By Rachel Conlin

On this particular July morning, with an overcast sky, Tim backed the truck up to the old log barn. Getting the first lamb in is difficult enough, but getting a couple more in without the first ones escaping is a challenge. We loaded three ram lambs and took a moment to look around in the dim morning light at the rest of the herd. They generally sleep close to the barn being guarded from predators by our guardian livestock dogs. Suddenly Tim called out, “there’s a baby!” My first response was to think he was joking around. Our lambs are born between November and February, with an occasional late being born in March or early April. This is July. Sure enough, amongst the herd, one of our Finn sheep-Gotland cross ewes had a very wet lamb on the ground beside her. Knowing that she may possibly have more, we lead her into the barn and put her in a stall with her lamb. There wasn’t much time to adore the new baby; Tim had to get to work. We drove down to the farmhouse and he headed out in his truck. [Keep reading…]

By Rachel Conlin

Being a farmer and an entrepreneur is never dull. There is always a vast array of things to do and that need to be done. Throughout the day I literally ‘change my hat’ many times. This suits me fine. I may be tired at the end of the day, but always content and never bored. The summer months are particularly very busy; the vegetables are ripening and calling to be picked and preserved, maturing lambs are ready to go to market, and goat milking is at its prime, bags of wool require spinning. With all these jobs other chores tend to appear, like fencing, egg collecting….I could go on, but you get the idea. Add to this the fact that we live in a rural area that is quickly becoming a prime tourist destination. Running my farm market alone keeps me hopping. [Keep reading…]

By Mary Jane Phifer

The recipe is modified from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Kingry and Devine.

We love pickles and that does not just mean cucumbers.  Pickled okra, green beans, baby onions, beets- and  our new true love; pickled asparagus. We pick the asparagus every day and keep it in 2’“ water until we have a few quarts.  Longer spears can be snapped in half and with ends placed in water and stored in the refrigerator. [Get the recipe!]

The Many Uses for 5-Gallon Buckets

You can often procure free frosting buckets from your local grocery store’s bakery department and use them for a wide variety of things.

By Sarah Langlois

Photo by Fotolia/Elenathewise

By Ilene White Freedman

There are reasons growing carrots organically is challenging. Carrots germinate slowly. Weeds germinate fast. What if you could plant the carrots into the weed-free soil after they are already germinated with green tops? They would be weeks ahead of the weeds yet to germinate. It’d be like a five mile head start in a marathon.

Carrots are delicate. Their foliage is delicate, and early on it is barely discernible from the weeds. By the time the tiny lacy greenery is substantial enough to see, the weeds are taller and bigger.  Weeding them is painstaking. [Keep reading….]

Landscaping With Logs for a Whimsical Garden Design

Incorporate log rounds into your garden design for an earth-inspired touch. Landscaping with logs is easy, not to mention free!

By Craig Braunschweig

All You Need to Know to Eat Good, Grass-Fed Meat

Learn how to choose and use inexpensive cuts of grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and pastured pork for better nutrition and out-of-this-world flavor.

By Deborah Krasner

Photo by MARCUS NILSSON

What To Feed Chickens: Formulating Your Own Chicken Feed

Joan Salmonowicz tells readers what to feed chickens, how to mix your own chicken feed, including buying mixed ration feed in bulk, feed ratios, and common supplements.

By Joan Salmonowicz

PHOTO: FOTOLIA/KNEIANE

Make Your own Fermented Dairy Products

Tap the benefits of delicious fermented dairy products.

By Lynn Keiley

Photo courtesy Scott Hollis