Hey there Feisty Farm Followers:
My husband and i are out of town for two weeks on a much needed vacation to my home state; Maine! We've been looking forward to it for a long time, and hope you will forgive us for the break. Ill hopefully have lots of photos of our garden (a lot happens in two weeks!) Some baby chick shots (i have a broody hen!) and maybe some fuzzy goats (heck yes we will). We've left everyone in the capable hands of Alex (the local kid) and our neighbors, Carinya Farm folks.
Cant wait to get back to ya! Have a wonderful two weeks!
Julie
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
A Book, A friend, Happiness
Dear Readers,
There will be hard to handle things in your life. Some you will take a long time and eventually heal from, others require a licensed physician or a stay in the mental ward. I have a "prescription" (discliamer: for all you nincompoops out there, i am not claiming to cure anything- this is advice....look it up.) for you. All of us have that one person we can talk to about any old thing, or sit in their presence and they know you will strangle them if they ask about it, so they kindly ignore it with you. If you have one of these or 50, you are a lucky person! Hang on to em! They are worth more than all the nice things in the world. Better than a day in the garden!
The prescription i speak of is as follows. Grab up that person who knows your soul, snuggle them close and spend the day with them. Then, that night, when the difficult things sit on the end of your bed and stare at you, go to your bookcase and grab up your favorite book and read until your eyes close. It confuses the hard to handle thing at the end of your bed and it forgets to sleep next to you. The next morning, Dr. Farmtress recommends that you go someplace quiet, where the wind blows, and the sky is blue, (even if its a painting in your living room, or a screen saver on your computer, and let the thing that is bothering you speak deeply to you. It obviously has a lot to say, and your heart needs to be unoccupied in order to hear it. Once you've given it the floor, soak it up. Im not saying all this will make the whole thing easier, but the difficult thing will have exhausted itself, so it wont be hopping up in the middle of day-to-day life to bother you. No one likes bursting into tears at the checkout of CVS, and frankly, no one knows what to say to you. Also, you probably avoid being referred to the Domestic Violence shelter (especially if youre naturally clumsy and have random bruises on your arms from accidentally hugging a bookcase). You can also listen to terribly sad music, but diffucult things rather like sad music and it may just encourage them to stay around.
Difficult things dont simply go away, dear readers, instead they must be trained to keep quiet in public places and wait for your full attention. They also dont like to be stuffed down in the bottom of your pocketbook. SO deal with them! Im telling you from experience. Dear Reader, if you ever have anything you need to talk about, talk about it.
Now about that book thing: I've recently been directed to a book called "Ishmael", written by Daniel Quinn. I dont know what its about yet, but since im reading it, i will tell you more about it once im done. Hold me to it!
In other news: Kitten Watch 2013.
We have hit 3 weeks people! Actually, four weeks on thursday! The kittens' eyes are open, momma kitty is teaching them to fight/play and they are all over the dang place! They also have cold little paw pads and like to rest them on your feet when youre not looking! Yikes! Brrr. Adorable and another week closer to being adoptable! Ill post pictures soon.
Well, im off to meet one of those precious people very soon! Adieu!
There will be hard to handle things in your life. Some you will take a long time and eventually heal from, others require a licensed physician or a stay in the mental ward. I have a "prescription" (discliamer: for all you nincompoops out there, i am not claiming to cure anything- this is advice....look it up.) for you. All of us have that one person we can talk to about any old thing, or sit in their presence and they know you will strangle them if they ask about it, so they kindly ignore it with you. If you have one of these or 50, you are a lucky person! Hang on to em! They are worth more than all the nice things in the world. Better than a day in the garden!
The prescription i speak of is as follows. Grab up that person who knows your soul, snuggle them close and spend the day with them. Then, that night, when the difficult things sit on the end of your bed and stare at you, go to your bookcase and grab up your favorite book and read until your eyes close. It confuses the hard to handle thing at the end of your bed and it forgets to sleep next to you. The next morning, Dr. Farmtress recommends that you go someplace quiet, where the wind blows, and the sky is blue, (even if its a painting in your living room, or a screen saver on your computer, and let the thing that is bothering you speak deeply to you. It obviously has a lot to say, and your heart needs to be unoccupied in order to hear it. Once you've given it the floor, soak it up. Im not saying all this will make the whole thing easier, but the difficult thing will have exhausted itself, so it wont be hopping up in the middle of day-to-day life to bother you. No one likes bursting into tears at the checkout of CVS, and frankly, no one knows what to say to you. Also, you probably avoid being referred to the Domestic Violence shelter (especially if youre naturally clumsy and have random bruises on your arms from accidentally hugging a bookcase). You can also listen to terribly sad music, but diffucult things rather like sad music and it may just encourage them to stay around.
Difficult things dont simply go away, dear readers, instead they must be trained to keep quiet in public places and wait for your full attention. They also dont like to be stuffed down in the bottom of your pocketbook. SO deal with them! Im telling you from experience. Dear Reader, if you ever have anything you need to talk about, talk about it.
Now about that book thing: I've recently been directed to a book called "Ishmael", written by Daniel Quinn. I dont know what its about yet, but since im reading it, i will tell you more about it once im done. Hold me to it!
In other news: Kitten Watch 2013.
We have hit 3 weeks people! Actually, four weeks on thursday! The kittens' eyes are open, momma kitty is teaching them to fight/play and they are all over the dang place! They also have cold little paw pads and like to rest them on your feet when youre not looking! Yikes! Brrr. Adorable and another week closer to being adoptable! Ill post pictures soon.
Well, im off to meet one of those precious people very soon! Adieu!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Homesteading Rabbit Food
SO after we got our Angora rabbit (to add to the fiber-making/farming that we are doing) i thought about all the junk that is put into animal food. A lot of times, we basically feed them waste products without even realizing it! Gross- also, it can't be contributing to their quality of life. I mean, its bad enough they live in a cage. (I already begged my husband to be allowed to house break the bunny, he said, "heck no!") So i am drawing up plans to make a nice hutch thing but that is a post for another day.
Back to the rabbit food: I spent the day after i got the rabbit looking online for feeding alternatives. Angoras are rather big bunnies but if there are wild rabbits and they thrive, i can probably scrounge up something for Mopsy too. I do have a bag of organic pellets from Purina, called their "garden blend" and it has all sorts of dried things, sunflower seeds, and grasses along with the pellets, but still- not awesome.
While searching through the interwebs for rabbit info, i found several very comprehensive lists of things that can be found either at the grocery store, in your poorly weeded lawn (or mine), or farmers market. I've been using my food dehydrator to put a lot of it away for the winter, when everything will die off. It hasn't been too labor intensive yet, because a lot of this stuff is just around my yard, so about once a week i've been taking out a basket to collect the leaves and plants.
I found a great and fully comprehensive, alphabetical list of plants that are poisonous to rabbits, I found that hay is an important item to have available to your rabbit, especially Angoras because it helps keep them from getting hairballs. Rabbits can't puke it up, so blockages can be lethal. However, you don't want to feed a lot of Alfalfa hay, because it is classified as a legume, and is too high in calories. Orchard hay, brome, and timothy hay are great choices. (I give mopsy a handfull from the cow and goat hay every day and she really enjoys that.
SO that should be the main portion of their diet. The next largest part of their diet needs to be leafy greens. Pretty much if a horse can eat it, bunny-pants can. (That is: if you have a horse. If not, ill include a list.)
This webpage has a TON of info about amounts and types of feed, as well as how best to provide for your little bunny friend: Its called the House Rabbit Society and can pretty much tell you anything you ever wondered about rabbits: http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html
This site has a long long list of plants that are poisonous to rabbits, many of them can be found around your home, so caution and knowledge are power. http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html
So far, what i have collected are rose petals, grasses with seed heads, dandelion greens and plantain (not the banana-like fruit, but the grassy-weed thing you find in your yard. Google it. I recently read that pumpkin seeds are a natural wormer as well.
I've found that a lot of European people are big rabbit owners. A lot of the forums and sites I have found are based out of there.
Basically, what I am getting at with this post is that store generated rabbit food is not the best option for your pet- it will take a little extra effort but your rabbit will thank you. Since i have started providing plant based food, my rabbit will leave her pellets and wait until i bring her the "good stuff" so you will see the difference quite quickly. It really is the best choice. However, I am NOT saying it's the only choice- do what you feel is best, but a little research never hurt. This site has an article about testing rabbit feed at a ranch: http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-food.html
Here is that great page i found that lists veggies your rabbit can eat: http://www.saveafluff.co.uk/rabbit-info/safe-foods-for-rabbits
Also, here is the one about what plants are poisonous, and this was my favorite list i found, alphabetical order and what-not: http://www.3bunnies.org/poisonous_plants.htm
So i hope this is helpful, and here is a photo of Mopsy eating REAL food :)
Back to the rabbit food: I spent the day after i got the rabbit looking online for feeding alternatives. Angoras are rather big bunnies but if there are wild rabbits and they thrive, i can probably scrounge up something for Mopsy too. I do have a bag of organic pellets from Purina, called their "garden blend" and it has all sorts of dried things, sunflower seeds, and grasses along with the pellets, but still- not awesome.
While searching through the interwebs for rabbit info, i found several very comprehensive lists of things that can be found either at the grocery store, in your poorly weeded lawn (or mine), or farmers market. I've been using my food dehydrator to put a lot of it away for the winter, when everything will die off. It hasn't been too labor intensive yet, because a lot of this stuff is just around my yard, so about once a week i've been taking out a basket to collect the leaves and plants.
I found a great and fully comprehensive, alphabetical list of plants that are poisonous to rabbits, I found that hay is an important item to have available to your rabbit, especially Angoras because it helps keep them from getting hairballs. Rabbits can't puke it up, so blockages can be lethal. However, you don't want to feed a lot of Alfalfa hay, because it is classified as a legume, and is too high in calories. Orchard hay, brome, and timothy hay are great choices. (I give mopsy a handfull from the cow and goat hay every day and she really enjoys that.
SO that should be the main portion of their diet. The next largest part of their diet needs to be leafy greens. Pretty much if a horse can eat it, bunny-pants can. (That is: if you have a horse. If not, ill include a list.)
This webpage has a TON of info about amounts and types of feed, as well as how best to provide for your little bunny friend: Its called the House Rabbit Society and can pretty much tell you anything you ever wondered about rabbits: http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html
This site has a long long list of plants that are poisonous to rabbits, many of them can be found around your home, so caution and knowledge are power. http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html
So far, what i have collected are rose petals, grasses with seed heads, dandelion greens and plantain (not the banana-like fruit, but the grassy-weed thing you find in your yard. Google it. I recently read that pumpkin seeds are a natural wormer as well.
I've found that a lot of European people are big rabbit owners. A lot of the forums and sites I have found are based out of there.
Basically, what I am getting at with this post is that store generated rabbit food is not the best option for your pet- it will take a little extra effort but your rabbit will thank you. Since i have started providing plant based food, my rabbit will leave her pellets and wait until i bring her the "good stuff" so you will see the difference quite quickly. It really is the best choice. However, I am NOT saying it's the only choice- do what you feel is best, but a little research never hurt. This site has an article about testing rabbit feed at a ranch: http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-food.html
Here is that great page i found that lists veggies your rabbit can eat: http://www.saveafluff.co.uk/rabbit-info/safe-foods-for-rabbits
Also, here is the one about what plants are poisonous, and this was my favorite list i found, alphabetical order and what-not: http://www.3bunnies.org/poisonous_plants.htm
So i hope this is helpful, and here is a photo of Mopsy eating REAL food :)
Monday, April 29, 2013
The First Farm Feature: Jehovah Raah Farm
I think i would like to start featuring farms that are self-reliant, self-sufficient, old fashioned, or awesome. Just so people can see all the different degrees of it. SO today i will start with a personal favorite farm of mine, and once you see the pictures, perhaps you will see why. I just fell in love! However, in other news:
IT IS OFFICIAL!!
I have, in my possession, a Lundrum spinning wheel.
It all happened so fast!
I started out at Marcias house (the woman we bought are goats from) and it was a most marvelous time of fellowship and fiber! She had her barn all set up with product, got to see all the goats, meet some new folks and buy back some fleeces from my very own goats! It was incredibly eventful! Also, adorable. I had planned to swing by Jehovah Raah Farm after to pick up my wheel. This farm is owned by the woman who taught my beginning spinning class, Julie Wilson. However, she knows i live two hours away, and asked me to spend the night and threw in a free lesson! (WHOA!!! AWESOME!!!)
SO off i went to Jehovah Raah Farm in the incredibly heavy rain.
Let me just say...this place was AMAZING. The views, the animals, the farmhouse, the property, the people who own it....all amazing!
Let me tell you a bit about their farm and what they do. They have been shepherds since 1989. They started with large breed sheep and in '92, became the first North Carolinian owners of Shetland Sheep.
These sheep are smaller, around 80-100 lbs, have sweet temperaments and usually kid twins. They also give excellent fiber in different grades of fineness, which make them excellent choices for handicrafters of all kinds.
They don't only have sheep though, they currently have about 20 alpaca, 6 or so llamas, several Scottish Highland Cattle, angora goats, turkeys, chickens, herd dogs, bees, pet dogs, angora bunnies, barn cats, horses and daughters (not necessarily in that order). They sell fiber, beef, have been known to raise a pig or two, and sell Lundrum spinning wheels! What a place, right?! Here is some more eye candy:
Look up Jehovah Raah Farms on facebook. The post pictures, and are really fun to keep up with. Julie Wilson is an excellent person to ask spinning questions, and she is super knowledgeable.
I think I am really going to like this whole farm feature thing, do you like it so far? Leave a little feedback, ideas, whatever you want. If you have an NC farm or self-sufficiency you'd like me to feature, send me an email! feistyfarmtress@gmail.com
More pictures from the excursion are on Wooly Booger Farms' Facebook page. Just type in 'Wooly Booger Farm' in the search bar. I can assure you were the only one of those ;).
IT IS OFFICIAL!!
I have, in my possession, a Lundrum spinning wheel.
It all happened so fast!
I started out at Marcias house (the woman we bought are goats from) and it was a most marvelous time of fellowship and fiber! She had her barn all set up with product, got to see all the goats, meet some new folks and buy back some fleeces from my very own goats! It was incredibly eventful! Also, adorable. I had planned to swing by Jehovah Raah Farm after to pick up my wheel. This farm is owned by the woman who taught my beginning spinning class, Julie Wilson. However, she knows i live two hours away, and asked me to spend the night and threw in a free lesson! (WHOA!!! AWESOME!!!)
SO off i went to Jehovah Raah Farm in the incredibly heavy rain.
Let me just say...this place was AMAZING. The views, the animals, the farmhouse, the property, the people who own it....all amazing!
These sheep are smaller, around 80-100 lbs, have sweet temperaments and usually kid twins. They also give excellent fiber in different grades of fineness, which make them excellent choices for handicrafters of all kinds.
They don't only have sheep though, they currently have about 20 alpaca, 6 or so llamas, several Scottish Highland Cattle, angora goats, turkeys, chickens, herd dogs, bees, pet dogs, angora bunnies, barn cats, horses and daughters (not necessarily in that order). They sell fiber, beef, have been known to raise a pig or two, and sell Lundrum spinning wheels! What a place, right?! Here is some more eye candy:
I think I am really going to like this whole farm feature thing, do you like it so far? Leave a little feedback, ideas, whatever you want. If you have an NC farm or self-sufficiency you'd like me to feature, send me an email! feistyfarmtress@gmail.com
More pictures from the excursion are on Wooly Booger Farms' Facebook page. Just type in 'Wooly Booger Farm' in the search bar. I can assure you were the only one of those ;).
Happiness Is...
Sometimes, I think the universe knows our hearts better than
we do. Times of strife, or pain, joy or elation, I think they all come when we
can learn the most from them. Today, the natural soap company I work for had
our booth at the Foothills Farmers Market. There was also the annual Arts on
the Square event right nearby. After the Farmers Market, I walked through Arts
on the Square.
I was elated to see so many upcyclers with art booths!
Upcycling is something I just love. I came to a booth called Steel Mantis. She
makes jewelry from old jewelry, skeleton keys, brooches, etc. She had a ton of
awesome things, and I wish I had thought to take a photo of her booth! You can
find her on Facebook under Kelly Ann Moore. The moment I walked up I was drawn
to a delicate piece with a small skeleton key, some teal rosary beads, and a
silver chain. She told me it was a conglomeration of pieces from different time
periods. I forget now, what she said, but it just grabbed me! As a child, my
grandparents front doors and their closets and rooms had skeleton keys in all
of them, and I grew up catholic, going to church with them. They are both gone
now, so it feels like I’ve found a little relic of my time with them. It was
just what I needed to feel close to them.
In other news, the farm is running smoothly, were still
anxiously awaiting the arrival of some new baby chicks, our garden is coming
right along, and tomorrow, I will be getting my spinning wheel!! I can hardly
wait. I will be traveling to Weaverville to attend the Art Safari, where I will
visit with Marcia, the wonderful woman we bought our goats from, then spending
the night at Jehovah Raah Farm, to get my spinning wheel, tour their farm, and
have another spinning lesson! It is so wonderful to find your place in the
world, so I encourage you, fellow travelers, to continue your journey until you
find it, and follow your heart! You never know where you’ll end up.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Landrum Steeple Chase
This weekend, I was invited to attend a steeple chase in Landrum, NC, by some of my very sweet farm friends. Since I've never been to a horse race, i though it would be fun! I tried to take a lot of pictures so i could share the experience with you!
My neighbor gave me a bit of background about where Steeple Chase originated, so I'll share it with you. It is a race on a grass course where the horses must jump brush fence obstacles. Some horses were disqualified because they didn't take the jump. It was started in Ireland in the late 1700's as a race between two church steeples. How cool is that! I have such smart neighbors!
The Steeple Chase is a fancy affair, there are hat competitions:
It was really a huge affair! Tailgating, fancy tailgating, food, vendors, friends, and the races were sooo exciting! They even got the kids involved with stick horse racing:
My neighbor gave me a bit of background about where Steeple Chase originated, so I'll share it with you. It is a race on a grass course where the horses must jump brush fence obstacles. Some horses were disqualified because they didn't take the jump. It was started in Ireland in the late 1700's as a race between two church steeples. How cool is that! I have such smart neighbors!
The Steeple Chase is a fancy affair, there are hat competitions:
fancy hats!
tropical hats!
the six man hat!
The horse races of course:
the hunter class with their hounds
the race!
stick horse racing!
I had a really good time and got to meet some really great people, and get to know some good ones I already knew. I am really glad i was asked to go!
great girls!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Who Doesn't Like Kittens??
They're cute, they eat varmin, they make fun noises, can't go wrong with a kitten! I'm more of a dog person, but I'm really more of an animal person....
Anyway!
Woke up this morning to send huband off to work and I though I saw a little jumping going on in Baby's belly, I thought, "bet that's labor..." And then went to bed. When I woke up at normal people time, I didn't see Baby running around and sure enough, she had her babies!!! Four adorable orange tigers! Yay!
Our dog, Piper is just in LOVE! She won't leave their sides, she often goes in and counts and licks them- a very happy girl! All are well and now, or course, pics!
Anyway!
Woke up this morning to send huband off to work and I though I saw a little jumping going on in Baby's belly, I thought, "bet that's labor..." And then went to bed. When I woke up at normal people time, I didn't see Baby running around and sure enough, she had her babies!!! Four adorable orange tigers! Yay!
Our dog, Piper is just in LOVE! She won't leave their sides, she often goes in and counts and licks them- a very happy girl! All are well and now, or course, pics!
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