Homesteading
Winter at Last?
This winter has been a strange one. Normally in our area, we should have had FEET of snow by this time. (Last year, a single snowstorm at Christmas time dumped seven feet on us.) This year, we’ve had mostly wind…
Farm & Family Goals for 2019
Raise more poultry for meat. In 2016, our first year on the farm, we raised 25 meat chickens. In 2017, we meant to raise more but ended up taking the year off. Last year, we raised 4 turkeys and 27…
Our 2019 Goat Breeding Plans
The weather in northwestern Pennsylvania has been almost non-stop rain for weeks. The leaves are mostly fallen, but it’s hard to enjoy the fall with everything being so wet and dreary. One upside: it’s the time of year where we…
The Heartbreak of Elderly Pets
This is Gracie. This photo was taken on February 23, 2018, the day before my 36th birthday. She was so sick in this picture, and we were on the way to the vet for what I was convinced would be her…
Spring [Barn] Cleaning
Today was spring cleaning today for the barn. We got a late start and didn’t get quite as much completed as we had hoped, but we got a solid start! (I kind of love the photo above; Mama Candy with…
Weekend Farmstead Photos: March 9-11
This weekend was all about … playing in the snow, family dinners out, stocking up on feed at Tractor Supply, boostering CD&T for all the goats, and tending to baby chicks.
Canine Diabetes
I adopted Gracie, a pug/beagle mix, from a rescue organization in January of 2007. She was a young adult when I adopted her; the rescue guessed her to be about 2, but it’s hard to say. Grace has been my…
Barn Cat
It would appear we have acquired a barn cat. His name is Tigger and he belonged to a former coworker of Mike’s. Unfortunately Tigger’s house manners aren’t so good, so they had to get rid of him. We were in…
The Underrated Beauty of Staying In
Our area was recently hit with some pretty epic snowfall. The news stations were asking people to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, and some areas were even fining people for going out unless their vehicles were equipped with…
Looking Ahead: Homestead Goals for 2018
I feel like 2018 is going to be a lean year, focused on saving and only spending on what’s really needed to keep the farmstead running. I’m actually looking forward to getting a little creative with building and repairing and just…
Snow, Cold Snap, and Welcome to 2018
We are in the midst of a cold snap with lots and lots of lake effect snow. Our farmstead is around 20 miles south of Erie, Pennsylvania–which, if you didn’t know, just got hit with crazy record-breaking snowfall since Christmas…
This Week in Farm Photos (June 18-24, 2017)
Thanks to my best friend Erica for snapping this photo of Myles and Britches. Myles attended his first day camp last week. They did dance, crafts, and had snack time. He was very proud of his camp craft projects.…