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Category Archives: Farming
About
What is a cultured home? To “culture” something is to cultivate it. Cultivating has several meanings, all of them useful. It can mean to prepare soil for growing crops; to improve yourself by labor and study; to cherish or foster; … Continue reading
Posted in Farming
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Permaculture tour at the Bullock Homestead
The Bullock homestead & nursery has been there for 30 years, and it is an excellent example of a “mature” permaculture system. The main area of the homestead is densely packed as a perennial “food forest”. The 3 hour tour started at 1 PM, and I could tell that we were just getting a taste of the thought, detail and purpose that was behind everything there. Continue reading
Posted in Christian Permaculture, Farming
Tagged permaculture
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Cougar Event & 2 Goats Lost
Some weeks are more eventful than others.
Here is my description of how a cougar killed two of our goats.
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Chickens & Cows on the Pasture
A cow pie is money, and I like to get it back in the soil “bank” as soon as possible. Of course, I’d rather not spend my time following around the cow with a rake to spread the manure out as soon as it hits the ground. I’ve got chickens lined up to do that job for me. Continue reading
Posted in Chickens, Christian Permaculture, Cows, Eggs, Farming, Pastured Poultry
Tagged chickens, cow pies, Cows, manure, permaculture
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Pasture Brix
The threshold of 12° Bx marks the point when insects stop eating the plants. The theory goes that if an aphid or caterpillar eats sap sweeter than that, it ferments into alcohol and kills the bug. Continue reading
Maureen the cow has joined the milking routine
We have a once-a-day milking routine at our place. The kid goats and the now the calf get penned up at night and are given back to their moms after milking is finished in the morning. The little bit of milk production we lose is made up for with the health of the young animals, and the easier chore routine. Continue reading
The thatching ant, a beneficial insect
It turns out that thatching ants don’t like to live in houses after all. They build their own, so they have no reason to move into mine. What I found was some references about how they “farm” aphids to collect the honeydew as food. Continue reading
Finding meaningful work
Everyone was silent as I trimmed the twigs, and raised the box up to the cluster of honey bees. A quick shake of the branch made them all fall neatly in. It couldn’t have been a better performance! I left the box on the ladder for any flying bees to enter, and returned to the applauding croud. The camp director later told me she had never had so many boys silent for that long. Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping
Tagged Beekeeping, Homeschool, Swarm catching
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Local family helps mulch our potatoes
Kathy has a work-study program with selected music studio students who are a great help with our farm & garden work. They get a discount on lesson tuition, and we get some extra help around the farm. I think its a great deal for both people. Continue reading
In Praise of Plantain
I’ve liked plantain for quite a while. The animals eat it, it grows a deep root into poor soil, stops bee stings from hurting, and is a good wormer to help fight off parasites. Continue reading