Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.~Confucius

Nothing Worthwhile Comes Easy

There is nothing like digging up your dinner an hour before you sit down to eat.
The taste and satisfaction of it makes the work involved seem so small. And no worries FDA did not approve this food so there is no fear that the food we eat has been sprayed with toxic chemicals or that a meat was injected with antibiotics and/or steroids. We know for sure the animals we are eating have never been mistreated from farm to slaughter because it all happens right here.

P.S. I finally finished reading "In defense of food". Looking for another good foodie/agricultural book to read...suggestions?

Ha, enough preaching!! We are not all good I assure you. My kids love oodles and noodles and we eat plenty of food that does not follow the above statements. Change comes slow and over the last couple years we have progressed. I am confident that things will continue to evolve here on the farm. We estimate that we are raising approximately 75% the meat we consume and 100% of our own eggs. As far as fruit and vegetables are numbers are much lower. We are working on that by learning ways to extend our season, preserving, and connecting with local resources. We hope to get the greenhouse up soon in anticipation of growing greens this winter. I had big plans for salsa and spaghetti sauce this season but our tomato plants were devastated by blight as many other Maine farmers.

I am planning to make sauerkraut with the above cabbage even though I've never liked it in the past. Homemade is always better, right? A few weeks back I made some fermented dilly beans that Erica from One Busy Momma posted. They were SO easy to make and mighty tasty. All you need is garlic, peppercorns, dill, salt, and beans of course. The whole family enjoyed and it took all of 5 minutes too put together.

Bunny Fun

The TOP 10 lame excuses why I have neglected blogging this summer.

1. The kids are out of school!
2. Maine Man has been working days!
3. Their is always work to be had in the garden!
4. We have TOO many d*@$ animals!
5. The lawn always needs mowing.
6. There is 6 cord of wood screaming "cut me, stack me."
7. Facebook is distracting.
8. Kids birthdays, pig roasts, day trips, camping.
9. Cooking, Dishes,...Laundry.....A maid would be nice but I'd settle with a dishwasher.
10. I'm SO stinkin' TIRED!!

Stay tuned life will be changing real soon kids are back in school, John will be back to his regular schedule and we are in the process of downsizing animals.

P.S. I contemplated titling this post Farm P%@# but MM thought it may attract the wrong audience. Ha I agree, never thought of it. He is so darn logical! It would not be the first time my impulsiveness has got me in trouble.

Life Learning-Growing your own ~ pictures only~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAINE MAN

It is hard to believe we are getting close to our 40's. What the .......? Seems like we just graduated from high school a few years back.

We always get a good laugh when people come visit the farm and they get a glimpse of this water color of us in our teens . We often get the same reaction. "Very nice... wow you two were young". Ha, that's when we realize we are getting older.
What the hell, at least we are doing it together!

The other day we were joking about something and Maine Man said "You'd need 3 men to replace me." We had a good laugh and later in the night I was thinking about what he said and damn he is right but I am not sure 3 would suffice.

He is a man of many talents and we appreciate all he does. I assure you this farm would not be a farm without him nor would this family be complete. In addition to all he does Maine Man is a wonderful, kind hearted, husband, father, son, friend, brother, and nurse.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE, WE LOVE YOU!

Another First here on the homestead

Isn't he sweet? Not Maine Man THE PIG! (ok he don't look so bad either)

Ham just a few hours before she delivered.

Just after 9pm Sunday night I went out to check on her and I found her delivering piglet #1
This is just a few moments later.

I ran in the house grabbed my camera and yelled for the kids & MM to join me .

In their pj's in the rain with owls hooting overhead they watched with much excitement.

Luke said, "I bet no one else I know is out this time of night watching a pig have babies."

About 30 minutes later piglet #2 was born.


(The yellow glow was from a flashlight MM was holding. )
Queenie mentioned in a comment on a previous post that piglets are born in a sac and sneeze their way out. She was right! As you see above the piglet has a coating and soon after they come out of the canal you hear some sneezing going on.


MM was up a few times throughout the night and only 1 other pig was born.

Total count thus far is #3. I was thinking more like 8 , 10 or more?
I have heard they can have more then 1 placenta. We are now wondering if one got stuck in the canal. She is in no distress and was up and about today. MM is out further inspecting her as I type. The problem with doing things for the first time is the mistakes that are made, there are bound to be screw ups.

Time will tell!