Thursday, January 28, 2010

Sweet Pea

Our sheep Sweet Pea is a crazy sheep. She is affectionate! Who ever heard of an affectionate sheep? Especially when she is in heat, she becomes Velcro Sheep. She is particularly into Logan when she is in heat.




There's that anti-social goat again.




Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Aerogarden week 3 update

We harvested some tonight and each had a salad. Let me just say YUM. The lettuce was tender and crisp. This was good stuff. I harvested less than 1/3 of each pod, according to the directions I should be able to harvest for a few weeks as long as I don't take too much each time. This is the best free toy I've ever gotten!

Aerogarden week 3

I think we are about ready to start harvesting. I can't believe how fast they are growing! Hydroponics is pretty cool.




Sunday, January 24, 2010

Not our favorite

We don't play favorites on our farm. And if we did, the worthless wether certainly wouldn't be our favorite ;)

Logan playing push with Orion.

Oh no, Orion got caught in Logan's rear naked choke. Tuck your chin Orion!
Orion managed the escape but is now in Logan's guard.
He's tired of grappling and wants to eat my shoe laces.

Lucky for him he's cute.


Thursday, January 21, 2010

Brocolli and ground covers

I finally harvested some brocolli yesterday! I've planted brocolli 4 or 5 times but never gotten to harvest any. It has either gotten eaten, not made heads, or gone to seed before I could harvest it. I guess I've always planted it too late in the spring. So, this time I planted it in late fall. The plants grew well, nothing ate them, and they made heads. Being cold, they never did go to seed. We ate the brocolli last night. I think I waited too long to harvest it. It was stringy and a bit bitter. I was the only one that would eat it. But after growing it, I was darn sure going to eat it! So, I'm still trying to have success at brocolli. One day I will get it right. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Do any of you know anything about ground covers? I have a steep slope in full sun behind the chicken coop. When it rains, the dirt washes into the coop. I want to stop the erosion. Any recommendations for a good, fast growing ground cover I could use?

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Cute little eggs

My beautiful little Mille Fleur Chamomile has started laying.


She has the cutest little eggs! Her egg is the tiny one in the middle. We haven't tried one yet, I'm sure they are delicious.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Aerogarden update 1




This is 2 weeks after planting. Things are coming along nicely.



I had to add more water and nutrients on Saturday. It has blinking lights to tell you when to add things. After adding them you are supposed to push the reset button to make the lights stop blinking. I pushed the button 4 times and the lights didn't stop blinking. I hoped the lights would stop blinking overnight but the next morning they were still blinking. I pushed the button 4 more times and still nothing. Getting frustrated, I called Logan over to give it a try. He pushed the button once and all the lights stopped blinking! I have this same problem with touch screens, they never work for me but Logan can always get them to work the first try. I think my body temperature is too low or something. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really alive ;)!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

A warm day

After over a week of highs that were less than freezing, we got 2 nice days last week. Logan and I decided to spend some much needed time with the goats.




I got a couple more videos that I'll try to post over the next few days. Sorry for the big gap in posting. I find it very hard to function when it is so cold. Even the normal chores are hard, and I had to bring warm water out to the animals 3 times a day. I've been feeling overwhelmed with having to do everything inside and out with very little help. Somehow, it all seems easier when it is warm. I'm so glad we moved south.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Aerogarden

I'm sure everyone has seen ads for these things. I wasn't going to get one, but my Step-mom did and never used it. So, when I was up there visiting for Christmas, she gave it to me. Thanks Marilyn. I figured why not give it a try, especially since it is so bleeping cold out there.

Logan and I started the pods last Saturday. It is really easy to set up. You fill the bottom with water, it takes about a gallon, add 2 nutrient pellets and put the pods into the holes. You then push the button for what you are growing and it does the rest. It takes care of the lights and tell you when to add water and nutrients.

This is what it looked like right after we started it.

2 days later we had germination.

4 days later.
Today, 1 week after starting.

I'll keep you posted on how things go. Oh, we're growing salad greens. The pods are a bit expensive, but the ones I'm using were given to me with the Aerogarden. I'm not sure I'll buy more, but I guess we will see what our harvest is like.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Public Service Announcement

This is just a friendly, neighborhood public service announcement. This is the time of year to check your bug out bags.

  • Replace any expired food
  • Change out the water
  • Check any clothes to make sure they still fit, especially if you have kids
  • Update any copies of documents you have
  • Review the contents and make sure there isn't anything you want to remove or add

Don't have a bug out bag you say. Why not?! This is the perfect time of year to prepare one. You never know when something may happen, even if you are just bugging out to your basement during a storm. It is always good to be prepared.

If you don't have a bug out bag yet, here is the post I wrote 2 years ago about what is in our bag:

http://farmdreams-christy.blogspot.com/2007/12/bug-out-bag.html

I've made a few changes since then. I've added these for food:
http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_FM%20R240_A_name_E_MAINSTAY™%202,400%20Calorie%20Food%20Bar

And these for water: http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_WS%20P100_A_name_E_Datrex%20Water%20Pouches%20-%204.2%20ounce%20Pouch%20(purchased%20in%20case%20of%2064)

I figured this way I wouldn't have to change everything out as often.

If you are just putting your bag together, here is a good chart showing what is included in kits you can buy: http://beprepared.com/article.asp_Q_ai_E_518_A_name_E_Kit%20Contents$20Chart

It is also a good idea to have a smaller kit in your car. How many times do we hear stories of people getting stranded in remote areas in their car? I've got supplies in case I have to spend 2 nights in the car with Logan. Let's hope I never have to use any of it!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

3 Year Anniversary

It’s hard to believe I’ve had this blog for 3 years! This blog has seen me through a lot of changes. I also can’t believe that some of you have been with me from the beginning. Are you gluttons for punishment or what?! You saw me through the beginning of the dream, when living on a farm was just a wild idea. You saw me through the year of trying to convince Mark I was serious. You saw me through the awful year of trying to sell the house and get moved. The times when I literally felt like I was sufficating living in suburban hell. You were there when it almost all fell apart and we almost had to move back to Delaware. And you’ve been there for my first year on the farm, all the ups and downs. I owe so much to you guys. You helped me stay strong during the bad times and you’ve helped me celebrate the good times. I honestly think without you I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Just for fun, here is the first picture I ever posted. It was in a post about nature deficit disorder.




I was feeling nostalgic and starting looking back through old posts and I realized a few things. I used to really wax philosophical on this blog! I feel like now I just do drive by posts; "here’s a few pictures of the animals, we are fine, bye." I kind of miss that old, philosophical me. I also realized I’ve let a lot of things go that I used to do. Things like sewing, crochet, baking, writing, painting, and photography. . Between the farm, Logan’s activities, and my online teaching job I feel there is little time for me anymore. In the evenings, by the time we get home from Logan’s activities, I take care of the animals, make dinner, and do the dishes, it is usually 9. I then still have an hour or more of work for my classes. I need to get better about doing more during the day, and doing my work during Logan’s activities. I’d like to free up that time from 9-11 in the evenings.

In the spirit of nostalgia, I thought it would be fun to revisit some old posts. Give my new friends a chance to know me as more than just the woman with the funny goats and a hawk problem. Here are a few of my favorite posts from the last 3 years. Some of these are favorites not because of what I wrote, but because of the discussion in the comments.

http://farmdreams-christy.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-ishmael.html

http://farmdreams-christy.blogspot.com/2007/04/unschooling-answer-to-comment.html

http://farmdreams-christy.blogspot.com/2008/02/in-defense-of-food.html

http://farmdreams-christy.blogspot.com/2008/11/we-got-chickens.html

http://farmdreams-christy.blogspot.com/2009/04/boy-and-his-goat.html


I hope you all will still be here next year when we celebrate number 4!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Goals for 2010

I need to write my goals down for the coming year. I’ve been unfocused and goal-less for the last 2 or 3 months. It has made me restless and irritable. I’m the type of person that needs to be working towards something.

Personal:
• Sign up for an exercise class - either dance or Tai Chi
• Explore Buddhism more fully
• Learn Small Circle Jujitsu
• Crochet a sweater
• Find people to help me with my goals, I’m tired of going it alone most of the time
• Make new friends and strengthen my current friendships
• Help Logan with his goals anyway I can (even if it means going outside my comfort zone)
• Get back into photography
• Volunteer with Logan again (I miss doing this)

Farm:
• Figure out my overall focus for the farm (this will be a future post)
• Expand goat herd – I’d still like a couple of pygoras
• Plant more berry bushes
• Plant more fruit trees
• Improve garden soil
• Research and decide if I want to do bees
• Plant medicinal herbs and learn to make more herbal remedies
• Do something with Sweet Pea’s fleece
• Have more success in the garden this year

Prep:
• Expand food storage
• Build and use more efficient solar oven
• Become more confident with my rifle
• Learn to shoot a pistol
• Set up another water cistern
• Explore alternative energy sources
• Start canning again (I didn’t do any in 2009)
• Start sewing again (Again, didn’t do any in 2009)
• Learn to pressure can

I really neglected my prepping in 2009, getting the farm established was the focus. I’m glad I learned so many of the prepping skills in the 2 years before we moved here!



Logan wanted to share his goals too.

• Learn to do a 540
• Beat an established grappler in a fair match, maybe at a tournament
• Learn to do a round off, back hand spring
• Win a sparring match at a tournament
• Learn to do a num-chuk routine
• Compete in another combat robot competition
• Learn pressure points
• Finish weaving place mat
• Learn Bollywood dancing
• Learn to do a flip turn
• Learn to do back stroke
• Milk the goat