I am the self proclaimed queen of failing. I have achieved it so often, that it equals my successes! My motto is, Life is short; LET’S Go! My partner-in-crime goes along with most of my hair brained schemes, only very so often vetoing them and every so often coming up with a brilliant idea that…
Tag: farming
The Exciting Pile of Woodchips
I was doing a bit of a jig and Doug had a big smile on his face as we watched a beautiful sight. A tree company dumping a huge load of woodchips in our driveway! It’s the little things, you know, and this was truly a happy day! We are on a mission to transform…
What Ever Happened to Monsanto? (well, let me tell you…)
I think everyone had heard of Monsanto. They were becoming the monster of the ages. Sued by countries and farmers everywhere; they were the profiteering, poisoning mega-giant, successfully putting small farmers out of business and watching cancer rates soar. Monsanto and genetically modified crops were in the news but also protected by the US government….
Hori Hori (such a fun word to say)
Permaculture originated in Japan, along with some amazing farm implements. I have a Japanese sickle that I can never remember the name of and began calling it a Hibachi because I couldn’t remember any other Japanese word! (Not proud of this.) Well, fast forward, and all my farm interns call it that too. At least…
The Foxfire Series of Books
A student of mine gave me a copy of the first Foxfire book years ago. What a gift! I ended up ordering the whole series because that type of wisdom and writing could be gone in a generation. The Foxfire books were started by a teacher and his high school students in the late sixties…
Encanto Sanctuary
Last January, we had an idea. An amazing, wonderful idea! We would start an animal sanctuary. Within two weeks, Encanto Sanctuary; Farm Animal Sanctuary and Learning Homestead had its 501(c)(3) charitable status, a donated logo, and a passion behind it that would push it forward. It started out strong, lots of support and a fair…
Trading Skills
My husband and I started a non-profit animal sanctuary, Encanto Sanctuary, almost a year ago. We got our 501(c)(3) status and I went to work full out with website, social media, brochures, fund raising sites, and started taking in more animals that needed a safe place to live their lives. “Farm Animal Sanctuary and Learning…
Why We Homestead (10th anniversary)
How fitting on my tenth blogging anniversary, that I would sit down with my cup of coffee to write why I am returning to homesteading with a fervency and peace I haven’t had in awhile. I entered a space of wondering why I do the things I do. I grew weary and older and wondered…
Hooked on Homesteading
6:30 am: The wind howled at fifty miles an hour all night, folding pieces of the greenhouse and threatening loose objects. My wwoofer, Maycee, and I rapidly pick green tomatoes, filling two large canning pots, saving all we can. The tarp and blankets only cover 15×4 feet of tomato plants. We cover the zucchini and…
A Greenhouse Raising
We have been here a year. I can hardly believe how time flies! My granddaughter and I found an earth worm in the potato patch, a sure sign that our sand and shale desert soil farmed in a sustainable, no-till fashion- in just one season- is becoming an oasis. Now this land needs a greenhouse….
Farmgirl School 