| Lighthouse Farm |
Back in blogdom after chasing sheepLet's face it, when the sheep escape their pasture, the choice between sitting down to blog or chase sheep never really even presents itself. It's a no-brainer! Our normally very well-behaved sheep have suddenly become very ornery. We have taught our children that animals will not escape if they are provided with greener pastures. However, if the pasture is greener on the other side, expect trouble. This theory has proved true up until recently. Our beautiful gourmet sheep have decided that the grass is greener on the other side, even if it is not. Even if it's shorter, even if it's just been plowed, they want to be everywhere where they are not supposed to be.The good news is that we think we have the problem somewhat fixed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us to his own way....There is a reason the Lord compares us to sheep. We have taken a looooong sabbtical from blogging and plan on returning intermittently. With full plates, something has to go at times and as much as we enjoy blogging, that is usually the first one to get shoved off. With farming, escaping sheep, spring babies and a very sick elderly family member, we haven't had much time to sit these days! Not complaining at all. We are very much enjoying being outside working, producing, being fruitful. We are halfway done with kidding. Three does are due next month. We also have a heifer due next month. Five sows are due withing the next couple to few months. We will have pigs ready for processing starting next month. In a few weeks the co-op we sell our meat to will be coming to the farm for a tour, so we're very busy trying to get ready for that. We are still cleaning up the farm and it is quite a large task. It's amazing what our little family of four can accomplish and we're very thankful for that! We are finished with planting the garden and if all goes well will have enough food to last us all winter. All the sheep have been sheared and lambing is finshed. With all of our ewe lambs now and all of our current sheep and if they all produce lambs like they did this year and if we can sell them all, we will almost have enough to pay fo property taxes (until they raise them with all the new building projects they have in line). We have mixed feelings about this. We are happy to maybe have enough income off of one venture of our farm to pay for property taxes and yet at the same time, our entire family works hard at this venture and we will see none of the profits nor will we enjoy them indirectly for we use none of the services which the majority of our property taxes go toward. I personally can think of many, many ministries and small businesses I'd rather support with that money for they are very fruitful, productive and frugal, but we are to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and I need to stop allowing my mind to wander into that area.  John was invited to speak more about Authentic Agriculture at a workshop at the Iowa Homeschool convention with Dr. Jim Bartlett of Biblical Concourse of Home Universities. They thoroughly enjoyed their time there and had a wonderful visit with part of the Bartlett family. Thankfully, things went rather smoothly with chores while John and one of our daughters was gone. Our other daughter and I took care of the animals and the animals cooperated (for the most part). If all goes well and I am able to have time to sit, I'll write about "The Egg Hog". Until then, Lisa The Farmer's Wife 12:33 - 2007-Jun-12 - post comment
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Description Sharing our thoughts, events, ups and downs, as we restore a once profitable farm to its former greatness as a Christian agrarian family. Home User Profile Archives Friends Lighthouse Farm Our DVD's for homesteader's Homestead Series e-books Lighthouse Farm Podcasts No NAIS Recent Entries - Pig-headed or chicken-hearted???? - Health care - the way it used to be - The Egg Hog - Back in blogdom after chasing sheep - Ode to Winter 2007 - Chicken and Hog DVD's are now finished!! - Video clip of the birth of a piglet - News about Haitian friends!!!!! - Authentic AgricultureTM - Welcome! - A Peaceful Night in the Pasture - Big Sale at The Old Schoolhouse!! - Rendering Lard - Hog Butchering Time - John Ray - Founder of Biology - A Breath-taking Field Trip - Fat and Sassy - Real Men Eat Quiche - Green Tomato Recipes - Harvest - Two Cents Worth on Pinching Pennies... - Cockle burrs and stinging nettle a blessing? - Gourmet Meals At The Farm Table - Seeds Worth Saving - Sweet cartoon - Commercial rice supply has been contaminated - Spermicidal Corn - Agricultural Science Fiction Horror Flick or Truth? - SImple Entertainment - "Gardening is like a treasure hunt!" - Pigs don't stink - Diggin' For Gold!! - Rain - a Blessing or a Curse? - My Sheep Know My Voice - er - Chain Saw... - The Old Farm Dog - An Alarming Nightime Visitor - Farming Magazine - A Pig's Nest - Meager chicken harvest - Bacon + Garlic = Piglets? - A Rare July 4th Tribute to Farmers - Fencing in more pasture - Three months on our new place.... - Blood suckers in Minnesota :( - Miss Bacon and Rocky Mountain Oysters - Sheep without a shepherd - Haying with my man! - Mink solutions, anyone? - Goat meets pig... - I Smell a Skunk... - URGENT!! Please forward!!!! - Did Adam Smell Like That? - Minnesota!!!!! - Problem solved - God is good - The Rat Trap and One Happy Girl - New Podcast - Farm Restoration - The Beginning - An Honorable Gentleman Has Died - Why teach our children about agriculture? - Cheap, Safe Food??? - New NAIS links worth reading - Old Tractors Never Die - A Lawyer comments on Constitutional Rights and NAIS - Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks - Big Bellies and Big Bags - Hosting Haitians on the Homestead - Minnesota, Here We Come (after we sell our house) and "the Chip" - And God saw that it was good - Greetings |