Kathryn is another WOTD. She lives on 20 acres west of Bozeman with her husband Rick and two children, Deeanne and Tommy. They enjoy a large variety of animals and I dare say there's not much Kathryn doesn't have in that department. When I asked her about her animals, she responded with, "Oh good lord! Where do I begin? At the moment, 2 milk cows, a steer, 4 Nigerian Dwarf does, a Nubian doe, 2 Nigerian bucks, 30 someodd chickens(with too many roosters in the flock), 5 shetland sheep(thank you LaVonne!), and 2 horses at the moment. Seasonally we have pigs, roaster chickens and turkeys. Of course there are 7 cats for mouse population control and 4 dogs to let the coyotes know that we need them to respect our livestock."
Their land is not flat land. It's very hilly and you never know what's just over that hill! Down the hill in the "bottom" of the land is a new hoop house. Rick is also very adept at recycling pallets into barns and other structures for the animals. They also use them for their firewood source.
Their family lived in a camper on the land while they built their home. They started with raw land and are in the process of turning it into their own little oasis.
It's difficult for Kathryn to say which farm animal is her favorite, but she would have to pick her Nigerians and Shetlands. She does love piglets though and the turkeys are fascinating. Having a large range of different animals completes the circle and allows them to live the natural life they love. The animals all fit in with home schooling and the children each have their own responsibilities. For them there is no other way of life. Kathryn says, "Is there anything better? I call it authentic exercise. What better way to raise a family and contribute to the community than local sustainable agriculture."
Camp Creek Farm has products available locally only and she delivers to town once a week. Her weekly newsletter to customers is sent out via email telling them what's available and they can order what they want. Currently their greenhouse and hoophouse are planted and should have greens for sale at some point in March. At the moment she has eggs from our chickens who are fed food created from organic ingredients grown in Montana. She also has goat milk soap made with only organic ingredients and essential oils for their healing properties. Kathryn encourages you to find someone locally to supply your food. Kathryn and her family are passionate about living in Harmony with the Earth. It is all we have and we are part of it. when we harm the Earth, we harm ourselves.
She recommends any books by Eliot Coleman, Joel Salatin MaryJane Butters to help you on your journey. She also gives this advice if you don't know where to start. " Dive in and find a group of women to give you support-the church of each other."
Kathryn welcomes any questions and can be reached at hainsworthhouse@peoplepc.com