When Andrew and I found out we were expecting our first child our daily conversations immediately began to revolve around our expectations of parenting. From the most immediate concerns of bottle or breast and cloth or disposable to the farthest possibilities of college and marriage our conversations covered it all. There were many things we were not sure of, some things we didn’t quit agree on, but one thing we both new for sure was we wanted to raise our child in the most traditional way possible. We agreed that I would stay home with our new daughter as long as it was financially possible.  Little did we know a short sixteen months later our second child would arrive! With two small children at home in diapers being a stay at home Mom seemed to be the most reasonable thing to do. As Macey and William got older, Andrew and I became concerned with the quality of education they would receive. We began talking about public vs. private, and while we both preferred private school there just wasn’t a good option available for us in our area. So we turned to home schooling.    

Macey has always been a very perceptive child. As a four year old she had a strong desire to learn. Her birthday fell in November, after the school age guideline for kindergarten. So we took the leap in August and enrolled her in home school kindergarten. I was excited, but also scared! What did I know about being a teacher?  Andrew and I both have college degrees, we have experience coaching youth sports teams and teaching youth groups. But this was our own child, and her future! No pressure.  

Within days we knew we had made the right decision. Macey flew through kindergarten so quickly I had to order her more books by January just to keep her busy! By the end of the year she was reading Dick and Jane to us, writing short sentences, reading road signs and counting her own money. She loved science and reading, enjoyed art and history, and had an incredible memory for her age.  

During Macey’s kindergarten year, our family moved from a small lot in a large town to a farm in a rural area twenty minutes from the nearest small town. Culture shock! While it was tough starting up a new operation here while taking care of the kids and home schooling one, there were also many un-expected benefits.    

Our first summer here we spent every spare moment fencing, building, finding breeding stock, picking out equipment, planting, harvesting, canning, preserving, and exploring outdoors. The kids were amazed daily at all the new activities here! Before our move, the kids’ knowledge of the outdoors was basically formed around the soccer field, public park, and the yard.   

William started kindergarten this past fall. With two young children to home school and a new baby at home, things were getting quit interesting! It simply wasn’t possible to sit at a table for hours on end doing bookwork all day. I stressed over this the first few months, and then I suddenly realized… we didn’t HAVE to sit and do book work all day!  

The kids and I began to incorporate our daily chores and outdoor activities into our school day. For instance, when Macey was learning division we used our new baby chicks as a learning tool. As we cleaned their brooding boxes and moved them into fresh containers she divided them into equal groups. William gathers eggs for us daily. When we went to the barn to collect, I would ask him to count all the eggs for me. On a farm with 104 animals, there are many opportunities to practice math!    

We do our language, handwriting, and spelling indoors using a combination of books, dry erases boards, and learning games. Even these lessons can be incorporated outdoors. Try having your child spell the species, breeds, and names of your animals. Give them chalk and let them write sentences or their spelling list on the concrete or brick outside. We made an outdoor chalkboard from a piece of plywood and krylon chalkboard spray paint. For a fun activity, write down specific items or places in your yard and set up a reading scavenger hunt. For instance, start with the word “bird feeder.” When your child reads the words and finds the bird feeder, give them another clue saying “slide” and so on. A sweet treat at the end is usually a good motivation for this game!  

Science has become much more fun since we moved! Last year as part of our science lessons we got a butterfly habitat and ordered larvae. The kids got to watch the entire process from caterpillar to cocoon and finally beautiful butterfly! After enjoying our butterflies indoors for a few days, we had a release party one Friday and released them into our yard. Now every time the kids see a black and orange butterfly they say it’s one of our babies. This Christmas they got an ant farm. In a few weeks we will get our ants for it.  

Life on a farm provides many unique life and science lessons that can simply not be learned in a classroom. Since Andrew works away from home and the kids and I are home together each day, when there is a farm emergency we are all in it together. The kids have sat with me through sick sheep, piglets being born, chicks hatching, and all manners of gardening chores. They know the different stages of a tomato plant not from a book, but from real life observation. They know the food chain intimately as they have experienced birth, life, and death of livestock. Macey and William probably know more about livestock behavior and habitat than many adults. They can also identify several types of plants and trees by their leaves and bark. We take “nature walks” frequently and discuss the different species of flowers, trees, grasses, and weeds. The kids also enjoy field trips, such as this one to the Ripley's Aquarium dinosaur exhibit.  

Our kids are very hands on. They enjoy learning things through doing. We use every opportunity we can to learn things by moving, touching, seeing, and doing. Macey’s favorite class of coarse is art! She loves to draw, color, and create. We have incorporated art and history together by having each child work on a “States” folder. Each week we learn about a different state, color a page showing the state flowers, animals, birds, etc. and add it to the folder. Bruce Larkin has a neat series of short reading books on each state. Every state has it’s own book, and Macey reads these to us as we get to each state (they are designed for a 2^nd grade reading level). We have also done projects in drawing, modeling clay, origami, beads, and many other mediums.  

Beyond the “normal” subjects usually studied, home schooling on a homestead offers other life lessons necessary for the development of strong adults. By assigning your children age appropriate farm chores they learn responsibility and compassion. We want our children to feel like they are a part of our operation. When they each have turned 6, we have let them pick their own spring lamb. Last year, Macey picked Alpha. This year William will get his pick. Our deal with them is as long as they help care for their sheep, the money made off of their sheep is theirs. If they slack off on their duties then they do not get the reward for the work. This year Macey asked for her own chickens. Andrew built her a chicken tractor, and Macey was allowed to pick her own breed. She wanted Americanas because they lay colored eggs. So she now has a flock of five birds. We are about to hatch our first eggs off of her little flock, and she will get to either keep or sale her chicks. William has already picked his breed, the Salmon Faverolles. Now Andrew has to get to work on another tractor! Last year the kids made over $400 together from farm chores and sales, not to bad considering they were 6 and 5 years old! Not only are they learning responsibility, animal husbandry, and math, but also how to save and spend wisely. We do not buy our children gifts throughout the year if it is not a birthday or holiday. Instead, we provide opportunities for them to earn money throughout the year. When they want something, they have to decide if they want it badly enough to spend their own money. Our kiddo’s have become pretty savvy shoppers!  

Regardless of which approach you decide to take towards home schooling, I would definitely recommend you contact your local school system or state school board and request the yearly learning assessment guidelines for your childs grade level. This will allow you to make sure your child is learning all the minimum requirements as their public school counterparts. If your child is going above and beyond these minimums that is great! Keep up the good work. Many states will also allow your child to take yearly assessment tests with the public schools. Next year, Macey will be taking the state TCAP tests with our local 3^rd grade public school classes. William will do the same when he is older, as will Cierra eventually.   

When we first had the notion to home school, I had no idea how complex our decision truly was. I imagined an organized and structured plan centered around a table, stack of books, and notebook paper. Life rarely turns out as we plan, and in this case I am thrilled that is the case! Eight years ago I had no idea we would be here on this farm with three young children, home schooling, and me staying at home. Our life is crazy hectic, and our days full of new adventures! The kids are flourishing, our family is close and happy, and I will never look back with any regret at the decisions we have made. So if you are sitting on the fence wondering if you have what it takes to home school, I felt the same way at first. How scary it is to take that leap! Just remember, no one loves your children as much as you do. There is no one perfect way to home school, every child is different and your approach may not be the same as mine. That is the beauty of home schooling though, it can be adapted to suit your family, your needs, and your child’s learning type. So jump right in, and be prepared to learn a lot about yourself along the way!

We have officially been here on the farm for two years now. In some ways the time has flown by, and in others it seems a lifetime ago. When we began our farming adventures here, we thought we knew what we were getting in to. We had some experience, spent countless hours researching and planning, and had a network of friends and family to talk with if we had a problem. No matter how well you prepare for it though, the farming life can certainly throw some surprise at you!   

Growing up I knew I wanted to be a farmer. My biggest dream was to live on a farm, have a big garden, beautiful rolling hills dotted with animals, the smell of flowers in the gentle breeze, as I walk through a perfectly clean barn on a bright sunny day. There are only a few things wrong with the scenario I used to play in my head:   

• 1) In my visions I was always clean!  
• 2) In my visions the barn was always clean!  
• 3) There were no dirty animals!  
• 4) The air smelled like flowers!  

 Do you see a pattern here? Not once in all of my day dreaming did I conjure up a picture of me splattered in mud in the pouring rain chasing an escaped dirty pig through the yard and back into it’s electric fence with lightening flashing all around. Reality is quit different from my childhood dreams, but it is also so much more exciting! The longer we are here, the more we realize there are many things we never knew about farming!    

Pigs are clean animals  

Really, they are! Pigs do not wander around in their own filth as many people think. In the wintertime, our pigs are usually spotlessly clean on pretty days. However, pigs can not sweat. So in the summer time when the temperatures climb, they must find a way to cool down. They do so by taking a mud bath! The cool mud serves two purposes. First it cools the pig, and second it acts as a sun block preventing their skin from burning. You will notice that when the temperature goes back down pigs will seek a source of water and take a bath. They enjoy being clean! In the winter when the weather is very messy and muddy, our pigs do their best to stay clean. Even if it means taking a bath in t heir drinking water!  

Roosters are not good alarm clocks

We have all seen the movies where the rooster crows at dawn to wake the family up for their daily farm chores. Either the movies didn’t do their research, or our roosters are defective! When we had only two roosters thing were pretty quiet. One was dominant, and the other was ok with that. Our problem began when we started hatching our own chicks. We soon found ourselves with roosters of all ages. As they matured, these roosters would begin to compete for rank amongst themselves. The result, crowing from midnight to 6 am! Now, we try not to keep more than a handful of roosters of a mature breeding age. Typically, we have 1 rooster for every 6-8 hens. At this ratio, we have cut out much of the all night crowing!  

During a drought, cut hay

During the summer if you find yourself going through a period of drought and you really need rain, cut hay. Ok, maybe this isn’t based on solid scientific facts but it seems to me that every time the weather report says it will be clear and we cut hay…. It rains! So logically I am thinking a good way to end a drought is to cut hay! So next time your garden is dry, cracked, and resembling the grand canyon just go cut some hay.    

Get used to dirt  

The first spring we lived here I tried in vain to keep the kids clean outside. I honestly thought we could all get through our daily chores without getting messy. Ha! If you want to farm, seriously farm with more than just a horse in a barn stall, you are going to get dirty! Best thing to do is just accept this, go buy a pair of rubber boots and a few pairs of blue jeans and get to it. Throw your hair up in a ponytail, dig out that old t-shirt you haven’t worn since college and enjoy yourself! Chances are no one will see you anyway, and who cares if they do? There are some advantages to being known as “the crazy lady.”  

Farms do not have to smell

Everyone always associates farms with bad animal smells. One of our family’s favorite movies is Nanny McPhee 2. I love the scene where “the cousins” come to visit the farm. The little boy steps out of the car into messy, muddy, manure covered ground and says, “We’re in the land of poo!”  Most people just believe that is expected. While it is true that most factory farms do stink due to the large concentration of animals in small areas, smaller farms and well ran large farms do not have to smell. Using proper land use ratios, adequate bedding, and good husbandry a farm can be pretty near odor free. So it may not smell like fresh flowers in a gentle breeze, but any properly ran operation regardless of the type of livestock raised can maintain a low odor, even on the hottest summer day. Joel Salatin, leading farm advocate and author of many books including Folks, This Ain’t Normal (one of my favorites!) covers this topic, and many more typical farmyard myths.    

Dirty Stalls are not a bad thing

Lets re-phrase that, deep litter stalls are not a bad thing. I used to believe that a properly cleaned barn or pen was spotless with a single layer of clean bedding on the floor. The more I am learning about natural farming methods though the more we are seeing this isn’t the case. The most efficient, healthy, and productive way of handling stalls and pens is to use plenty of bedding, and repeatedly layer new bedding on top of the old. Then, when you have accumulated several layers of alternating manure and bedding, it can all be removed and used as compost. For more on this topic, I would highly recommend Holy Shit by Gene Logsdon. We are currently using this method in our junior poultry pens. We now have a nice bed nearly 10 inches thick of manure and bedding! And guess what? In a pen of 37 birds there is absolutely no odor beyond the smell of hay and feed.  

Bet your daydreams never included this image!

My Dad came over two weekends ago to watch the kids for us on a cold, wet Saturday so we could get some chores done that required more than one able body at a time. Our list of things to do that day included: Worm, vaccinate and do toenail trims on 14 sheep then band one young ram. Castrate, worm, and vaccinate a boar pig. Move four sheep into a new pasture. And finally, band, worm, and vaccinate a 300 lb. Bull calf.  The weather was supposed to be over cast, windy, with a 20% chance of late afternoon showers. I headed outside in a pair of old jeans, hiking boots, t-shirt and light jacket. Things were going smooth and quickly for a while. Had a little trouble with a few unruly sheep but nothing major. All we had left was doing the bull and moving the sheep. We were congratulating ourselves on what good time we were making! Suddenly, a rain drop lands on my nose. Then another, and within minutes a heavy, steady rain.  The temperature quickly dropped and the wind picked up. Andrew is holding the bull while I have the unpleasant task of banding and vaccinating. As I am standing to one side with my leg bracing the bull and my head practically upside down trying to fit a band on a wet bull Andrew starts laughing. He says, “Bet you never thought you’d be doing THIS when you grew up!” I can only imagine what I looked like there at that moment with my hair plastered to me, shivering in my saturated jacket with sheep and cow crap down my pants and blood on my shirt (where did that come from?). In that moment I realized how strong my marriage is. If he can love me looking like that, then we’re doing just fine! And no, I can honestly say I never, ever, not once, thought I would be doing that when I was young!   

Cats aren’t just cute house pets

Andrew is not a cat person. He never really has been, sure he has tolerated one here or there for my sake a few times during our marriage. That’s about where his relationship with them has ended. Until recently. Last year we found ourselves over run with rats in the garden, mice in the feed sacks, and moles all over the yard. We had not owned a cat in three years. Andrew agreed it may be time to call in back up. So we brought home our first two kittens Boots and Tiger. They sleep in the feed shed and enjoy their run of the place, coming inside to play with the kids in their down time. Things quickly improved, and we began receiving “presents” on the front porch when they were only three months old. Tiger is no longer with us, but we have since added Milo, Max, Jinx, and Stix to the line-up. Boots has trained them well, and we have not seen a live mouse or rat since last summer! The moles are fewer as well. I would much rather feed a few cats than be over run with rodents!  

Some things you just can’t learn from books. You have to live them, experience them, and learn as you go. While our life here doesn’t exactly match what I had pictured in my dreams, I wouldn’t have it any other way.   

Follow our farming adventures at “Ans Farms” on Facebook!  

Another Christmas has come and gone! This weekend Andrew, the kids, and I got our tree and decorations all packed up just in time to ring in the New Year with my parents and little sister. We had two weeks of cold, dreary, and wet weather that kept us indoors much more than we would have liked. So, what’s a girl to do over the holidays when stuck inside? Experiment in the kitchen of coarse!  

Every year we try to do an assortment of cookies and sweets for our family gatherings as well as a few plates for friends who may need a little holiday cheer. Our usual spread includes chocolate chip cookies, chocolate fudge, sugar cookies, pumpkin bread, banana nut bread, and the occasional pie or cake. This year, I wanted to try something a little different.  

Andrew and the kids LOVE peanut butter. I myself, not so much! However seeing as it is the season for giving, I decided to try a new recipe for Buckeye’s just for them. Andrew spent some time with me in the kitchen for this one, just waiting for a bowl or spoon to lick I think… but he asked a very good question. “What is the difference in a Buckeye and Peanut Butter Balls?” Hhmm. Well I am not sure how these actually came about, but here is my theory. Some time ago, a newlywed tried to make Peanut Butter Balls for her love. After many failed attempts to completely cover her peanut ball with chocolate her husband arrives home and asks what she is making. Embarrassed that her Peanut Butter Balls were not perfectly coated, the new bride thought quickly as her eyes wondered out the window and landed on a buckeye tree. “They’re Buckeye’s!” She exclaims. And they lived happily ever after. So whither you decide to call them Buckeye’s and leave an un-coated spot, or fully coat your balls in chocolate and call them Peanut Butter Balls, here you go!  

Buckeye Balls

½ cup butter, melted
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ cups peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  6 squares chocolate almond bark 

Combine butter, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla in mixing bowl and mix well. Refrigerate at least one hour, or until firm. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on waxed paper.  

Melt the almond bark on low heat, just until fully melted. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent scorching. Using toothpicks, dip each ball into the chocolate and turn to coat all but one small uncovered area (so balls resemble buckeyes). Place balls on waxed paper. Smooth over toothpick hole with finger or spoon. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.  

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  These were a big hit with my crew here. I even tried one, and then realized I still don’t like peanut butter!  

So after pleasing the rest of the family I looked for something new to try for me. I like sugar cookies, and have a favorite recipe for these which I use every year. This time though, I wanted to try something new. So I reached for a jar of our homemade peach preserves, and turned the sugar cookie dough into “cups” for little Peach Tarts! The baby and I really enjoyed these, and once the big kids and Andrew finished off the Buckeyes, so did they!  

Easy Fruit Tarts  

1 ¼ cup white sugar
1 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 ½ cup all purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
½ teaspoon cream of tartar 
Jam, jelly, or preserve of your choice 

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Lightly grease mini muffin tin. Indent centers and fill with jam. Make sure to use a thick jam or jelly, as loose or thin ones will cause the centers to settle more. Bake for 11-14 minutes.   

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With two new experiments, it was time to add some tried and true recipes. We chose to do chocolate fudge, tree shaped brownies, and pumpkin bread this year. Our pumpkin bread has won blue ribbons at the fair in two different counties, and is a crowd favorite on the holidays. If you are a pumpkin lover, it is definitely a must try! This recipe makes 5 mini loaves, so it is perfect for sharing! This makes a very moist bread, be sure to cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan so as not to tear it.  

Pumpkin Bread

5 eggs 1 ¼ cup canola oil 
1 can solid pack pumpkin (or 15 oz. Fresh prepared pumpkin) 
2 (3oz) packages cook and serve vanilla pudding mix 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
2 cups all purpose flour 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
2 cups sugar 
½ teaspoon salt  

Beat eggs until well blended. Add oil and pumpkin then blend until smooth. Combine all remaining ingredients. Gradually beat into pumpkin mixture.   

Pour batter into 5 greased mini loaf pans (5 ¾ in x 3in x 2in). Bake at 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Place on wire racks to cool.  

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So with our two new experiments and a few tried and true recipes, we were making great progress on filling our trays! Only one more treat left to do.   

For many years my husband’s grandmother Mary made Snowballs for Christmas. Mary passed away in 2010, and there have not been Snowballs since. As fate would have it, both Andrew and his sister Amanda had recently asked me to make some. Only problem was her recipe had been lost. I did remember seeing them at Christmas, but had no idea what was in them. As we all discussed what we remembered tasting and seeing in them, I put together enough ingredients to look up some recipes. What Mary called Snowballs my mother called Danish Wedding Cookies. Before long, I had a plan!   

Snowball Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla2 cups sifted all purpose flour 
¾ teaspoon salt 1 cup finely chopped pecans 
¾ cups sifted powdered sugar 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets, or use parchment paper. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla together until fluffy. Sift flour, mix flour and salt into butter mixture. Stir in pecans. Dust your hands with powdered sugar and roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes. Roll hot cookies in powdered sugar. Cool for 15 minutes then roll all cookies again in powdered sugar.  

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The recipe was a success! Our kids loved them, and so did our nephews. A little birdie told me they may even be better than the other recipe! Definitely make sure to roll them twice, both hot and cooled before serving. This makes them delicious!   

Our trays turned out quit nicely this year I believe. The white Snowballs, brown and chocolate Buckeyes, and colorful tarts added color and variety to our usual fare. Paired with Christmas tree brownies, chocolate fudge, and pumpkin bread there was something for everyone. Next time you find yourself stuck indoors, try your hand at one of these recipes. You may find yourself adding it to your next holiday line-up!   

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And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  

 Luke 2:1-7   

I had the best of intentions to write this update several weeks ago. We had just returned from the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, PA and I was so excited to write all about it! Then life happened, as it usually does. For the last several weeks it seems we have just tried to keep up with all that has been going on. Add our entire family of five getting sick together and my laptop hard drive going out to our normal hectic lifestyle and … WHEW! So here I am, a month late but still excited to share our experience! It would take a book to describe our entire weekend, so here are a few of our favorite highlights!  

Andrew and I have wanted to go to the Mother Fair for several years. There has always been one reason or another why we couldn’t go. This year, the Seven Springs, PA fair fell on the same weekend as a very special event. Andrew and I both turned 30 the 3 ^rd week of September! What better way to celebrate than with a trip to the Mother Earth News Fair?   

Now don’t go thinking this was all just fun and games. We had another agenda. The last few weeks before the Fair, we reviewed all of the seminars and read the details about each segment including the speakers. As much as we were looking forward to having fun, we needed to learn as well! Andrew and I are planning to add bees to the farm next year. Beyond that, we want to construct a hydroponics green house complete with stocked fish tank. We are also raising a pair of young milk cows, with plans to make our own milk, butter, and cheese in the future. Many of the speakers attending this year’s Fair were speaking on these topics. Not to mention my farm hero, Joel Salatin was giving several seminars! I would have made the entire trip just to hear him once.   

So September 20 ^th rolled around. The day of my 30 ^th birthday! We spent nearly 14 hours in the truck driving up to PA. On the way through Abingdon, VA we just couldn’t resist a stop at the Heartwood Gallery. My Mom had told me about this place on her last visit through the area, and I am so glad I got the chance to view it myself!  

The Heartwood is a beautiful gallery full of many different types of art. Woodworking, quilts, paintings, weaving, and even musical instruments, it’s all there. Here are a few of my favorites.  

Our first full day in Pennsylvania was beautiful. Bright skies, warm weather, and lots to see and do! We arrived early so we could spend some time walking around to vendors before starting our seminar experience. There were around 220 vendors there that week, farther than the eye could see outside as well as inside the resort.  

Our first seminar was given by William Woys Weaver on heritage seeds. I was interested in hearing him speak, but I really did not expect to enjoy it so much. Instead of just a generic run down of heritage stock, he wove a wonderful history of food, people, and how “seeds are the common heritage of all Mankind. They are the hope of our shared destiny.” Mr. Weaver highlighted the many benefits of heritage stock. Such as the higher nutrient content, ability to reproduce like offspring, and multi-use crops like the sickle pea which can be used fresh or dried as well as having edible leaves.  

One of the things I appreciated most about Mr. Weaver’s speech was his attention to the difference in nutrients found in modern commercial vegetables vs. their heritage counterparts. He mentioned this could play a big part in our modern obesity problem. “You have to eat more of empty foods to feel full,” he said. Organically raised heirlooms have as much nutrients in one pound as one and a half pounds of the commercial option. This is not only important for your waistline, but your pocket book as well!  

Later in the evening Friday we had our first opportunity to hear Joel Salatin. In his “Can We Feed the World?” seminar he covered the major reasons why our current food system just isn’t working. I believe his major point he wanted to make was that we have broken the natural biological cycle. This began with the invention of cheap N,P,K chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Then evolved into cheaply produced commercial monoculture agriculture. While N,P,K chemical fertilizers were originally hailed as the solution to the problem of poor soils, they are actually making the problem worse. These fertilizers are temporary, chemical and non-renewable replacements for what we should be using; manure. Manure not only contains N,P and K but also an entire host of both macro and micro minerals required for healthy plants and healthy people. Unlike chemical fertilizers, manure also provides a layer of organic compost which builds the top soil.     

Joel went on to say that yes, it is possible for us to end hunger and feed the world. However the problem is not a shortage of food, but an issue of distribution. Until our mindset and behaviors change towards agriculture, we cannot feed the world. Here’s why… 50% of the food produced here is trashed. Why is all of that food trashed? For starters, consumers only want pretty food. All of that bruised or blemished produce goes to waste. Then there is the issue of transportation. When food has to travel 1500 miles before making it to your shopping cart, there is bound to be a substantial loss since fresh fruits and vegetables are perishable.  

“Commercial agriculture stands on the shoulders of devastation,” Joel said. If instead of contributing to this cycle of chemical fertilizers, mass production, transportation, and tasteless tomatoes more people would choose to eat local and eat sustainable we could change the world. He gave many examples of how to do this. Including pruning and fertilizing cropland with animals and their manure. Using electric fence to “mob graze” pastures was one way he suggested to keep pasture healthy, fertilized and productive. For this session, Joel ended with a quote which stuck with me “Nature responds to our touch and our care far more than to chemicals and corporations.”   

Now, somewhere between William Weaver and Joel Salatin we got hungry! In our search for food we ran across something we had never had before. A hempzel! Yes, a pretzel made with hemp. Who would have thought that would actually be good? 

Now Friday evening was busy, but it wasn’t extremely crowded. We managed to get to each of our seminars we were interested in. So back in our rooms Friday evening we laid out our plan for Saturday. Saturday morning arrived, not at all like Friday! Cool, wet, and overcast. Once we arrived to the grounds an hour early we were shocked at the crowd! Our first seminar for the day was “Pluck a Lotta Chicken” where standing room only was an understatement! There were people sitting in the floors with others standing over them.  

In this seminar with Joel and David Schafer from Featherman equipment there was an actual live demonstration of processing chickens. They literally did four chickens from kill cone to finished in less than five minutes. Amazing! What we wouldn’t give to have the featherman processing equipment! Ah, well. At least I came home with a new kill cone for our chickens. Here you can see Joel demonstrating the proper way to clean a chicken. He moved so quickly, I could not keep up with what his hands were doing. The man standing over him had a video camera that broadcast the whole process onto large screens at the front of the room.  

Now, I already mentioned how much more crowded Saturday was. It only took us a few hours to realize we had a problem! With so little time between seminars, it wasn’t possible to get from one location to the next and still get a seat. This wasn’t a problem on Friday, with a smaller crowd and pretty weather we could just stand around the edges of the outdoor tents and most of the rooms. However, once we got to the seminar outside on beekeeping with top bar hives, there were no seats and the standing room available was not sheltered. We decided to do some more walking around instead of braving the weather way in the back where it was hard to see and hear. We ran into this problem again later when it began to rain, hard! Of coarse when it started raining we were standing under the edge of a tent, right where the water was falling. So we did miss a few seminars that day where we just couldn’t arrive soon enough to get a seat. Even when we skipped one to get to the next in time, we couldn’t get seats together. Apparently everyone had that same idea at the same time! 

We split up some for the afternoon sessions. I was determined to see the Gardening with Chickens seminar outside, and by that time it was very wet and cool outside. So the others headed indoors where it was warm and dry. I am so glad I battled the weather! Though the blowing rain did prevent me from getting pictures of “Oprah Henfree” the gorgeous hen on display. The topic of using animal manure as compost and fertilizer was at the forefront here too. The point was again made that hybrids, GMO’s and factory meats actually cause nutritional hunger. They are developed for fast growth, looks, and easy growing instead of nutrient value. For instance, broccoli grown in 1950 had a calcium level of 13mg per serving, now that level is only 4.4 mg! But it sure looks pretty on the grocery store shelf.  

One of the easiest and most efficient ways to increase biomass in the soil, improve fertility, and grow bigger harvests is by incorporating chickens into your gardening program. This idea is not just an American one. In Flounders, Belgium the solid waste department had a serious issue with to much garbage. Regrettably, a large percentage of the waste being produced was scraps and edible waste. So the authorities began a program that gave any family who enrolled in the program three free chickens to use for garbage disposal! What a concept. Imagine, if the city of New York gave a pair of chickens to all of its citizens? How many tons of waste would be spared from the landfills daily? 

Another great example that was used is the Vermont Compost Company. They operate a waste pick up program for restaurants, prisons, and schools. They collect all edible wastes, and dump them by the truckloads onto a five-acre property. Here they have 1200 composting chickens and a handful of livestock guardian dogs. None of these animals have to be fed any additional feeds, because they consume the food waste. They are capable of consuming four TONS of waste in one year! There are three benefits to this:

• 1)Less garbage sitting in plastic bags in landfills
• 2)Compost produced as a by-product is available for farmers and gardeners
• 3)1,000 dozen (yes, 1000 dozen!) eggs are produced each month

Wow! How impressive is that? This program is something that every county, in every state of America could easily do. Imagine being able to create that many eggs in a month, and that much compost for FREE as by-products of a garbage collection system.  I also picked up several great ideas on how to use chickens to prepare raised beds as well as using them in traditional gardens for weed and pest control. 

We wound down our Saturday evening with another session with Joel Salatin. This one, “Folks This Ain’t Normal” was informative, funny, and spot on. Here he basically reviewed the topics covered in his book by the same name that I was actually reading at the time of the Fair. For anyone who hasn’t read the book, I would definitely recommend it!  

We did manage to catch a few other seminars, but these were my favorite of the weekend. Of coarse we didn’t just sit in seminars all day! There were so many vendors to see it took the entire weekend to explore them all! We came home with shitake mushroom logs, new angled hoes, kill cones, shirts, books, and magazines. It will take me until the New Year at least to read everything I came home with! I definitely see an entire blog update later on Joel Salatin’s books. He really has the same outlook on commercial agriculture as we do. 

While driving back to the hotel one evening, we ran across a really neat place called Fletchers Farm Market. This family ran market was established in 1949. They grow all sorts of seasonal produce, and at the time of our visit they were stocked full of a variety of pumpkins, gourds, apples, and peppers.

This is what actually drew our eye at first to them. The pumpkin on the bottom weighed in at 891 pounds. The big guy on top was 1050 pounds! And to think, I thought my 8-pound pie pumpkins were big this year!

We came home at the end of the weekend so tired, but also so excited! The knowledge we gained on this trip was definitely worth the 14-hour drive! I also came away with a sense of calm and contentment knowing that there are others out there just as crazy as we are! So many times we get that odd look or the question “why?” from those we know. Why bother with all this trouble? Why spend so much time on animals, grass, and gardening when we could be having fun? Why stay here instead of going out and taking vacations? This trip provided the encouragement I needed to know that we are on the right track for our family! 

We are really hoping to be able to attend again next year. There is a rumor that in 2013 Mother Earth is adding a new location that is a bit closer to us! Regardless of where it is, I know we will go back. Maybe not next year, but we will be back. It was just to great not to! 

Want to see more pictures of our trip? Check out our Facebook page at "Ans Farms."

Just when you think you’ve heard just about every farm myth imaginable, someone goes and gets creative. Between our own farm and those of our parents, we have just about every “common” barnyard critter imaginable, and a few not so common ones. We love getting inquiries from those on the brink of starting a farm, those with an incredible desire to get back to a more self sufficient lifestyle but without the knowledge and confidence level to take that first leap. Through the years we have helped people interested in chickens, pigs, sheep, alpacas, and turkeys begin their own operations. Our philosophy has always been to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The good, bad, ugly, stinky, and totally disgusting truth. Anything less would not be fair to these people depending on us for “real” knowledge. Not the prettied up, well dressed, rose scented version of the truth that may guarantee us a sale. The great side of this is we sleep well each night with a clear conscious. The down side is we do occasionally walk away without a sale. Even then we manage to leave those we have talked to with more knowledge and skill than they came with.

It should be the goal of every person involved in an agricultural practice (or any industry for that matter) to do the same. Occasionally however, bad information gets thrown into the mix. This isn’t always done purposely or with malicious intent, but the effects are no less devastating. We have heard some good ones lately, and I’d just like to share a few now.

Poultry There are several things I commonly hear or get asked about poultry that just aren’t true.

You have to have a rooster to get eggs. We recently had a woman tell us how badly she wished she could keep some backyard chickens. I asked her if they were not allowed in her area, and she said that roosters were restricted. She had been told that meant her family could not keep chickens for eggs because hens had to have a rooster. This is simply not true! Hens will lay eggs regardless of a roosters presence. However without a rooster they will not be fertile, meaning no baby chicks. But by all means folks, buy you a few hens! Everyone should have at least a few hens in their back yard to eat their kitchen scrapes and make nutritional eggs for the family. Why buy nutritionally lacking grocery store eggs when you could raise your own nutrient packed eggs from a beautiful backyard flock instead?

If you raise turkeys with chickens they will all die. We raise turkeys, chickens, guineas, ducks, and are starting with geese. It amazes our visitors that our turkeys, chickens, and guineas are all raised together. And it simply blows their minds that they are all raised in a pasture, scratching and scavenging amongst sheep. Why is this so shocking? This is how it used to be done! Over the last 50 years though we have migrated away from integrated livestock and entered a world of monoculture agriculture. This is true for fruits, vegetables, and livestock. When we first got started with turkeys we were told be several seasoned farmers to absolutely NOT let our turkeys get near our chickens or they would all die. I was terrified! Apparently it is a common belief that mingling turkeys with chickens will lead to an almost immediate outbreak of disease quickly followed by death. I am well aware of the Black Head disease. And I do not doubt that it is a deadly disease that strikes turkeys. However, it is possible to successfully raise healthy chickens and turkeys together. I don’t think this, I know this. We have proven it, and others like us have done so as well. We have never had a single turkey drop dead after a rendezvous with a chicken. On the contrary, we have had the most success with our young turkeys when they are hatched and raised with several chicken friends. Chicks are smarter than turkey poults, plain and simple. While chicks figure out the feed, water, heating, and bedding system rather quickly turkey poults will still be cocking their heads from side to side trying to figure out what these things are. As the chicks go about their normal chicky business, the poults will observe and copy their behavior. The result is fewer dead poults from stupidity. We always leave these few chicks in with our poults as they mature. The result is adult 40 lb. turkeys roaming around the barnyard with their little 6 lb chicken friends side by side in harmony. Fighting or picking on the chickens does not occur to our turkeys, because they see them as buddy’s instead of intruders.

You get eggs from egg layers and raise meat birds for meat. Guess what people? Chicken is chicken is a chicken! I guarantee you if we lined up 5 samples of fried chicken from a traditional egg laying breed (say, Barred Rock) and 5 samples of fried chicken from meat birds (lets use Jumbo Cornish) they will all taste like… chicken! Diet, age, and processing method have far more to do with the taste of your chicken than breed does. Now there are differences in the amount of breast meat, size of the carcass and age at slaughter amongst the breeds but I guarantee you they all taste like chicken!

Alpacas My parents brought home our first alpacas in 2000. Since that time we have actively participated in breeding, raising, training, and showing these majestic creatures. My mother trained in the fiber arts and is now a skilled weaver. I myself entered into the AOBA judging program to become a certified judge in 2007. There isn’t much between us that we have not experienced first hand with alpacas. In the past few months I have both heard and seen in print inaccurate information regarding these animals. While I believe most to be honest and un-intentional there is one in particular that I feel has been created for the sole purpose of increasing the sales market of alpacas. It does make me angry when I hear this as I feel some buyers are being taken advantage of so lets start with it.

Alpacas make excellent guard animals. This is perhaps the most ridiculous claim I have heard in more than a decade of being in the alpaca industry. I will not sugar coat this in any way, Alpacas are most definitely not guardians! Lets think this one over. An alpaca is not a fight or flight animal, they are hard wired towards flight. This means when a predator says BOO they scream “Run away!” Alpaca’s average 150-180 pounds of fluffy softness carried on four split toed feet on soft pads. They completely lack upper teeth, having a hard bony palate on top and teeth on bottom. All alpacas hum and males orgle as well. What exactly is an alpaca supposed to do while guarding a flock of sheep, chickens, or goats? Hum softly to the predator while they attack it with their bony palate and cute fluffiness? When you know the physical and behavioral characteristics of alpacas you soon realize this is just common sense! Keeping an alpaca with a flock of chickens or other poultry can deter winged predators by simply being there as many birds of prey will avoid attacking in close vicinity of a larger animal. However these creatures are just not made for true predator control. They would simply be an easy target for a pack of neighborhood dogs, coyotes, bear, bobcat, or any other significant threat. I actually heard a man say to a woman today that having an alpaca in with her chickens would distract her predators and draw them away from her flock. What a cruel suggestion! Not to mention a costly one. 

Alpacas do not spit. I have to laugh at this one. Anyone who has spent any time around alpacas on breeding day or shearing day will tell you this is not the case! While alpacas do not typically spit un-provoked, this does not mean it is a rare occurrence. Beyond breeding and shearing time they will spit for many different reasons. Females will spit at their cria while trying to wean them. Bred females will often spit at other alpacas who get in their “space” during late pregnancy, young males will spit at each other during play and while vying for position in the herd. Try to dose one with oral medications or administer shots and see how quickly you are covered in green, sticky, smelly, half-digested cud! Try telling a halter show judge that alpacas don’t spit! You will most definitely be laughed at as these poor people frequently get the honor of being a human target while inspecting animals in the show ring.

Alpacas don’t have to be shorn. Unfortunately most people do not discover how false this is until they find their alpaca dead in the field from heat stroke. This is a miserable way for an animal to die, and the greatest tragedy is it is totally preventable! Unless you are in the most northern and coldest corner of the United States, then yes your alpacas most definitely need to be shorn at least once a year. This summer a woman just down the road from us was telling my husband how she really was thinking about having her “guard alpaca” shorn. She has kept one alpaca with her goat herd for several years here in middle TN, never once having him shorn. My husband gently encouraged her to do so quickly, as the temperature in May was quickly climbing. In August when they next spoke again, she told him that her guard alpaca had been found dead next to their pond in the middle of their un-shaded field. He was still in full fleece. Temperatures that month broke historical records, with several weeks of highs reaching over 105 degrees.

Pigs Andrew and I were hesitant to get started with pigs. Several people we know, including his own father, told us this was something we just didn’t want to mess with. Pigs are smelly, dirty, nasty creatures that are hard to keep up and stupid they said.

Last year, as many of you know from our “Plowing With Pigs” blogs, we were so desperate to clean up our horribly over grown garden spaces that we brought home a pair of pigs to plow the area after reading a GRIT article by Hank Wills. We soon discovered that everything we thought we knew about pigs was completely false! One year later, we have one garden currently occupied by 7 feeder piglets and 3 other pig pens containing adult breeding stock. Our pig pens in fact are not pens, but tracts of wooded acreage fenced off by a simple 2 and 3 strand electric wire system. Our females give birth outside, pasture farrowing in simple huts with pig rails. They are not closed up, kept in close quarters, or locked in birthing crates.

Pigs are incredibly intelligent creatures. They are not dim witted, stupid, and dirty. In fact, pigs happen to have pretty good hygiene when given enough area to roam freely and not wallow in their own muck. It is true that pigs will find a low and soft spot to wallow out a mud hole. This is not done to be dirty, it is simply how they cool themselves. See pigs do not have sweat glands. Imagine it being 105 degrees with 90% humidity outside and you can not sweat! How would you cool yourself? A dip in a cool pool perhaps? A mud hole is the pigs version of a swimming pool. Covering themselves with mud cools them as water evaporates from the surface of their skin while also acting as a sunblock to prevent their skin from burning. As soon as the temperatures go down, those muddy pigs will seek out a source of water. Pond, stream, or yes even the water trough will do. They will bathe and emerge squeaky clean! They will stay that way to, at least until the next heat wave.

  
There is a learning curve to every new adventure you under take. Mistakes will be made and lessons will be learned the hard way. Those with experience and knowledge in their field should do their best to portray their industry in a truthful light. Integrity is far more important than a sale. When something doesn’t work for you, share your opinion and experience with others honestly without coloring the facts. And when it does work, share that too! Perhaps you can help train the next generation of farmers. Without them, our country is in serious trouble indeed.

The time has come for me to admit I have an addiction. They say that admittance is the first step towards recovery right? Some are addicted to drugs or alcohol, cigarettes, shopping, or even texting. I am addicted to estate sales. In the grand scheme of things I figure this is a pretty safe addiction, as it has paid off pretty well for us this year.

Last fall there was an estate sale at the end of our road. Andrew and I didn’t have any plans for the weekend, and we were curious as to what goes on there since neither of us had ever been to an estate sale before. We are big fans of Auction Kings, Storage Wars, and Pawn Stars on A & E, History and the Discovery channel. It is always amazing to find out that the smallest, and often the ugliest, finds are so valuable. So we headed out with the kids not really knowing what to expect.

Our first auction experience that day taught us a great deal. We didn’t buy much that day. Just two simple lots of glassware. The first lot contained a soup tureen that I fell in love with. The auctioneer lumped it in with what I considered to be an ugly vase and a hand-painted urn. Neither of which caught anyone’s attention. We won the bid at $5.

Later in the day a lot titled “contents of garage shelf” came up for bid. We had noticed this shelf contained old canned goods. I was desperately needing canning jars, so we bought the lot for $5. Little did we know what our meager $10 investment would be worth.

At the end of the day we had cleared off over 200 pint and quart size canning jars off those shelves. We left at least that many more “off brand” jars on the shelves for the new home owner. Hiding among the regular jars were four blue ball jars, one was a highly collectable #13 with the original zinc lid.

On a lower shelf we found a nice set of 8 dessert bowls and a small tea set. As we looked further, in the very back of the lowest shelf we found a part of history. A 1928 Cory model double boiler percolator sitting next to a brand new similar designed 1931 Pyrex Silex model made famous by Norman Rockwell in the Saturday Evening Post. Now, being big coffee fans this was pretty exciting!

Andrew survived the emptying of all those jars. It was looking pretty doubtful there for a while though. Imagine what 200 jars of 15 yr. old beef stew, canned onions, and other un-identifiable foods smell like on a 100 degree day. After several rounds of alternating hand washing and dish washing they were all finally clean! My tureen was displayed nicely on a shelf, the coffee pots were cleaned and shiny, but what to do with that vase and urn? My sister fell in love with the vase, so guess what she got for her birthday. After only two days of advertising the urn online I sold it to a woman for $50. She was thrilled and so was I! Our $10 investment made us $40 in cash and all of this years canning jars! Not to mention the value of the items we kept.

Shortly after this exciting first experience into the world of estate auctions we had our third child. It wasn’t until late spring that we were able to attend another sale. Our next attempt was on a 105 degree day with all three children in tow. That was another learning experience! Shortly after that I began going to the sales myself to do the bidding and business part of things. Then Andrew comes along with a truck (and trailer when needed) to collect that days finds. This system is working quit well for us lately, and we have been able to get some really good deals on things we otherwise would not be able to afford on our meager budget. Some of our best recent finds are a Craftsman wood chipper ($120), yard sweeper ($70), utility tilt trailer ($75), Woods 5’ bush hog ($30), and a Singer commercial sewing machine ($37.50).

Some items we have even managed to get for free by selling other items from the lot before we even leave the auction! Andrew now has two sets of saw horses, I have several pieces of carnival glass, and moving boxes full of books, screws, hand tools, and such that were all free after others at the auction purchased things they were combined with.

We haven’t been at this very long, but I am already addicted! The energy level, fast pace, and great deals all add to the excitement. Our goal is to be able to purchase enough “extras” with the things that we need to sell and cover our expenses. We are well on our way to that goal now.

If you are interested in trying your hand, and your luck, at some estate sales in your area there are a few things you should know before you go. Hopefully these tips will save you some time and money!

Is there a buyers premium? Check with the auction company in charge of the sale before the sale begins to make sure there is not a buyers premium. A buyers premium is a fee added to the final sale of an item by the auction group. These fees may only be a few percent, but on large purchases they can add up! You don’t want any surprises when you go to pay.

Get there early! Make sure you arrive in enough time to look over everything up for auction BEFORE the auction starts. Often times personal belongings, small tools, garage items, and such will be boxed together and sold in lots. You will not be able to check the contents of these boxes once the bidding starts. Many of our best finds were purchased in $2.50 lots of several boxes. If you do a lot of yard sales, flea markets, or e-bay sales these are your money makers!

Be prepared. Most auctions occur in the late spring, summer, and early fall. The day can be long, hot, and dry. Take along a folding camping chair since the chairs that are provided usually go quickly. Pack a snack and some bottled water as well. Sometimes a vendor will be there with food, sometimes not. Nothing is worse than being ½ way through an auction with tired feet, a hungry belly, and dry mouth! Check the weather. Be sure to wear appropriate foot wear and take along a rain jacket or umbrella if there is the slightest chance of rain.

Set a budget before you go. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to take cash along instead of a check. When you know exactly how much cash is in your pocket, you are less likely to spend extra on impulse buys. Take a notepad and pen with you. Use your time before the auction begins wisely by writing down the items you are interested in and what you are willing to pay for them. As the auction progresses, be sure to write down what you have spent. That way, if you have come in under budget on some things and you just HAVE to have a special item that has gone above your intended “target” price you will have a little more money to spend on it!

Beware of bidding wars. I am bad for doing this! It is very easy to get caught up in the action and bid higher than you intend to. The pace is so fast, you’re really wanting the item, and that other person just keeps upping the bid on you! Be strong, don’t give in, and stick to the budget!

Be willing to walk away. Even if the item is beautiful, perfect, and one of a kind you have to be willing to walk away. Most likely you will never win every item you are interested in. Just remember your goal is to pick up the steals, not pay retail price for used items!

 SOLD! doesn’t mean it’s over. So you lost the bid. Perhaps you were wanting one item in a grouped lot. Don’t be afraid to seek out the winning bidder and make an offer on that item. We have done this several times, usually paying less to the new owner than what we had been willing to bid to begin with. Only once have we ever been turned down. In most cases they were not even wanting the item we were interested in to begin with, but like us were bidding on the entire lot to get something else. This way, everyone wins!

Protect your new investment. Winning the bid is only ½ the process. Now the auction is over, you have settled your bill and must now face the mountain of new goodies you have acquired and somehow manage to get them home. Many auction groups will have people who can assist you in loading your items. I would recommend you load what ever you can yourself, and then supervise the loading of everything else. I recently left my purchases in the care of two young men to load. Once I arrived home, my beautifully conditioned antique sewing cabinet had a four inch gash in it from resting against a miter saw and four saw blades! My other purchases included a lot of 7 blankets, had I been more active in the loading process that cabinet could have easily been protected with those blankets. An expensive way to learn a lesson!

Make sure you have proper transportation. This is a big one. If you arrive at the auction in a sports car, don’t be buying bush hogs and bedroom furniture if you don’t have a way of moving those items home within a few hours time. Most auction companies will only remain on the auction site for two hours or less after the auction. After that time, if you haven’t taken your items home they will remain on-site outside with you responsible for their safety. It’s a good idea regardless of what you drive to either take a trailer with you, or have one on stand-by. You never know when you’ll luck up on a super cheap piece of equipment!

Estate sales are a great way to spend some time with the family outdoors on the weekends. There is usually something to offer for people of all ages or tastes. There may be some times when you don’t find much at all, or the prices are just simply to high for some reason. Don’t be discouraged! The next one may have everything you have been looking for at insanely low prices.

Now, go on and watch a few episodes of Storage Wars then try out some Auction Kings and Pawn Stars to brush up on hot collectibles and prices. Then look up some local auctions in your area and be prepared to save a bundle! If you need me, I’m headed to another sale!

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