Uncategorized

My First Sewing Project

Remember how I said I was going to wait until February to start using my new sewing machine? I should have known better I guess because I completed my first project on Friday night. When we attended the Michigan Sheep Breeders’ Association (MSBA) Bred Ewe Sale at MSU in November we purchased two ewe lambs. One of the them had just been sheared and the former owners were nice enough to lend us a Sheep Sox to keep her warm. For those familiar with horses Sheep Sox are similar to slinkies. Basically it is a Lycra tube with leg holes in it. They are mainly used to keep animals clean before showing but also seemed to keep our sheep warm. I tucked a bath towel under her sock for an extra layer. I left the sock on for a few days when we got home to help her adjust to the temperature. Before I took it off she managed to put a good sized tear in the side. The garment didn’t look too hard to make so I bought some Lycra (spandex/nylon). I laid the old sock out and traced the basic outline on to the new fabric. I found

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bookkeeping / farming

How We Do Bookkeeping (The Basket System)

Although some of my friends find it funny, one of my favorite things about the New Year is that it brings with it a new fiscal year. I am a big Dave Ramsey fan and am definitely the “nerd” in the relationship for those who know what that means. Picture me with a giant pie chart dictating to my husband as though I am the CEO of a giant corporation. Okay, so that hasn’t actually happened yet, but I can see it in my future. Anyway, I thought I would share how we handle bookkeeping here at the farm. It has been a big change for me to go from having my little utility bills and car payment to now having thousands of dollars cross the desk at any given time. It has also been a big change for my husband to shift from his old bookkeeping method: shoving everything in a box and sorting it in to piles at the end of the year. After a couple years of working together we have developed a pretty good system and hope to refine it even more this year. INCOMING:One key part of keeping track of everything is keeping everything. My

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Uncategorized

2009 Seed Order

I was hoping to recap the varieties of produce I had grown last year but since last years invoice is currently missing I think I’ll wait and do that at a later date. I made my list of seeds to order awhile back and decided today was the perfect day so I went ahead and placed my order. First, I sorted through the seeds left from last year. Here is what I have left from 2008 (all purchased seeds): Dill – Bouquet: never opened, never did make pickles anywayGolden Bantam 8-Row Sweet Corn: After sweet talking my hubby in to rototilling the main garden (breaking sod for the first time) I decided not to push it and try for an extra patch for sweet corn. Maybe this year tho!Connecticut Field Pumpkin: Again, I didn’t have a separate patch for them. I think I’m going to plant these at my Mom’s house if she’ll let me since they’re relatively low maintenance and she has lots of room.Long Purple Eggplant: among my seed starting failures, a lot leftDanvers 126 Half Long carrot: LOTS left!Marketmore 76 cukes: a few seeds left, not very happy with their performanceShort Stuff sunflowers: never got around to

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centennial / chickens / conferences / farming / marketing

Conferences and Seminars

We have a busy month planned so I thought I would share the long list of conferences going on this winter in my area. I’m not sure how many Michigan readers I have but in any case maybe this will motivate others to look for educational opportunities in their area. I’ve included links when I have them and a little more about why each applies to our operation for those interested. Jan. 3,4: MSBA (MI Sheep Breeders Asso.) Michigan Shepherd’s WeekendWhere: Sheraton Lansing Hotel; Lansing, MICost: $30/person or $40/family + $20 to join if you’re not a member, assuming you didn’t register before Dec. 26th.Highlights: What is the optimum size for YOUR flock?, Recycling nutrients from manure (hoping we can apply what we learn to all our animals), Getting Lambs to Market on Grass.Why it applies: We have 4 Suffolk ewes and expect our very first lambs in late winter/early spring. We’d like to learn a much as possible to help us produce high quality lambs whether they go to 4H kids for show or directly to buyers as meat.More Info: www.misheep.org Jan. 17th: Michigan Family Farms ConferenceWhere: Lakeview High School; Battle Creek, MICost: $35/adult $25/children $30/MIFFS memberHighlights: How to

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garden / heirloom seeds / onions / planting / questions / spring / starting seeds

How Do You Start Your Seedlings?

I am happy to be back to blogging after the holiday. I meant to leave a more upbeat post up over Christmas but have been having a lot of trouble with my internet connection and therefore gave up. I have some nice Christmas pics to post and I’d like to share what gifts we gave this year, as well as some nice things we received. Today, though, I would like to discuss something that has been on my mind a lot, and apparently on others too. Let’s talk about garden plans! The latest edition of Hobby Farms is full of tips and tricks for garden planning. Sharon Astyk posted awhile back about signs of a possible seed shortage so I sorted through what was left of last year’s seeds and made my list for this year. I order my seeds almost exclusively through Baker Creek Seed Co. at rareseeds.com. They are a great company to deal with and produce a wonderful catalog chuck full of good information. The real reason I prefer them is because they care so much about seed integrity and I trust them. Frankly, I don’t have to time or the knowledge to sort through other catalogs

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truck drivers / winter

Respect on the Road

It sure is time to cuddle up and settle in around here. We’ve had one blizzard after another and it is still snowing. Friday was so bad that a lot of businesses in town closed. The other girls at work left early and so did I. Blizzards like this affect our household a lot because Brian works for the road commission. That means that he came home at 10 PM on Friday, worked 7 AM – 3 PM on Saturday, and then 14 hours yesterday. Since he gets a lot of crap from people who think his job is so great, we’re quick to point out the downsides! When the phone rings he has to go, regardless of what he’s doing. He is allowed to decline, especially if he’s had a beer or is out of town, but he rarely ever does. I am hoping now that he worked all weekend that maybe he won’t get called on Christmas Eve. That is when my family’s big Christmas is and it would be a real bummer if he couldn’t go. The picture up above is Brian’s road grader. That is what he drives most of the time, pushing back snow from

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local / marketing / questions / venting

If The Economy Is So Bad….?

If the economy is so bad, why is it so incredibly hard to find good service? My husband and I continue to be amazed at the crappy service we receive from businesses. I guess since things are “so bad” I would expect businesses to step it up a notch and do everything they can to keep their customers. Here are three examples of disappointing experiences we’ve had lately. The first one is rather long but the other two are quick:-We received some cash towards new appliances for a wedding gift. After watching sales for awhile I called the Lowe’s about a half hour from here. I asked if they had any black or stainless steel gas stoves in stock with a storage drawer at the bottom. The woman assured me they had two in stock. After driving all the way there we were pointed to only one stove that fit our description and told that the floor model was the only one they had left and we could have it at 10% off if we liked. Of course it was dented and scratched!! When I mentioned my phone call ahead I was told that the girl who answered my call

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christmas / local

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree…

Not much time this morning but I thought I’d post a few pics of our visit to the local Christmas tree farm on Sunday. We had fun posing and got some cute pics of our friend’s mules. This will probably be our last Blue Spruce. At half the price, the Scotch Pine is sounding better and better all the time. We paid $41 for our tree this year, partially because they only allow you to cut trees that are 6′ tall and we only wanted a little one. I would be interested to hear what the rest of you are paying in other parts of the country. Maybe I’m crazy but I think the price is getting a little high. Oh well, we had fun anyway! Here you go:

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bread / homemade / self-sufficiency

A Twinge of Self-Sufficiency

I like to play this game where I try to stock up enough food and staples that I don’t have to go grocery shopping for a long time. After a lot of practice I finally got to where the only things on the list were dairy products such as milk, cheese slices, cheese sticks, and butter. Apple juice also had a permanent spot on the list. After a few good sales we now have lots of cheese and butter in the freezer and many, many gallons of juice in the pantry. We’re down to picking up a gallon of milk here and there when we stop at the local meat market for lunch meat. Today when I came home from work I walked in to the kitchen and sat my tin I Love Lucy lunch box on the counter as usual. From there I looked over towards the fridge and could see that two lines at the top of the grocery list had writing on them. Darn! I thought, what could we possibly be out of!?! bagelscream cheese Bagels – hmmph! The last package almost got moldy before I pointed that out and my hubby quickly scarfed them down as

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christmas / pumpkins / recipe / walnuts

Pumpkin Pie Squares

Abbie over at Farmer’s Daughter is hosting a Christmas Cookie Recipe Swap! I’m excited to check out everyone recipes. Here’s my first contribution. Pumpkin Pie SquaresRecipe taken from Farm Journal’s Best-Ever Cookies by Patricia A. Ward. 1 c. sifted flour1/2 c. quick-cooking oats1/2 c brown sugar, packed1/2 c. butter1 (16-oz.) can mashed pumpkin (2 c.) <—-2 c. was most of a bigger can for me, not sure about that1 (13.5-oz.) can evaporated milk2 eggs3/4 c. sugar1 tsp. ground cinnamon1/2 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. ground ginger1/2 tsp. ground cloves1/2 c. chopped pecans1/2 c. brown sugar, packed2 Tbs. butter Combine flour, oats, 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/2 c. butter in bowl. Mix until crumbly, using electric mixer at low speed. Press dough into bottom and 1/2″ up sides of ungreased 13x9x2″ baking pan. Bake in 350 degree (F) over 16 minutes.Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves in bowl. Beat well, using rotary beater. Pour into baked crust.Bake in 350 degree (F) oven 20 minutes.Combine pecans, 1/2 c. brown sugar and 2 Tbs. butter; sprinkle over pumpkin filling. Return to oven and bake 15 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool in pan on rack. Cut into 2

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