a clump of cockle burrs on our socks, clothing or hair. We find cockle burrs in unmentionable places on the pup. It is also not unusual to find a glob of cockle burrs clinging to the sides of the pigs and cattle. We have been amused at the weapons their tails become when the tips are loaded with cockle burrs (as long as we don't get hit by them). Have you ever tried to remove a clump of those pesky burrs from wool? A lamb got twisted up in a burdock plant in the pasture this summer. It was quite interesting untangling him. It is simliar to untangling many threads from a piece of velcro while the thread tries to dodge you as you try to untangle which makes it tangle even further.Imagine our surprise to discover this pesky plant known as burdock is a medicinal herb as well as a medicinal food! According to "Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs", it is a tonic, diuretic and is great to use for acne. The leaves and roots can be consumed and can also be made into tinctures or poultices along with the seeds. Burdock is also a sign of fertile soil which must mean our soil just can't be beat! All of a sudden, this burdensome plant is now viewed as a beneficial blessing! Interesting to note that our flock of ewes we purchased in the spring preferred the burdock leaves when they first arrived.... Stinging nettle is also prolific here, especially in the old hog lot. Each of us have accidently touched it (minus our gloves) while putting up electric fencing. It is not an enjoyable experience. The stinging sensation and the burning lasts for about 10-15 minutes and is impossible to wash off. It just has to last its course. We haven't viewed nettle with much fondness either until we discovered that it, too, is known as a medicinal herb and food. According to "Growing 101 Herbs That Heal" it is a whole-body tonic, rich in vitamins and minerals. The author of "Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field & Marketplace" wrote that he refuses to travel without some nettles. He claims it is one of the most nutrient-rich foods there are. All of a sudden, when we see our healthy crop of nettles, we think, "No pain, no gain." What we once viewed as annoying, we now view as a treasure trove. There are many common everyday plants that are being rediscovered. Cheri of www.sweethollowfarm.com shares in her classes how to prepare medicinal herbs which is a fabulous idea and a great service. Making herbal preparations has been around long before medical schools were ever established and has been helpful for a number of folks for generations. It is an art and ancient skill that is making a come-back. Not too long ago we visited with a neighbor who told us a story about an elderly farm wife who used to live in these parts. Her grandson visited her and came down with the flu. She proceeded to venture into the woods to emerge with some roots and leaves which she cleaned and boiled and encouraged the young man to drink. The next day, the young man felt wonderful. To view simple plants the Good Lord gave us as His provision for our sustenance, enjoyment and health takes a deliberate mind-shift. Afterall, there are no glitzy television commercials, billboards or magazine ads insisting that they be noticed. No one stands to make a million from it. They are simple, just waiting to be discovered for those who have the eyes to see. Enjoying simple pleasures with my family, The Farmer's Wife 08:54 - 2006-Sep-23 - post comment
Gourmet Meals At The Farm TableGrilled, marinated, grass-fed, tender and juicy Icelandic lamb chops, roasted Purple Viking potatoes with purple onions, sea salt and 4 minced cloves of our very own Spanish Roja garlic, fresh diced tomatoes and onions marinated in sea salt and raw apple cider vinegar on a bed of Sucrine lettuce, homemade breadsticks made from freshly ground spelt flour with melted garlic butter dip and homemade apple sauce was what filled our house with wonderful aromas this weekend.All of the food except the spelt was grown on our farm. For the table, we used a pretty blanket throw and a centerpiece vase of beautiful pink Cosmos flowers from our garden. For the background music we used a CD of classically arranged hyms played with stringed instruments. Our company consisted of Grandpa and Grandma and the conversation was delightful. Gourmet = food that is of the highest quality and flavor, prepared well and presented in an artful manner. Yes, the quality just couldn't be beat, the flavor and aromas were rich and the color combination was a feast for the eyes. And the satisfaction, well, there just is no statement to describe the feeling that comes from partaking of fantastic food that you produced on your own farm (I write this with humility and awe). The meal was fabulously delicious in our humble abode which we prepared, consumed and savored after handmilking the goats, gathering the eggs, fighting off a rooster that was in the protective mode (who will be in the stew pot if he pulls that again!), slopping the hogs (while they put their muddy nose prints on our clothing nudging us to pet them), catching and wrestling rams to a new pasture, stepping in some fresh cow pies, fighting cob webs in the old, decaying barn, putting another load of farm clothes in the wash, and sledge-hammering some concrete chip by jarring chip (this was John's project, it hurt just to watch it). We may live simply (and love it!), but we also eat like kings! John remembers well his father's statements many times after eating of the provision of their farm while growing up, "President so-and-so doesn't eat this good!!" Grateful for God's provision of such good food and the opportunity to grow it, The Farmer's Wife 03:57 - 2006-Sep-18 - post comment
Seeds Worth SavingSaving seeds was considered the norm in days past. My grandparents and great grandparents and generations prior to them considered that a normal part of their summer. They selected for seeds that thrived on their farms. All of the seeds grown back then were open-pollinated. Of course, seed-saving won't work quite well with the hybrid seeds of today, but is a dream with open-pollinated varieties.We are in the process of saving the open-pollinated varieties of plants that are thriving on our farm. Ones worth saving for our northern climate were the Northern Pickling Cucumbers which gave and gave all summer long and Green Hubbard Squash which thrived without being watered all summer long. It was located next to the sweet corn at the top of a hill and did very well in our drought. The squash is huge and beautiful and we are looking forward to making pie from it. The sweet corn, however, was in a sad state. In a time-saving crunch, we purchased hybrid corn from a local store which did not do well in our drought at all. We were able to salvage some ears of corn for some meals and put away a few quarts from our knee-to-waist-high hybrids. We are currently in the process of searching for a good open-pollinated variety of sweet corn for next year. We were quite pleased with our beneficial flowers as well and are in the process of saving seed from those. Zinnias and Mexican Sunflowers have to be the favorite. These flowers have bloomed all summer long. Not only were they a beautiful addition to our garden, they attracted quite an array of beneficial insects as well as Humming Birds. Selecting and saving seeds will not only keep the seed bill down from year to year, but it is such a wise way of selecting for those plants that thrive on each property. It keeps heritage alive within a family - what I wouldn't do to have some of my grandparents seeds now. I would plant them with such a sense of honor to my heritage and eat the produce while reminiscing about my wise agrarian ancestors. Also, it is a wonderful way to teach observational skills to our children as they learn to detect and discern what characteristics to look for in a seed worth saving. A wonderful book which we refer to often is entitled, "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth. It provides excellent instruction on seed saving. As we build our seed inventory, we purchase our seeds from "Seeds of Change", "Bountiful Gardens" and "Seed Savers Exchange", all of which are open-pollinated varieties. We are eagerly awaiting our seed catalogues in order to begin planning for next year. The Farmer's Wife 10:13 - 2006-Sep-6 - post comment
Sweet cartoonPassing up junk food to partake of the garden produce??? Go to this link if you would like to see a sweet cartoon portraying a little girl who does just that! http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMd53OOaah4I am sorry I cannot insert the connecting link - can't seem to figure out why I can't do that. Anyway, this was sent to us and we thought it was a great start to get the message across that what man makes cannot compare to what the Lord makes. With messages bombarding our culture advertising pop and candy with all of its glitz, this was a refreshing change. Maybe some of you creative types can expand on this - including the beauty of family working together to produce food???? Enjoy, Lisa 09:11 - 2006-Aug-25 - post comment
Commercial rice supply has been contaminatedAccording According to the FDA and USDA our rice has been contaminated recently by biotech rice. I can't seem to find out whether or not this is the variety that has the human gene in it. Here is the report www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A7_0_1OB?contententidonly=ture&contentid=2006/08/0307.xmlInteresting that this has not been approved for human consumption, yet the FDA is not concerned about it at all. The company had not sought regulation for it, but the FDA is not at all concerned. Now, try being a farmer and try selling raw milk from your farm. Try selling meat from your farm without having an inspected facility. Try selling prepared food from your farm without a huge investment in a commercial kitchen which must be inspected regularly and see if the FDA considers it no biggie. We want to do what civilization has done forever and we have such restrictions placed on us and yet this biotech company messes up our rice supply jepherdizing our food supply and messing up the purity of our rice supply and rice seeds and possibly our health and it is no big deal... Have mercy on us, The Farmer's Wife 01:05 - 2006-Aug-23 - post comment
Spermicidal CornIn my last entry I wrote about the not-so-sci-fi agricultural flicks that are currently happening in our culture. Someone asked about a link to the spermicidal corn. Here it is www.organicconsumers.org/patent/pharming012802.cfmThey are touting it as a population control measure that they say is much needed. When they presented it years ago to the company employees of which my husband was a part, they touted it as population control in third world countries. As my husband sat in on the meeting with the president of the company excitingly announcing the wonderful things GMO could do to help the world from inserting vaccines into corn to inserting human anitbodies into corn to inserting spermicides into corn, he couldn't believe it. The ethical boundary lines had been crossed. He looked around the room to see what others thought of it. No reaction. He was the only one to quit as a result of this and they were informed of the reason why. Before he quit he asked the group of phd corn breeders if the GMO corn can be contained. No, they answered. No. This stuff drifts and contaminates other field. Other farmer's crops are contaminated. What happens if vaccinated corn gets out? What happens if our fields are contaminated with spermicidal corn (which is being grown in Indiana now)? Currently some farmers are being sued and fined for having GMO's in their crops even though they did not plant them. Monsanto is pursuing those who have saved seeds in order to develop their own crops. Remember the parable of the ten virgins with the oil lamps? Five were foolish and five were prudent. The foolish ones took no oil with them for their lamp and tried to bum some oil from the gals who were prepared. The prudent ones did not share for there was not enough oil to share. In the end the prepared virgins were able to be with the bridegroom while the foolish ones were treated as strangers by the bridegroom. Preparedness is exalted. We are preparing. The girls are excited learning about saving seed. "Seed savers exchange" is a wonderful place to learn about this lost craft. The Famer's Wife 12:03 - 2006-Aug-19 - post comment
Agricultural Science Fiction Horror Flick or Truth?Stuff of science fiction thrillers within the agricultural realm, including cannabalism and deformed hogs:1. Pigs are given hormones which deform their bodies such that one has to question whether or not this is a real pig. Their hams are grotesquely out of proportion to the rest of their body resembling plastic implants. They are extremely lean to the point that little to no lard is able to be detected with the naked eye. They are bred to have snouts half the length of a normal pig for the head is just wasted meat in this sci-fi- hog. There is no need for this hog to root as it was created to do. Truth or fiction? One hundred percent truth. Seeing is believing and it is an awful sight to behold. The pigs we saw had bulging blood-shot eyes. Scientists thought this is what the consumer needed in a hog and therefore it is found in nearly all pork you eat from the supermarket according to my agricultural economist husband. No one knows the long-term effects this hormone will have on people. Could the hormone have the same effect on people it has on hogs?? Abnormally large hams, eyes bulging and bloodshot... I'll let you determine that for yourself. 2. Cannabalism forced onto consumers without their knowledge. Truth or fiction? It depends on your definition of cannabalism. The definition is being debated currently and smells of the "when is a baby a baby" from the abortion debate. Currently human genes are being inserted into rice crops in California and in other parts of the world. They say it's for our health. It is a well-known fact that these crops CANNOT be contained. The pollen drifts and contaminates other crops. Soylent Green was a sci-fi- movie staring Charleton Heston many years ago. It turns out it wasn't too far from reality. See www.futurepundit.com/archives/002736.html www.organicconsumers.org/2006/artcile_1196.cfm for further info. 3. GMO companies are inserting spermacides into crops to help with population control in thrid world countries. Truth or fiction? Truth. My husband sat in on a meeting at Dow AgroSciences where this was discussed and was at the trial stage years ago. He quit and now we are farming starting literally from the grassroots to impact the world for Christ. Time for chores now. I can't go into GMO and Monsanto due to time. It would be beneficial and informative for folks to view "The Future of Food" which is a very informative documentary. The Farmer's Wife 04:39 - 2006-Aug-18 - post comment
SImple EntertainmentWe don't go to movies. We don't hang out at the mall. We don't watch TV. We don't go to sports stadiums. We aren't bored either. In fact, there is sooo much to learn and do that we will never be bored. And boy, do we have a good time!Take our barnyard animals, for instance. We have half a mind to move a couch out to the barnyard. Each species has characteristics that are unique to its kind and are fascinating to observe. We learn by observation what their strengths are and discuss how we can utilize them to help us on our farm. We are also thoroughly entertained by their antics. It is hilarious to watch the sheep RUN to Farmer John when he starts up the chain saw. They know his voice, but they RUN to his chain saw (for they know he is cutting down trees in the barn yard and the tree leaves must be like candy to them.) Yes, it is quite fascinating to watch God's creatures. The other day our daughters were folding laundry and laughing when the oldest exclaimed, "Who needs a stadium!?" While they were folding laundry, they watched the puppy and the cat out the back door through the screen. The cat was trying to non-challantly walk away from the puppy. The puppy saw her every move and was motivated to terrorize her whether she was moving, lying, sitting, spitting, batting her claws or lashing her tail impatiently. The girls were laughing hysterically. Very simple entertainment. In our state, some stadiums are going to be built which our children and children's children will more than likely be paying for. The chances are slim of us ever putting a foot in them, but we are forced to pay nonetheless. We choose simple entertainment and simple living, but are forced to pay millionaires for facilities, well, I had better stop right there... Farmer John took all of us to the sale barn. The same one he used to attend with his father when he was youner. The same one we heard so many stories about. We heard how he sat ALL day long at the auction and how his dad would sneak in bids without neighbors knowing who was bidding. We heard how absolutely crowded the place used to be. We walked into this auction which was sparcely populated and almost over before it began. Times have changed. Farmer John did explain much to us while we were there. We enjoyed watching the way the men bid for animals. Actually, it was a hoot. One gentlemen did not want the man sitting beside him to know he was bidding. So, he took the hand that was next to his friend, put it on his opposite shoulder and bid by lifting one finger. We also got a kick out of watching the bull scratch intimidatingly at the ground while eying the gentleman in the ring with him. At that point, I had a "thought" pop into my mind that would add some more spice to the old place and cause the tongues to wag and I leaned over and told my dearest husband my "thought" as this bull was being auctioned off. I told him I have half a mind to beller out a question about the bull to the rambling auctioneer in my thickest southern drall, "Excuuuse me! How much did ya'll say ya'll wanted for this here fine-lookin' milkin' cow?!" He laughed and his face turned red as he looked me in the eye to see if I was indeed serious, then in case I was, he shared, "If you said that, they would run you out of town so fast!" Of course, I would tell them proudly I was Mrs. John Mesko! Baling hay is another form of entertainment for us. With there being a drought, we were only able to get one cutting off of it. And yes, it was a lot of work, but what satisfaction there is to put hay away for your animals for the winter. The girls rode on top of the hay bales as we stacked them from the baler. They helped with scooting some bales and learned how to stack them on the wagon by watching us. What beautiful weather we had when we baled. The weather wasn't too hot, the breeze was perfect, the sky was turquoise with beautiful white clouds. I couldn't help but sing out praises to our King of kings as we baled! How exciting it is to take hikes through the woods and track for animals. What a blessing it is to walk through our pastures and plan and dream. Simple things provide simple pleasures in life. Man could never improve on the entertainment and pleasures God provides in His creation. The Farmer's Wife 08:31 - 2006-Aug-15 - post comment
"Gardening is like a treasure hunt!"Exclaimed our six year old as we strolled through our garden discovering the many delights! How true her statement is. Our gardens are full of treasures to fill our tables, pantries and freezers with healthy, wholesome foods to provide sustainance throughout the winter until next year.And what a treasure hunt it is! What fun it is to look through the cucumber patch to try to locate the ripened cucumber hidden underneath the leaves. What a joy it is to search for the camaflouged snow pea hanging on the vine. What a pleasure it is to seek through the bushes for the ripened green beans. Who needs "I Spy" to build visual discrimination skills when God provides it naturally and multi-dimensionally in a garden? To watch the flowers grow and bud and then finally bloom and burst forth into color is such a delight. We so enjoy watching the beneficial butterflies and bugs we welcome to our garden when we plant flowers to attract them. What anticipation builds as we wait and watch those green tomatoes begin to turn red until they are ripened to a beautiful, rich red color. This is probably the most anticipated vegetable from the garden. We refuse to buy those pale. rubbery, red counterfiets they call tomatoes from the grocery store. We can enough salsa and tomato sauce to last us a year and only eat fresh tomatoes during the summer from our own garden. No, we wait all year for the real thing. We just picked a year's supply of onions, dried some of them in the dehydrator for soups this winter and tied up a majority in panty hose to keep them fresh. We harvested and cured a year's worth of gourmet garlic. And are beginning to harvest our tomatoes. In our drought conditions, our year's supply of sweet corn did not make it. However, we did get a good start on green beans and potatoes and beets to last atleast through the fall. We also managed to finely chop and freeze a significant amount of beet greens and swiss chard to last us a good part of the winter. We add this to soups and omelets. We love the challenge of trying to raise our own food. We also love the taste and decreased grocery bill as well. We didn't make our challenge of raising everything this year. We've been here four months and have so much to tear down and build and settle, but we've made a decent start. We know the soil conditions better now that we've worked with it and are planning the location of the expansion of our garden for next year. This time next year I pray there will be little to no time to blog due to even more treasure hunting! Time to harvest more cucumbers with my daughters, The Farmer's Wife 10:46 - 2006-Aug-11 - post comment
Pigs don't stinkThis may come as a surprise to some of you, but pigs don't stink. They do chew loudly and sloppily and slurp when they drink, but they do not stink. That is, if they are raised well. If they are forced to lie in their own excrement in an enclosed area, well, the smell is unavoidable as well as sickness and the meat is just not as good.When we have the industrial mindset when it comes to raising animals, we do not take into consideration the amount of space each animal needs and we cram as much as we can into the space we have. Then the pasture and/or pen becomes barren and picked over and loaded with manure, minerals are depleted and parasites become a problem. When we raise the animals the way they were created to be raised, we allow them to live the way they were intended to live and eat what they were intended to eat which contributes to their health and they don't smell. Our pigs are outdoors with access to sunshine, grass, dirt/mud and fresh water. They have a good-sized lot to root through and do what they were created to do. The little pigs are allowed to go outside of their boundary as they fit easily under the electric fence. They pesture the goats, chickens, cows and sheep. They root through their manure. They root through dirt piles, wood chips, venture out to pasture, clean up decayed hay. Soon we plan on fencing them into the lot we are planning on planting to an orchard next year. They can clean up the tree roots and prepare the soil for us. We feed them kitchen scraps, give them access to organic Thorvin kelp (which we feed to all our animals and like it so much we are now selling it). The kelp provides a natural source of minerals and vitamins contributing to their overall health. We also give the pigs extra milk from our goats. Their little hams are growing by the day. We have selected gilts we plan on breeding early this winter. They are the ones who are absolutely thriving on pasture in that they are growing quickly, are hardy and forage well. We've already sold our extra piglets without even trying to market them and are looking forward to expanding our pastured hog operation. More and more folks are realizing the taste and health benefits coming from animals raised the way they were created to be raised just can't be beat. Gotta go slop the hogs, The Farmer's Wife 09:22 - 2006-Aug-4 - post comment
Diggin' For Gold!!Squeals of delight, utter amazement, and disbelief pealed out as we dug for gold!! Yes, gold right here in Minnesota on the family farm! Our family couldn't believe the number of gold nuggets! Each shovel-full was loaded with gold! With each nugget we plucked from the soil, we dreamed of what we would do with it. We were nearly drueling by the time we called it quits for the day. Wow, Grandpa and Grandma didn't tell us the conditions were ripe for gold up on that thar hill!That same night we first dicovered it, we put the gold on the grill along with roasted garlic from our harvest. Then we smothered it in butter and let the gold melt in our mouths with each delicious mouthful. Our oldest was six years old when she informed a gentleman that Gold was her favorite variety. Yes, Gold has got to be the family favorite, although we do like Purple Viking and Red ones as well. Mmmm-mmmm! The first taste of our own Yukon Gold potatoes fresh from our first garden on the farm was far from disappointing! The Farmer's Wife :) 09:03 - 2006-Jul-28 - post comment
Rain - a Blessing or a Curse?I remember about 25 years ago, our part of the country was experiencing a drought. The whole community was concerned for they knew it was devastating for the farmers. When some folks' wells began to dry up it became even more concerning. Our little church held a prayer meeting to ask the Lord to send much-needed rain. I was a teenager then and remember it vividly. We had a hobby farm at that time and did not depend on it for a living, yet there were farmers around us who did. When the rain came and soaked the parched earth a week later, I remember running out into the rain and allowing it to soak my hair and clothes. looking up and thanking the Good Lord for His pleasant, replenishing, refreshing rain. Rain was God's gracious provision and it was a blessing.I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but North Dakota is experiencing a drought. Some farmers are selling their livestock because they can't feed them. The pastures are dry, some are dusty. Here in Minnesota some of us are quite concerned as well. Things are becoming quite crunchy around here. Half of our sweet corn is ruined. Good Farmer John is considering turning the animals out into our field corn before it completely dries up. The pastures are not as green as they once were. Parts of it are brown and crunchy. Our family is praying the Lord would send much-needed rain. The farmers' livelihood in the Dakota's and Minnesota, the community's food is dependent upon that rain. However, recently at a church we visited, we heard testimony from a young man who labeled rain as something sent by the enemy. It was viewed as an attack of satan. His part of the state received a rain shower and since it soaked this young man as he ran from his vehicle to his church function, he viewed it as an attack from the enemy in order to discourage him from ministering. So, which is true - is rain a curse sent by satan, or is it a blessing sent from God? If God sends rain and you get soaked when you are heading toward a church function, while at the same time farmers in the area missed that rain and are concerned, is that rain a curse or a blessing? When we are less and less in touch with our food and where it comes from and how it grows and our utter dependence upon it, we might view anything, including a rain shower, that might be a little inconvenient to us at the moment as an attack from the enemy. When we realize that our food will not grow without water and we will go hungry without food, when we are concerned about the farmers' livelihood and we are dependent upon the meat they provide, the crops they grow, we will be on our knees beseeching the Lord. Certainly, flooding may be viewed as an attack of the enemy, or a judgement from the Lord, but we're talking about drought conditions in this case. Please remember the farmers in the drought areas in your prayers and ask the Lord if He would be so gracious as to send us some rain. Trusting the Provider of rain, The Farmer's Wife 09:35 - 2006-Jul-27 - post comment
My Sheep Know My Voice - er - Chain Saw...When the farmer calls for our sheep, they respond, usually with "baa's" and a few will meander over to him. But what brings them running, and I mean RUNNING, is when he rev's up his chain saw. Seriously. He rev's that loud thing up and no matter where they are, no matter how far out in the pasture they are, no matter how hot it is, they come running toward him.Why? You ask. Well, they know he is cutting down some trees in the lot next to the barn for them. They love to eat the leaves. Even while he's still buzzin' away, they are right there starting to munch on the leaves. It usually takes them less than an hour to devour them. Whenever we need to check the sheep for anything and we don't have much time, Good Farmer John gets the chain saw out. Not sure what we're going to do when we run out of trees... The Farmer's Wife 10:58 - 2006-Jul-26 - post comment
The Old Farm DogThe old farm dog has gone to her grave. We obtained her over 12 years ago when we lived on an acre of land, a Golden Retriever. I trained her to know the boundaries of our first property which she followed for the most part. Many times I would find her right on the property line watching the neighbor boy play outside.She was a natural hunter. We allowed her to go into a field once when we were taking a walk and she weaved back and forth to scare up pheasant for us to shoot. She actually did scare one up and looked back at us, waiting for us to do our part. We didn't even own a gun back then. And we never di get around to hunting with her. She was a natural retriever as well. One walk brought us to a pond filled with pond lilies. She immediately jumped in and began to retrieve the lilies one by one, dropping them at our feet. We had to literally drag her away from that pond to get her to stop or she would have cleared out that whole pond. We lived in the city for about 4 years with her. Not a good place for a dog, atleast this dog. She's a farm dog although she managed. She had two litters of 11 puppies each and proved to be an excellent mother. The neighborhood children were enthralled with the puppies. That was the closest any of them had ever come to a farm, visiting a farm dog (misplaced in the city temorarily) with pups. We finally moved to the country once again, 8 acres. She marked the whole territory and patrolled it daily. She was great at keeping animals away. Stray, diseased cats didn't dare venture onto our property. Rabbits and chipmunks were her meals. Raccoons were not a problem around the house. Moles were dug up and killed. Never had a stray dog problem. When we began to aquire farm animals, she learned her place. Her "birdiness" showed as she stalked our chickens. A couple of scoldings was all it took for her to know they are not to be touched. It wasn't long before she allowed them to congregate around her, as she napped and they scratched up the ground around her. She even warmed up to the cats we accumulated to keep down the mice. She allowed them to keep themselves warm next to her and occasionally cleaned them as she used to clean her pups. Moving out to the country convinced us of the importance of a farm dog. She barked at any one and every one who drove into our driveway. Some folks were too scared to get out of their cars and would honk their horns to get our attention. We never had a robber or any vandalizing, although our neighbor did. She was our doorbell before the doorbell. When we were in the milking parlor or out in the garden and heard her barking, we knew we had guests. She was showing her age about a year ago. Although she was as energetic as a puppy, she was quite grey around her face, and a bit stiff in the mornings, especially when she slept on concrete. John bought a puppy in preparation to replace her. We've known the older dogs are effective in training the younger ones. The old dog had some good qualities we wanted to see in her replacement. She taught the pup to bark at any one and every one that pulled into our drive. She taught the pup how to dig up moles. She subdued the pup and taught it to mind us by her example. She tried to teach the pup that cats were no big deal, but never seemed to perfect that lesson. She sustained a back injury prior to our move to Minnesota which aged her considerably. Now, she was no longer energetic and was a bit tempered with the pup. We're not sure if the injury was due to some rough playing with the pup or if she sprained it when she chased (and nearly caught) the huge stray dog that ventured onto our little homestead. Our daughters prayed she would live until our move. They were hoping she would be able to help clear out the wild animals and teach the pup to do so before she passed on. We loaded her onto the back of our pick-up for the big move. She and the pup found a spot somewhere in the piles of stuff that were crammed in there. We made the trip in 15 hours with minimal stops. It was dark once we arrived. We opened the back of the truck and called for the dogs. The pup scrambled out eagerly. We waited for the old farm dog. Nothing. We called her again. Nothing. Just when we thought it was the end of the line for her, we heard some movement and slowly the farm dog emerged, looking very old and stiff. Looks like the Lord agreed with the girls' prayers. She managed to be effective in getting rid of the raccoons around our immediate living area. However, she gradually was growing stiffer and less energetic. Instead of getting up to bark at folks who ventured up our driveway, she barked from her lying-down position. Nearly every night when the coyotes howled and yipped from our south woods, she barked louder in return which silenced them and they never ventured near our living area. In her younger days she would have wandered out to that woods to mark her territory during the day and would have taken the whole pack on when they came at night. But her bark must have been effective for we haven't heard the coyotes these past few weeks. On occasion in the middle of the night, she barked unlike anything we have ever heard. Very ferocious and aggressive. We often wonder if on those nights she was barking away the black bear that has been spotted by a couple of folks in our area. The pup is now 6 months old and is close to full-grown size. She hasn't learned all that she needs to defend our property, but she is on the right track. This past month she has not rough-housed with the old farm dog. The old farm dog rarely got up anymore. Her last night with us, she managed to bark at some predator unkown to us. Her last effort in defending the place. The old farm dog is no longer with us. She's served her purpose now and it's time for the young pup to take over. And such is the way of life. The Farmer's Wife 11:00 - 2006-Jul-24 - post comment
An Alarming Nightime VisitorA black bear has been sited in our immediate area by 2 different people. Almost every night we hear the yip-yipping and howls of coyotees from the south woods area on our farm (until our old dog and pup raise their barks in protest). We have sited a skunk on the farm, raccoon, as well as the chicken-slaughtering mink.These past few nights have been extremely sauna-like hot. The climate is quite sultry up here in the northern country (?). One night we left the back door open and put up a make-shift screen in order to let some kind of relief of cooler air in. We lay on top of our covers to go to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, my dear husband jerked and jumped atleast a foot off the bed. I rolled over, looked at him. He lay asleep (I learned later he was awake and laying still trying to figure out what just happened). I thought it surely must have been a dream. (Much later he told me it felt as if someone was sticking needles in his leg...) Not much later, it was my turn to jump about a foot off the bed in fear out of a deep sleep for it seemed as if something of significant size was moving the mattress on my side of the bed... I was so sleepy and disoriented, I pulled a sheet over me thinking that would protect me from whatever "it" was. In the meantime, my dear husband jolted upright in response to my jolting jump. I mumbled that it felt like something was moving the mattress. He immediately went into protective mode, turned on the light and looked around the bed... He gasped and jumped back a little. With that I gasped and my heart skipped a beat. My dear husband never gets scared. What could it be??? In a split second, my thoughts covered the possibilites. Sleep left me quickly as I thought of the black bear, the coyotees, the skunk that could have easily and quietly broken through our screen.... He sighed, "The cat." Yes, our cat made it in. We don't allow animals in the house, but she made it in through our "screen". John put her outside with her purring quite loudly the whole time. As he returned, I lay in bed replaying what must have happened. I pictured this cat squeezing in through the screen, massaging her claws on John's leg with John jolting and jumping and later the cat coming on over to my side rubbing along the mattress very aggressively (you just gotta know this cat for that's her way of doing things) while we are being half-scared to death. That's when I laughed and laughed and snorted and laughed and cried and laughed. Couldn't stop. Nose dripping, tears running down my face. Dear husband so tired and trying to sleep while the bed vibrates with my laughter. We're just a bit tired today. Can't seem to handle all that comedy in the middle of the night. The Farmer's Wife 11:00 - 2006-Jul-17 - post comment
Farming MagazineThe most recent edition includes an article by Farmer John himself who was invited to write about some folks in Indiana. These folks returned to the family farm and are making it raising and selling grass-fed beef and lamb, chicken and eggs, as well as milk from their cow share program. The article focuses primarily on their experience with sheep and contains some excellent marketing advice.Farming Magazine is a magazine that is worthy of reading. Some of the regular contributors include Wendall Berry and Gene Logsdon, to give you and idea of the type of writing that can be found in the magazine. If you are famliar with thesse gentlemen, you can assume accurately that one would not find any encouragement (even along the lines of advertising) to embrace any tupe of the big industrial ag mindset in regards to farming in this publication. They very much support small family farms that are sustainable. If you're interested you may view the magazine and article at http://www.farmingmagazine.net/articles.htm Regards, The Farmer's Wife 10:07 - 2006-Jul-13 - post comment
A Pig's NestA pig's nest will put Big Bird's nest to shame. Prior to birthing her piglets, Miss Bacon built quite a nest out of hay - two and three feet high on the sides. Grandpa, Grandma and John told us they built quite a nest. It sure is one thing to hear about it and quite another to actually witness it. Grandpa also correctly predicted when those piglets would be born. We were told by the previous owners they would come the end of May. Grandpa took one look at the sow and told us it wouldn't be until the first of June. He knows his pigs for that is when Good Farmer John came into the house one morning to announce the birthing of our first piglets. We all ran outside just in time to witness the birth of the last one. Fourteen piglets. Wow.The girls and I were told to keep an eye on them throughout the day. We were told it is not unusual for a sow to inadvertantly lay on a piglet and suffocate it. After breakfast, we took at look at the bunch and could only count thirteen. We counted again. Thirteen. Oh no. I felt around underneath the mass of piglets that were snuggled against their mother to make sure we had counted correctly. One piglet bit my finger. For a moment I wondered if a rat had bit me. No, it was a piglet. I was surprised at the sharpness of their teeth. I moved some piglets over to get a better look. Sure enough little piglet hooves were sticking out from underneath Miss Bacon. I pulled the dead one out. Miss Bacon was oblivious to it all. Sound asleep. Snoring, in fact. Labor wore her out. We put the piglet in a bucket to be buried later. It wasn't long before the piglets learned to get out of the way when big mama moved (got up, left the nest, came back to the nest). She would grunt to let them know the barge of her body was on the move and they would part ways. Kind of reminded us of the parting of the Red Sea only it was a parting of grunting mass of piglets, right down the middle. She didn't suffocate any more of her bunch. And now we have quite a few little grunting hams running around here. The Farmer's Wife 09:27 - 2006-Jul-9 - post commentMeager chicken harvestLast night we butchered our remaining 8 meat chicks. We started with 100, the rest were fed to the wildlife (mink to be exact - not our intentions, by any means!). In the middle of butchering our meager harvest of chickens, our neighbor stopped by. Apparently, the mink slaughtered his chickens as well. Can't find anyone that is too fond of mink these days. Oh, well, such is life.One great thing that came out of our meager harvest was that our 10 year old daughter had expressed determination to learn how to eviscerate the chickens. Last year she and our youngest were put to work at final inspection (which meant they picked the pin feathers off of the butchered chickens). They also taught other children how to do this when we hosted our chicken butchering workshops. This year our oldest wanted to do more. So, John walked her through the first one, assisted her with the second one and she took off! She was soooo thrilled that she could do it! It wasn't long before our youngest began to express a desire to learn how to separate the "food tube and air tube" from the dead chicken in preparation for eviscerating. Then she asked if she could remove the heart and studied it after she pulled it out. After hearing stories of the noble women of the past and how they butchered their own chickens for dinner, the girls were inspired to take a step and learn how to do it as well. Some children get a kick out of kicking a ball around a field, some children get a kick out of putting food on the table. My hat is off to the latter! The Farmer's Wife 10:24 - 2006-Jul-7 - post comment
Bacon + Garlic = Piglets?Over two months ago, we brought home a pregnant sow. The girls decided to name her Miss Bacon for we told them we might butcher her after she has her piglets. Therefore, the name was their way of having the right perspective on this hog so as to not become too attached. We even did a meat science study using her as the model as we visualized her ham parts, bacon area, tenderlins, pork chops, rib roast, rump roast and her many sources of lard. It is not unusual to find us commenting on what big hams she has.Shortly after Miss Bacon's arrival, I decided she needed a little bit of extra care. She actually looked very healthy despite the fact that she had been raised in a barn on a bed of sawdust and had never been outside or rooted up dirt the way the Good Lord intends pigs to be raised. The previous owners did handfeed her plenty of good vegetable scraps which we think contributed to her healthy appearance. After Miss Bacon had settled into her new home and enjoyed sunshine and was allowed to root up soil outside for the first time in her life, I thought it would be a good idea to give her some garlic. I love garlic, especially for medicinal purposes. All of our animals have had garlic at one time or another. It is so good for a number of things. Mostly I use it as a preventative. Even though Miss Bacon did not look wormy, since she was pregnant, I thought it would be good to give her garlic just as a precaution anyway. She ate it like a pig for a few days. Then one day one of our daughters ran inside to inform me that she thought Miss Bacon was in labor. She was lying on her side and grunting in the barn. Sure enough, it looked convincing. She did not get up and greet us or beg for scraps which told me something was definitely up. We brought in an old towel and waited and waited and waited. Eventually, we wandered outside to get some other things done and checked on her occasionally. A few times I checked on her, I heard Miss Bacon leak some gaseous emissions from her hindquarters and noticed an odd, quite pungent odor lingering in the barn. Still, she lay on her side grunting away. At that point I began to question the legitimacy, or should I say cause, of her labor. Perhaps she was not laboring to emit piglets, perhaps it was a labor of a different sort, a labor of emissions of a different kind, emissions of impurities of which garlic tends to draw out. Naturopaths call it a "colon cleansing". The next day, Miss Bacon was on her feet again, with no little piglets in tow. However, she acted as if she had been through labor for she was not her usual "bouncy", rooty self. She was not at all interested in any scraps I fed her. Of course, I was merciful and quit feeding garlic to her. After a long labor of colon cleansin', I'm sure the appetite would be affected to a certain degree. It was a few days before she recovered and began to eat like a pig again and a couple of weeks before she went into the bringing-forth-piglets-type of labor (more on that later). The Farmer's Wife 10:37 - 2006-Jul-6 - post comment
A Rare July 4th Tribute to FarmersToward the end of a 4th of July celebration in town, cannons fired and a man commented to Mr. Wilder, ******************************************************************** "'That's the noise that made the Redcoats run!' Mr Paddock said to Father. "'Maybe,' said Father, tugging his beard. 'But it was muskets that won the Revolution. And don't forget it was axes and plows that made this country.' "'That's so, come to think of it,' Mr. Paddock said... "That night when they were going to the house with the milk, Almanzo asked Father, 'Father, how was it axes and plows that made this country? Didn't we fight England for it?' "'We fought for Independence, son,' Father said. 'But all the land our forefathers had was a little strip of country, here between the mountains and the ocean. All the way from here west was Indian country, and Spanish and French and English country. It was farmers that took all that country and made it America.' "'How?' Almanzo asked. "'Well, son, the Spaniards were soldiers, and high-and-mighty gentlemen that only wanted gold. And the French were fur-traders, wanting to make quick money. And England was busy fighting wars. But we were farmers, son; we wanted the land. It was farmers that went over the mountains, and cleared the land, and settled it, and farmed it, and hung on to their farms. "'This country goes three thousand miles west, now. It goes "way out beyond Kansas, and beyond the Great American Desert, over mountians bigger than these mountains, and down to the Pacific Ocean. It's the biggest country in the world, and it was farmers who took all that country and made it America, son. Don't you ever forget that.'" --from "Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder (our family's favorite book on sustainable agriculture) ****************************************************************** With only 2-3% of the population farming now, we are rapidly loosing those freedoms these farmers fought so fearcely for. We are even on the brink of losing our rights to farm our own land and raise our own food. We are purchasing more and more of our food from China as more and more farms in the United States are driven out of business. This is very grievous and concerning. Our salute goes to the farmers of the past who didn't sell out to another country, who fought for their families, land and country, who settled and tamed the wilderness and who met basic needs by feeding their families and communities from their sustainable farms. They were independent, self-sufficient, common-sense, knowledgeable, family-oriented, strong, tough, hardy, leaders of their communities, respectable, Bible-believing, discerning, non-gullible folks who are rare breeds in this day and age and who we could benefit greatly from by studying them. Grateful for our agriculture heritage, The Farmer's Wife 11:43 - 2006-Jul-4 - post comment
Fencing in more pastureIt didn't take long for our flock of sheep to eat down our pasture. God's "lawn mowers" certainly do a thorough and speedy job! For about a week we have been working at fencing in some more pasture for them, a much larger area that should keep them busy for a while. Eventually, we will like to establish more of a regular rotational grazing program with set pastures. Since we are still taming the land and cleaning up and establishing the seasonal rhythms here, we will fence in what needs to be fenced in a parcel at a time.Yesterday, we finally finished the fencing. What a great lesson in electricity this is for the children. It also took teamwork to finish the fence. The oldest cut enough flags out of scrap fabric to tie to the top wire of the fence. Each of the girls had jobs of placing two insulators on each of the posts and space them appropriately as well as to tie a flag on the top wire. Once we were finished, John led the sheep to their new and greener pastures. Once one followed him, the rest joined in. It sure was a beautiful sight to watch that flock partake of their provision. Now to work on weeding the pumpkin patch... 08:55 - 2006-Jun-30 - post commentThree months on our new place....Three months ago, we packed up and moved north to our new farm. Three months ago we had no water, no electricity, no sewer, no phone. Now, we have that and more thanks to my hard-working husband. We have put a temporary roof on top of the old farm house, plowed and planted 5 acres to field corn, mulched and weeded our large garlic patch, planted a good-sized garden as well as a large area to sweet corn, pumpkins, gourds, squash and decorative corn (for the farmer's market), mulched and are still weeding those gardens, cultivated the field corn, raised 70 chicks for egg laying, almost raised 100 chickens for butchering (a mink slaughtered over 90 of them before they made it to our freezer), bought a flock of 25 sheep, sheared them and fenced in pasture for them, bought a pregnant sow and now have 13 3 week old piglets, castrated the boars, bought 2 heifers, are still milking 3 of our goats does, weened two goat kids, scrapped metal to make ends meet financially, baled 34 acres of hay, mowed the front yard of the old farm house for the first time in many, many years (it was the dustiest mowing experience I'd ever had!), chain-sawed trees down that were leaning on top of the old pole barn, old machine shed, old hog barn and the large old hay/animal barn (to try to help them last a little longer) and listened to many, many delightful and entertaining stories from Grandpa and John about the farm.We are leaner, more brown, have more muscle and sleep deeper slumbers compared to three months ago. We've never worked harder in our lives, yet never experienced such fulfullment. Friends from Indiana encouraged us and sent us off with this verse, "The land now desolate will be tilled, instead of lying waste for every passer-by to see. Everyone will say that this land which was waste has become like a garden of Eden" (Ezekial 36:34-35). While it is not a garden of Eden, we sure are enjoying tending the land. The Farmer's Wife 10:00 - 2006-Jun-28 - post comment
Blood suckers in Minnesota :(We have now personally met most of the blood-sucking types of varmints that can be found in Minnesota. Shortly after moving here three months ago, my youngest itched the back of her scalp and to her horror found a lump which turned out to be a tick. She bravely grabbed it, pulled it out, looked at it long enough to notice its wiggling legs, threw it on the ground and immediately reported to Mommy and Daddy in a rather excited, yet horrified tone, I might add. Ticks were our first blood-sucking encounter. Remembering something I'd read about garlic repelling ticks, I did some research. Yes, raw garlic can repell ticks. So, daily we eat a clove of raw garlic with our meals and haven't had any tick problems. It isn't unusual for the girls to remind me to get the garlic out daily. They don't mind removing ticks from the dogs daily, but don't relish pulling them off their own bodies.Encounter number two with blood-sucking critters in Minnesota is one that was no surprise. The mosquitos quickly followed the tick incidents. They are pretty much relentless. What is a blessing, however, is that we are on top of a hill which gives us a pretty good breeze which deter the mosquitos somewhat. Due to the nature of our work, farming, we are outside most, if not all, day. This gives us plenty of exposure to mosquitos. In the pole barn, the woods, or down at Grandpa and Grandma's or prior to a storm or during breezeless days, we are targets. It is not unusual to see us working outside with a cloud of black bugs around each of us with us swatting and swinging our arms around our bodies while trying to do jobs (such as putting up electric fencing, weeding the garden, baling hay, feeding our animals, you name it - it's called multi-tasking). We have found it is pretty much impossible to multi-task (swat mosquitos AND get something else worthwhile done) after the sun goes down. Occasionally, the pests manage to sneak into our home only to show up in the middle of the night once we hit a deep, much-needed sleep. A mosquito buzz close to your ear in the dead of night is not a comforting sound to the bone-tired. Our one clove of garlic a day is not enough to deter them. However, I did discover a natural, chemical-free alternative that works and has been a worthy investment. Herbal Armour is very effective for four hours and is on supply in our household and has occasionally been used prior to bed time. Blood-sucker number 3 is one we have heard of and read of, yet have not experienced. Grandma and Daddy told us of their experiences with leaches after swimming in lakes in Minnesota. You know, the slimy worm-like creatures that stick to your body and, well, make a meal out of your blood? We also read of Laura and Nelly's experience with leaches when they waded in stagnant Minnesota waters in "On the Banks of Plum Creek" and were pretty much grossed out. Not sure if these things can be repelled. We'll just stay away from stagnant waters. Blood-sucker number 4 is what wiped out 92 of our meat chicks and we have yet to catch the weasly, persistent, sneaky slaughterer. Mink are common here in Minnesota and are not friends with poultry farmers. Mink are not on our admiration list currently. There you have it - blood sucking critters from the land of 10,000 lakes. Anyone want to come visit???? :) The Farmer's Wife 03:55 - 2006-Jun-27 - post comment
Miss Bacon and Rocky Mountain OystersA pregnant sow produces a lot of bacon. We purchased a pregnant sow 2 1/2 months ago and we now have 14 pigs. 14 sources of bacon. Amazing. We would have had 15, but Miss Bacon (the sow) accidently laid on top of one of her many piglets and it died (a common occurrence). I have never raised pigs. My husb�nd is quite familiar with them.The expression, "Eating like a pig", has taken on a whole new meaning now that I have witnessed both visually and auditorily what exactly that means. One can never fully appreciate that expression until one has experienced it! When I bring Miss Bacon (the name our girls gave the sow) and her 13 2 week old piglets their grain mixed with goat's milk, I call them, "Little pig! Little pig!" and they come running. They know what they are going to be getting. I pour their slop into their pans and they almost inhale it! Hearing 14 pigs loudly chomp their slop with their mouths open with slop dripping out the sides of their mouths as they step into their food (I guess they want to experience as much of it as they can!) is such a great teaching tool for any children (or adults for that matter!) who have a hard time remembering to eat with their mouths closed. We have enjoyed watching pigs. They are fascinating creatures. We have appreciated the power found in their snouts. They are capable of "plowing" up the ground as well as or even better than any manmade plow. Their snouts are so powerful. My husband says if you can control the snout, you can control the pig. The top of the snout is very firm like thick cartelege. The bottom part is very soft. When the sow roots up the ground she is capable of easily moving large logs that I am incapable of budging. I've seen her roll large stones that I cannot budge. I've even seen the little pigs move stones that are heavy for me to lift. We are considering utilizing their powerful snouts to plow up a field we wish to use for planting field corn for next year. Not only will they plow it up but they will fertilize it as well. What fascinating creatures God made! Our pigs are tame for the most part. When Miss Bacon was pregnant, I scratched her underneath her neck and along her sides and she would almost immediately drop to her side and roll over to let me scratch her tummy while she grunted contentedly. We joked that I was the "hog whisperer"! Anyway, the piglets are much the same way. We scratch them underneath their chins and their sides and they drop for more. A couple of days ago, I helped my husband castrate the 5 boars, which are now referred to as barrows. It wasn't at all as bad as what I thought it was going to be. My husband's father walked us through a couple. I held the piglets while my husband performed the surgery. One daughter video-taped it while the youngest watched through her fingers which partially covered her eyes. One of our daughters expressed interest in eating the Rocky Mountain Oysters, but we hadn't thought about that beforehand and weren't too keen on the thought of eating them off the ground. To be honest, a little bit of the "city" crept back up and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So, the chickens made a meal of those Rocky Mountain Oysters - they actually fought over them. Apparently, they are to be coated with egg and flour and then fried. Maybe in the future... maybe... We definitely are looking forward to having some fresh pork in our freezer this winter. We will also have some to sell. Plus, we have some gilts (female pigs) which can be bred to produce more b�con. The parable of the talents takes on a new meaning as our livestock begins to multiply! 09:06 - 2006-Jun-27 - post comment
Sheep without a shepherdThere they stood. - bedraggled, dred locks of wool, mud and manure caked into wool, standing in a mud lot without a green thing for them to eat, hooves in terrible need of trimming, smelling like, well, smelling like dirty animals.A few weeks ago we purchased a flock of sheep. We noticed the ad in the paper and the price was right. We hooked up the livestock trailer and drove over an hour to the place to take a look and the description above is what we found. The folks who owned them obviously didn't have time for them. From the looks of the place, their priorities were elsewhere. We knew we wanted to purchase sheep eventually. This was ahead of schedule, however, yet the price was right. We knew we wanted Icelandic sheep for they are a multi-purpose breed - great for meat, wool and milk. Plus, they are hardy and perfect for pasture. Supposed to be great at lambing on pasture. This breed has been around for about a thousand years. Iceland does not grow grain, therefore their sheep are on pasture. We took a good, hard look at this flock of sheep. We knew we would have our work cut out for us to get this flock in tip top shape. We are familiar with getting animals into good shape however. Years ago when we purchased our first goats, we worked at getting them into good shape. Now, most folks would say they were in good shape to start with. We are more picky. Getting minerals into b�lance and giving them food the good Lord intended them to eat is all part of the process. Our goats do not smell. They get all the brush and grass they would ever want, plus they are in the sunshine. We feed them kelp ad lib. They are healthy. We have never sheared sheep and we knew this flock would be a tough one to cut our teeth on, yet this was the Lord's provision for us. So, we loaded the flock onto the trailer and brought them home. We took them off of the junk grain they had been on and gave them all the good hay they could want. We put out kelp which they eat and eat and eat. We can't put it out fast enough. They obviously need the minerals and iodine. We let them out to pasture and they grazed and grazed as they partook of that which the good Lord intends them to eat. They no longer smell. As I read the instructions, my husband sheered them one at a time over the course of a week. The wool was matted together, filled with sticks and debris and dirt and manure. There were some parts the clippers just couldn't get through, so we resorted to scissors. Thankfully, none of them had been fly struck. We chose to use the wool as mulch this year for the manure would be beneficial to the garden. However, for the future our girls have dreams of felting, spinnning and carding wool. I also plan on checking into the use of wool as wall insulation in the future. The sheep look so much better. They already view us as their shepherd. So trusting. We have talked of the many analogies found in God's Word. Matthew 9:36, "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd." We read that verse with new eyes for now we do know what a sheep without a sheperd looks like. Christ then says in verses 37-8, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Being a shepherd, a good sheperd takes a lot of work. Good shepherds are workers. Work is not a popular word these days. These days we have been brainwashed into believing we deserve a break today. However, the only break we are commanded to take is on the Sabboth and that is a break the Lord has extended to us because He is very gracious, not because we deserve it. In all truth, we deserve death. We truly do need to renew our minds in our attitudes toward work. It is a privelege and an honor to participate with the Lord in caretaking! It is exciting to take a not-so-good animal and bring it into tip top shape! The sheep are no longer without a shepherd and we look forward to the wool and meat we will be harvesting from our flock! Shepherding for Him, The Farmer's Wife 08:30 - 2006-Jun-19 - post comment
Haying with my man!Some married couples take trips to Hawaii together, some couples go on cruises together, some schedule regular weekly dates together, some go see all the latest movies together. My husband and I make hay together!!! Yesterday, we spent time together taking turns driving the baler and loading the wagon with bales of hay from 20 acres and, oh, what fun it was! I would readily and eagerly choose to spend time with my husband helping him do something productive over sitting in some old theater paying exhorbitant money to watch a movie that dulls our minds, compromises our values and supports a godless system anytime!We put away hay for the winter to provide for our animals. We were productive, active, enoying the sunshine, fresh breeze, getting a good workout without having to pay for it at a gym. The girls are too young to lift bales. We didn't cart them off to a sitter. No way would we let them miss this experience. No, they were able to ride on top of the mounds of hay (and thoroughly enjoyed it!), observing how to bale hay, watching their parents working together, encouraging us, bringing us water and singing praises to the Lord thanking Him for His provision as we harvested our first crop of hay from our farm. We experienced life together. There is more to this story. We also experienced a multi-generational approach to baling hay as well. Grandpa was such a blessing in that he raked the hay into tighter rows which made baling go a little more quickly, plus last night he pulled the wagons into the poll barn to bring them undercover and out of the rain that was prodicted to come today. Grandma drove the truck and trailer around the field as we loaded loose bales late last night to help us finish up. And when we finished bringing the last of the hay under cover last night, I do believe the folks in town must have heard our hoots and hollars of rejoicing! I wouldn't have traded yesterday's experience for anything! Thank you, Lord, for granting it to us! Proverbs 31:17, "She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong." Eve was made to help Adam keep and cultivate the garden. It is a privelege and honor and the core of our calling as women to help our men. May we embrace who the Lord made us to be more and more as we "make hay" with our men. Loving my man, The Farmer's Wife 10:56 - 2006-Jun-15 - post comment
Mink solutions, anyone?We have lost over 80% of our Cornish Roaster chickens due to a mink. We have tried trapping it with a cage. We have tried leg traps. We tied our 6 month old puppy by the portable chicken pen. All without succes. Has anyone had any success with getting rid of mink? If so, please let me know.The worst night was when the mink killed 40 of our chicks. What a waste. The next night my husband stayed outside all night ready for combat with the chicken slaughterer. He caught a glimpse of the mink, which saw him and deaprted before he could end its life. The farmer's wife 04:09 - 2006-Jun-13 - post comment
Goat meets pig...Shortly after moving to our farm, we purchased a bred sow (pregnant pig). Since we had been here less than two months, we put the pig in the pasture with the goats. The reactions were quite comical as we observed. Two of our goats were absolutely terrified by the massive hog. One of them jumped the electric fence and took off across the pasture to the other side of our farm (her milk production was down that day).However, the lead goat acted as if that pig was no big deal. She is in charge, always, especially when it comes to food. We fed the goats in their trough and scattered the pig's food on the ground. The lead goat observed that good food on the ground and left her trough to let the pig know that the food belonged to her and her alone. She coolly approached the pig who is three times her size and did what she frequently does when she wants to put others in their place. She butted that pig in the head. The pig continued eating as if nothing happened. The buting incident didn't even phase her. The lead goat, however, shook her head. We could almost see the stars circling above her head as she stood dazed for a minute, then she promptly left the pig, returned to her feed trough and never challenged the pig again! 09:20 - 2006-Jun-13 - post commentI Smell a Skunk...Broody hen, loose feathers, broken egg shells and a faint smell of skunk lingering in the air...We had a hen who became broody and put a total of 8 eggs underneath her. She chose to sit under some very old doors that were leaning against a wall of a very old building, formally known as the "hog b�rn". She sat and sat. Our daughters marked the calender 21 days from the time she began to sit in eager anticipation of the hatching of those eggs. Daily they gave her some grain and freshened her water. Until one morning, they ran inside to inform me that there were a bunch of loose feathers lying on the ground next to broody hen and there were a few broken eggs shells. Upon further inspection, I concluded we were dealing with a skunk (the odor gave it away).Bless little broody hen for sticking with her four remaining eggs. She must have put up a fight, for I know skunks are capable of killing chickens. We put up screens and boards to protect her while my husb�nd set a trap. The next day, the girls disappointingly announced that the rest of the eggs had been eaten, broody hen left her nest, and the trap had been ignored. My husband put a water hose into the hole that was on the opposite side of the hog barn. We know the skunk has been residing in this hole for we have noticed its lovely scent before. Prior to the broody hen incident, my husband set a trap many times tyring to trap the thing. However, we mistakenly thought the thing had left after many failed attempts at trapping it and the absense of its odor. This time with the hose on full blast in the skunk hole, my husb�nd stood with gun cocked ready to rid ourselves of the egg destroying varment. We waited and waited. Nothing. Plan B: he filled in the hole with dirt. So far, we have had no further egg robbing. We can hope and pray the thing has permently fertilized the ground or moved on to greener pastures. In Indiana, red-t�iled hawks and raccoons were the culprits we warred with as they made meals out of our chickens. Skunks are yet a different predator that we are learning about here in Minnesota. We learned they are capable of digging underneath fencing to get to your chickens and eggs. Oh well, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away... The Farmer's Wife 09:24 - 2006-May-26 - post commentURGENT!! Please forward!!!!This may be a silver lining...Legislation has been introduced which would block all funding for NAIS (National Animal Identification System). It will be voted on Wednesday, so there is not much time to contact your U.S. legislature and ask him to block all funding for NAIS. I would encourage you to call and send an email. Congessman Ron Paul is the gentleman who introduced the amendment.You may go to www.libertyark.net to find out more about the amendment. Go to your state's website to find out the contact information for your legislatures. Last, please forward this message to everyone you know. Thank you! Lisa 10:53 - 2006-May-16 - post comment
Did Adam Smell Like That?Last week, my husband plowed and disked some ground in preparation for a pumpkin patch. The girls and I were walking up the driveway after getting our mail and visiting Grandpa and Grandma as he was finished the disking. The soil looked so rich and dark. The smell of freshly plowed ground drifted our way. Such an earthy smell, not offensive at all. I told the girls, "Just think, God made Adam from dirt like this." My six year old was silent a moment, then reflected, "I wonder if Adam smelled like this after God made him?""And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). And for those like my husband there is just something about the soil that draws him. He was made from it to cultivate it in a very literal sense. He is an agronomist. He is an agrarian, a Christian agrarian. The complexity and chemical structure of the soil fascinates him. Bringing it into b�lance so it can produce healthy food for us challenges and motivates him. Since his boyhood days, the soil has drawn him. To see him subduing it and cultivating it in order to bring fruit forth from it is part of who he is and how God made him. I love watching him plow and I love watching our daughters as they frolic joyfully barefoot behind him through the freshly plowed ground. "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it" (Genesis 2:15). Grateful for good, healthy soil, Lisa 06:28 - 2006-May-12 - post comment
Minnesota!!!!!Five weeks ago, we made the move from Indiana to Minnesota. We sold our house and had a week and a half to pack and move for the new owners to take possession. We had a few friends who graciously helped load the moving truck, livestock trailer and pick-up truck. What a blessing that was. One family even sent us off with a song they had harmonized and that is when the tears came. What a blessing to hear the beautiful voices of this family of 7 harmonize together as they blessed us with Scripture in song.And then we were off. We must have looked a bit hill-billy driving on the interstate. My husb�nd drove the huge moving truck while I drove the pick-up and livestock trailer that was packed to the brim with some of our stuff along with our goats, chickens, dogs and cats. I did received some interesting looks! Our daughters loved it and the Lord blessed us on that 15 hour drive in that we did not have any wind to struggle against at all through any of the states. We were without electricity for a little while after moving. It was a bit like camping out and we made the most of it. For the first several nights, we slept in John's folks home until we had the generator up and running. My husband has gotten much done and he impresses me with his ability to do anything and everything, a true farmer. We now have meat chicks that will be ready to butcher and sell in about a month. We have egg layers from which we will sell eggs in about 5 months. We also have a pregnant sow. We want to keep a tradition alive that has been passed down from John's Hungarian grandmother to his parents as we learn about how to make Hungarian sausage this fall. Our garlic is doing beautifully and we have potatoes and onions in the ground. The rest of the garden is underway. John has plowed a field for corn he bought from a local farmer which will be used to feed the animals who need it. We are thoroughly enjoying our time together and we have never been busier in our lives. With increased work load comes increased appetites. I am learning to keep up with the demand. I understand my grandmother more and more. She used to cook huge breakfasts for her agrarian family which gave them a bit of a boost to make it through the day. Oh, that I could talk with her now! I plan on blogging more regularly now that my family is settled in. I have only touched the tip of the ice berg with this one. I love the new look of Homestead Blogger and am enjoying catching up on what is happening with everyone. Have a blessed day, Lisa 04:07 - 2006-May-8 - post comment
Problem solved - God is goodWe have sold our homestead in Indiana and have less than a week now to pack and move to Minnesota!!!!! We prayed the Lord would bring just the right folks and that He would continue to use this place for His glory. I just talked with the new owners yesterday and the woman told me she knew God brought her to this place. She knew we were Christians when we walked in the door and the decorative painting drew her as well. One room has a prayer of St. Patrick's painted as the border.
When I painted our walls and murals four years ago, I had a sense that I was painting them for our temporary enjoyment, but that I was also painting them for the next family that was supposed to live in this house. I told the woman that the Lord had me paint those walls for her.
She confessed that she was a backslidden Chrstian and was ready to turn her life around again. Her mother died two years ago and her last wish was that all of her children would walk with Jesus. She is from upstate New York, grew up in the country and really wanted that for her young children as well. She wasn't surprised that we home-educated and asked some questions about it. Towards the end of our conversation, she shared she thought she might re-consider homeschooling. Before she left our home, my daughter played the piano for her and she reciprocated by playing some songs she had composed as well as some hymns.
God is so good!
The theme song of our move is one sung by Buddy Davis: "Problem solved, God is good, He fixed the problem just like I knew He would...."
We will be offline for a while now. We will have no electricity once we move north for a time. We had such a short notice and it takes time for electricians and electric company to get their part done... plus the ground is still frozen up there, so it is going to be difficutl for my husband to dig a trench to bury the cable in. We will check back in when we have some "juice"!
Blessings to all, Lisa Mesko 01:32 - 2006-Mar-21 - post comment
The Rat Trap and One Happy GirlThe Barn Rat is no longer among us thanks to a unique trap and a brave girl. You see, we've had a rat in our barn. The cats are too scared of it to have it for lunch - it's about as big as they are. The girls and I were watching one of our goats deliver her kids while this rat watched us. Very strange to actually see this big dude watch us...
Well, we had had it. How could we get rid of this creature? We didn't wish to use poisons for our dogs, cats or chickens could be effected by it. The dogs, cats or chickens could also get into a rat trap. Hmmm... We had the inexpensive idea of setting up one of our large trash cans with some grain at the bottom to attract the rat. Lo and behold, it worked! The critter let his stomach get him into trouble and couldn't get out of the trash can.
Our 10 year old was so excited that our trap worked. She also really wanted to be the one to kill it. Now, you must understand, she is a very feminine young lady and derives no thrills from killing animals. After reading so many stories of pioneer women and farm women who were very much feminine, yet didn't hesitate to rise to the challenge of protecting their families or animals if need be, she was inspired to stretch herself beyond her comfort zone. So, she grabbed Daddy's shovel, set her lips in a firm line, squared up her shoulders and went to work. And that is the end of the story for that rascally Barn Rat! 12:19 - 2006-Mar-15 - post comment
New PodcastWe made a new podcast with a very interesting sponsor. My husband was very creative with this one. Click here and then click on podcast http://noblecalling.blogspot.com/
The Farmer's Wife Lisa Mesko 09:26 - 2006-Mar-8 - post commentFarm Restoration - The Beginning
Good Farmer John 09:21 - 2006-Mar-8 - post comment
An Honorable Gentleman Has DiedDuring our college years at a well-known university 20-some years ago, we had the honor and privilege of hearing a guest speaker debate one time that has forever made an impression on us. He was not a professor of our universtiy - he wouldn't be allowed to teach what he tried to share there. But he sure did put some of our professors to shame.
Dear Lord, may we have the same demeanor as Dr. Morris when mud is being slung our way. May we speak truth firmly, yet gently, trusting in You the whole way. Amen 04:16 - 2006-Feb-28 - post commentWhy teach our children about agriculture?Some people have asked me "Why do you spend so much time and money training your children in agriculture?" It's a fair question. You might wonder why it's so important to us. I'll endeavor to explain myself.
This leads to the further reflection, that no other human occupation opens so wide a field for the profitable and agreeable combination of labor with cultivated thought, as agriculture. I know of nothing so pleasant to the mind, as the discovery of anything which is at once new and valuable -- nothing which so lightens and sweetens toil, as the hopeful pursuit of such discovery. And how vast, and how varied a field is agriculture, for such discovery. The mind, already trained to thought, in the country school, or higher school, cannot fail to find there an exhaustless source of profitable enjoyment. Every blade of grass is a study; and to produce two, where there was but one, is both a profit and a pleasure. And not grass alone; but soils, seeds, and seasons -- hedges, ditches, and fences, draining, droughts, and irrigation -- plowing, hoeing, and harrowing -- reaping, mowing, and threshing -- saving crops, pests of crops, diseases of crops, and what will prevent or cure them -- implements, utensils, and machines, their relative merits, and [how] to improve them -- hogs, horses, and cattle -- sheep, goats, and poultry -- trees, shrubs, fruits, plants, and flowers -- the thousand things of which these are specimens -- each a world of study within itself.
Farmer John 11:46 - 2006-Feb-24 - post comment
Cheap, Safe Food???By the time everyone in the US reaches adulthood, chances are, they know how to purchase and operate a car, kick a soccer ball and play Nintendo. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the production of one's own food. Years ago, common knowledge typically included an understanding of food production. Vegetables, herbs, fruits and grains were routinely produced, processed and stored in households. Alas, "the good life" has reached most of us now, and the knowledge, experience, and I argue, the freedom associated with self-provision is not part of it.
Good Farmer John 08:46 - 2006-Feb-22 - post commentNew NAIS links worth readingHere's an interesting article entitled, "Why you should oppose the USDA's mandatory property and animal surveylance program" which also has a plug for a grass roots organization being launched in response called Farm For Life:
Interesting reading. We must continue to pray and get the word out about all of this.
The Farmer's Wife 02:23 - 2006-Feb-20 - post commentOld Tractors Never Die
Good Farmer John 02:00 - 2006-Feb-20 - post comment
A Lawyer comments on Constitutional Rights and NAISThis is a very interesting read written by a lawyer about NAIS being unconstitutional. It was found at http://reliableanswers.com/politics/nais.asp This article is quoted entirely:Animal ID Makers in Hog HeavenNational Animal ID System (NAIS)Mary Zanoni, Ph.D. (Cornell), J.D. (Yale), Comments on NAIS "Draft Program Standards" and "Draft Strategic Plan"I have carefully examined the Draft Program Standards (Standards) and Draft Strategic Plan (Plan) issued by the USDA (the Department) on April 25, 2005, in furtherance of the Department's proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Many aspects of the Standards and Plan appear to create insurmountable legal, fiscal, and logistical problems. The comments below address five categories of problems:
1. The Standards and Plan Violate Many Provisions of the Constitution.
First Amendment Violations - Many Christians (as well as persons of other religious beliefs) cannot comply with the Department's proposed program because it violates their First Amendment right to free exercise. For example, the Old Order Amish believe they are prohibited from registering their farms or animals in the proposed program due to, inter alia, Scriptural prohibitions. The way of life of these devout Christians requires them to use horses for transportation, support themselves by simple methods of dairy farming (most ship milk to cheese producers, since their faith prohibits the use of the technologies required for modern fluid milk production), and raise animals for the family's own food. The proposed NAIS would place the Amish and other people of faith in an untenable position of violating one or another requirement of their most important beliefs. Further, it is not unlikely that enactment of the NAIS as presently proposed would force the Amish and other devout people to seek migration to another nation. It would greatly injure the status of our country among the community of nations if the Department's actions were to result in the forced migration of such simple, devout, and peaceful people. Fourth Amendment Violations - The Department proposes surveillance of every property where even a single animal of any livestock species is kept; and to require, at a minimum, the radio-frequency identification tagging of every animal. (Standards, pp. 3-4, 6, 17-18.) Perhaps the Department had in mind as its model large commercial facilities where thousands, or in many cases tens of thousands, of animals are housed or processed. However, aside from large livestock businesses, there are also tens of millions of individual American citizens who own a pet horse, keep a half-dozen laying hens, or raise one steer, pig, or lamb for their own food. In these instances, the "premises" that the Department plans to subject to GPS satellite surveillance (Standards, p. 10) and distance radio-frequency reading (Standards, p. 27) are the homes of these tens of millions of citizens. The government is not permitted to use sense-enhancing technologies to invade the privacy of citizens' homes. Kyllo v. United States, 533 U.S. 27 (2001). The sanctity of the home is entitled to privacy protection in circumstances where an industrial complex is not. See Dow Chemical v. United States, 476 U.S. 227, 238 (1986). Therefore, the Department should abandon its present proposals, insofar as they entail enormously intrusive surveillance against unsuspecting innocent citizens who have done nothing more than to own an animal (a common form of personal property under the American system of law). Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment Violations - The proposed NAIS is the first attempt by the federal government at forced registration in a huge, permanent federal database of individual citizens' real property (the homes and farms where animals are kept) and personal property (the animals themselves). (Standards, pp. 8-13; Plan, pp. 8, 12-13) Indeed, the only general systems of permanent registration of personal property in the United States are systems administered by the individual states for two items that are highly dangerous if misused: motor vehicles and guns. It is difficult to imagine any acceptable basis for the Department to subject the owner of a chicken to more intrusive surveillance than the owner of a gun. For example, whereas the owner of a long gun generally can take the gun and go hunting beyond the confines of his or her own property without notifying the government, the Department proposes that the chicken owner, under pain of unspecified "enforcement," must report within 24 hours any instance of a chicken leaving or returning to the registered property. (Standards, pp. 13, 18-19, 21; Plan, p. 17.) Even more important than the trammeling of basic property rights under the program is the insult to fundamental human rights, which must remain free from government interference.
Surely it is overreaching for the Department to propose, as it has, the constant surveillance of one's home and animals when the citizen is only attempting to raise food for the household or for a limited local area, and there is no intention of distributing the food on a wider scale. The foregoing numerous constitutional infirmities are bound to enmesh the Department and state governments in extremely costly litigation for years to come. Therefore, please reconsider the Department's plans to institute a program so at odds with fundamental American values. 2. Practical and Cost Impediments to Enforcement.As discussed more fully below (see no. 5, Lack of Notice), most owners of a small number of livestock are not even aware of the USDA's proposals at present (see, e.g., "Helping to Head Off A Livestock I.D. Crisis," Lancaster Farming, May 28, 2005, p. A38, discussing difficulties of informing all farmers of the NAIS requirements). The Department does not plan to issue "alerts" to inform livestock owners of the requirements until April 2007, only eight months prior to the date when it will be mandatory to submit the GPS coordinates of one's home and the RFID of one's animal to the USDA database. The final rule governing mandatory home and animal surveillance will not be published until "fall 2007" (Plan, p. 10), leaving only a couple of months, at best, for notification and compliance before January 2008. The citizens apt to own small numbers of livestock are rural dwellers who have chosen their way of life partly as a means of escaping excessive corporate and government bureaucracy. These factors suggest the likelihood of a noncompliance problem of heroic proportions. In addition, the proposals call for an animal owner to report, within 24 hours, any missing animal, any missing tag, the sale of an animal, the death of an animal, the slaughter of an animal, the purchase of an animal, the movement of an animal off the farm or homestead, the movement of an animal onto the farm or homestead. (Standards, pp. 13, 18-19, 21.) The Department plans to demand the following actions by all animal owners according to the stated timeline:
Moreover, the NAIS will "prohibit any person" from removing an I.D. device, causing the removal of an I.D. device, applying a second I.D. device, altering an I.D. device to change its number, altering an I.D. device to make its number unreadable, selling or providing an unauthorized I.D. device, and "manufacturing, selling, or providing an identification device that so closely resembles an approved device that it is likely to be mistaken for official identification." (Standards, p. 7.) Thousands of enforcement agents would have to be employed to find the potentially tens of millions of unregistered premises and violations of the animal identification and animal tracking requirements. Indeed, beyond the expense, the specter of these government agents entering onto citizens' property to find possible unregistered homes and animals brings to mind the actions of a frightening police state, not the actions of a government agency whose mission should be to assist rural people, not to hunt them down. The proposed NAIS makes clear that animal owners will have to pay the costs of registration and surveillance of their homes, farms, and livestock. ("[T]here will be costs to producers, private funding will be required..." (Plan, p. 11) "Producers will identify their animals and provide necessary records to the databases... All groups will need to provide labor..." (Plan, p. 14.) In fact, the financial and labor requirements for animal owners would be huge. Livestock owners, even the owner of one pet horse who takes rides off the property, would have to invest in RFID reading devices and software to report information. The Standards and Plan do not enlighten us about the amount of these costs. Many rural people do not have (and do not want) computers at home and even those who have them often cannot get high-speed connections. Even if some system of written or manual reporting were allowed as an alternative, this would only greatly increase the labor required for citizens who elected it. Indeed, with or without access to technology, the labor requirement would be huge. Consider a small-to-moderate size dairy, milking 160 head. A total of about 150 cattle (75 bull calves, 50 cull cows, and 25 excess heifers) would leave such a farm each year. The farmer would be required to report each tagging of an animal and each event of an animal shipped off the farm (300 reportable events). Plus let's assume that the farmer has 50 growing heifers outside during pasture season, and, as heifers are prone to do, they breach the fence and go off into the neighbor's fields twice during the season, and the farmer has to herd them back. This results in an additional 250 reportable events - 50 instances of heifers having to be tagged (strictly speaking, the rules would require tagging before they leave the farm -- (Plan, p. 8) -- one hopes the enforcement agents might overlook the technical violation of the farmer perhaps not being able to tag them until they are herded back), plus 100 instances of individual heifers leaving the farm, and 100 instances of individual heifers returning to the farm. The farmer now has at least 550 total reportable events, or an average of over 1.5 times per day, 365 days per year, that the farmer must interrupt his or her other work and submit data on premises identification, animal identification, and an event code to the USDA's database. Further, the animals shipped from this farm would generate at least an additional 600 reportable events per year for other stakeholders (i.e., 75 bull calves into and out of the auction house, then onto a veal farm, off the veal farm, and to a slaughter facility (375 events); 50 cull cows into and out of the auction house, then to a slaughter facility (150 events); and 25 heifers into and out of the auction house, then onto new farms (75 events). Thus, only one modest-sized farm would generate well over a thousand events per year requiring recordkeeping and reporting. Indeed, the only economic advantage of the NAIS is an advantage to the corporations that manufacture high-tech tags, ID equipment, and the vast amount of hardware and software required for the system. This "advantage" is totally outweighed by the economic costs to both large and small segments of the livestock industry and the social and civil-rights costs to small producers, home farmers, and non-farming animal owners. The Department's mission should be to protect and foster agriculture, not to protect and foster manufacturers of tagging and computing equipment. 3. Infirmities in Supposed Justifications.The primary justifications given by the Department for the NAIS are animal health issues, specifically, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). (Plan, p. 1.) There has been no FMD in the United States for over 70 years and the possibility of its reintroduction is speculative. Of course, FMD is a viral disease exclusively of cloven-hoofed animals and does not infect humans. Moreover, FMD is primarily an economic disease. Animals may become temporarily lame or refuse to eat because of the lesions caused by the virus, but nearly all animals recover within a few weeks. Thus, the primary effects are a setback in weight gain for animals produced for meat, reduced lactation in dairy animals, and restrictions on exports for countries where FMD is present. NAIS proponents need to carefully consider whether a disease, of no risk to humans, not present in the United States and only of temporary effect to animals, can possibly justify a gravely flawed system such as the proposed NAIS. There have been only two known cases of BSE in the United States. There have been no cases of humans contracting, while within the United States, the related condition of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The Department has put into place all necessary safeguards and assures that the American beef supply is safe and that transmission of BSE prions to humans cannot now occur in the United States. After the banning of meat and bone meal from ruminant feeds in 1997, any possible instances of BSE would now occur only in relatively old cattle. Obviously, the number of such cattle diminishes yearly and even assuming the longest potential lifespan of cattle; any slight possibility of BSE in the U.S. cattle herd will disappear in about 12 to 15 years. Thus, BSE is a very low-incidence, self-limiting, rapidly disappearing disease in the United States. BSE has not resulted in transmission of a single case of human disease in the United States. BSE is, rather than a health threat, primarily an economic problem affecting exports and imports of cattle and beef. It is apparent that the Department's position that sufficient controls are in place is correct. Thus, as with FMD, BSE cannot justify the creation of a huge, permanent, expensive, and intrusive NAIS. A further asserted justification is the risk of "an intentional introduction of an animal disease." (Plan, p. 7.) Far from preventing deliberate interference with the livestock industry or food supply, the proposed plan creates numerous new opportunities for mayhem. The Department's own proposals suggest that the counterfeiting and theft of tags will quickly become a problem. (Standards, p. 7.) Application of counterfeit tags could easily mask the introduction of a sick animal into a facility containing thousands or tens of thousands of other animals. Consider also the scenario in which someone brings a sick animal to a slaughter facility and falsely reports its farm of origin as a large operation with tens of thousands of animals in production. The resulting baseless scare has the potential to create a huge disruption of food supplies and the profitability of animal agriculture, regardless of whether the hoax might ultimately be discovered. 4. Lack of Consideration of Alternate Methods.As discussed above, the NAIS is a violation of civil rights, extremely expensive and burdensome, likely to be ineffective, and not justified by human health, animal health, or food safety considerations. Given these numerous and probably insurmountable flaws, the Department should carefully consider alternative methods that would be much more successful in accomplishing the stated objectives. The security of America's food supply and the resilience of livestock in the face of diseases are best served by the decentralization and dispersal of food production and processing, and of the breeding and maintaining of live |
The true definition of a talented seamstress: I thought I was a decent seamstress, then I met Mrs. Joseph. I am thankful my daughters and I were able to watch her and learn from her. I gave her some fabric and in the course of an afternoon, she designed, cut out and HAND-sewed an adorable dress for Yolanda. I was speechless. No pattern, no machine, no 4 year college degree in fashion design, just pure, raw, know- how, talent, creativity, determination. Now THAT is a seamstress.
