i have had women in the past year requesting kindly in writing that i stop yammering on about piglets and outdoor tubs for one blessed moment to address the How To. How To make butter at home. How To can peaches in a simple syrup for the belly of winter. How To quit one's job and become a paid/ unpaid farm hand. so i wanted to provide to you a terribly unofficial forum to request any certain and specific How Tos that i am undoubtedly no expert in but nonetheless can share a morsel of knowledge about. so suggestions? comment or email me and we'll get this blogball rollin'.
My vote is to simply include it occasionally in the context of your regular posts. "Milked Precious this morning and then we made our own ricotta. Here's how:" Almost as an afterthought at the end of a post. I would be thrilled to read any tips you felt inspired to share. I'm storing all of this away for the day that I get to start living this dream myself. It's a goal with a five and ten year plan attached. :) You keep me motivated to stay on track! Thanks. :)
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the how to quite your job and become a paid/unpaid farmer. My husband and I have thrown the idea around for a few years. Its like a fantasy and we often speak of Hawaii because we know there are a lot of farms there. We are members of Woof Hawaii and often browse Organic Volunteers or growfood.org. We are in a great position to do so, because we live with his parents and could leave all our stuff here. However, we do have an 18 month old baby girl, but some farms accept children as well. I'm just not sure about the ins and outs and as much as Hawaii sounds fantastic, I'm petrified of getting stuck there. (As if being stuck on a paradise island would be all that bad?!)
ReplyDeleteany tips on making "canned goods" I would love!
ReplyDeleteI vote for canning tips, cheese-making, good books to read, and ideas on raising piglets.
ReplyDeleteLove your posts!
I don't have a "how-to" question; I just have a regular question. Do you and Nick eat meat? IF SO, does it make it harder to work with the animals daily? IF NOT, does it make it harder to work with the animals daily, you know, knowing their fate and what have you? I gave up meat (aside from seafood) for 3 years--and still, as a renewed meat eater, struggle with the whole "meat eaters guilt" and was just curious how you, a farmer, deal with it.
ReplyDeleteThat's it.
Thanks! :)
Katie
I am interested in your farming testimony, how did you decide to become a full time farmer, how did you find and hook up with the farms you worked on, did you go through WWOOF? What hardships came through your decision to farm? :)
ReplyDeleteTips on growing produce in Massachusetts! I want to have my own garden someday, and I'd love to know what kinds of produce work best in Massachusetts, what seasons, etc. I would also second emily grace's vote for including those into your daily posts, as far as sharing about the things you talk about anyway.
ReplyDeletei have a little over an acre in WV somewhat close to the city. I have had chickens,bantams, in the past. I also have a little garden. I was wondering if you could give us ideas for more functional city/country living? maybe stuff that is easy to grow indoor/outdoor? ways to countrify our home? i love the beautiful simple pics of your home and critters! maybe have guest posts of people with speciality breeds!!yeehaw!
ReplyDeleteI agree with others, share what you talk about already. I'm curious about everything you do to be more self sufficient. Thanks for everything you already post. Wonderful and your pictures are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI want to know if, hypothetically, some friends of yours happened to win the lottery - how much land, cows, and weekend getaways to the mountains would it take to bribe you to move back to North Carolina?
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear how you can (I was taught how to skip the double boiler, but want to learn other ways). Also, how you generally prep food for winter storage.
ReplyDeleteAlso I have some questions about bee keeping...
I would love to know how you made the jump to farming. My husband and I are tired of the run-around that current society presses. We live simply still on the regular job schedule, have a small garden, do a little herbalism, have had experience in raising chickens, looking into bee-keeping, and want to build a natural cob house on a piece of land in the next few years. We would love to hear from someone who has made the break.
ReplyDeleteI know this post is quite old, but I'm guessing you would still get the comments? And I know you're busy with your beautiful baby. But if you get time, I would love to hear about:
ReplyDelete-How you prep food for winter. Do you buy supermarket grocery veg during this time?
-More about vegetable growing
-How to: can, make cheese, etc
-Recipes for things you cook with farm ingredients
Hope you and your lovely family are all well :)