Soapstone

The color came out funny when I took this picture.  The second picture is closer to the actual color.  We want to use Church Hill Soapstone on our countertops.  The quarry is right here in Virginia,  and it's completely food safe.  No toxins or chemicals are put on it.  Our builder wanted to put in granite, but soapstone is a much better fit for us as we seek out local, environmentally safe products.  Although we are not a certified organic farm (yet), our animals are not given any hormones or antibiotics.  The vegetables that we grow in our garden are raised from Heritage seeds, organically.  Soapstone is the perfect choice for us.
We've decided on kitchen cabinet color.  They will be Acadia White, which is a creamy white.  It's the middle color on the paint strip.  I think the black and cream contrast will be nice.

Repurposing

As we build our farmhouse, we have choosen to repurpose what we can.  Since we live on a farm and advocate buying food from a local farmer, we thought that we would try to buy as locally as possible.  It has been an interesting journey, and we've meet wonderful people !  This 1926 claw foot tub from Fredricksburg, Va., was refinished after this picture was taken.  It's carefully covered up until our new bathroom is ready for it.  We have collected some vintage, high back sinks to go in to the house.  This one is from Henderson, NC and is going in the kitchen. 
We also are strongly considering antique heart pine flooring.  That journey started on the farm with a chainsaw and poisen ivy as we cut through old logs.  We met other people who have used heart pine, and we've looked at their floors.  We searched for enough heart pine for our house, and we think we have found it.  The installer is coming to measure the house on Wednesday.  Heart pine is not as hard as other "normal" floor samples from the floor store.  It does, however, have character, is repurposed, and kind of local.  We think it will look perfect in the farmhouse.  I've read that stiletto heels leave marks on heart pine...no one should be on the farm in stiletto heels, so that works out well.  The kids were able to leave some marks on the wood (they love it when samples come, because they get to abuse them).   But the marks blend in to the wood.  With 4 kids, I need nail holes, knots, and bolt holes in the floor....floor companies call this the rustic look. 
The floor reminds me of when one of the kids was learning to write their name.  They wrote it on the couch with an orange magic marker.  And with a Sharpie on a couch pillow.  This same child (I think) and another sibling used magic markers to draw pictures on a new white dresser.  Washable markers only work on skin and clothes, I think.  I like to think of it as character.

Back in the saddle.....

We've been busy.  Busier than normal.  We knew when we moved to the farm that we needed to build a house.  Sounds so simple.  We wanted a house that looked like an actual farmhouse.  Finding floorplans was not simple.  Then we changed the interior to meet our needs.  In February our builder started working on the house.  Just getting to this point has been a really long process.  The drywall has been put up, and I'm supposed to be choosing paint colors.  And bathroom tile.  On Wednesday a floor installer from South Carolina is coming to measure the rooms for heart pine floor.  I also need to to finish making decisions about the cabinets.  That is the short list.  Hopefully blogging again will help clear my head, because nothing seems to be helping.

Horse Tales

Summer is flying by !

As we gear up for school, we have been thinking about what a great summer we have had on the farm. We have picked blackberries...and Ryan even learned how to can blackberry jelly and jam ! We now collect approx. 15 fresh eggs per day from the laying hens. We have Black Australorps that lay brown eggs, and Araucana/Americana's that lay colored eggs. Earlier in the summer we learned how to process our own meat chickens. We have been milking our Jersey cow...getting approx. 2 gallons of fresh milk per day. We have made butter, and attempted to make mozzarella cheese. Our first try at making the cheese didn't turn out, so after we start milking Lucy again we'll try again. Lucy (the cow) is now resting and not being milked until after she has her calf in September.

We have learned something new everyday...some good, some bad. We have had to learn some things the hard way. We learned not to put a strange baby pig in with an adult sow. Claire did not want Maggie Mae (the baby pig ) in with her and hurt her very badly. We moved Maggie Mae in with Fainting goats to recouperate. She is doing good now, and she's starting to think that she's a goat !

We have also had land cleared for a new house that we will start building soon. Every day continues to be an adventure here !

Red Wattles are here

5 Red Wattle pigs have been added to the farm. We will have piglets on the farm in August !

We also have 2 new fainting goat's who are bucks.

Dog Days of Summer

Hank has now joined us on the farm. He is a registered Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD). Hank is 7 weeks old, and he shows great potential ! Sarah, our LGD who is a Great Pryenees X Anatholian Shephard, has been patrolling the farm by herself. She does a great job...we have never seen anything like it. We have always had "indoor" dogs that were pets. Sarah doesn't need to be on a leash. She knows the boundaries of the farm, and when she hears or sees anything strange she gives warning barks. Otherwise, she is totally silent. Our Golden Retriever's bark MUCH more than Sarah does ! Sarah just ignores them...she has a job to do.
Sarah also is familiar with all of our farm animals, and protects them.
Last night, Sarah saw some deer . She ran towards them, stopped at the property line, barked and they ran away.
Hank goes outside for a few hours with us as we do farm chores. He is still a puppy, so he needs lots of breaks for puppy naps !

Working hard !

Every day brings something wonderful and interesting on the farm. We stay outside until about 9 p.m. at night working. We have put in a very big garden, and we've added lots of animals. We now have Lucy , our Jersey milk cow. She is pregnant and expecting in September. We have her on a schedule to milk her once a day - which is perfect for us right now. We get about 1 1/2 gallons of milk from her each time. I've made butter with the extra cream.

Our Freedom Ranger Poulet Rouge chickens are almost ready to be processed. We are looking forward to that....it will be a learning experience.

We have Bourbon Red turkeys, Black Australorpe (brown eggs) and Araucana/Americana (rainbow colored eggs) eggs layers, and fainting goats.

Red Wattle pigs are coming to the farm in a few weeks, and our first Murray Grey cattle will arrive soon, too.

We have more guinea's (that are still very young), and we are getting another Great Pyrenees dog - Hank. He is 5 weeks old, and we should be able to get him soon.

I've learned to use the tractor, and how to bush hog. We have had a lot of people laugh at what goes on here.....it really is fun, and we all love it here !

We've moved to the farm !

We have finally moved to the farm ! Mark went to Nature's Harmony Farm in Georgia to buy Sarah, our first Livestock Guardian dog. She is a Great Pyrenees X Anatolian Shephard. We have also ordered our laying hens, along with a few cute Bantam Silkies. We are getting another Great Pyrenees LGD, because Sarah will need help patroling the farm !

Buckhorn Creek Farm

We've all just returned from Virginia. Buckhorn Creek Farm is now ours ! It's in a small town in southern Virginia, and it's 165 acres. The sky was blue, it was peaceful, and at night the stars were brilliant. There were also fireflies ! We discovered chiggers, ticks, a snake, a swarm of bees, and a bunch of turkeys.

We worked all week on the house that we will be living in until we build a house. But first things first...we need to put up a fence and build a barn. Mark leaves for Virginia October 3rd, and starts his new job on October 5th. The horses will arrive some time in October, so there is a lot to do to get ready for them. Mark is also bringing our dogs and the guinea pigs.
So much to do !

Buying a Farm !

We have been looking at farms for a long time. Our learning curve has been steep, considering we've never lived on one before. There is so much more to consider than living in a subdivision. However, we finally found a 165 acre farm in Virginia that met our vision for our business. We close in September ! The house inspection has been done and the survey is supposed to be completed this week.

This is scary in some ways. The house leaves a lot to be desired. But we had decided that we wanted more land so that we could have a larger herd of cattle. I'm on board, but I have my moments.

We have a barn planned, a pond, and a ton of fencing has to be put up. More of the land has to be put into pasture.

We also have to get our house on the market....so much to do !

Send Out A Search Party....

We are trying to find a new kind of normal.

On December 24th, my dad was admitted into the hospital. We knew that he had a glioblastoma, grade IV. I left on Dec. 25th. to go to California and be with him while he was in the hospital. My mom came to stay with the kids. I was in CA for 2 weeks (about). Came home for a week, then went back. Came home for 2 days and went back again, this time to say my final goodbyes.

My dad died peacefully at home on February 2. We have just returned from CA (all of us) from his Celebration of Life Service.

The months of December and January have been a blur. I've stopped being self conscious about crying mightily in airports. And on airplanes. Each time I left dad it was unbearable.

My heart is broken that my precious dad isn't here anymore.

Tis The Season... !

Merry Christmas ! We are finally getting over being so sick...the kid's have been great though it all. Ryan and Mark arrived safely home from Virginia, and they had a great time looking at farms.

Pretty much the minute the guys left for the airport, 2 of the kids got really sick. 9 throw ups within 24 hours. This is how it works, you know. Then Emily got sick. I knew it was just a matter of time before I had it. That all of the Lysol in the world couldn't stop it. Then I got it SOOOO much worse then the kids. Today is my first day back to kind of normal. We've been out of commission here for awhile. A long while, to be exact.

Mark has had his hands very full taking care of us, plus getting ready for Christmas. I really hope he escapes whatever it is that we had. Which would be unusual, but a girl can hope !

Happy Birthday, Grammy Sue !

We love you !

School

This is a candid shot of Daniel and Emily doing school. They love to do it ! The best time at our house is when all 4 kids are around the table doing school.

Mark and Ryan left at 5 AM to go to the airport to PA/MD/VA for a farm convention. The farm conference is in PA, but they are flying into BWI and then will drive to PA. 2 days later, they drive back and trek around VA. Hopefully they will have time to see my brothers in MD/VA !

Farm School

That's what I'm calling it, anyway. Plans were finalized today for Mark to go to a 2 day seminar in Pennsylvania Dec. 4th and 5th. The course will teach about the business/financial aspects of farming. Grass fed farming, not regular farming. Better than organic. They also teach about rotational grazing, which types of animals to add and when, all the aspects of farming that we need to learn about to form our business model. Ryan is going to go too, and is very excited about this trip with his dad.

Then, Mark and Ryan will drive to Virginia and tour Joel Salatin's farm, and look at land. They'll leave here on Dec. 3rd, and return on Dec. 9th. Fun !!! I can't wait to hear what they find out !!!

Kindergarten !

Emily and Daniel have started Kindergarten ! My sweet children who move as one... Life is fun for this dynamic duo ! They are excited that they are actually doing school like their older brothers.

Happy Birthday !

Happy Birthday, Ryan! We now have a teenager ! Ryan is as tall (or taller) than I am, and his feet are bigger than my husbands. Yikes ! Since everyone still isn't feeling great, we ordered pizza, had cake and watched a movie. I'll be so glad when everyone is back to normal again. 13 years old....Wow !

What does Heritage mean ?

Heritage, in terms of animals and produce, means rare and old breeds/plants. The kind your grandparents grew up eating. They do best on pasture, and produce rich, tender and juicy flavors. Studies have shown that meat raised on grass is higher in omega-3 oils, are rich in vitamins and minerals, and contains less fat and cholesterol. Grassfed beef is also higher in cancer fighting Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Beta Carotene, and Vitamin E. Consider this : "within the past 15 years, 190 breeds of farm animals have gone extinct worldwide, and there are currently 1,500 others at risk of becoming extinct. In the past 5 years alone, 60 breeds of cattle, goats, pigs, horses and poultry have become extinct."
Why ? The answer is mass production. Nutrition and taste has been forfeited for profit.

The Plan

Our long term goal (hopefully within a year) is to move to a farm and raise heritage meat and produce. We've been learning about this for a year now. I guess you would call us grass farmers, since our animals would be raised on pasture. The ultimate goal is to be able to provide people with the option of buying food that not only tastes good, but is healthier than what you would buy in the grocery store. We still have a lot of work to do, as far as creating a business model. We are narrowing down the breeds of animals, and we think we will have beef, poultry, and pork. Plus eggs and a milk cow.
This dream started when we bought a half side of grass fed beef from a farmer. We had read about the nutritional benefits and were shocked. The more we have researched, the more shocked we became at what has happened to our food supply.
2 years ago, this was not on our radar at all....however, the more we learned and researched, the more we knew this is what we wanted to do.
Buying the horses was actually part of our preparation for this. We wanted to learn about big animals and feel comfortable around them. We've made great contacts, and people have helped us in so many ways with advice/knowledge/experience. We never would have met those people if it hadn't been for the horses !
So that's the plan, Stan.