Im going to let Donna explain.....

Today I'm going to send you all over to my favorite farmers blog, She is one hell of a raw milk advocate and my mentor. Her name is Donna O'Shaughnessy from South Pork Ranch in Chatsworth IL.

South Pork Ranch is where I learned to milk, grew some serious...uh? guts? about Raw Milk laws and always go when I need a little inspiration. You could say we model our farm after them, and I value every minute I spend there as an intern.

 

There are some very bad things going on right now in our world. The world of a small farmer....(well South pork ranch is small...so that means we are a micro farm)

......Back to the point......

If I tried to explain all these Raw Milk laws it would be a mass of capital letters and exclamation points and I might even swear! So to spare you all of that, ill let you hear it all from one of the toughest little raw milk farmers in Illinois

http://www.midlifefarmwife.blogspot.com/

If you do not already follow Donna's blog over at South Pork Ranch you are missing out. She is a great writer and the most genuine person you will ever meet.....If you are close enough to Chatsworth and ever get the chance.

How do you know its spring?

Some people wait for green grass, birds, and melting snow. Here, we know its spring when there is baby animals everywhere! I mean right now there are 25 chicks in my dining room.

This year got even more chaotic when a phone call from a friend brought a little lamb into our lives. Every so often (actually it happens more often than I want to think about) there are animals born that will not make it with out our help. Sometimes the mothers reject them and sometimes they are just small and weak.

I know I know....some people are think that that is just nature and only the strong survive and that's the way it should be



Now say that to this face.......

This is Lamby, he was born on a sheep farm not too far from our place. His mother gave birth to two healthy strong lambs.......and my little Lamby. Since an ewe only has two teats it would be very hard for this little guy to ever get any feeding time. Now ....I understand that a sheep farmer can not bottle feed every single lamb that needs it. I mean he would never get anything done!

However, I will always try......I mean look at that face!

 

 

So when I got that call...."Shannon would you like to bottle feed a lamb?" I didn't hesitate.

 Hes tiny and still doesn't quite get the concept of nursing but he has my heart already. ...
and yes ill admit im getting nothing done. Who wouldn't want to just snuggle him all day?

He is with me all day long, if not in his laundry basket he's at my feet or in my arms. I love him.

 

Spring is already a very busy time on any farm, but I bet I can speak for all farmers when I say I wouldn't have it any other way.

So how do I know when its spring? When there is a kiddie pool full of chicks in my dinning room and a baby lamb following me all over the house.

~You will never know true happiness until you have done something for someone who can never repay you

Just oil and water

Natural solutions is kind of my thing. So, it may come as a surprise that I had a hard time letting go of my commercially made facial cleanser. I'm even ashamed to tell you which product it was...

I know I know......


I now wash my face with something way better than that stuff ....... Oil

Say whaaaaaaat????? Yes just plain old Almond oil. I know what you are thinking "how in the world can oil wash your face?"

Oil washing may be a new concept to some but it is actually an ancient practice. It is also very easy to understand without a chemistry degree

Like dissolves like

So, what you’re doing is dissolving and wiping away all the icky dirty oil from your face and replenishing it with clean, nourishing oil. Easy peasy right?

There’s no harsh chemicals involved. No suds. Nothing actually stripping your skin of its  oil.
And this is good, because when you strip your skin of its sebum, it over works, trying to create more oil. Which causes clogged pores, blackheads, and whiteheads. That's not what we are going for here people!

There are so many good natural oil to choose from:

      Jojoba (all skin types, but very desirable for acne-prone skin)
      Sweet almond (all skin types, especially oily)
      Grapeseed (all skin types, especially oily)
      Avocado (dry and aging skin)
      Sunflower Seed (all skin types)
      Apricot Kernel (dry, aging, and normal skin)
      Argan (all skin types, especially aging skin)

My favorite is the sweet almond, Click following link to find NOW Foods Sweet Almond Oil, Moisturizing Oil, 16 ounce but grapeseed oil increases skin elasticity and smooths fine lines so its another great facial oil. You can find that hereNow Foods Grape Seed Oil, 16 Ounce

So now you are thinking "Ok, HOW do you wash your face with oil?"

Step one: Take your oil and gently rub all over your face in a circular motion, leave it on for a few minuets. Sometimes I sit with the oil and a warm wash cloth over my face (I've also been know to fall asleep like that )
Step two:  Take the clean wash cloth and warm water and wipe oil off your face

Lol its that simple! The first thing you will notice after the very first time is how soft it leaves your skin. It blew me away, I couldn't stop touching my face. The next thing you'll notice is there is little to no need for a moisturizer after oil washing. Only on very cold winter days will I use a tiny bit of my homemade facial moisturizer.

There is nothing better than knowing i have eliminated one more product filled with chemicals, dyes and parabens.

So have you tried oil washing? Tell me what oil works best for you?

 

It aint all sunshine and lolipops

DISCLAIMER: This post was written while still under the influence of annoyance and irritation. Please do not take offence, rather be annoyed with me.

I am no stranger to hard work, growing up on my fathers farm we had horses, and lots of them! So  there was no shortage of chores, repairs and plain old sweaty back breaking labor! Its no different here on our farm.....Except my Dad isn't here to help me. My husband also works full time, so who do you think takes care of all this?

*crickets*

ME... Dang it .... Just little ole' ME!!!

So you can imagine my frustration when someone says....

" It must be so nice to be home all day"

or

 "wow, I wish I could just run a small farm"

or

"I could do THAT"

Just kidding 

 I must make farming look cute and easy.
This must be because I love what I do, but seriously ladies and gents sometimes it ain't all sunshine and lollipops.

Sometimes its cow manure and overalls.

Let me break down a day for ya.....

7:30am - No time for breakfast! i slept in, and now I'm late for milking (Rainie is mad) Throw my hair in a pony tail and grab the milk pail, running through snow drifts to MILK THAT COW!
8:30am - Its above freezing! So I chop up and shovel all ice out of the channel/stalls
9:30am - Clean all stalls, add new bedding, fill water buckets.
                     piglet seams to be lethargic....check temp, give electrolytes.
10:00am - grab a granola bar so I don't pass out, and head back out to build a new stall for the baby calf.
Noon - Go get hay....then stack hay ( most hated job ever!)
1:00pm - Oops I didn't turn fence on so the baby cow tore a section out. Restring fence and fire it up
2:00pm -  FINALLY make it to the chicken coop to gather eggs, notice there are STILL wild birds getting in..... trudge back to the barn to grab extension ladder and supplies to cover any remaining entry point for the little chicken feed thieves
3:00pm -  Noticed a chicken is getting picked on so outfit her with an apron and move on
4:00pm -  Eat something so I don't die and then load manure truck ......drive said manure truck and get stuck in snow...unload the dang manure truck in the DARK! (stupid winter)
6:00 Run into town for feed and a new bucket since I cracked mine when I chucked it at the dog for barking at the calf
8:00 Prompt appointment with my milk cow ( She does not care if I had a long day, Its her time)
9:00 Drag myself inside to strain and bottle that precious milk
9:30 Back outside to feed every one, clean their stalls, fill their buckets and tuck them in for the night
10:30 Crawl across the yard and inside where I get straight in the shower, ignoring the pile of paperwork on my desk and ton of receipts to enter into computer
11:00 Fall face first into bed.

* All day answering Facebook, emails, and phone calls from our awesome customers (Thank God for I phones and social media aps for your phone)

The next time someone says they are feeling a little jealous of all my "free time" Ill just invite them to come help with chores one day......and smile when they cant keep up.

 

Have a wonderful Friday everyone :)

The Honey Bee Hive Drive

Its no secret that honey bees are in grave danger, and a world without them is a world with our nuts, fruits, seeds and vegetables. That is a BIG HUGE GIGANTIC problem!

Nearly one-third of the world's crops are dependent on honeybees for pollination, Not to mention our little farm is part of that number. Over the last 10 years the precious pollinators have been dying at unprecedented rates in the U.S and over seas.

Why ?

Pesticides......Big surprise? I think not! But a lack of bees threatens farmers who depend on these nectar and pollen-eating animals for their pollination services. Yet they are killing the very thing they rely on!!!! .....Big surprise? NO! but that is a rant for another day.

Lets talk about what we can do about it...

We want to do our part at Justafew Acres to support the honey bee. We want to host a Honey Bee colony here on the farm, as well as hold demonstrations and hands on workshops to raise awareness. If everyone had a backyard hive just imagine the impact. Honey Bees make great house guests!(well yard guests)

You can Sponsor the bees by clicking the button below and getting involved in

 Justafew Acres Hive Drive

Your donation will help us
 * Add Honey Bees to Justafew Acres and help support Honey Bee numbers.
 * Build a Honey Bee utopia for their food and pollination needs
 * Hold workshops to teach about our worlds Honey Bee colonies
 * Build visual hives for teaching demonstrations

We can make a difference in the Honey Bees world.....lets see how big a difference!

Be the Change you want to see in the world -Ghandi

Baby Piggles

With all the attention Rainie had been getting our pig Pancetta was feeling very left out. After all she was pregnant too.

You see, here at Justafew Acres we raise pigs....but not the eatin kind. The cuddling kind...

Potbelly pigs

Lots of people have inquired about our most recent litter and I thought it was about time to give out some piggle facts

Here is the most important things to remember.....

Potbelly pigs are no different than a small dog so that means it doesn't matter where you live. If you can have a dog you can have a pig.

They are smart! So very smart they get themselves in trouble. A bored pig is a pig in trouble. Its best to give your pets appropriate toys and keep them contained when you are not home.

Diet Diet Diet....pigs get as big as you feed them, and that's not good for them. A good potbelly food or a diet dog food is best. Healthy treats only!

Pigs make great alternatives for people allergic to dogs or cats because they are hypoallergenic. They make wonderful pets for people allergic to pet hair because pigs do not shed like most dogs and cats.

Pigs are also very easy to potty train as they want to go far from where they eat and sleep.

Pigs don’t like to be carried much but they love to snuggle on your chest or lap. They can be extremely affectionate and make wonderful lap babies.

 

Happy Snuggles

The baby and the blizzard

Hello all! Things have gotten really crazy here on the farm. In one week we added 6 babies to our farm family. Its also been extremely cold here so here is the story of our baby and the blizzard.


Not so long ago in a far off land lived a farmer whose cow was getting close to having her precious calf. This wasn't just any cow, it was the sweetest most delightful cow you will ever meet. It was also the farmers most favorite cow.

 The farmer was very nervous because this was her first cow and there was bad weather coming....She worried "would it be warm enough in the cozy barn for the baby cow?"..." Was she prepared with all the essential tools, towels, and bottles?"
As the time grew closer, and the weather colder, the farmer worked furiously, fixing drafts and stocking hay. She kept the stall full of fluffy straw bedding and the water bucket full to the rim with fresh water

"surely it will happen today" she thought. So she checked on her momma cow every half hour.....nothing. Puzzled the farmer sent pictures and updates to her farm friend who said "Be patient!" "Don't give up!"

So the farmer did what any concerned farmer would do.....She made up a cozy bed next to her sweet little cow's stall and spent the night.

As the temperature dropped and the wind blew the farmer got more worried but that smart cow knew what she was doing. She was waiting. In the early morning as the sun came streaming in the windows warming her stall she went into labor.

  The farmer woke up to soft mooing coming from her sweet momma cow. The baby was finally coming! The farmer sat up in her sleeping bag on her makeshift bed and that sweet momma cow delivered her calf right at the farmers feet.

The farmer cried as she cleared the baby's face and cried even more when she saw how excited her momma cow was to see her baby.

As the momma cow cleaned her precious baby her soft but excited moos were filling the barn. By 10am the baby was standing and nursing and all was well.

 

So since the baby was all tucked in the cozy hay with a belly of warm milk the farmer went inside to take a long nap

The end