Spring is a Busy Time on the Farm

The picture of the pallets above is a good indication of what keeps me busy these days. Those pallets are for my boar's pen and house. I love getting free wood to use for all kinds of projects around here. Getting the hogs moved was just my first project for the summer, and I'm a bit behind. The weather hasn't cooperated this spring, but it should be completed this week. The girls have been moved for over a month, so it's just Mark.

Along with that task, I have to get some pastured fenced for my calves. They are now a year old and need to be out on grass so I don't have to keep buying hay. I also want to move my buck goats into a bigger pen.

I have plans for a garden, but it will be much smaller than what I had intended last year. I already have a rosemary plant and chives which is a start on my own fresh herbs. For the garden, I hope to have tomatoes, onions, garlic, peas and beans. I'd like to get pumpkins and turnips along with some squash, too. Once I get the boar moved, I can start on the garden. The hogs did my plowing over the winter, so I'm one step ahead.

My back went out last Saturday, so that has slowed me down a bit. It's getting back to normal, but it shows that I need to work out and strengthen my muscles even though I work hard around the farm. I have too much to do to sit on the sidelines for long.

Even though this is the busy season, I look forward to spring and love this time of year. I have already made a couple of small purchases designed to make my workload easier. One is a larger 110-gallon tank for the calves to have water. I gave their other waterer to the goats and that one to the pigs. I want to cut down how often I have to water the animals during the hot weather.

I also bought a 150-foot garden hose for watering so I don't have to carry it so far. I plan to get at least one more which should reach all the animals and save my back.

One thing I've already learned with farming; it's a slow process towards getting everything set up the way I want. Each step is a win.

Hope everyone has a good week, and I'll try to update sooner next time.

A Busy Month on the Homestead

February has been a busy month so far. It always is with my daughter's birthday. However, it has been more chaotic than usual. I lost my 14-year-old faithful friend, Sheba last week. She was a yellow lab who has been by my side since I moved away from my hometown. It was a loss I felt deeply and probably will for a long time. As sad as it was, I'm glad I got to say goodbye. I could tell that the end was near when she didn't get up to eat. I was able to give her some last love and let her know how much she meant to me.

Death has been the theme of the month. One of my favorite cousins died on my daughter's birthday. We were told that it was going to happen soon so it wasn't a surprise. However, it was still a sad time. It was pretty awesome to see a large church filled with people who loved her. It made me think of how I would like to be remembered as someone who touched people's lives for the better.

Not all things have been sad. I did get to attend my best friend's wedding. A reminder that life, love and death are all part of what makes us human. We cannot have the joy without the sadness. I believe we wouldn't enjoy it as much without something to compare it to.

The homestead is still my place of comfort, solace and joy. The winter has dragged on, but it hasn't been as cold in February as last month. I know spring is just around the corner. I try to get out and do what I can, and then I work inside when the weather isn't as nice. Today, I'm going to try a new recipe called Chicken Squares. It has cream cheese and chicken wrapped in a crescent roll. It sounds delicious, so I hope it's a hit with everyone.

Until next time, live every day to the fullest, tell those who matter to you how much they mean, and never forget to take time to enjoy every moment life gives to you.

Going with the Flow - Learning to Adapt to a Change of Plans

I had big plans for this weekend that didn't quite work out. It was going to be the last few really warm days for at least a week, and I wanted to get my pigpen built. I have four pigs in two small pens where they're supposed to be plowing my garden for me. However, they have outgrown the area and rather than building them a bigger pen in a temporary place, I figured I'd go on and build their permanent home. I have a long list of stuff to do this year, so it would be nice to get one thing marked off the list early.

Well, I already had promised to help a friend move on Saturday, so I knew I wouldn't get much done that day. I did carry a few pallets and posts to the house which was built last fall. I thought that was a good start, and I'd finish the girls' pen on Sunday.

Sunday started out with a sick daughter, so my plans were put on hold. We basically spent the day hanging out together so she could rest. I did enjoy reading for the afternoon, so I had fun in spite of feeling bad for my girl.

Today is cold outside, so I won't be working on the pen until it warms up again. I could carry more pallets so I would have everything close by when the ground thaws enough to work on the pen.

It just goes to show that you must learn to adapt because you never know what a day will bring. You know what they say about the best laid plans.

I did get a package of thyme seeds over the weekend, so I'm going to plant them today. I don't have much space in my laundry room for plants, which is the only area with enough light. So I'm begin picky about which herbs I want to grow in containers to have fresh year round. I'm planning on thyme, rosemary, basil and maybe something else.

At least I know there will always be something to keep me occupied no matter the weather or other obstacles. That's the fun part of life on the farm.

Always Something to Do on the Homestead

A fact of life for anyone who lives on a farm: there's always something to do. For the past few days, I've been working inside the house even though I'd rather be outside. The photo above is of my cabbage and beef soup and crescent roll that I made on Tuesday. It was a dreary day, not a day to be outside, so I spent it cooking. I love to cook on days like that, and the food turned out pretty good. I'm definitely going to add it to my list of recipes.

I wish I was more organized about my cooking so I would have more homemade meals. One of my goals for this year is to start planning my meals ahead of time and going shopping so I can cook more and eat less fast food or preplanned meals. I think I'm going to write up a list of meals on an index card for the different seasons. In the summer, I like salads and cold foods while winter makes me long for soups and comfort foods. Tell me some of your go-to meals that you fix on a somewhat regular basis in the comments.

I'm also working on my spring cleaning. I've just about got the living room finished. It hasn't been organized and clutter-free for months - ever since I got twin baby girls for a foster placement. They went home last fall, and life has just been so busy since then. But I know if I don't do the cleaning and organizing now, it won't get done. Soon, it will be time to be outside doing my long list of tasks.

I have a small house, but I actually like it that way. It's a challenge keeping everything where it belongs, but I've learned that the more space you have, the more stuff you have. I just need to figure out how to keep everything organized and in its place so that I spend less time trying to find something or accomplish a task.

Tonight the air was warm even at twilight. It made me think of spring even though I'm sure we're not finished with winter. I do have a rather lengthy list of things I want to get done, so I'd like to get an early start this weekend. Before I know it, the busy season will be here, and I'll be spending much of my time outdoors. At least I hope to have a nicely organized, clean house to come in to when I'm done.

A Cold Sunday, Dreaming of Spring

It's a cold, snowy day here on the farm today. Not too much snow, just a dusting so far. Cold enough to make more work with the chores. That's one thing I've learned and remember from my childhood - chores are more difficult in cold weather than in the hot summer.

I don't let the cold keep my spirits down. It's almost mid-January, which means spring is really just around the corner. I can begin thinking about and planning for my garden this year. Here in Missouri, that will mean sometime in March. After a sad attempt at one last year and even sadder results, I hope to have learned something. It's not really a failure as long as you learn from your experience and apply those lessons for the next year.

For me, as I think about my garden for this year, here's what I have learned:

• Spring is a busy time with the animals, so only plan for a garden that I can handle. Work on expanding it over time.
• It's better to get an early start on early vegetables. They have a better chance, and you can replant if it fails the first time.
• Focus on fewer vegetables until you see what you have success with. You can always add new veggies in future years.
• Start on your garden well before planting time so you can prep the ground.

With these lessons in mind, my first decision will be on what kind of garden I'll have. I'm considering a combination of a traditional till garden with rows and a couple of raised beds. Once I see how the raised beds do, I'll know whether I want to add in more another year. I also have to figure out what I want to put in those beds. I'll have more control over the quality of dirt in the beds, but they will take time to set up, so I'll start with just two for this year.

I also have natural fertilizer with the animals on the farm, which should help enrich the ground. I think poor ground quality was a big reason I had poor results last year.

My next decision will be to decide on what plants to raise for this year. I still want potatoes and tomatoes. I'm going to try squash, onions, carrots, peas and beans again. I'd also like to have some herbs in containers. That sounds like enough for this year.

Along with my garden, I will have baby goats, which means goats to milk. I plan to add a few more chickens for eggs to sell next winter as well, which means another coop to build. I'll be putting in fencing for the heifers and the goats, so I must keep my garden work realistic.

I'm more realistic in my expectations this year. I know I probably won't have a bumper crop, but I hope to at least enjoy some fresh produce and maybe even have a few things to can. Someday, I want to have enough from my garden to feed my family all year, but that will come with time. If anyone has suggestions, please add them in the comments. I'm always interested in learning from the guidance of others.

Welcome to 2018

It has been a long time since I've posted to my blog, but I plan to try to do better this year. Of course, you know what they say about best-laid plans. lol

A lot has happened in my first full year on the farm. In the last 12 months, I've added a variety of creatures to the family:

• 2 dairy calves
• 5 Nubian goats
• 4 Chester White pigs
• chickens
• 6 ducks
• 2 turkeys

We also added two barn cats and an Australian Shepherd named Rosetta. I've wanted an Aussie for a long time to be a stock dog and watch dog, but she has yet to excel at either job. Of course, it will take time, and that's one of my goals for the new year.

Looking Ahead

I've come along way in 12 months, but it has also added a lot of work. I've built houses and pens, and have more to go. I did find a stash of pallets, which I've been utilizing for both houses and pens. I'm quite proud of the fact that I can use a drill and put together a few for warm homes for my animals. It gives me the confidence to try some other woodworking projects for this year.

I'm also hoping to try a garden again. Last year's garden did poorly to put it nicely. I hope I've learned something which will improve the results for this year. 

I will also have baby goats in the spring, which will be a learning experience to say the least. So far, the goats have been mostly trouble-free and quite enjoyable. I just hope they keep with that reputation. I'm excited to get goat milk, another product for the farm. I love the eggs I get, and I plan to add more birds to my flock so I can sell some this year. 

My other big goals for 2018 include buying an old farm truck and putting up a fence for the calves to have grass to graze. I'm sure there will be challenges along the way, but I'm hopeful that I can make some changes that will improve my systems around here. 

I also plan to do more updating on this blog and hopefully gain a few regular followers who may benefit from my mistakes or even offer advice. It's also a great way to remember the achievements and setbacks of each week and month. 

So for now, everyone stay warm as I look forward to what this year brings to the Diamond M.