Building Something

What a whirl wind of a month, with life exploding on the farm and the lives of our pigs ending. Both hives of bees made it though the winter, one much strong than the other. The one that got pushed over by the bear back in August and pushed over twice by the escape pigs in the early spring is much weaker, I don't blame them .  Getting our poatoes in on easter monday got me thinking about our harvest and they ways that we are trying to become self sufficient this year. With every passing year the farm evolves. It started four years ago with the building of our house and the purchase of our first milk cow.  We have different goals now that we did than. Here are this years five ways in which we are striving to become a more self sufficient on a half acre. 

1. Experimenting with growing our own animal feeds. 
This is one hudge expense for us on the farm with feed traveling all the way from Alberta and prices have increased over 30% in the last three years. This winter we are growing barley, mangles, wheat, buckwheat and rye.  We would like to have feed as a supplement not a main source.  
2. Meats and Sweets 
Right now we have ten laying hen chicks and four ducks. With fifty meat birds arriving next month and two rabbits arriving in the fall. That may seem small but on a half acre there is only so much life it can support. We are trying to grow what we can sustain.  We have also planted a lot of flower crops this year for the bees, if you love bees you should grow some clover, buckwheat, borage, lavender, lemon balm, dandelion, bergamot, sunflower, just to name a few. 
3. Winter storage crops
As little Morgan lays each poatoe in the ground I think of what meals we will enjoy from that plant. We are trying to grow as much in winter storage as we can, potatoes, carrots, beets, beans (drying), onions, garlic, squash, etc. Our last winter storage crops lasted us until about November with squash lasting lasting until Easter. This year I would love to still be eating our carrots at Christmas. 
4. Changing our focus from a summer garden to a year round garden 
In our climate with a greenhouse you can grow a lot of food through out the year. It's all a bout timing and this is something are learning. The volunteer lettuce I moved into the green house in late August 2013, we have been eating for the past three months. The chard and kale we got from helping a friend move in September have been feeding us for four months. We only need about three kale plants and four chard to supply all the greens I can work into our families diet. 
5. Building a financially neutral farm  
Starting out this year with a large goal of becoming financially neutral seemed overwhelming, but selling our pork. Planing on sell garlic this fall. Also using our time and talents for trades of goods and work trades. These are the first steps we have taken in meeting this goal. My thought with the farm is that everyone has to earn their keep. 

Wiether it be a laying hen or a honey bee. If we all work together we just might start something great together. 

Westcoast Seed Potatoes

Westcoast Seed Potatoes

Westcoast Seed Potatoes

Westcoast Seed Peas

sowing seeds

Westcoast Seeds

Westcoast Seeds

Westcoast Seeds

Right now the children are splashing and shouting in the bath, with Daddy on duty.  So words may be short but I hope you enjoy this photo story from about three weeks ago.  It was the day our Westcoast Seed order arrived. More exciting than christmas, Noah actually told me to go and get the camera (this is shocking).  So here is a few moments of our life, on a leaf evening, after Noah got home from work planting the start of our garden. Lyra got to direct sow her garden, she is excited that some of what she grows now she will be able to feed to our French Lops arriving in the fall.  Many more starts are sprouting up in the green house and under lights. Life is starting to buzz everywhere. But right now there are two little children that I need to get to, bed and beyond right now. 

Westcoast Seeds

Westcoast Seeds

Westcoast Seeds

Big Pig Post

Last week I was reviewing my thoughts on my next blog post, pigs, I decided it has to be pigs. Pigs need a spokesperson. They are the most abused animal in the food chain, next to chickens, and I was feeling great about ranting about the cruelty of caged pork. Until the pigs escaped the day I had food poisoning, Noah was at work and it happened to be pouring rain. They always come to my glass door first and rub their noses on the glass with a loud squeal of delight, just to let me know they are FREE! For about an hour and I half I chased those cheeky pork pies around our half acre yard/garden.  Stoping every few minutes to check on the children in the house, Lyra was babysitting, I always leave a window open so I can hear them.  All of a sudden I hear ACDC cranked from the computer (which was off when I left).  I go and check, they are throwing crafting feathers all over the house and banging on a drum.  Warning to anyone who may want Lyra to babysit in future years. But it did help for about twenty minutes or until the next diaper change. As I kept chasing away from the garden beds I started thinking about how great a cage would be and an electric shock rod (which is how most commercial pigs are moved). I could see them now living out their days in a small cage with barley enough room to move or in a dark, cement barn never seeing the light of day. I have to say pigs are way smarter than dogs, which is why, I don't understand, why we (not me) dress them in clothes and parade our puppies to doggy ice-cream parlours (this is not a joke). How is it that pigs ended up enduring such lives?  My guess in one word, Bacon, also known as the gate way meat.  I have grown up with pigs and they have many personalities and great sense of  humour. They are very clean and love to play and always have a place for the food and a separate toilet area.  After a good hour and a half run they finally decide that the grassy field was an option. That evening we moved their electric pen out into a section of the grassy field and for about two days they just ate grass, said no to most of their other food and slept. They will still accept offerings of strawberries and avocados. So with this blog post I urge you, with all the pigs of this earth, to choose ethically raised meats and if that means going vegetarian for a meal or two, maybe you should just choose strawberries and avocados.