Goat-a-palooza 2010

Great GoogleyMoogley we've got goats!

What can I say...a picture is worth a thousand words and right now I'm a little speechless. We got goats!  Today our Debbie gave us these little squeakers.... I had no idea they would make funny little noises but they do. And they were bigger than I thought. Like a big skinny cat with really long legs.

More details tomorrow but until then feast your eyes on these little cuties:

They found the milk supply.. hey you goats! Get away from that milk - I need goat cheese. Geez....

Debbie was really lovin' on them... I didn't know how she'd do because I don't think her previous owner let her raise her babies.  She was doing great with them. I fed her really well, got her a big drink, and rubbed her all over. No problems at all.

Seriously - how cute is that little face? This was less than an hour after his big arrival and he was up and standing.

This little girl was very fuzzy.. kinda teddy bear like.







I just checked them and everyone is just fine. The little girl was standing there head butting her momma... it was very cute. Its been a goat-tastic day and now I'm going to bed.

Let the Gardening Begin!

And now for something entirely self-indulgent... Gardening!  I can't wait for this:

One of my goals for this blog is to keep a gardening/farm journal.  Maybe you'll get some ideas also.

My garden notes for today:
* We've had two days over 45* ...and its nothing but mud soup out there.
* We completed the fencing for the upper garden; including the gates to keep the chickens out.
* Finished trimming and staking grape vines; and clean up
* Finished trimming fruit trees
* Planted some peas, radishes, and red kale; may not make it
* No sign of peonies or asparagus; some garlic has sprouted
* Mini-greenhouses (upside down plastic water bottles) over misc marigolds and the last broccoli standing; some swiss chard is left and hanging on

My farm notes for today:
* Tom turkeys are in a constant 'smack down'
* Turkey Momma is standing out there screaming non-stop; I think she is going to start laying
* No goose or duck eggs yet
* Still no new goats

Happy Spring!

How to Make Savings - Part 2: Farm-o-nomics

How to Make Savings – Part 2 Farm-o-nomics

In our last installment of “How to Make Savings” we talked about some big picture ideas  – how reducing expenses to the point where one or both of you don't have to work is a real possibility and how doing things yourself creates tons of savings. We left the discussion here:

“Want to make real savings? Then make your food, raise what you eat, eat what you grow, and do it in a self sustaining way......

…..We make most of our food – and we don't just make our food.. we MAKE our food by growing it. We grow 95% of meat, all of our eggs, a good chunk of our veggies, and most of our dairy. Pretty much we have the lowest grocery bill in the county. Our grocery bill, less dog and cat food, for most of the summer was about $25 a week.”

Yessiree...you did read that right. A lot of people just plain ol' can't believe it. And I tell you the truth – we aren't suffering at all. Now to be fair, from time to time we do a trip to Sam's Club to get paper products in huge quantities and we'll do a $100 grocery trip every couple of months.   

But pretty much we just stop in for bits and bobs of things at the grocery. As we are walking thru the store our favorite thing to do is ask each other “Hey do we need eggs? Ham? Milk? Cheese?” and then laugh laugh laugh about how we don't have to buy any of that stuff. I swear we are giving the meat counter guy a complex from pointing and laughing at his ham.

Tiny pies.. its what for breakfast

I can't help it .... I love pie. When we got these little tiny pie (tart) pans from our Grandma we instantly fell in love with tiny pies. And its a great way to make your own snacks. The other day I was making a crust for the quiche anyway - so I just doubled the recipe and then when I had a few minutes these came together in about 10 minutes.

Here's how:

All fall we make and freeze applesauce from the free apples and pears we get from friend's trees and from ours. So I thawed one 2 cup serving of pear sauce, mixed in a little tapioca to thicken, a bit of brown sugar, and a splash of vanilla. The crumble topping was just oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, some chopped nuts - cut in butter.  It took the equivalent of 1 pie crust to line the 4 tart pans (plus I had enough for one top). I also made one with blackberry jam (the one in front). Fill pans, pop into oven at 375*...... 30-ish mins later... tiny pies. Electric for cooking not included... I think my cost of goods (flour, tapioca, spices, topping - fruit was free) was about $0.20 a piece.

Plus, how fun are tiny pies?

 

Tiny pies.. its what for breakfast

Midnight..time for a homicide

Today's post is for my friend D, who needs a little extra love today. So I dug thru my files and found this from a couple years ago. Its from when we had just gotten started in this farming thing. At the time we were at the old farm and had just a couple of chickens. It happened about this time of year – just as spring was trying to work its way thru the snow.

So, D – I'm sending you “hogs and kisses” and this. Because I know you love my west coast style...and I'm cool like that..

========
Midnight Time for  Homicide

Honestly, I don't even ask “whats going to happen next” anymore. Everyday is an adventure and once again I have another chapter to report from the funny farm. I thought I'd call it “Shoot out at the O-Possum Coral” but I think everyone is tired of my Deadwood-esque style.

So something new...

Many of you may not know that there was a time before I listened exclusively to country music and praise and worship. But its true – I used to listen to rap music. The real rap music – not today's “Get rich or die tryin” kind of MTV rap.

Posers.

Anyway - back in the day I'd roll into my software job with my mind on my money and my money on my mind in a Toyota Corolla wagon with my Fergie bow and my Melanie Griffith “Working Girl” glasses, head bobbing, reciting Ice-T's often over looked but no less epic drama "Midnight" about life on the mean streets of Compton... “I never cruise without a Gat in my lap... midnight time for a homicide...”

Oh how times have changed.

With a nod to T before he sold out and joined the "Law and Order" franchise, I'm retooling his lyrics, Johnsonville style, and am calling this one...

“10:15 time for a possum shoot”

How to Make Savings - Part 1

How to Make Savings

One of the best tools to make your homestead or farm more effective and efficient – and to keep it from being an expensive hobby –  is learning how to “make savings.”  Making savings is somewhat along the lines of the old Ben Franklin adage that “a penny saved is a penny earned.” But making savings actually gets you further ahead then just keeping that penny in your pocket.

Making savings means:

a) keeping money by not wasting it on things you don't need; and
b) not spending money and still getting what you need anyway by doing it yourself.

Its a way of 'creating' income by not spending money thereby eliminating the need for additional or a second income. Think you really need two incomes? Nope.

Here's how it goes:

The first way to make savings is by not spending money on stupid stuff – and then using that saved money on something you really need. There are tons of resources on how to reduce your spending, avoiding money drains, and staying away from financial black holes. Do some research and figure out where you are hemorrhaging money and then stop doing those things.

What happens when you loose a bet

If you'll allow me a moment of self indulgence.....

I would like to say, here before God and everyone, that Dan was right. You heard me - my friend, Dan, was not just a little right, he was entirely right. Correct in all ways and mean... yes sir, right right right. I was wrong, and I did not believe him. From now on I will believe every word that Dan says, I will accept all his recommendations, and I will never again, doubt Dan.

If you were to line up all the right and correct people Dan would be at the top of the line. I would head up all the wrong people. I stand here in my wrongness and salute Dan in his rightness.

This is what my surprise looked like when I realized the mightiness of Dan's rightness...even if he is still a corporate monkey - he is the most right corporate monkey I know.

Actually, this is Bramble, our best Bourbon Red turkey momma. She hatched two clutches last year and we were amazed at what a great job she did. We love her because she looks so dinosaury. She liked to take her poults into the garden to hunt for bugs.

As for now, we are headed for town. That's right - we are going off farm. We are going to see other people! And we'll probably have a meal that we didn't make or grow ourselves... so long, fellow farmers, we're headed into civilization! And you know that silly goat will probably have her babies while we are gone......