Financial Tip of the Day

When you write a check, use the memo line at the bottom of the check to write as good of a description as you can as to what the check is for. Then if it is important that you save that receipt for later purposes staple the receipt to the check before putting them away. If you have to go back after several years and retrieve checks pertaining to something specific you will have the check and the receipt together. Another thing about receipts is that many of them fade over time and are illegible so making a copy of receipts is a good idea. Blessings, Kat

Garden Tip of the Day

My garden tip of the day is just do it! No matter how small just starting playing in the dirt. Everyone can do some form of gardening where they are. Even in an apartment building a person could grow a lettuce garden on a balcony with a tomato plant in a pot and a few pots of lettuce. You don't need a huge space to enjoy the rewards of growing great food to put on your table. Happy gardening, Kat

Thyroid Health Update

I have been doing better since i started treating my chronic fatigue by addressing my thyroid issues and my adrenal issues. I think I pretty much have the thyroid on the way to being under control. However, my adrenal fatigue is definitely taking some time. I still have difficulty sleeping through the night. One thing that I have noticed is that I have to be very conscientious about how I eat and what I eat. I spent the afternoon at a friend's house last week and we decided to have pizza that evening and let the children play longer since none of them wanted to stop and we girl's were enjoying ourselves talking. However, I paid for eating all that bread as the next day I felt so lethargic. It took me two days to fully recover. I have also noticed that my system doesn't handle 3 normal meals a day well anymore and I do much better on 6 small meals. If I miss the small meals and resort back to a normal meal then I pay for that as well in excess fatigue. The large rise in blood glucose levels puts excess strain on my adrenal glands and when you are trying to de-stress your adrenal glands then that is something that you really need to watch. 6 small meals a day keeps a much more steady blood glucose level, therefore limiting the stress on the adrenal glands to compensate. However, I feel better and more like a human being rather than a zombie simply going through the day. It is nice to feel that way. One thing that I have noticed is how much nutrition and what you eat plays such a huge role in how you feel. No wonder there are so many complaints in society today about not feeling well, hurting more and no energy. The fix though isn't an energy drink or a pill. It isn't quick. It means that you really need to be in tune to your body and what goes in it and how. Maybe it is a good thing that modern day medicine failed me. Now, I see that it is a whole body approach to getting well and being well and there is no magic fix or pill that I could take that would work long term. Anyway, I am wholeheartedly glad that I decided to do the research and take matters into my own hands. So far so good. Blessings, Kat

Garden Tip of the Day

Pay more attention to the weather conditions as to when to plant rather than the seed guidelines. Remember the guidelines are just that....guidelines. There are no set in stone rules when it comes to growing a garden and harvesting a good crop. Much of it is dependent on how well the gardener pays attention to the weather and signs of nature around them. One rule of thumb is that you don't start summer vegetables until the leaves on the oaks are at least 2 inches long. The guidelines for our area say April to start most summer crops. It's March and the leaves of the oak trees are well over 2 inches long. I think I will pay attention to the oak trees. Gardening requires the ability to adapt as each year is different. Blessings, Kat

Wow! This Heat, Already

It was 85 degrees yesterday and supposed to be just like that in temps for the next week at least. We are technically due for our last frost until the end of March. I don't think we will see a last frost this year, especially since we didn't see a first frost much at all. I am beginning to worry about my cool weather crops and whether or not many of them will have enough time to mature before they bolt. I am also worried about my warm weather crops because if this is a forecast of what is to come then I see temps burning up our summer crops. I think Oklahoma and Texas decided to share their weather issues from last summer with us....thanks ya'll. We have been having a nice rainy spring though so that is a blessing. I am extra thankful that I made the transition to biodynamic gardening though. Maybe my garden will stand a better chance of surviving with the heat that is already rolling in. I know I know....many say they have seen this before only to have a freeze around Easter. I have too, but I have also noticed that Easter can come at later and later times now through the year. I won't even get into the discussion as to why that happens when Passover is clearly depicted by a specific time in the Bible. Anyway, I am getting off subject. I plan on heavily mulching around the beds this year and of course they are dug deep so as to capture as much moisture as God chooses to send. Once the plants grow then they will create their own living mulch to keep the soil from losing too much moisture. Hopefully summer won't be dry AND hot. We might be able to handle just hot. I think this year I am going to finally get around to making those curtains for the south side of the house to block out the heat. We already have blinds on most of the windows, but curtains help block out more than blinds do. This heat has done one thing....put me behind in my gardening once again. It seems like every spring I am running behind for one reason or another. Now, yet again when I thought I was doing so well and working ahead of schedule I now realize that if I don't get a move on I might not have much of a garden. The summer plants need a chance to develop a good root system if they are going to survive the heat that is coming and if I planted at the appointed time (April for most of them)then there is a good chance that they won't develop that root system. So now I am rushing. I really don't like rushing to get something done. Well, I suppose I don't have much choice and I suppose that is part of this life since it is so dependent on the seasons whenever they might come. Happy gardening and here's praying that we all have a bountiful season....despite the heat. Blessings, Kat

Garden Tip of the Day

Mulch your pathways. In certain areas of my garden I let the pathways grow as I use them for rabbit food. However, in other parts of my garden I mulch the pathways and this keeps weeds from encroaching too much into my beds. A good way to mulch the pathways is to lay down some newspaper or paper feed bags and then layer leaves or straw on top. Walking on this will eventually break it down and create a nice compost that can later be used in the beds and then you can mulch again. However, it slows down the weeds allowing you to weed with a hoe pretty quickly depending on the size of your garden. It certainly does help keep the weeds from encroaching into your beds while your seedlings are growing. Blessings, Kat

When You Blog Content is Stolen

At some point it happens to everyone who writes a blog...someone is going to steal your content. I know it has happened to me. A blogger I know has had her entire blog stolen...2 years worth of posts. Copyright laws are in place to protect our content, so use them. Here is a post that I keep bookmarked for just such occasions. She has done an excellent job of outlining the steps that you need to take to get your content back. The funny thing I have found when someone steals a blog post is that usually my blog writings are not my best writing. They tend to be full of errors both spelling and grammatical. Sometimes my train of thought lacks flow and just wanders also. The sad thing is that they can't even correct the errors in the content that they steal. I find it amusing that the thief finds it necessary to pass my worst writing off as their best. The other funny thing that I find is that people are generally shocked by this and wonder why someone would do such a thing. Copyright laws came into being because this is a huge issue. People steal, whether it be ideas or things...they steal. Someone out there is always too lazy to do their own work and feel that it is ok to steal someone else's work. Another reason is plain ignorance. Many people think that if something is out in the public then it is for public use. A huge example of this are Disney characters. I once knew a woman who made a living painting children's bedrooms with cute little murals. Many times these murals depicted Disney characters, sometimes coming straight from the pages of a Disney book itself. When I explained that she was a thief and should stop because if Disney found out what she was doing they would ruin her (Yes, they really will). She laughed and said that the images were in the public and so the public could use them. The images though don't belong to the public. They are for public enjoyment only, but they belong to Disney. I use Disney because I see copyright theft of Disney images everywhere. Every art and craft show I go to has someone who has stolen the use of Disney's images. Why do they think that is ok and why do they think that makes them an artist. The biggest part of being an artist is the thought that go into the work whether it is writing, image art or music. So, expect them to steal from you and then take the steps necessary to punish them for their theft. And as a last bit of thought...for those that regularly use Disney images as their own. I have seen what Disney will do to someone when they find out and it isn't pretty. They will ruin you financially for years to come and the law is on their side because you are the thief. Blessings from the farm, Kat

Garden Tip of the Day

Plants flowers and herbs among your vegetables for improved growth, flavor and pest control. Nasturtiums planted with squash will help to keep squash bugs away. Basil planted with tomatoes improves the flavor. Lavender and Tarragon help to repel carrot flies and cabbage moths. Marigolds help to trap pests and repel them. Sunflowers act as a trap to squash bugs. And the list goes one. The one thing I like most is that it adds some beauty to the garden and helps to attract bees. Blessings, Kat

Temps are Skyrocketing

Holy Moly! I knew it was gonna be an early summer and I am glad I have been getting all the planting done. At the rate we are going the garden will be burning up by July. This whole week we are supposed to get into the 80s, not just low 80s but a few days of mid to high 80s. It's March....our last freeze date is SUPPOSED to be the end of March! Definitely must get in the garden today and get more seeds planted. I simply can't believe this weather. It's gonna be a hot one folks and looks like it will be here sooner than we think. Of course, I should have known that it would be like this since we have had no winter to speak of this year. The bugs are gonna be nasty too. Better get the soapy water ready to pick off those stink bugs as they are gonna go crazy. On a good note we have been having baby bunnies like crazy around here. So far 3 of the girls have had their litters and they are looking good. One doe kindled with only 2 very large kits, which does have me a little concerned. However, her last litter was 8 so I am not too concerned unless this becomes a trend. The colony is working great. I should find two more litter this morning. Each doe found her nest spot and built superb nests and they now are guarding their territory...some more vehemently than others. Papa bunny is none too happy with me as he is in a cage inside the colony. It gives the girls some peace to have their babies and rest before he tries to breed them again. Blessings from the farm, Kat

Garden Tip of the Day

Once you plant your seeds in the ground keep them moist by watering everyday. Once they get to be 3-4 inches tall then slow down on the water. Seeds need to be kept moist in order to germinate well, so a little water each day to keep the soil moist will help with maximum germination. Happy Gardening!

Michigan Farmers Need Help

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has declared many heritage breeds of pigs to be an invasive species and has ordered all farmers producing any of these breeds to destroy their herds by April 1st without compensation. It is time to write some letters and send some emails and to do it quickly as April 1st draws close. Apparently Michigan is having feral pig issues and the CAFO producers aren't happy about that nor are they happy about the competition they have from the small producers. So they are using the feral hog problem to get rid of the competition. It won't solve the feral hog problem, but it will keep anyone from raising heritage breed pigs. As if many of these breeds aren't in danger of being extinct anyway! The first travesty is that the DNR wants the herds destroyed, the second is that the farmer's will lose a lot of money. Feral hogs are a problem in many states. We have a friend that lives in Florida and works for the state Department of Natural Resources whose sole job is to hunt and kill feral hogs. Pretty cool job. This could be your state next in which the only pigs allowed to be raised are those in CAFOs. This is an attack on our rights to raise our own food and to purchase food raised the way that we want it raised. The reason that they are attacking heritage breeds is because most small producers raise breeds that forage well because they want to pasture them. Yorkshires (the standard commercial breed) don't forage well. I know, these last pigs were yorkshire/hampshire crosses that I had. They foraged some, but not well. They certainly would not have survived without food being brought to them daily ready for them to eat. From what one homesteader in Michigan has said ( haven't checked it out) is that there are 3 pages in the order listing the breeds of pigs. 3 pages....do you have any idea how many breeds of pigs can fit listed on 3 sheets of paper. Quite a number of them. Anyway, here are the 3 videos by Baker's Green Acres. By the way, Mr. Baker's video series on how to butcher a pig is probably the most valuable resource I had when learning how to process a pig. Check out the videos and then get those emails going, as this sort of thing could affect us all in the end. Blessings, Kat

De-clutter Tuesday

Sometimes even hitting the hot spots just doesn't cut it. You move from hot spot to hot spot through the week and by the time the week is over the original hot spots are hot spots again. Time to seriously de-clutter. Sooooooo....Tuesday will be de-clutter day in which many hot spots will be taken care of. Maybe I should call it Hot spot Tuesday. Oh well, whatever it is called it will be a busy day. Hopefully, I will have a load of stuff to take out of the house. Blessings, Kat

The garden and weather

If there is one thing I have learned is that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to gardening. There are guidelines, but you have to be the judge of when to use those guidelines and when not to. This year for instance is the year to throw out all the planting guides for our area. Typically, you wouldn't plant tomato seeds until April. Well because we really haven't had that much of a winter and spring has been here for a month my tomato seedlings are already coming up. If I waited until April then I am afraid we are going to have a ridiculously hot summer and my plants might burn up. So to ensure that I get a harvest I have thrown out the guides and started early on warm weather vegetables. Okra, tomatoes, cucumbers and melons have already been planted. This week I am getting the peppers and beans planted. Gardening and farming means that you have rely on your judgement of when might be the best time to plant rather than relying on guides, which are just that....guides not rules set in stone. It means that you have to be in tune to nature and the climate that you are working within. Here's hoping everyone has a great gardening season. Blessings, Kat

Updating the Blog

Over the next several days, I will be adding new categories. I have noticed that some of my categories have loads of posts which might make it difficult for those looking for specific information. So I plan to break those down. For instance, under "livestock" I will be breaking those down into goat, rabbit, chickens, etc. categories for those that might be looking for a post on a specific species. I hope this will make the blog more navigable to my readers. Blessings, Kat

Garden Tip of the Day

Spend a little time each day while your seedlings are coming up in the garden to pull weeds. Even just 5 minutes a day can mean less weeds make it to maturity. Mature weeds are much harder to get rid of. So while things are sprouting take a few minutes each day to pull some of those weeds and you won't have as many issues later.

Dog Brag

I am so proud of my dogs, especially Dakota our pyrenees and Valentine our heinz 57. Yesterday, as I was feeding the horses Valentine starting barking. It was a high pitched bark and she was looking through the back fence line behind the chicken coop. It was at that moment that I saw the blur of two large dogs in a full speed run toward my fence and my chickens who were out and about at the time. Just as the dogs crossed my fence line a large white blur could be seen which literally ran over the two dogs knocking both of them off their feet. The two labs quickly recovered and took off back through the fence with two white dogs hot on their tail. Dakota and Valentine pushed them about 30 feet off the fenceline and then came back to station themselves at the fence on our side. As the labs once again, but more cautiously tried to approach the fence Dakota growled and secured her stance. The dogs tried several more times and one time Dakota had to show that she was serious by going through the fence and pushing them back. It was awesome to watch the two dogs work together. Finally, the dogs gave up and went home. I have no doubt that had it not been for Dakota and Valentine that several of my hens would have been chew toys for those dogs. They were moving fast fixated on the hens pecking around in the leaves behind the coop. I was too far away to have been able to stop them or deter them. Dakota has really come into her adulthood responsibility well even though she still has her puppy playfulness and personality. I have seen her track hawks that fly over which is amazing and she certainly keeps them away from the flock. But to come from out of the blue on such a silent attack as to knock off their feet and track two full grown labs was amazing. What surprised me about Valentine is that she usually is oblivious to everything around here and she is the one that sounded the alarm bringing in the muscle while she played back-up. Now, where was Cujo? Well, the old man was there hanging back quite a good bit, whining in hopes that his old bones wouldn't have to get in the fray. He has done his due over the years of fending and warding off predators and is more than happy to let the girls take the lead! We got the chickens locked up for the evening and Dakota made a couple of laps around it to make sure that everything was secure then came up to the house for a well-deserved supper. I think I will take some bones out of the freezer for them today. Good dogs!

2012 Garden

I simply can't believe it. I have the garden ready on time this year. I am not really sure how that happened other than I believe that the biodynamics have allowed things to be easier to prepare. The weeds were easier to pull, the beds easier to put in order and add compost and the fences took just a little time to repair. In past years I have struggled to get the ground prepared so that I can plant and inevitably always am running behind wondering if what I am planting will have enough time before the heat of summer fully gets here. Now the ground is ready with the exception of where I am planting peanuts and sweet potatoes, so spring cool weather crops are already planted and sprouting. I wish I had know about biodynamics years ago. I think of all those years that I beat my head against a wall and stressed that I just wouldn't be ready in time. It isn't like that anymore and gardening has become enjoyable again since there is no rush, rush rush in the equation. Our soil in the garden is beautiful a result of years of hard work and tons of compost and amending. Now, if I could get the soil on the rest of the property looking like that. I have implemented a whole lot more companion planting this year and it has been fun hunting for flower seeds to mix in with the vegetables. I can't wait to see the garden in full bloom, it is going to be gorgeous. A type of ordered chaos. Now, that I have the vegetable garden under manageable control maybe I can once again work on flower gardening. My hope has always been that I could turn the very bland front yard into a cottage garden. Can you tell I like ordered chaos. I am not really into anything that looks very formal. Anyway, so far that is my gardening year and hopefully I haven't jinxed my good fortune by blogging about how well the garden is going. Now, just to get prepared for those stink bugs! Blessings, Kat

Thyroid Health Day 5

I have had a great couple of days with loads of energy. I really believe I have found the keys to my health issues and am beginning to see what good health feels like. Day before yesterday a friend and I took our children on a little road trip and I was completely worn out by it. Then yesterday I worked in the garden, cleaned the rabbit grow out cages, cleaned the stalls and re-bedded them, cooked, cleaned up the house and did some laundry along with a few other odds and ends here and there. I was tired last night but that is to be expected at the end of a busy day. However, I wasn't in tears kinda tired all through out the day. I really can't believe that good health was in such easy reach for me and yet I couldn't find a doctor willing to help me simply because my blood tests fell in the "normal" range. I think that has a lot to do with they simply don't understand how involved the endocrine system is and that if one thing is out of whack then other things are likely to be out of whack. Then too I don't think they truly understand the relationship of T-4, T-3 and Reverse T-3. A GP is just that and they only have a general understanding of things. I could never get a referral to an endocrinologist who might have understood a little more. Anyway, I am still kind of scared to get my hopes up that this will last but between my diet and my thyroid/adrenal protocol I am feeling great these days. I can't believe how much I am able to do. I still have the pain of fibro, I have had that all my life and I can live with that. The fatigue is what I couldn't live with and I think I have that under control. At least I am praying that I am. Blessings from the farm, Kat

Farm Happenings

Well, now that everyone is updated on my journey to wellness I should update on what is going on here at the farm. I overseeded yesterday with Bahia. The clover we started year before last has noticeably taken hold in the pastures this year and is coming in strong. This is a good thing and we are happy to see it. The fire ants are coming on strong this year also and we are struggling to keep their numbers down. There simply is no getting rid of them it is a matter of keeping their numbers manageable. Fire ant killer is the only pesticide that I use on the farm and I hate to use it. I have tried all the natural alternatives and none of them work, they just feed the ants. The spring garden is coming up even though it has suffered some damage from my rogue chickens. However, I don't have any black seeded simpson coming up and I am wondering if I got some bad seed. I bought some more from a different place yesterday and hope to get some going. We still have so much pasture cleanup from this winter to do and it is almost overwhelming, especially since we don't have the tractor at the moment. The hydraulic lines burst the last time we used it and dear hubby hasn't had a chance to get them fixed yet. So many of our old (very old) pines have died and finally dropped all their limbs this winter. It almost looks like a lumber yard in the front pasture. We also have a large one that came down by the chicken coop that still needs to be cut up. It seems like there is always cleaning up to do around here. No matter how much we clean up, it seems like there is always much much more to clean up. Of course, there are still piles of junk left from the previous owner that we have to deal with. Since she carries our mortgage we spent several years waiting for her to come and get her "stuff" (read garbage). She never did and so a few years ago we starting getting rid of rotted stuff. We rented a dumpster for a year and literally filled it each and every week with trash. At least we did get the mountains of scrap metal and old fencing out of the pastures. Those were nightmares waiting to happen. I will be glad when the rest of it is gone though. I am really OCD about clutter and clutter seems to always abound around here. We are planning to have a yard sale soon to try and get rid of the "clutter" that we inherited from my mother in law. The bunnies are happy in their colony setting and there have been no tifs. It looks like all the girls are getting big bellies so I am hoping that we have loads of babies in a week and a half. They don't get as spooked anymore when I go in the colony and are coming up to me and a few have even allowed brief pats. I do need to get some more light in there. Sunny days aren't so bad, but these cloudy days make it so dark in there. I am working out a plan for that. I am getting ready to host some spring workshops here at the farm, which should be fun. I am hoping that there is a good amount of interest. Most of the workshops revolve around gardening, but I do have one rabbit workshop. I was at the feed store yesterday and the children picked out some annuals to pot up and put on the front porch. It always is so nice in the spring to drive up and see fresh plants on the porch. It really lends of sense of home. So we will do that today. I have been gathering some pallets to use for re-building the old shed to use for firewood storage and maybe a processing area. I love using pallets. They are free, easy and last for a long time. We have a slope next to the driveway that nothing grows on except wild roses, so I have been thinking about building a hugulkultur bed there in a terrace fashion for something. I don't know what, but I will worry about what to plant there once I get the bed done. I guess we can use some of those downed limbs in the pasture for that. Some berry bushes might be nice. I am thinking that we might replace the interior fence lines with jackleg fences since our pine thicket needs to be thinned badly, but that might be a project for next year. Can you tell I am an impatient person?! There is always so much that can be done to improve this place and we spent so many years just building soil and working on worn out pastures (still and ongoing process) that I guess I feel like I haven't done anything sometimes. One of the front gates has kicked the bucket too so those need to be rebuilt. Sometimes, I feel like all I do is put out "fires" instead of making improvements. Having a small (read very small) budget doesn't always help but it does get your creative juices going! Anyway, just a lot of cleaning up and rearranging going on along with the garden. I am getting anxious for the goats to start kidding so that I can have milk again. The milk in the freezer has separated and is great for cheese, but not much good for drinking. I am so ready to have milk again. I don't think I will be taking another winter off of milking for awhile. I really really miss my fresh milk. I was forced to buy milk the other day and even though I bought milk from a local dairy, it is pasteurized and just isn't the same. It's also cow milk and the children think something is wrong with it since it isn't white. For those who don't know goat milk is naturally white, cow milk is not. What is in the grocery store has been treated to be white instead of the cream/off white color that is really is. Since this milk has not been treated it is still the off white color that it naturally is. Anyway, that is about it around here...just our normal busy days. Blessings, Kat

Thyroid Health Day 3

Well, yesterday was a good day. I really felt good for the first time in a very long time. Although, here it is 4:00 in the morning and I have been awake for the past hour. Just another sign that you can't fix something that has been wearing itself out for the past 8 years. It will take time for my adrenal glands to rest and heal so that I am not experiencing symptoms of adrenal fatigue. I did find out though that I am sensitive to licorice root, which I knew could be a possibility. My adrenal support has licorice root in it and when I took a whole pill yesterday morning my blood pressure went up and I developed a headache. However, it went away within about an hour and I felt better. So my afternoon dose I only took half a pill and experienced no problems. I did have more energy yesterday and didn't experience my typical daily crash. I did some work around here then went to the feed store and the grocery store which normally will completely wipe me out. However, while I was a little tired I didn't crash. That to me was amazing. Now, if I can just get back to getting a full nights sleep. I don't think I am going to continue feeling great with only 5 hours of sleep a night. We will see how today goes. Blessings, Kat