The Pig Sty

We've gotten our new pigs, but we're wanting them to do some work for us in the midst of growing some of our meat. Plus, Jeremy likes pigs to stay contained since they can make a mess everywhere they go.

Raising Meat

This winter, Jeremy decided to raise some meat chickens. It's funny being married to him, because I've been talking about homesteading and planning it and generally just thinking about it for years, and nothing feels like it ever happens.

The Blessing of Rain

The weather here has been hot and dry. The kids and I have been watching and noticing. The corn has been spiky and the leaves were curling a bit. The grass was crunchy to step on. We don't have a garden yet, but being that we're surrounded by farmland and depending on the grass in our field to feed our animals, we are aware that we need rain.

Black Mastitis

So I'm trying to figure out what happened. We were going along just fine. Gideon was able to take care of the animals and everyone was good, healthy, and we didn't have any problems. I think we were a bit complacent.

We Did a Thing

Oh my, oh my, oh my.

We're in love. And a little in over our heads.

Weekend Work

We had a productive weekend! Friday evening Jeremy brought home a friend's dingo, and by Sunday evening we were finishing up our front walkway.

New Animals on the Farm

Our friends, over at Farm Life Outfitters, had some piglets, so we bought a couple to put in the fence. Honestly, it was a little nerve-wracking. I knew the fence was goat-proof and goatling-proof, which can be a miraculous feat in and of itself, but was it pig-proof? And if they got out, there was going to be no way we would be able to catch them. They are fast! And they really are scared of us.

The Idealist without Ideals

Moving Animals

I kind of figured moving the goats over was going to be interesting. They did fine, but it was a little difficult getting the goats into the truck. And then, of course, they also didn't want to get out of the truck either. Goats.

Ding Dong The Barn is DONE!

Such a relief! The barn is done. We can finish moving everything over, including the animals and we won't be stretched between two places anymore! Praise be to the Lord!

In Which We Dropped a Truss

On Jeremy's last day off, we spent the day working on the barn. Jeremy has been planning it for a while now, and the week before we had finally put up the posts. They had to dry in their concrete for a week before we could do anything else to the barn. We worked on the fence while we were waiting.

Goatlings on the Farm

I love having goatlings, they are absolutely the best! They are so cute and sweet, and they frolick everywhere they go.

The New Homestead

Y'all. It's been a weird year for us. I mean, on the first day of school, I had an appendectomy. That same week, our van died. A week later, we had to buy a new van that actually works and we love. A few weeks later Gideon had a tonsillectomy. Then a couple weeks after that, our goats were savagely attacked and two were killed. This all happened (and more) in the first two months of 2017. I was really getting worried about how the rest of the year was going to turn out.

It's been a little rough.

The Farm Animals

It's been a while since I just shared the antics and personalities of our farm animals. Let's begin with the goats.

Failings

Well, we've had some unexpected developments around our homestead.

The goats dried up.

God Food, Good Food

I am, have been, and will be, trying to define our diet. I hesitate to even name it because I'm leaning toward calling it food. But perhaps that's not so well defined these days? Especially when you look at all the available diets.

Adjustments

The blog has been kind of quiet lately, although I'm sure nobody has noticed. But we've been adjusting; I guess that's the word. Life throws adjustments at you, and you gotta take the time to adjust!

Wanna meet our goats?

Hey! I figured out how to record video on my camera, so I decided to show y'all the babies. They are getting so big now! (Mostly because they are greedy and try to take all of our milk!)

Milk-Maiding

Every morning, I get up, gather my supplies, change into my dirty jeans and ratty shirt, and head outside. Sometimes I take Gideon, if Jeremy isn't here, or Eowyn if Jeremy is here.

So....Raw Milk

You know how I was worried about drinking raw goat milk?