Kitsara
Overrun with beasties
Well, I figure I'll give this journal business a shot. Make for a nice record of things down the road. So first off:
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1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
I live in Eastern Colorado. It's a semi-arid climate, and every little bit of moisture we get is the be praised.
3. How would you define your farm?
We have a total of 250 acres, though it's split up into two separate pieces. We live on the main one which is 170 acres, all of it grassland and cactus. Lucikily it's more of a clay soil than the other side of the river which is more sandy.
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
I would raise reindeer and get learn how to make mini wagons and stage coaches and get into miniature horses.
5. Have you ever built a house, barn , or other types of building? Do you want to?
I've helped build our shed which we have now converted into our house, and I've built a PVC pipe frame greenhouse that we converted into a chicken coop, and then rebuilt it when our two doelings discovered how much fun it could be too dance across it.
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?
I have welded steel and some aluminum in the past, mainly with Oxy-Acet but that was in the military and too many years back.
7. Who or what inspired you to be a farmer/rancher, hobby farmer?
I have always enjoyed being out in the country and I've always wanted goats, ever since I was really little and spent many a time 'talking' to the goats of one of my parents friends. And was delighted that they would talk back.
8 Is it a hobby or an occupation?
It's more than a hobby and not quite an occupation. It's my livelihood, though we are not yet making money from it to be considered and occupation, but it is keeping us in food.
9. In what areas are you knowledgeable and in what areas would you like to learn more?
I need to learn more about goats, more hands-on stuff. Only so much you can do with books. It can prepare you, but nothing beats the real thing. I just wish there was someone nearby I could work with. I've had some hands-on with sheep when I was a teenager, but that was pretty much only a summer's worth.
10. In what types of farming will you never choose to do?
I've come to learn, never say never. I never thought I would living without electricity and internet. (Have to go 20 miles into twon and use the library).
11. Are you interested in providing more of your own food supply?
Most certainly. At the moment, we've homegrown our own rabbit, chicken and turkey for the table, and eventually we will add goats to that. One of these years we will add beef and prk to the table and this coming year we'll be adding duck to our pantry shelves.
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
I used to have a CDL, but I've let it lapse over the years, and I'll be getting experience with a tractor soon. We just purchased a used one, though we still need implements for it.
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
I currently knit and crochet and I'm looking into making some small sculptures with cold porcelain and will be learning how to make soap as well as cheese from our goats milk.
15. Can you legally have all forms of livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Yes, we have goats, rabbits, ducks, chickens as well as dogs and cats
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, degreed?
I am a Certified Massage Therapist, though the area we live is pretty poor, so unfortunately I don't have a lot of clients.
24. Are you interested in herbal animal medicine?
I am very much interested in it, and I am constantly gathering information on it. I really believe in treating what I can holistically and naturally and use as little in the way of manufactured drugs. For myself as well. When things are beyond my kin, then I do seek out Western medicine.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
I have a wood stove for heating, it's just a little thing, but then the house is little too. There's not a lot of space on top, but I have cooked on it with my cast iron skillet and pots. The rest of my cooking I am currently using a propane camp stove. This year I'm hoping to have a gas stove/oven installed.
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
To an extent. I do get bored with cooking sometimes. Mainly because I miss having an oven to use. I'm curious about raw milk, but I am still on the fence post about it.
30. What was your best animal experience? Worst?
33. Do you process your own meat? Can or preserve?
Currently I have helped butcher our rabbits, chickens and turkeys. I'm not looking forward at butchering goats or even a steer later. We typically can all our meat right now since I don't have refrigeration, let alone a freezer on the farm. Though a few have gone into the freezer in the city where the rest of the family is.
34. Do you use alternative energy sources on your farm? Would you like to?
Only energy right now past the well house is a generator that's only run for a short bit each night. I would love to have solar and wind power.
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It has been an interesting year so far. We've lost a number of rabbits due to the weird weather we've had lately. Warm days and then absolutely frigid days. So I'm down to two bucks and two does. I need more does and I'll likely be getting rid of one of the bucks at a chicken swap later next month and hopefully getting in some more does and maybe a different buck if I find a good one. The one buck I have is son and half-sister to the other two does. So certainly need some new stock.
Chickens have been doing great, they are really enjoying their ability to fly over their fence and browsing around. Though they all will follow me back inside their yard. After all I might have something good for them. The ducks are a trip. They are more chicken then the chickens.
The goats have fun helping me 'herd' them back into the coop though.
It really has been quite the adjustment getting used to living out here, but I enjoy having my son in a smaller high school, as does he (especially after having lived in the area of Columbine and Aurora). He's really opened up quite a bit and is trying new things, which is hard for him (mildly autistic). The lack of electricity is certainly interesting, though I miss internet more, but I've been getting over it. And then with being given goats to take care of back in the fall. Well. I've been happy.
----
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
I live in Eastern Colorado. It's a semi-arid climate, and every little bit of moisture we get is the be praised.
3. How would you define your farm?
We have a total of 250 acres, though it's split up into two separate pieces. We live on the main one which is 170 acres, all of it grassland and cactus. Lucikily it's more of a clay soil than the other side of the river which is more sandy.
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
I would raise reindeer and get learn how to make mini wagons and stage coaches and get into miniature horses.
5. Have you ever built a house, barn , or other types of building? Do you want to?
I've helped build our shed which we have now converted into our house, and I've built a PVC pipe frame greenhouse that we converted into a chicken coop, and then rebuilt it when our two doelings discovered how much fun it could be too dance across it.
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?
I have welded steel and some aluminum in the past, mainly with Oxy-Acet but that was in the military and too many years back.
7. Who or what inspired you to be a farmer/rancher, hobby farmer?
I have always enjoyed being out in the country and I've always wanted goats, ever since I was really little and spent many a time 'talking' to the goats of one of my parents friends. And was delighted that they would talk back.
8 Is it a hobby or an occupation?
It's more than a hobby and not quite an occupation. It's my livelihood, though we are not yet making money from it to be considered and occupation, but it is keeping us in food.
9. In what areas are you knowledgeable and in what areas would you like to learn more?
I need to learn more about goats, more hands-on stuff. Only so much you can do with books. It can prepare you, but nothing beats the real thing. I just wish there was someone nearby I could work with. I've had some hands-on with sheep when I was a teenager, but that was pretty much only a summer's worth.
10. In what types of farming will you never choose to do?
I've come to learn, never say never. I never thought I would living without electricity and internet. (Have to go 20 miles into twon and use the library).
11. Are you interested in providing more of your own food supply?
Most certainly. At the moment, we've homegrown our own rabbit, chicken and turkey for the table, and eventually we will add goats to that. One of these years we will add beef and prk to the table and this coming year we'll be adding duck to our pantry shelves.
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
I used to have a CDL, but I've let it lapse over the years, and I'll be getting experience with a tractor soon. We just purchased a used one, though we still need implements for it.
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
I currently knit and crochet and I'm looking into making some small sculptures with cold porcelain and will be learning how to make soap as well as cheese from our goats milk.
15. Can you legally have all forms of livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Yes, we have goats, rabbits, ducks, chickens as well as dogs and cats
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, degreed?
I am a Certified Massage Therapist, though the area we live is pretty poor, so unfortunately I don't have a lot of clients.
24. Are you interested in herbal animal medicine?
I am very much interested in it, and I am constantly gathering information on it. I really believe in treating what I can holistically and naturally and use as little in the way of manufactured drugs. For myself as well. When things are beyond my kin, then I do seek out Western medicine.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
I have a wood stove for heating, it's just a little thing, but then the house is little too. There's not a lot of space on top, but I have cooked on it with my cast iron skillet and pots. The rest of my cooking I am currently using a propane camp stove. This year I'm hoping to have a gas stove/oven installed.
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
To an extent. I do get bored with cooking sometimes. Mainly because I miss having an oven to use. I'm curious about raw milk, but I am still on the fence post about it.
30. What was your best animal experience? Worst?
33. Do you process your own meat? Can or preserve?
Currently I have helped butcher our rabbits, chickens and turkeys. I'm not looking forward at butchering goats or even a steer later. We typically can all our meat right now since I don't have refrigeration, let alone a freezer on the farm. Though a few have gone into the freezer in the city where the rest of the family is.
34. Do you use alternative energy sources on your farm? Would you like to?
Only energy right now past the well house is a generator that's only run for a short bit each night. I would love to have solar and wind power.
-----
It has been an interesting year so far. We've lost a number of rabbits due to the weird weather we've had lately. Warm days and then absolutely frigid days. So I'm down to two bucks and two does. I need more does and I'll likely be getting rid of one of the bucks at a chicken swap later next month and hopefully getting in some more does and maybe a different buck if I find a good one. The one buck I have is son and half-sister to the other two does. So certainly need some new stock.
Chickens have been doing great, they are really enjoying their ability to fly over their fence and browsing around. Though they all will follow me back inside their yard. After all I might have something good for them. The ducks are a trip. They are more chicken then the chickens.
The goats have fun helping me 'herd' them back into the coop though. It really has been quite the adjustment getting used to living out here, but I enjoy having my son in a smaller high school, as does he (especially after having lived in the area of Columbine and Aurora). He's really opened up quite a bit and is trying new things, which is hard for him (mildly autistic). The lack of electricity is certainly interesting, though I miss internet more, but I've been getting over it. And then with being given goats to take care of back in the fall. Well. I've been happy.
They're adorable!
