"DID YOU SAY SUPPER-TIME?"
"WHEN I GROW UP, I WANNA BE JUST LIKE MOM!"
"JUST CUZ I'M A LAMB, DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T DO IT TOO..."
Hello my dear friends!
I’m happy to report, Jet, my Alpine wether (that’s what we call a castrated buck), has found a wonderful new home with his new owner, Carl. YIPPEE! Carl is 10-years-old and is quite the helper around the farm! He plans to join 4-H and show Jet in pack and agility! Jet has ‘personality plus’ and will make a life-long friend & companion. His new family is also home to a pair of donkeys, 2 Border Leicester ewe lambs, chickens, ducks and rabbits. We’ll be sure to visit Jet often, since Carl’s mom is my spinning buddy.
Katie has decided to also sell her 3-month-old Alpine wether, Slater. Katie initially planned to keep Slater as a companion for her horse, ACOOLCAT, but, my ram has been his buddie/pasture-mate since early Spring – and all is well! So, if anyone is interested in purchasing a goat kid as a companion/pet/4-H project, Slater is also a bottle-fed baby with loads of personality…let us know!
Slater's looking for a good home.
Slater is an Alpine, also wethered, born April 7, 2009. He has been disbudded and his color is broken chamoise. He’s very kid-friendly and has been worked with on a daily basis – mounts the stanchion for feeding, foot trimming, body clip and bathing…a really nice boy!
"Sweet Annie", Slater's sister.
The rest of the kids, Sweet Annie, Clove Pink and Coriander – are all doing fine – growing by leaps & bounds!
"Nelly" and her girls.
Nelly is an Oberhasli dairy goat. You can see her in the picture with her twin doe kids, Clove Pink and Coriander. It’s amazing how they all know & recognize their own name!
Besides ‘playing’ with the animals, I’ve been busy with the garden. It’s lavender pick’n time…running out of room to dry it all…
Also made 4 dozen pint jars of red currant and white currant jelly. That’s a lot of berries! Thanks to Matt & Katie for picking all of them.
The fiber show at Castle Farms, Charlevoix, is less than two weeks away, July 25 – 26! YIKES! I’ve been trying to work on fiber projects for the show in my ’spare’ time!!?? lol Been making goat’s milk soap too. Not to mention that cheesemaking has also become part of my almost daily routine – made an awesome Feta from the goat’s milk…but that’s another day’s discussion.
Well, got to get back to work…happy day! Jenny
Did you know…
During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a committee with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
| “ | The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more. | ” |
Adams’ prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.
One of the most enduring myths about Independence Day is that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Most delegates actually signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776.
Happy Independence Day!
Strawberries are Ripe for Pick’N!
Published June 24, 2009 Farm Leave a CommentTags: garden, strawberry jam
It’s officially strawberry picking time here in Michigan. While we’ve been harvesting and enjoying our own strawberries from the garden, last week local U-Pick farms hung out the shingle for strawberries. So, yesterday afternoon the four of us visited a local farm to pick fresh strawberries! The fields were full of the sweet berries and we filled a tray in what seemed only minutes…under a half-hour anyway. That equates to over 15 pounds of berries at $1.49 per pound.
After dinner, a quick taco salad, we all pitched in and helped to turn the fresh berries into freezer jam that will give us pleasure all winter long – YUM!
I’ve been making strawberry freezer jam as long as I can remember – it’s a family favorite. BTW, makes nice gifts too. I simply follow the directions on the Sure-Jel (pectin) box. Basically, remove the stems and wash the berries. Next, I crush the berries with my pastry blender; measure 4 cups of crushed strawberries (do not double the recipe…rather, make seperate multiple batches). Put the berries aside momentarily. Measure the sugar into a saucepan and stir in the pectin. Add 1 cup of water and stir constantly…bring to a boil & stir for one minute. Remove from heat and add the pre-measured crushed strawberries. Stir for another minute and spoon into freezer jars. I use recycled plastic butter tubs. Label and allow to set at room temp for 24 hours, then put in the freezer. Very simple. Any leftover berries are great as topping or how about a well deserved frozen margarita?
Get the family/friends involved and make light work of ‘putting up’ jam! You’ll be glad come mid-February!
Chevre means “Goat”
Published June 17, 2009 Farm , Goats , Herbs , cheese Leave a CommentTags: cheese, Herbs
- Holly, my daughter’s Alpine doe.
If you visit any country in the world, you’ll probably find cheese on the table! Through history, cheese appeared on the scene only after man domesticated animals. It’s not hard to imagine a biblical David with a bag of dried curds hanging from his belt as he delivered cheese and drink to his brothers in the field when he first encountered the giant Goliath!
If you enjoy raising fresh veggies for your table, baking bread or perhaps wine making, you’ll enjoy creating artisan cheese for family and friends - especially if you’re blessed with a few dairy goats!
In the process of cheese making, time, temperature, live cultures and patience becomes our teacher as we wait for the warm curds to form and set. I consider myself a beginner cheese maker and I’ll share my adventures in this craft to hopefully provide a bit of confidence to YOU! I will tell you that I’ve successfully made several soft cheeses (all from my goat’s milk) with minimal investment in cheese making equipment – chevre, ricotta and feta…and yogurt.
Today we’re making chevre. Chevre is the French word for “goat”. It is a soft, creamy cheese made from fresh whole goat’s milk. It makes an excellent spread and may be used as a substitute for cream cheese or ricotta in cooking (but, you’ll want to make ricotta too because it’s also simple to make!). Chevre is also a versatile cheese since you may add many different herbs and spices to it to create so many different variations! TIP: Naturally occurring lipase enzymes in goat’s milk is what gives goat’s milk cheese it’s unique flavor.
The first thing I noticed about my goat’s milk is that it is very white! Did you know: Goat’s milk contains no carotene, so it produces a whiter cheese. Goat’s milk is also naturally homogenized. Goat’s milk has smaller butterfat globules than cow’s milk – making it more easily digested. It also contains about the same butterfat content as cow’s milk.
A few words you should know: curds, whey, cultures, rennet. When we make cheese, the protein solids produce the curd. Every cheese starts with the same basic ingredients: milk, heat, bacteria/culture and rennet. Generally, pasteurized milk is warmed to a temp where ‘good’ bacteria thrive; rennet is added to help with curdling the milk… that is, to acidify the milk. Over time, the curd forms from protein, fats & solids separating the watery liquid called ‘whey’ from the ‘curd’. TIP: The whey may be used as a substitute for buttermilk in recipes and/or for the ‘liquid’ portion in bread making. You can also make cheese from whey, drink it, feed it to your livestock or enrich your compost pile.
Before your begin your cheesemaking adventure, you’ll need some basic cooking equipment. I prefer stainless steel pots, lids and utensils, a good ‘dairy’ thermometer that’s easy to read (20 – 220 degrees F), a slotted spoon, curd knife, whisk, measuring spoons & cups, colander and cheesecloth.
If you have your own fresh goat’s milk, you’ll need to pasteurize it first. Place 1 gallon goat’s milk in a double boiler (put the milk in a smaller pot and put it inside a larger pot filled with water). TIP: Make sure all your equipment is absolutely clean. Hot simmering water works well, but if you use hot soapy water and a weak bleach solution to clean & rinse your cheese making equipment make sure there’s no soap/bleach residue! We don’t want to kill the ‘good’ bacteria!
How to pasteurize raw milk: Slowly heat the milk in a double boiler until it reaches 145 degrees F. Stir occasionally for even heating and don’t read the temp near the bottom of the pan. Hold the temp at 145 degrees F for exactly 30 minutes. Remove the pot of milk from the pot of hot water and place it in the kitchen sink full of ice water. Stir the milk until the milk temp drops to 40 degrees F and refrigerate for future use.
For chevre cheese, we’ll drop the temp to 86 degrees F. Add & mix in 1 packet direct-set chevre starter 
(purchased in a freeze-dried powdered form from any cheese making supplier). I’ve listed a couple resources in my fav list. Stir gently in an up-and-down motion. Cover the pot with a lid and wrap it with a towel. I place the pot on top of the refrigerator where it’s nice and warm. Allow the milk to sit undisturbed for 12 hours – for ripening.
After 12 hours, the curd has formed and appears yogurt-like. The liquid portion surrounding the curd is the whey.
Using a slotted spoon, gently ladle the curd into a butter muslin or cheesecloth-lined colander. The whey will run off through the muslin into the container below while the curd remains in the muslin to dry. Gather the four corners of the muslin and hang the cheese to ‘dry’ for 6 - 12 hours until desired consistency. Here you see the ladeling process. TIP: You may also use cheese molds for this purpose.
The pic gives you a ‘primitive’ idea on how I place a wooden utensil through a knot in my butter cloth and suspend it between my kitchen cupboard knobs to drain! But, you get the idea…lol
Finally, you may unwrap or un-mold the cheese, add a little salt if you wish to bring out the flavor, along with fresh-picked (or dried) herbs, garlic, spices, etc. HINT: A bit of flake salt is usually added to soft and hard cheese. Salt’s alkaline base slows down and/or halts the acidification (souring) or fermentation process; it removes excess ‘tang’ and adds a little creaminess. It also acts as a preservative. Cheese salt is a coarse, non-iodized flake salt. Diamond Crystal kosher salt is a good substitute. NOTE: One gallon milk produces about 1 -1/2 pounds of chevre and may be stored for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. YUM…enjoy!
Welcome to My Veggie Garden – A Sneak Peek!
Published June 12, 2009 Farm , Gardening , Uncategorized 1 Comment
Welcome to our garden! Our raised bed veggie garden is a mix of some of our fav veggies like sugar snap peas, tomato, peppers, salad greens, beets, carrots, green beans and more; small fruits including currants, strawberries, raspberries, culinary herbs and a few edible flowers. Most visitors are surprised by and interested in our raised beds. Here, sugar snap peas are planted on a trellis along with most root crops since they enjoy the cool weather. I’ve underplanted them with mesculin mix to provide shade later.
We also have 3-stage compost bins – the idea is one box for collecting garden waste, another is compost that’s in-process or cooking and the third bin is for the finished product, a nice rich humus compost…which usually gets mixed right back into the garden in spring as we prep the beds for planting.
Centrally located is what appears to be an outhouse, but really serves as a handy tool shed to keep frequently used tools nearby.
A trellis will be constructed and installed as part of the bed as the tomatoes mature and are big enough to be staked. We don’t allow any of the fruit to lay on the ground while ripening and allows for good air circulation. 
Green beans and zucchini are growing along the other side of the bed. The black fabric helps to warm the soil, minimize weeds and is recycled every year. Sunflowers and hollyhock grows along the fenceline. It’s important to orient your garden properly to utilize sunlight throughout the day – taller plants to the north.
Potatoes are usually harvested later in the season when most of the foliage has died back. Our potato yield usually gets us through ’til next spring! It’s almost like digging for gold and discovering the bounty that lies below as you carefully dig them trying not to spear any!
A mix of salad greens are continually planted during the summer…even though it prefers cool weather and tends to bolt as soon as summer heats up. Summer’s heat has not arrived here in Michigan yet, so I worry a bit for the tomato and green peppers! There’s never much that gets wasted from the garden since one of the farm critters most often enjoys the trimmings or overgrown leaves. My goats are particularly fond of strawberries and rosemary. They enjoy a mixed palate of greens as do the chickens and rabbits. Even the sheep enjoy a treat now and then!
And finally, here’s Snowy – one of my barn cats and gardening companion. He especially enjoys visitors ‘rubbies’ and being the center of attention. I’m often requesting car checks for stow-aways, since Snowy is very curious and might enjoy finding himself going along for the ride!
Well, I made my first batch of Chevre cheese from this year’s freshening! That will be the subject of another post as I take you through each step of the cheesemaking process. This weekend I’ll be up to my eyeballs with sheep shows on Saturday and driving up to Alpena on Sunday to help a friend collect up her new Border Leicester lamb ewes! Fun, Fun, Fun!
Hello my dear friends!
It’s been a looooong time since we’ve last talked. I guess it’s just that time of year when EVERYTHING seems to run together, like, garden clean-up, spring planting, kidding, shearing, lambing, milking, bottle feeding, end-of-school-year activities, graduation (YEAH Matt!), re-opening the shop and mowing – or baling – the grass, etc. Of course, that ‘to-do’ list fails to mention all the unforeseen bumps in the road along the way. I’m sure you can relate, but it’s what keeps us going especially through these difficult economic times.
The goat kids are doing well. In another week (when the kids are eight weeks old) I’ll begin to wean them from mom’s milk. That’s when the fun begins because I’ll be back in the kitchen experimenting with goat’s milk cheesemaking! YUM! I’ll be sharing some simple cheesemaking tips and recipes in my blog. Yesterday, Katie and I spent the day with our goat kids and my goat EXPERT girlfriend, tattooing the kids with required ID for registration purposes. We also castrated the two buckie boys, since I have no real desire to maintain a buck on the farm for breeding. It’s enough juggling Tess (my ram) around between pastures! Katie will use her Alpine wether (that’s what we call a castrated buck goat) as a companion for her horse and in 4-H goat pack & agility projects. BTW, I’ve been pasturing my yearling ram with Katie’s horse, ACOOLCAT, for a couple of months now. A bit scary at first as they RACED around together bucking and kicking. Tess learned quickly how to stay out of harms way! They seem to be getting along famously now.
A little background info about tattooing. As a goat breeder, to register a dairy goat with the ADGA, you’re required to obtain a membership, apply for a herd tatoo ID and herd name. They’re used as a means of identifying and tracking our goats in future sales and shows. Of course, not all goats are required to be registered, especially if they’re to be used as backyard pets and you have no interest in moving them off the property.
We purchased a tattoo kit which comes with everything you need. A kind of like ’gun’ fitted with your herd ID letters/numbers, inked with a permanent dye and placed in the ear or tail (for some breeds), similar to getting your ear pierced. Katie successfully tattooed all her kids while I held them, with the exception of one kid, which she insisted I do. I managed to do quite well while she held onto Clove. Oh, I forgot to mention, we named the goat kids: Sweet Annie, Slader, Clove and Corriander. I’m think’n about “Indigo” for my Shetland lamb, but I have not settled on a name for her yet. Hmmm…
I’ve been spending time educating myself on sheep showmanship, wool fiber judging, etc, since my friend would like for me to enter my wooly sheep into our local fair. Lots of work! I enjoy my sheep and their beautiful fiber, never really pursued the showring path!? I’m very much a home body, living a simple quiet life on the farm.
The gardens are planted with the exception of tomato and green pepper plants and green beans. Memorial weekend is usually safe to plant without threat of frost. But, we had a hard frost here just last week! I’m still surveying lavender damage from this past winter and don’t think I’ll be re-planting lavender. I may be putting in a dye garden instead. I’ve also been busy fiber’n for a local show to be held at The Lamb’s Tail located here in Armada next Saturday, May 30. Please come and enjoy the show and visit with all the folks. It’s held outdoors and in a historic barn at a private residence. There’s a lot of talented artists supporting the shop & show: primitives, garden decor, antiques, re-used/re-invented treasures and creative one-of-a-kind art! I’ll be providing the rosemary lemonade for guests!
Have a great week! Also, please remember our brave countrymen who served in the armed forces to protect our very freedom! HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
Our feet do a lot for us. They take the beatings of the daily grind – getting crammed into ‘fashionable’ stilettos and narrow pumps – and carry the weight of the world on two tiny little plains. We take our feet for granted, so isn’t it time that we treat them with the respect they deserve? Yummy foot scrubs can be made with simple ingredients from the pantry depending on what you’re looking to cure. Treat your tootsies to an herbal soak followed by a sweet and luscious brown sugar foot scrub to help sooth those cracked heels, calloused toes and dry skin. Brown sugar also helps to slough off dead skin cells for faster skin regeneration and self repair. Apply the sugar scrub to pre-soaked damp feet for the best results. First, fill a shallow pan with warm water; add about a half cup sea salt, Epsom salt, fresh or dried herbs such as peppermint and lavender (a few drops essential oil works well too). A few smooth stones or glass marbles in the pan help to massage those tootsies! Soak for about 20 minutes and apply the sugar scrub.
Things You’ll Need for Sugar Scrub:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup oatmeal ground oats
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp almond oil (olive and jojoba oil work well too)
- Food processor
- Small bowl
- Microwave
- Spoon
- Airtight container
- Spatula
Mix Your Potion
1. Grind the oatmeal to a smooth powder in a food processor and set aside.
2. Combine the honey, lemon juice and almond oil in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
3. Add the brown sugar and wet ingredients to the oatmeal in the food processor and process for one minute or until the mixture is a smooth paste.
4. Using a spatula, pour the mixture into an airtight container and seal with the lid.
5. Rub the scrub onto pre-soaked damp feet and massage for one or two minutes. Be gentle. Rinse with warm water, pat dry with a towel and apply a thick lotion of foot cream.
I hope you enjoy this simple foot ’spa’ treatment - Happy Mom’s Day!
It’s been a very busy week in the garden…the weeds are growing like crazy! I’ve decided that if I can’t eat it (dye with it or make some herbal concoction), I’m not planting it. There’s only so many hours in the day for gardening in addition to all the other chores piling up around here. Actually, I stopped buying annuals for planters, window boxes, etc. a few years ago. Watering pots is very time-consuming, not to mention dragging around hundreds of feet of hose!!
Instead, I use native, drought tolerant, perennials, save-seeds to propagate and rely on mother nature to do the watering (unless a severe dry spell). Herbs, once established, are very drought tolerant and also display wonderful blooms. Of course, I’m always harvesting the herbs ’til late in the season when I allow some to flower to produce seeds. If you want a high yield of herbs, pick, pick, pick – don’t let them flower!
My potatoes and peas are planted in the veggie garden along with other cool weather crops. Spinach, lettuce, beets, kohlrabi, carrots. Holding off yet on the green peppers, cukes, summer squash, beans and tomatoes and such…’til after the threat of frost. That’s normally around Memorial weekend for our area.
If you’re considering planting a garden, think about a sunny location, near the house and water supply. Not in the back forty where you’ll forget about it. Start small with a few veggie favorites – a plan on paper is a great idea – with room to grow & expand in a year or two. A ‘potager’ is a great practical idea; easy access, small fruits, herbs, veggies and flowers all in one garden space…to feed the body and soul! Traditionally, a ‘formal’ garden design (think symmetry). You’ll eat better, save money, drive less, get fit, enjoy the outdoors and help the environment by attracting beneficial insects.
Happy gardening!
Dear Friends,
It is with great sadness that I bring you this news of my Shetland ewe, Polly. Yesterday she experienced great difficulty in lambing. When all was done, I managed to save Polly, but her beautiful twin ram lambs where dead. Today I will loose myself in work…
