We’ve had a much-needed break from livestock chores over the Winter, and time for reflecting and planning. In that time we have finished redesigning the barn. I’m struggling to marshal enthusiasm about the process of rebuilding, but I am very excited for the structure to be complete! The only similarities to the old barn will … More What’s Next for Shelterbelt?
If you have a desire to put your food dollars toward products that are good for the planet and also for your health, you are not alone. The organic, natural, and “clean” food industries have been growing explosively. The problem with such rapid growth is that the sophisticated marketing departments at major corporations have noticed, … More Natural, Grass-fed, Organic…Label Confusion!
“If you have livestock, you’re going to have dead stock,” a wise farmer friend told me when I was getting started. This depressing statement has repeatedly proven accurate. In our first year on this land, we were trying to beat back the brush that had encroached over 3 decades of neglect, and then use the … More Circle of Life
We’re raising two batches of chickens this year. Both are now fattening nicely on a diet rich in bugs, greens, organic corn and squash seed meal. They’ll be processed in mid-June and late July, and available for pick-up fresh from the farm on Sat. June 16th or Sat. July 28th, or frozen any other time. … More Get Your Fresh (or Frozen) Chicken Here!
Farming and raising children–especially when both parents are still working off-farm–is like trying to run a marathon uphill the whole way, barefoot, with a sack of rocks on your back. At least, that’s what this summer has felt like. Maybe I only feel that way because I’m 6 months pregnant. Or maybe that’s just how … More Farming with the Whole Family
It’s been a while since our last update. We had a major scramble as the trees, bees, and chicks all arrived around the same time (who planned that, anyway??) and of course, finishing the chickens’ pasture shelters took about three times longer than we thought it would. But the trees are in the ground – … More Off and running
Shelterbelt Farm 