Barefoot Hillbilly Wife to a Redneck......

There are so many reasons to do what we do here at the farm. But the main reason I got into milking goats and other animals is this.

My youngest DD was Diagnosed several years ago with Hashimotos Disease. Which is basically an under active thyroid. She was only 7. I had already tried to eat as much organic as possible. I tried the soy milk and all that stuff till I started reading more about it. A little soy is okay but to much hampers thyroid processes. And if you read ingredients you will see its in just about anything.. About this time my mom started looking into goats. She got a few and the next year we started drinking goats milk raw.. The milk in the stores has been processed till there is not much good left.. They take most of the good stuff out (what they haven't cooked out in the pasteurization) then they put back with chemicals. The Vitamin D they put in store bought milk is actually a poison type stuff.. Not a natural vitamin. Check out www.rawmilk.org I don't say no to cows milk!! Goats are easier and cheaper to get started in I will eventually have raw cows milk too..

Also with soy children as young as 3 were starting puberty and it was causing men to develop breast and other things because of the high estrogen content.. I cant remember the site that I found the info.. The doctor told a friend of mine that girls normal age for puberty is Now 9 yrs old where it use to be 11 yrs old.. The longer it is before they start puberty the healthier it is.. Boys or girls...

So fast forward a few years.. My middle girl has just recently been diagnosed with the same as her twins sister they have small goiters and hashimotos. I really think the reason it took longer for one to develop it is because of the change in our diet..

Now I am not saying we produce all we eat or we never eat out... We eat Mickey D's occasional and have a candy bars too. Soda on occasion.. But I try to make the bulk of our diet good stuff.. Its taken several years to get to the point we are at.. I haven't pushed the garden much because I was trying to get the livestock going. There are various farmers markets and farms to buy from too..

Now we have moved to this farm and are managing for a friend which is Evelyn who post comments occasionally. Its is certified naturally grown.http://www.naturallygrown.org/ We use no chemical fertilizers, or pesticides. Antibiotics and chemical dewormers on rare cases. We try to use Holistic/Natural Alternatives methods first.

Pastured is best for anything.. Some of it is extensive though and takes more time then some of us have. But we can all do small things.. Like support local farmers or farmers market. www.localharvest.org

Here are some of the websites I use for different things.

We do care for all our animals to the best of our ability. There is a lot of learning to be done.. Everything is given a good life on the farm and when it comes time, a humane death. We do have pets and not all are for meat. We use some for eggs and some for milk.. On this farm as of right now. We have Dexter cattle for meat and milk. We have goats for milk and meat. Various breeds!! Chickens for insect control, meat and eggs. Some for entertainment!! Hogs for tilling the garden and meat. Sheep for meat. Rabbits- small ones for pets and big ones for meat. Ducks for insect control, eggs and meat. Horses well they are here for entertainment. We have livestock guardian dogs for protection from predators.. But they seem to like the eggs too!! Brats! We have 2 house dogs and various cats around the place.. Little rescue boy cat is outside I cant handle cats in the house for very long!! Anyways that is about us.. Everything I can think of right now.. I am sure as soon I publish I will remember something else!!