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- Up To Minute News
February 25, 2010, 18:40
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- About
February 26, 2010, 00:09
Our blog is to inform and entertain you as we pursue our goal of starting a farm. Here we plan on recording thoughts, projects, farm additions and other…
- Help Us Find Stuff
October 12, 2010, 19:14
Hi Folks. We, as a family, are looking for a few items for the farm and home. We're hoping you will keep an eye-out for some of the things we feel we…
- Recipes
February 26, 2010, 14:17
These are some of my favorite recipes. If you have a good recipe that you think others would enjoy, feel free to email me. Our Everyday Meals Most of the…
- Contact Us
March 8, 2010, 20:52
Thank you for visiting Coyote Ridge Farms. We hope you found some interesting information here. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free…
- Streaming FarmCam
February 19, 2011, 16:11
If there is nothing on the cam, it means we either don't have the cam running, it's night-time, or we are experiencing technical difficulties. :oops:
- Site Map
September 5, 2010, 14:16
This page contains the site table of contents. Use it to quickly find content on this website.
Blog Posts
- Category: Uncategorized (11)
- Christmas Lights by: Rich
December 17, 2011, 10:32
When is too early to put the Christmas lights up? As you may have noticed, I put a few lights up on the blog... and yes, I'll be taking them down by the New…
- We Had A Cold House Last Night by: Rich
November 27, 2011, 09:20
It's been a long, cold holiday weekend. The used part we had to put back into the furnace has been giving us a few challenges. :wah: It's bad enough not…
- Conserving Water. That Was Easy. by: Rich
July 25, 2011, 08:12
A few weeks ago, on our Facebook page, I mentioned that we had seen some information on dual flush toilet kits. At that time, I wrote that I'd like to give…
- Homemade Hog Waterer by: Rich
June 18, 2011, 15:37
I belong to a Small Scale Pig Raising Facebook group that focuses on small scale hog production issues. I had promised to post a photo of our homemade…
- I Contacted My Senators About S.510, 'The Food Safety Modernization Act' by: Rich
November 29, 2010, 17:21
Please don't get me wrong. I am not in total support the Food Safety Modernization Act. But I know this thing will pass. Although the intention of those…
- The Boys Are With The Girls by: Rich
November 19, 2010, 17:45
This morning Carol removed the gate that separated the 'clean-up' rams & bucks from all the ewes & does. Carol has had a select ram and a select…
- Making Way For A New Waterer by: Rich
October 15, 2010, 22:31
After much procrastination, I finally got started on the farm's 2nd, automatic, frost-free waterer installation. Last year, when we ran water lines for the…
- It Arrived. We Now Have One! It's A Kombucha Mother! by: Rich
September 16, 2010, 20:44
A few weeks ago, I took out an ad on craigslist looking for a Kombucha mushroom. I only got 2 replies. One guy was surprised that anyone out in these parts…
- 25 Years Ago Today by: Rich
September 3, 2010, 19:21
Carol and I are going out with friend and mentor, Farmer Mike and his wife Karen. Their wedding anniversary was yesterday and ours is today. 25 years ago,…
- A Really Nice Phone Call by: Rich
August 23, 2010, 21:33
Carol received a call on her cell phone this morning. It was from a past customer of ours. Some time back, the caller purchased a little billy goat from us…
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- Christmas Lights by: Rich
- Category: Animals (110)
- It's Christmas Time by: Rich
December 24, 2011, 22:06
To our customers: Thank you for giving us an opportunity to serve you and to provide you with food you can live with... food that is good for you... and food…
- WANTED: A Corgi to Join Our Family by: Rich
December 11, 2011, 14:29
Maybe you all can help us look for a new dog. As most folks who have had a working farm/ranch dog know, a herd dog is much more than just a dog. They…
- The High-tunnel Is Wired For Winter by: Rich
December 5, 2011, 16:20
Yesterday, Madison and I ran some 12-2 wiring from the hoop-house/high-tunnel yesterday. I was worried, since it was only a partial roll of wire, if we would…
- The Feedmaster Works! by: Rich
July 5, 2011, 15:14
I am more than happy to say that the farm's Farmhand Feedmaster Mixer/mill works. We had some ground corn on the feed pallet (about 200 lbs) so it's not…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- The Goat Herd Just Got Smaller by: Rich
May 16, 2011, 07:34
Yesterday was a sad day and a happy day... all at the same time. Some nice folks from northern Minnesota bought the majority of Carol's goat herd. These…
- Easter: In Review & Today by: Rich
April 18, 2011, 19:57
A few years back, our local TV station did a 2 minute, human interest piece on us, regarding Easter and the giving of animals to children as Easter gifts. The…
- Frozen Frog Legs by: Rich
April 9, 2011, 16:29
The last few days have been fencing type weather. Either taking out the temporary fencing of the winter pastures or repairing the lane fencing that was taken…
- Food Inc. Documentory by: Rich
March 13, 2011, 18:39
Carol and I just sat down with the kids and watched the food documentary entitled Food, Inc.. The question is asked, "How much do you really know about your…
- Anti-Anti-Farming Video by: Rich
January 3, 2011, 15:32
The Human Society of the United States (HSUS), a non-Government Agency, has been in the news lately... for both good and bad reasons. As most folks know,…
- Carol's Chicken Experiment by: Rich
December 8, 2010, 09:23
A couple of weeks have gone by now and we have been noticing some positive results. When I was a little kid, my grandmother raised chickens - egg layers. …
- Crooked Horn Gives Birth by: Rich
November 14, 2010, 15:09
These Sunday morning goat babies seem to be more the rule than the exception. Shortly after Carol dropped Madison off at the church for Sunday School, she…
- A New Baby Goat Arrived by: Rich
October 19, 2010, 19:20
When I was out and about, checking fences in the cattle's 40 acre winter pasture, I got a call from Carol. She thought she could use a little help with a…
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- Farm Boys From Kenya by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 15:12
The day was cool and rainy, but that didn't stop our visitors from coming out from St Cloud, MN. Visitors? I should say new farm customers. Three younger…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- Category: Cattle (37)
- No Snow For Christmas... Yet by: Rich
December 19, 2011, 10:42
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, those of us who call west-central Minnesota home had 3 ft of snow on the ground already. This year…
- Pasture And Grazing Available For 2012 by: Rich
September 15, 2011, 19:24
We have taken the next step towards being a sustainable farm/ranch. After 3 seasons of grazing smaller herds, this fall we have decided to add another 24…
- Caitlin Is A New Mama, Not Grassfed Hamburger by: Rich
July 22, 2011, 17:35
Madison and I headed out to the near paddock, this morning, to check on the cattle. When we arrived at the old shade tree, we found most of the cattle…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- That's A Whole Lotta Bull by: Rich
June 28, 2011, 14:54
After getting our ducks in a row, our schedules were cleared and we were able to visit Kim's ranch. We had been in contact with a Ms. Kim Johnson of Birch…
- Our New Calves. Video & Photos by: Rich
April 20, 2011, 19:58
I'm happy to announce, we have decided on a name for the farm's first Scottish Highland heifer-calf. We'll be calling her Sheena. Her true name will be…
- Baby Calves: 1st Day In The Pasture by: Rich
April 20, 2011, 18:43
Last night, the cattle wanted to head out to the pastures... even the mother of the newborn bull-calf. They were heading down the lane when I decided that I…
- Our New Silver Highland Calf by: Rich
April 15, 2011, 17:42
When I checked on the cattle yesterday, I thought two of the females looked a little 'iffy'. Not really knowing if they were ready to birth or if they were…
- Our First Calf Arrived Early by: Rich
March 18, 2011, 16:26
I wasn't going to blog about this. I wasn't comfortable with the thought of losing our first calf of the season. But the more I talked to folks with cattle…
- Twin Katahdin Lambs Were Born by: Rich
February 24, 2011, 11:33
Yesterday was another busy day here on the farm. It was a pleasant morning, unlike most of our mornings. While I was out in the winter pasture, making sure…
- The Calves... They Are A Coming by: Rich
January 15, 2011, 19:43
Sometime ago, this summer, we brought in a bull - a proven bull. It seems our little bull (Sampson), was first declared a young bull, by a neighbor... then a…
- Anti-Anti-Farming Video by: Rich
January 3, 2011, 15:32
The Human Society of the United States (HSUS), a non-Government Agency, has been in the news lately... for both good and bad reasons. As most folks know,…
- Back To Normal by: Rich
December 30, 2010, 11:21
Life is back to normal and we're into the routine of things again. Carol, daughter Madison and I drove to NW Arkansas to celebrate Christmas with my sister…
- The Blizzard Of 2010? by: Rich
December 11, 2010, 15:13
Is it or will it be a blizzard? I don't know. Maybe I should say "I doubt it." The weatherman is saying it will be the worst storm system in recent…
- Fall Plowing Is Done by: Rich
November 18, 2010, 19:58
Enough said. Or is it? Here's the back story. Nov. 15 & 16th I was doing a little plowing for Farmer Mike. He rents some organic ground just a few…
- Curly - I Almost Forgot He Went Home by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 11:17
Thursday was the day we brought Curly back to his home. Curly is the purebred Scottish Highland bull we rented/borrowed for the fall. We picked him up in…
- Heavy Use Area Protection Pad by: Rich
November 12, 2010, 19:10
Finally completed is the farm's first large heavy use protection (HUP) pad for the cattle's remote water station, north of the creek. The pad was built to…
- The Next Organic Farming Theme Song? by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 14:10
Wha? Check-out this video from the Brits., at Yeo Valley. The Sustainable Farming movement is gaining momentum. Here's the deal. When we started…
- Organic Calves For Sale by: Rich
November 8, 2010, 20:23
UPDATE 2011!: Spring is here. If you are looking for organic calves, give him a call (see below). We've blogged about Farmer Mike, of Fresh-Ayr Farms, for…
- Opening A New Winter Pasture by: Rich
November 2, 2010, 21:48
Carol got busy butchering chickens right away this morning. I'm not sure how many she got processed or even how many she had planned to process. She did…
- Grain Harvest Is Done! by: Rich
October 22, 2010, 23:32
Yesterday morning I got a call from Farmer Mike. It was time to harvest the corn, here at Coyote Ridge Farms. Approx. 5 minutes after the call, he arrived…
- What A Beautiful Day by: Rich
October 8, 2010, 22:23
WOW! Upper 80's never felt so warm. Nearly 20°F above average, it was truly a day for field work... and sweat. I had cut a little more than 50% of the…
- Cattle In New Winter Pasture by: Rich
September 27, 2010, 09:31
Here's a couple of quick photos of the farm's Scottish Highlander cattle in their new, 40 acre, winter season pasture. To say they look content would be an…
- Winter Pasture Fencing by: Rich
September 26, 2010, 17:18
Between the multiple rain days, semi-daily showers and the unpredictable sprinkles, I have been able to get some of the farm's pending fencing projects started…
- Kiwi Brace by: Rich
September 4, 2010, 20:17
The forecast suggested it would be a windy day today - perfect for drying hay. As soon as the dew left the downed hay, I began to rake some of the road side…
- Two Gates Were Open And The Cattle Are... by: Rich
August 31, 2010, 16:28
This morning, when I was checking fences of the paddocks that were located south of the creek, panic rushed over me. At that moment I realized that the…
- Hot And Heavy by: Rich
July 31, 2010, 22:16
The morning started as many mornings prior - with a walk around the pastures, checking fences. The weed-load (weeds touching the "hot" wires) is extensive. …
- 2010 Fencing Season Is Completed... by: Rich
June 15, 2010, 19:50
... and inspected. :party: For the most part, I had the fencing project done yesterday. But today I added the finishing touches by installing temporary…
- The Cattle Are Out by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 11:30
After helping the neighbors with chores this morning, I was in the mood to do a little fencing... why not!? I'm awake already and it looked as though rain…
- An Aunt Of A Friend Of A Friend - No Bull. by: Rich
June 5, 2010, 15:18
Carol, the girls and I headed south to the Granite Falls, MN area. Our mission was to look at a Scottish Highlander bull that we're interested in leasing for…
- Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
April 26, 2010, 19:15
Here it is... finally installed and ready for years and years of trouble free service. If it can make it through our harsh winter just setting on gravel, it…
- Sick Kids by: Rich
April 25, 2010, 16:14
The girls were ill today. We're not sure if they had the same 'yuck' or not. The good news is that Madison appears to be getting over the hump (she missed…
- Remote Watering Station by: Rich
April 8, 2010, 20:27
This morning I had time to work on one of the farm's remote watering stations for the most eastern paddock/pasture. Last fall I had purchased a few 500 ft…
- Spring Plowing... Done! by: Rich
April 6, 2010, 22:21
After helping Farmer Mike with some spring plowing on his newly rented land on Monday, he came over to help me with mine. We worked the fields on this…
- Barn Yard Fencing - Pasture fencing by: Rich
April 2, 2010, 20:49
I was able to dig a new post in where needed- by the gate. When I first attepted to install the post (a few days ago), I hit frost. Well, today I used the…
- More fencing by: Rich
March 26, 2010, 18:00
After helping Farmer Mike install some brand spanking new high-tensile fencing I decided to do a little here on the place. We still have a little ice and…
- The weather... it's a changing. by: Rich
March 7, 2010, 00:10
It is finally starting to feel like spring around here. The weather is reaching it's normal high temps. of 30ºF and beyond. The creek that runs through…
- No Snow For Christmas... Yet by: Rich
- Category: Chickens (11)
- The High-tunnel Is Wired For Winter by: Rich
December 5, 2011, 16:20
Yesterday, Madison and I ran some 12-2 wiring from the hoop-house/high-tunnel yesterday. I was worried, since it was only a partial roll of wire, if we would…
- The Feedmaster Works! by: Rich
July 5, 2011, 15:14
I am more than happy to say that the farm's Farmhand Feedmaster Mixer/mill works. We had some ground corn on the feed pallet (about 200 lbs) so it's not…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- The Goat Herd Just Got Smaller by: Rich
May 16, 2011, 07:34
Yesterday was a sad day and a happy day... all at the same time. Some nice folks from northern Minnesota bought the majority of Carol's goat herd. These…
- Anti-Anti-Farming Video by: Rich
January 3, 2011, 15:32
The Human Society of the United States (HSUS), a non-Government Agency, has been in the news lately... for both good and bad reasons. As most folks know,…
- Carol's Chicken Experiment by: Rich
December 8, 2010, 09:23
A couple of weeks have gone by now and we have been noticing some positive results. When I was a little kid, my grandmother raised chickens - egg layers. …
- Crooked Horn Gives Birth by: Rich
November 14, 2010, 15:09
These Sunday morning goat babies seem to be more the rule than the exception. Shortly after Carol dropped Madison off at the church for Sunday School, she…
- A New Baby Goat Arrived by: Rich
October 19, 2010, 19:20
When I was out and about, checking fences in the cattle's 40 acre winter pasture, I got a call from Carol. She thought she could use a little help with a…
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- Farm Boys From Kenya by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 15:12
The day was cool and rainy, but that didn't stop our visitors from coming out from St Cloud, MN. Visitors? I should say new farm customers. Three younger…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- The High-tunnel Is Wired For Winter by: Rich
- Category: Dogs (1)
- Doggy worms by: Rich
March 21, 2010, 09:26
Carol found somthing on our dog Ellie. At first it looked like a piece of white cheese... then it started to move. OK, that's a parasite. YUCK!!! …
- Doggy worms by: Rich
- Category: Ducks (2)
- The High-tunnel Is Wired For Winter by: Rich
December 5, 2011, 16:20
Yesterday, Madison and I ran some 12-2 wiring from the hoop-house/high-tunnel yesterday. I was worried, since it was only a partial roll of wire, if we would…
- With Spring, Comes Visitors by: Rich
April 10, 2011, 17:21
We were lucky enough to have a few visitors this weekend. Carol was able to sell some poultry, a duck and a couple of bottle goat kids. The first of our…
- The High-tunnel Is Wired For Winter by: Rich
- Category: Goats (42)
- Frozen Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
January 20, 2012, 12:03
After 2 solid years of praising our flawless operating Ritchie brand automatic waterers, I was a bit surprised last night to see that one of the waterers had…
- Home-made Chevron Jerky by: Rich
January 13, 2012, 13:23
We just bagged a half pound of home-grown, home-made, chevron jerky. We still need to fine-tune the seasoning/spices, but it's still tasty. Goat meat…
- No Snow For Christmas... Yet by: Rich
December 19, 2011, 10:42
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, those of us who call west-central Minnesota home had 3 ft of snow on the ground already. This year…
- Horses, Goats and Sheep... Moved For Winter. by: Rich
December 3, 2011, 18:00
You can feel it. Winter, with its snow and cold and wind, is close. It's right around the corner. We got a couple more wait-til-the-last-minute to-do's…
- Another Task Completed Before Winter by: Rich
December 2, 2011, 17:10
Madison wants to move her mini-equine from their outdoor pen to their winter stalls, in the barn. Once they come inside for the winter, we will convert that…
- The Cops Are Here... For Me?! by: Rich
October 2, 2011, 08:58
Yesterday, we had a squad car pull into the driveway. Carol, in all her wisdom said something to the effect, "I think he's here for you. I doubt this guy's…
- Goats And Sheep Have Moved by: Rich
August 28, 2011, 18:24
Carol talked me into moving the sheep and goats into one of the paddocks that is supposed to be for the cattle. I doubt they'll stay in, but it's either take…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- The Goat Herd Just Got Smaller by: Rich
May 16, 2011, 07:34
Yesterday was a sad day and a happy day... all at the same time. Some nice folks from northern Minnesota bought the majority of Carol's goat herd. These…
- Carol's Cheddar Cheese by: Rich
April 21, 2011, 10:32
The other day, Carol started a 2# batch of goat's milk Cheddar Cheese. Well, after a day of pressing and flipping, flipping and pressing, it is air drying…
- Easter: In Review & Today by: Rich
April 18, 2011, 19:57
A few years back, our local TV station did a 2 minute, human interest piece on us, regarding Easter and the giving of animals to children as Easter gifts. The…
- Twin Bucklings by: Rich
April 14, 2011, 19:14
I don't typically post about all the births we have on the farm, but I do know I should post a few more than I do. Why don't I blog about all of the…
- With Spring, Comes Visitors by: Rich
April 10, 2011, 17:21
We were lucky enough to have a few visitors this weekend. Carol was able to sell some poultry, a duck and a couple of bottle goat kids. The first of our…
- More Baby Pictures by: Rich
February 21, 2011, 22:11
Carol took a few photos tonight of some our new barn babies. The newest lamb doesn't have spots, as I first thought. It has what we call a scarf - a tan band…
- Back To Normal by: Rich
December 30, 2010, 11:21
Life is back to normal and we're into the routine of things again. Carol, daughter Madison and I drove to NW Arkansas to celebrate Christmas with my sister…
- The Blizzard Of 2010? by: Rich
December 11, 2010, 15:13
Is it or will it be a blizzard? I don't know. Maybe I should say "I doubt it." The weatherman is saying it will be the worst storm system in recent…
- Hey, Is Anybody Out There Listening? by: Rich
December 7, 2010, 16:31
The answer always seems to be a resounding "Yes!" Since winter has hit, and hit hard, I spend a lot of time on the internet - doing research, watching DIY…
- Really? Another Goat In The House. by: Rich
December 2, 2010, 14:45
To start with... I thought that our Monday-Tuesday 'snow storm' was going to be more than it was. Yes, we got a bunch of snow. Yes, we got the wind. But…
- The Boys Are With The Girls by: Rich
November 19, 2010, 17:45
This morning Carol removed the gate that separated the 'clean-up' rams & bucks from all the ewes & does. Carol has had a select ram and a select…
- Crooked Horn Gives Birth by: Rich
November 14, 2010, 15:09
These Sunday morning goat babies seem to be more the rule than the exception. Shortly after Carol dropped Madison off at the church for Sunday School, she…
- Ish, Ish, Ish - We Have Winter by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 18:17
We got our first real snow of the winter season today. When a person realizes that the new snow is marking the beginning of winter, they don't always think…
- Cornstalks Are Baled And A New Goat Was Born by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 22:24
The last week is/was sorta the same... all involving cornstalks. If I wasn't chopping, raking or baling stalks here on the farm, I was helping Farmer Mike…
- Opening A New Winter Pasture by: Rich
November 2, 2010, 21:48
Carol got busy butchering chickens right away this morning. I'm not sure how many she got processed or even how many she had planned to process. She did…
- Wind Damage by: Rich
October 28, 2010, 22:36
As with most folks around here, we are starting to see the damage that took place a few nights ago. We thought we had escaped anything major. We were…
- A New Baby Goat Arrived by: Rich
October 19, 2010, 19:20
When I was out and about, checking fences in the cattle's 40 acre winter pasture, I got a call from Carol. She thought she could use a little help with a…
- Pouring Cement by: Rich
October 17, 2010, 18:21
Early last night, I looked at the weather forecast. It looked pretty good, with only a 20% chance of scattered showers... and they weren't supposed to be…
- Making Way For A New Waterer by: Rich
October 15, 2010, 22:31
After much procrastination, I finally got started on the farm's 2nd, automatic, frost-free waterer installation. Last year, when we ran water lines for the…
- Making Homemade Mozzarella Cheese by: Rich
September 9, 2010, 12:49
Our goats produce more milk than we can drink and/or sell so we learned how to make cheese. In this video, Madison, our 12 year old shows how to make fresh,…
- A Really Nice Phone Call by: Rich
August 23, 2010, 21:33
Carol received a call on her cell phone this morning. It was from a past customer of ours. Some time back, the caller purchased a little billy goat from us…
- Baling Straw Is Done For The Season by: Rich
August 8, 2010, 22:17
Or is it? After baling for Farmer Mike on some rented land he controls, it was time to do a little baling here on this farm. We have about 3 straw bales…
- We Have Goat Hay For The Winter by: Rich
July 22, 2010, 22:01
The haying is done for now. This time I baled everything into small square bales for the goats (and Ruby, Madison's mini horse) this winter. A big thanks…
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- Farm Boys From Kenya by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 15:12
The day was cool and rainy, but that didn't stop our visitors from coming out from St Cloud, MN. Visitors? I should say new farm customers. Three younger…
- Interview with Minnesota Public Radio by: Rich
June 10, 2010, 10:07
I received a call this morning. It was a gentleman who identified himself as Mark, from Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) The main topic, being the raw milk…
- Sick Kids by: Rich
April 25, 2010, 16:14
The girls were ill today. We're not sure if they had the same 'yuck' or not. The good news is that Madison appears to be getting over the hump (she missed…
- Pouring Cement by: Rich
April 20, 2010, 17:18
I got done what I had been dreading for months - since December actually. I finally poured the small cement pad for our Ritchie™ brand automatic waterer. …
- Barn Yard Fencing - Pasture fencing by: Rich
April 2, 2010, 20:49
I was able to dig a new post in where needed- by the gate. When I first attepted to install the post (a few days ago), I hit frost. Well, today I used the…
- What's for supper? by: Rich
March 13, 2010, 22:48
We had another nice day... snow melting, mud all over and slipping & sliding for all. Once again, I went north of the creek to retreive a round bale of…
- Our girl promoting raw dairy products by: Rich
March 11, 2010, 15:55
Madison's school had a science fair. Her project was how to make Mozzarella cheese from raw goat milk. She even had samples available for tasting. Those…
- One day good, the next not so much. by: Rich
March 6, 2010, 23:15
Thursday afternoon brought Madison some very sad news. She found one of our young goats with a broken leg. It was one that she was training to pull a…
- We was a com'in and a go'in by: Rich
March 3, 2010, 17:30
What a busy day. We did this, then that... sold a ram, a goat and even got ¾ ton of feed. The m0rning started with phone calls... lots of them. First,…
- Home-made Round Bale Hay Feeder by: Rich
November 15, 2009, 17:20
Hey folks. Here's a quick pic of my home-made round bale feeder that I made for the 2009 fall/winter goat/sheep pen. It works pretty good - so far. It's so…
- Frozen Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
- Category: Pigs (16)
- American Guinea Hog Piglet Video by: Rich
January 25, 2012, 11:58
Carol went out this morning with camera in hand. She took a few photos and this video. We don't typically keep our animals indoors, but during the…
- Farm Raised Ham Is On The Table by: Rich
January 17, 2012, 17:22
Before Carol would allow any ham to be sold, she wanted to make sure it was the best... or at the very least, better than any ham you could buy within 100…
- Pork Products Are Available by: Rich
January 15, 2012, 08:29
Yesterday, we went into town to pick up the pork we had processed. The first thing we did was ask the butcher how our hog compared to others he had seen. …
- We're On Baby Pig-Watch, w/Update by: Rich
December 22, 2011, 15:16
Curly Sue is one of our purebred American Guinea Hogs that is pregnant. She was due to farrow yesterday (Dec. 21). As you can see in the photo, her underline…
- American Guinea Hogs: They're Doing Well by: Rich
September 1, 2011, 08:07
The newest hogs on the place, our American Guinea Hogs, seem to be settled in and doing well. We still have them in a pen, under the hay loft, so that they…
- Too Early To Think About Winter? by: Rich
August 28, 2011, 21:25
Is it too early to start thinking about or plan for this winter? How about for next spring? We are trying to auto-water train our newest farm additions -…
- Making Hay And A Truck-load Of Bread by: Rich
July 25, 2011, 22:46
We have rain in the forecast... again. Surprise, surprise. With that in mind, I decided that baling hay should be at the top of my priority list. I had…
- The Feedmaster Works! by: Rich
July 5, 2011, 15:14
I am more than happy to say that the farm's Farmhand Feedmaster Mixer/mill works. We had some ground corn on the feed pallet (about 200 lbs) so it's not…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- Homemade Hog Waterer by: Rich
June 18, 2011, 15:37
I belong to a Small Scale Pig Raising Facebook group that focuses on small scale hog production issues. I had promised to post a photo of our homemade…
- The Goat Herd Just Got Smaller by: Rich
May 16, 2011, 07:34
Yesterday was a sad day and a happy day... all at the same time. Some nice folks from northern Minnesota bought the majority of Carol's goat herd. These…
- Getting Ready For The Hops & Hogs by: Rich
April 26, 2011, 11:53
I got the telephone poles installed in one of our older garden areas, north of the vineyard. Last year, our rural electric co-op dropped-off the two 25+ ft…
- Looking For A Few Spring Pigs by: Rich
March 9, 2011, 08:33
We're just putting the word out there, perhaps you can help us locate some spring 'weaners'. We would like to try raising about 5 colored, crossbred pigs on…
- Anti-Anti-Farming Video by: Rich
January 3, 2011, 15:32
The Human Society of the United States (HSUS), a non-Government Agency, has been in the news lately... for both good and bad reasons. As most folks know,…
- Mak'in Bacon by: Rich
October 23, 2010, 16:23
With the corn harvest done and rain in the immediate forecast... and me still a wee-bit tired from yesterday, today was the day Carol and I set out to smoke 3…
- Say Good-bye Puga by: Rich
March 8, 2010, 14:41
The folks that put a deposit on Puga (pooh-gah), our female, pot-bellied pig, finally came and got her... I should say, the gal's relatives came and got her. …
- American Guinea Hog Piglet Video by: Rich
- Category: Rabbits (10)
- The High-tunnel Is Wired For Winter by: Rich
December 5, 2011, 16:20
Yesterday, Madison and I ran some 12-2 wiring from the hoop-house/high-tunnel yesterday. I was worried, since it was only a partial roll of wire, if we would…
- Easter: In Review & Today by: Rich
April 18, 2011, 19:57
A few years back, our local TV station did a 2 minute, human interest piece on us, regarding Easter and the giving of animals to children as Easter gifts. The…
- With Spring, Comes Visitors by: Rich
April 10, 2011, 17:21
We were lucky enough to have a few visitors this weekend. Carol was able to sell some poultry, a duck and a couple of bottle goat kids. The first of our…
- Bunnies & Beer, It's A Good Thing by: Rich
January 18, 2011, 14:03
We have new bunnies being born and more on the way through Easter. The kits (baby bunnies) that were born last week are show rabbits. Madison is an avid…
- The Blizzard Of 2010? by: Rich
December 11, 2010, 15:13
Is it or will it be a blizzard? I don't know. Maybe I should say "I doubt it." The weatherman is saying it will be the worst storm system in recent…
- Ish, Ish, Ish - We Have Winter by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 18:17
We got our first real snow of the winter season today. When a person realizes that the new snow is marking the beginning of winter, they don't always think…
- Madison Wins Purple by: Rich
August 29, 2010, 13:15
Yesterday was Madison's show day for her bunny at the Minnesota State Fair. Carol and I left the farm early in the morning to get to the show ring early…
- Minnesota State Fair by: Rich
August 28, 2010, 22:04
As most of us Minnesotans know, the State Fair is a big deal, attracting nearly 2 million folks each year. I guess that's why the call it the "Great…
- Good Bye Madison. Have Fun! by: Rich
August 25, 2010, 12:50
Today is the day we send our 4H'er off to the Minnesota State Fair for 4 days. At the County Fair level daughter Madison won several State Fair trips. This…
- Crazy Cheeseheads by: Rich
May 13, 2010, 16:18
Folks from WI are a fun, crazy bunch. When they want something, there is no stopping them. Carol just had a car with Wisconsin plates stop out today. They…
- The High-tunnel Is Wired For Winter by: Rich
- Category: Sheep (26)
- Frozen Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
January 20, 2012, 12:03
After 2 solid years of praising our flawless operating Ritchie brand automatic waterers, I was a bit surprised last night to see that one of the waterers had…
- No Snow For Christmas... Yet by: Rich
December 19, 2011, 10:42
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, those of us who call west-central Minnesota home had 3 ft of snow on the ground already. This year…
- Horses, Goats and Sheep... Moved For Winter. by: Rich
December 3, 2011, 18:00
You can feel it. Winter, with its snow and cold and wind, is close. It's right around the corner. We got a couple more wait-til-the-last-minute to-do's…
- Another Task Completed Before Winter by: Rich
December 2, 2011, 17:10
Madison wants to move her mini-equine from their outdoor pen to their winter stalls, in the barn. Once they come inside for the winter, we will convert that…
- Goats And Sheep Have Moved by: Rich
August 28, 2011, 18:24
Carol talked me into moving the sheep and goats into one of the paddocks that is supposed to be for the cattle. I doubt they'll stay in, but it's either take…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- The Goat Herd Just Got Smaller by: Rich
May 16, 2011, 07:34
Yesterday was a sad day and a happy day... all at the same time. Some nice folks from northern Minnesota bought the majority of Carol's goat herd. These…
- Easter: In Review & Today by: Rich
April 18, 2011, 19:57
A few years back, our local TV station did a 2 minute, human interest piece on us, regarding Easter and the giving of animals to children as Easter gifts. The…
- Twin Katahdin Lambs Were Born by: Rich
February 24, 2011, 11:33
Yesterday was another busy day here on the farm. It was a pleasant morning, unlike most of our mornings. While I was out in the winter pasture, making sure…
- More Baby Pictures by: Rich
February 21, 2011, 22:11
Carol took a few photos tonight of some our new barn babies. The newest lamb doesn't have spots, as I first thought. It has what we call a scarf - a tan band…
- This Season's New Lambs by: Rich
February 21, 2011, 19:21
Last night, Carol came into the house, asking for the camera. It seems we had a ewe lamb born sometime late afternoon or early evening. This little girl is…
- Back To Normal by: Rich
December 30, 2010, 11:21
Life is back to normal and we're into the routine of things again. Carol, daughter Madison and I drove to NW Arkansas to celebrate Christmas with my sister…
- And The Snow Cometh... Again by: Rich
December 20, 2010, 12:42
Not knowing if we will be able to get hay out to the goats and sheep after today (for the next week or so), I made another 2 hay-feeders using cattle panels. …
- The Blizzard Of 2010? by: Rich
December 11, 2010, 15:13
Is it or will it be a blizzard? I don't know. Maybe I should say "I doubt it." The weatherman is saying it will be the worst storm system in recent…
- The Boys Are With The Girls by: Rich
November 19, 2010, 17:45
This morning Carol removed the gate that separated the 'clean-up' rams & bucks from all the ewes & does. Carol has had a select ram and a select…
- Opening A New Winter Pasture by: Rich
November 2, 2010, 21:48
Carol got busy butchering chickens right away this morning. I'm not sure how many she got processed or even how many she had planned to process. She did…
- Making Way For A New Waterer by: Rich
October 15, 2010, 22:31
After much procrastination, I finally got started on the farm's 2nd, automatic, frost-free waterer installation. Last year, when we ran water lines for the…
- Mark Your Calander - Lambing Date by: Rich
September 21, 2010, 20:56
We should have a new baby lamb or two on the ground 5 months from now (maybe sooner). Carol and Madison noticed some goings-ons in the barn-yard tonight. Dotti…
- An Aunt Of A Friend Of A Friend - No Bull. by: Rich
June 5, 2010, 15:18
Carol, the girls and I headed south to the Granite Falls, MN area. Our mission was to look at a Scottish Highlander bull that we're interested in leasing for…
- Sick Kids by: Rich
April 25, 2010, 16:14
The girls were ill today. We're not sure if they had the same 'yuck' or not. The good news is that Madison appears to be getting over the hump (she missed…
- A new lamb by: Rich
March 16, 2010, 16:21
We had another purebred Katahdin lamb. She was born outside. Both mother and daughter are doing fine. We have a bunch more babies due. We can really…
- We was a com'in and a go'in by: Rich
March 3, 2010, 17:30
What a busy day. We did this, then that... sold a ram, a goat and even got ¾ ton of feed. The m0rning started with phone calls... lots of them. First,…
- One less twin by: Rich
March 2, 2010, 20:50
Of the twin lambs born last night, we lost one during the early evening hours today. Out in the open, Madison found the mother laying atop the baby. Both…
- Two more babies tonight by: Rich
March 1, 2010, 22:02
Our sheep Dotty just gave birth to twin ewe-lambs about 30 minutes ago. After I finished with chores tonight, I thought I'd check the critters outdoors for…
- New baby lamb by: Rich
March 1, 2010, 11:26
We have a new lamb on the ground. It is the first purebred Katahdin hair sheep born on the farm. Carol discovered it this morning while doing her chores. She…
- Home-made Round Bale Hay Feeder by: Rich
November 15, 2009, 17:20
Hey folks. Here's a quick pic of my home-made round bale feeder that I made for the 2009 fall/winter goat/sheep pen. It works pretty good - so far. It's so…
- Frozen Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
- Category: Turkeys (10)
- The Feedmaster Works! by: Rich
July 5, 2011, 15:14
I am more than happy to say that the farm's Farmhand Feedmaster Mixer/mill works. We had some ground corn on the feed pallet (about 200 lbs) so it's not…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- Easter: In Review & Today by: Rich
April 18, 2011, 19:57
A few years back, our local TV station did a 2 minute, human interest piece on us, regarding Easter and the giving of animals to children as Easter gifts. The…
- With Spring, Comes Visitors by: Rich
April 10, 2011, 17:21
We were lucky enough to have a few visitors this weekend. Carol was able to sell some poultry, a duck and a couple of bottle goat kids. The first of our…
- My New Cap by: Rich
January 5, 2011, 10:54
Speedy Delivery just dropped-off a package from the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture. It was the prize from their fall photo contest. It seems we won 3rd…
- Photo Contest by: Rich
December 21, 2010, 15:43
I was just informed that we won 3rd place in photo contest, sponsored by the Minnesota Dept. Of Agriculture. It was for their fall photo contest. The…
- Here's Hoping You All Had A Wonderful Thanksgiving by: Rich
November 27, 2010, 14:14
Here's hoping everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving. And may you continue to enjoy the Holiday weekend. On Thanksgiving Eve, with a report of bad…
- Chasing Turkeys by: Rich
August 26, 2010, 15:35
When I was driving out of the field this afternoon, with the rake behind the Farmall H, I noticed a small, old SUV driving very slowly on the highway. I mean…
- A Turkey Rescue? Really? by: Rich
August 21, 2010, 17:45
Are we truly a turkey rescue now? Well, no. But this is turkey country here in west-central Minnesota and some local folks who work at one of the area turkey…
- An Aunt Of A Friend Of A Friend - No Bull. by: Rich
June 5, 2010, 15:18
Carol, the girls and I headed south to the Granite Falls, MN area. Our mission was to look at a Scottish Highlander bull that we're interested in leasing for…
- The Feedmaster Works! by: Rich
- It's Christmas Time by: Rich
- Category: Crops (24)
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
September 30, 2011, 22:07
Carol did a little more gardening this morning inside the high-tunnel and I did a some clean-up on the outside. Carol made several trips from the garden to…
- Well, That Didn't Work As Planned by: Rich
August 1, 2011, 13:43
This year we planted a 10 acre field of alfalfa/grass mix hay, with oats as a cover crop. I wanted the oats not as a grain, but as hay. For premium quality…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- Brand New Planting Equipment - 65+ Years Ago by: Rich
May 21, 2011, 10:09
I'm happy to say, we have the small grain planted. Thursday was dry enough for me to get the wheat and the oats into the ground. A special thanks goes out…
- Food Inc. Documentory by: Rich
March 13, 2011, 18:39
Carol and I just sat down with the kids and watched the food documentary entitled Food, Inc.. The question is asked, "How much do you really know about your…
- Here's Hoping You All Had A Wonderful Thanksgiving by: Rich
November 27, 2010, 14:14
Here's hoping everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving. And may you continue to enjoy the Holiday weekend. On Thanksgiving Eve, with a report of bad…
- Grain Harvest Is Done! by: Rich
October 22, 2010, 23:32
Yesterday morning I got a call from Farmer Mike. It was time to harvest the corn, here at Coyote Ridge Farms. Approx. 5 minutes after the call, he arrived…
- What A Beautiful Day by: Rich
October 8, 2010, 22:23
WOW! Upper 80's never felt so warm. Nearly 20°F above average, it was truly a day for field work... and sweat. I had cut a little more than 50% of the…
- Hauling, Raking, and Haying... Oh My! by: Rich
September 15, 2010, 21:50
Yesterday was non-stop... from 6:30am to 11:30pm. I wanted to get an early start to the 2nd day of hauling grain by getting a load of wheat to the farmers…
- Rain, Rain Go Away by: Rich
September 2, 2010, 21:26
As with most of the summer, we have had plenty of rain. :rain: In the last 2 days we've received approx. 4 inches of precipitation... enough is enough…
- Too Hot! by: Rich
August 22, 2010, 18:11
It was nearly too hot to relax. With a temp of 94°+F, there was not much more to do than work. I chose work I could on the tractor... of course. We…
- More Baling by: Rich
August 9, 2010, 19:56
It was a pretty nice day for baling. Although we had some light rain last night, by noon things were drying up nicely. After lunch I did some raking,…
- Hot And Heavy by: Rich
July 31, 2010, 22:16
The morning started as many mornings prior - with a walk around the pastures, checking fences. The weed-load (weeds touching the "hot" wires) is extensive. …
- Grapes & Grains by: Rich
July 28, 2010, 21:27
Small grain harvest is upon us, no doubt. The other day I helped Farmer Mike with the swathing of his field of organic peas and barley, and today I planned…
- We Have Goat Hay For The Winter by: Rich
July 22, 2010, 22:01
The haying is done for now. This time I baled everything into small square bales for the goats (and Ruby, Madison's mini horse) this winter. A big thanks…
- New Equipment... Well, New To Me. by: Rich
July 18, 2010, 22:28
After the storms last night, the downed hay was too wet to rake. What to do, what to do? In the morning, I went out to the field of freshly baled hay. If I…
- High-Tunnel Progress by: Rich
June 7, 2010, 17:25
Carol, Madison & I buckled-down and got to the task of constructing the high-tunnel. We ran level string-line to make sure we had a plum building site. …
- Make Hay When The Sun Shines by: Rich
May 29, 2010, 20:59
It was a long, hot day. The first of many, I'm sure. Shortly after 7:00AM, I set out with the hay rake in tow. Although we didn't really have a dewy…
- Haying Season Has Begun by: Rich
May 27, 2010, 22:48
Much of the day was spent cutting hay with the farm's old swather. I first started cutting some of the ditch grass alongside the state highway that passes by…
- Madison's Experiment by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 20:11
Last week, daughter Madison took some corn out of the farm's 4 row planter. She then put them into a baggy, containing a moist paper towel. Within days she…
- The Corn: It's Planted... Finally. by: Rich
May 10, 2010, 15:19
Planting the farm's corn field was not an easy task. We started planting on Tuesday afternoon, May 04. That's when the problems started. I had planted…
- Corn Planting Didn't Go So Well by: Rich
May 4, 2010, 19:17
I got the 20 acres of corn ground worked with the digger so it would be ready for me to plant, later in the afternoon. I then went over to Farmer Mike's…
- The Swallows Are Back. by: Rich
May 3, 2010, 18:02
Some time ago, Farmer Mike taught me that when the Swallows show-up in this part of the country, it's time to plant the corn. It seems the swallows migrate to…
- Sick Kids by: Rich
April 25, 2010, 16:14
The girls were ill today. We're not sure if they had the same 'yuck' or not. The good news is that Madison appears to be getting over the hump (she missed…
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
- Category: Food & Beverage (67)
- Another Easy Way To Spend 00 by: Rich
January 24, 2012, 16:17
I just found another easy way to spend 00... and have nothing to show for it. Yesterday was cold and windy. That's why when I called our local well…
- Food Inc. Documentory by: Rich
March 13, 2011, 18:39
Carol and I just sat down with the kids and watched the food documentary entitled Food, Inc.. The question is asked, "How much do you really know about your…
- Carol Made Fresh Baked Bagels by: Rich
January 26, 2011, 11:09
I'm not sure how or why she tried making bagels, but last night she did. They turned out pretty good, too. I was not familiar with the bagel making process,…
- More Home Brew, Thank You by: Rich
January 12, 2011, 17:50
Last night's meal was memorable. Although a basic meal, due to its lack of diversity, it was a noteworthy one. The beverage of choice (by me alone) was…
- I Contacted My Senators About S.510, 'The Food Safety Modernization Act' by: Rich
November 29, 2010, 17:21
Please don't get me wrong. I am not in total support the Food Safety Modernization Act. But I know this thing will pass. Although the intention of those…
- Here's Hoping You All Had A Wonderful Thanksgiving by: Rich
November 27, 2010, 14:14
Here's hoping everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving. And may you continue to enjoy the Holiday weekend. On Thanksgiving Eve, with a report of bad…
- Oooops! Did I Do That? by: Rich
November 24, 2010, 09:58
Left in the house last night to tend to and watch over stuff, while the girls were milking their goats, I may have made an important discovery. And that…
- My Mother Is Dead by: Rich
November 1, 2010, 18:09
The mother that helped start it all, is now dead... and Carol fed her body to the animals. Such, is the circle of life.. Some say there are dozens of things…
- Free Kombucha by: Rich
October 11, 2010, 18:39
It's called pay-forward. I got my SCOBY for free, you should too... for now. If you feel the need to barter... I am looking for a few hop rhizomes for tea…
- My Kombucha by: Rich
September 24, 2010, 10:33
Yesterday was filled with little more than rain. We were lucky... I guess - we only received 1.3" of precipitation. There were southern parts of our state…
- Good Kombucha by: Rich
September 21, 2010, 12:17
Peter, the gentleman who sent us the Kombucha SCOBY/Mother last week, sent us a large sample of his Kombucha. After hearing that we had never tasted…
- Milk Kefir, Water Kefir & Kombucha by: Rich
September 11, 2010, 11:11
It seems that Kefir and Kombucha is not only a healthy fermented food, full of some of the best natural probiotic elements on the planet, there also seems to…
- The Cookbooks Are In. by: Rich
May 26, 2010, 22:03
Hey folks, the grade-schoolers in our area have helped published a cookbook. It's a fund raiser to help buy white-boards for their classrooms. The cookbook…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- Making Water Kefir by: Rich
May 11, 2010, 14:01
With effort to live more naturally and to make things for ourselves, Carol started the conversion of some of our milk kefir to water kefir. The first…
- Good News, Bad News by: Rich
April 7, 2010, 18:18
I got a phone call from our local Natural Resources and Conservation Services (NRCS) office, located in Willmar, MN. The official on the line said, "Rich, I…
- Starting Projects by: Rich
March 20, 2010, 20:43
The air was chilly, but I decided to start a fencing project anyway. I went out to the south east corner of the property to look at the old line fencing.…
- Category: Grapes & Hops (5)
- No Snow For Christmas... Yet by: Rich
December 19, 2011, 10:42
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, those of us who call west-central Minnesota home had 3 ft of snow on the ground already. This year…
- Crisp Pickles by: Carol
November 27, 2011, 16:05
I made several different pickles, using several recipes this summer. They are all tasty and crisp. It's taken me a few years but I think I finally know how to…
- Too Early To Think About Winter? by: Rich
August 28, 2011, 21:25
Is it too early to start thinking about or plan for this winter? How about for next spring? We are trying to auto-water train our newest farm additions -…
- Our Hops Plants Are Producing by: Rich
August 18, 2011, 22:36
Here's a couple of photos of our hops. I'm not sure how many ounces of hops we're going to be able to harvest, but it's looking good so far.
- Our Rhizomes Are Turning Into Bines by: Rich
May 9, 2011, 19:10
About a week ago, I planted the hops rhizomes I ordered. I had gotten 6 Nugget rhizomes and 6 Cascades from a gal who raises hops, approx. 40 miles south of…
- No Snow For Christmas... Yet by: Rich
- Category: Honey (1)
- Category: Jelly and Jam (2)
- Pickle Bread, Fruit Leather And Valentines by: Rich
January 29, 2011, 17:56
The girls have been very creative in the kitchen today. First prepared was the ground beef for jerky later. Daughter Madison mixed a 1½ lb. batch for…
- On A Rain Day What Do You Do? by: Rich
June 23, 2010, 19:58
Carol knew what to do. She started canning jam. She had a few flats of strawberries and some stalks of rhubarb that needed to be preserved so she made 9½…
- Pickle Bread, Fruit Leather And Valentines by: Rich
- Category: Meat (14)
- Farm Raised Ham Is On The Table by: Rich
January 17, 2012, 17:22
Before Carol would allow any ham to be sold, she wanted to make sure it was the best... or at the very least, better than any ham you could buy within 100…
- Pork Products Are Available by: Rich
January 15, 2012, 08:29
Yesterday, we went into town to pick up the pork we had processed. The first thing we did was ask the butcher how our hog compared to others he had seen. …
- Home-made Chevron Jerky by: Rich
January 13, 2012, 13:23
We just bagged a half pound of home-grown, home-made, chevron jerky. We still need to fine-tune the seasoning/spices, but it's still tasty. Goat meat…
- Pickle Bread, Fruit Leather And Valentines by: Rich
January 29, 2011, 17:56
The girls have been very creative in the kitchen today. First prepared was the ground beef for jerky later. Daughter Madison mixed a 1½ lb. batch for…
- Photo Contest by: Rich
December 21, 2010, 15:43
I was just informed that we won 3rd place in photo contest, sponsored by the Minnesota Dept. Of Agriculture. It was for their fall photo contest. The…
- Organic Calves For Sale by: Rich
November 8, 2010, 20:23
UPDATE 2011!: Spring is here. If you are looking for organic calves, give him a call (see below). We've blogged about Farmer Mike, of Fresh-Ayr Farms, for…
- Wind Damage by: Rich
October 28, 2010, 22:36
As with most folks around here, we are starting to see the damage that took place a few nights ago. We thought we had escaped anything major. We were…
- Mak'in Bacon by: Rich
October 23, 2010, 16:23
With the corn harvest done and rain in the immediate forecast... and me still a wee-bit tired from yesterday, today was the day Carol and I set out to smoke 3…
- Farm Boys From Kenya by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 15:12
The day was cool and rainy, but that didn't stop our visitors from coming out from St Cloud, MN. Visitors? I should say new farm customers. Three younger…
- An Aunt Of A Friend Of A Friend - No Bull. by: Rich
June 5, 2010, 15:18
Carol, the girls and I headed south to the Granite Falls, MN area. Our mission was to look at a Scottish Highlander bull that we're interested in leasing for…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- Palm Sunday Brunch by: Rich
March 28, 2010, 13:11
For our Palm Sunday brunch, Carol made this good tasting sausage and tator frittata. I believe Carol mentioned that except for the cheddar cheese, this is…
- What's for supper? by: Rich
March 13, 2010, 22:48
We had another nice day... snow melting, mud all over and slipping & sliding for all. Once again, I went north of the creek to retreive a round bale of…
- Farmer Mike's Quality Meat by: Rich
March 12, 2010, 15:16
It's still rainy and cool here, but way warmer than it should be for this time of the year. Typically, our daily high temp. is about 36°F with a average low…
- Farm Raised Ham Is On The Table by: Rich
- Category: Milk (13)
- Carol's Cheddar Cheese by: Rich
April 21, 2011, 10:32
The other day, Carol started a 2# batch of goat's milk Cheddar Cheese. Well, after a day of pressing and flipping, flipping and pressing, it is air drying…
- Really? Another Goat In The House. by: Rich
December 2, 2010, 14:45
To start with... I thought that our Monday-Tuesday 'snow storm' was going to be more than it was. Yes, we got a bunch of snow. Yes, we got the wind. But…
- Crooked Horn Gives Birth by: Rich
November 14, 2010, 15:09
These Sunday morning goat babies seem to be more the rule than the exception. Shortly after Carol dropped Madison off at the church for Sunday School, she…
- The Next Organic Farming Theme Song? by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 14:10
Wha? Check-out this video from the Brits., at Yeo Valley. The Sustainable Farming movement is gaining momentum. Here's the deal. When we started…
- A New Baby Goat Arrived by: Rich
October 19, 2010, 19:20
When I was out and about, checking fences in the cattle's 40 acre winter pasture, I got a call from Carol. She thought she could use a little help with a…
- Making Homemade Mozzarella Cheese by: Rich
September 9, 2010, 12:49
Our goats produce more milk than we can drink and/or sell so we learned how to make cheese. In this video, Madison, our 12 year old shows how to make fresh,…
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- On A Rain Day What Do You Do? by: Rich
June 23, 2010, 19:58
Carol knew what to do. She started canning jam. She had a few flats of strawberries and some stalks of rhubarb that needed to be preserved so she made 9½…
- Interview with Minnesota Public Radio by: Rich
June 10, 2010, 10:07
I received a call this morning. It was a gentleman who identified himself as Mark, from Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) The main topic, being the raw milk…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- Starting Projects by: Rich
March 20, 2010, 20:43
The air was chilly, but I decided to start a fencing project anyway. I went out to the south east corner of the property to look at the old line fencing.…
- Our girl promoting raw dairy products by: Rich
March 11, 2010, 15:55
Madison's school had a science fair. Her project was how to make Mozzarella cheese from raw goat milk. She even had samples available for tasting. Those…
- Making things from our raw milk by: Rich
March 9, 2010, 21:05
The girls were making cheese this week. Mozzarella and cream cheese are the favorites to make.
- Carol's Cheddar Cheese by: Rich
- Category: Baking (7)
- Carol's Peach Pie by: Rich
July 6, 2011, 11:45
I just had to show this off. The other day, Carol made this beautiful, peach pie... from scratch. The pie looked good before it went into the oven, but it…
- Bread Labels by: Rich
February 19, 2011, 13:48
Not long after lunch today, I got started on the label for Carol's Pickle Bread. As many of you know, she has a small contract for her Pickle Bread. The…
- 28 Loaves of Pickle Bread by: Rich
February 5, 2011, 19:01
Carol and I attended a grass-fed beef workshop in Glenwood, MN today. It was sponsored by the Land Stewardship Project. The focus was how to stay…
- I Love This Bread by: Rich
February 3, 2011, 14:27
Carol was nice enough to bake another 1½lb loaf of this delicious bread. I had to show it off. It's her Dill Pickle Bread. Isn't it beautiful? If…
- Carol Baked Sugar Doughnuts by: Rich
February 3, 2011, 13:34
A few days ago, on our last snow day, Carol and Madison decided to turn an otherwise "stay inside and do nothing day" into another day of kitchen creativity. …
- Pickle Bread, Fruit Leather And Valentines by: Rich
January 29, 2011, 17:56
The girls have been very creative in the kitchen today. First prepared was the ground beef for jerky later. Daughter Madison mixed a 1½ lb. batch for…
- Carol Made Fresh Baked Bagels by: Rich
January 26, 2011, 11:09
I'm not sure how or why she tried making bagels, but last night she did. They turned out pretty good, too. I was not familiar with the bagel making process,…
- Carol's Peach Pie by: Rich
- Category: Canning (5)
- Crisp Pickles by: Carol
November 27, 2011, 16:05
I made several different pickles, using several recipes this summer. They are all tasty and crisp. It's taken me a few years but I think I finally know how to…
- Carol's Pumpkin Spice Pancakes by: Rich
September 27, 2010, 20:54
As some of you may have heard, yesterday was National Pancake Day. The thing is, when the Minnesota Vikings play football we have pizza... and yesterday the…
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- On A Rain Day What Do You Do? by: Rich
June 23, 2010, 19:58
Carol knew what to do. She started canning jam. She had a few flats of strawberries and some stalks of rhubarb that needed to be preserved so she made 9½…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- Crisp Pickles by: Carol
- Category: Cheese (15)
- More Cheese Please. by: Rich
April 26, 2011, 17:58
Carol has been making cheese pretty often lately. It seems the goats are in full milk and we have more raw milk than we have raw milk customers... at least…
- Carol's Cheddar Cheese by: Rich
April 21, 2011, 10:32
The other day, Carol started a 2# batch of goat's milk Cheddar Cheese. Well, after a day of pressing and flipping, flipping and pressing, it is air drying…
- Cheese Press Photos & Info by: Rich
April 17, 2011, 20:03
On the farm's Facebook page, I announced that Carol started making a 2lb batch of cheddar cheese (from goat's milk) this morning. The announcement attracted…
- Making Homemade Mozzarella Cheese by: Rich
September 9, 2010, 12:49
Our goats produce more milk than we can drink and/or sell so we learned how to make cheese. In this video, Madison, our 12 year old shows how to make fresh,…
- Good Bye Madison. Have Fun! by: Rich
August 25, 2010, 12:50
Today is the day we send our 4H'er off to the Minnesota State Fair for 4 days. At the County Fair level daughter Madison won several State Fair trips. This…
- On A Rain Day What Do You Do? by: Rich
June 23, 2010, 19:58
Carol knew what to do. She started canning jam. She had a few flats of strawberries and some stalks of rhubarb that needed to be preserved so she made 9½…
- Interview with Minnesota Public Radio by: Rich
June 10, 2010, 10:07
I received a call this morning. It was a gentleman who identified himself as Mark, from Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) The main topic, being the raw milk…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- More Stinky Cheese by: Rich
April 30, 2010, 16:02
Carol made some Italian Herb Feta Cheese a few days ago from some of the farm's raw goat milk. Now that it has aged a few days on the counter, it was time to…
- Palm Sunday Brunch by: Rich
March 28, 2010, 13:11
For our Palm Sunday brunch, Carol made this good tasting sausage and tator frittata. I believe Carol mentioned that except for the cheddar cheese, this is…
- Stinky Cheese by: Rich
March 28, 2010, 09:17
Carol has scraped/cut off the "blooms" on the Feta cheese that she has been making. It is now in a salt brine where it needs to age 1-4 months. As she was…
- Starting Projects by: Rich
March 20, 2010, 20:43
The air was chilly, but I decided to start a fencing project anyway. I went out to the south east corner of the property to look at the old line fencing.…
- Our girl promoting raw dairy products by: Rich
March 11, 2010, 15:55
Madison's school had a science fair. Her project was how to make Mozzarella cheese from raw goat milk. She even had samples available for tasting. Those…
- Making things from our raw milk by: Rich
March 9, 2010, 21:05
The girls were making cheese this week. Mozzarella and cream cheese are the favorites to make.
- The weather... it's a changing. by: Rich
March 7, 2010, 00:10
It is finally starting to feel like spring around here. The weather is reaching it's normal high temps. of 30ºF and beyond. The creek that runs through…
- More Cheese Please. by: Rich
- Category: Eggs (9)
- Easter: In Review & Today by: Rich
April 18, 2011, 19:57
A few years back, our local TV station did a 2 minute, human interest piece on us, regarding Easter and the giving of animals to children as Easter gifts. The…
- Carol's Chicken Experiment by: Rich
December 8, 2010, 09:23
A couple of weeks have gone by now and we have been noticing some positive results. When I was a little kid, my grandmother raised chickens - egg layers. …
- Hey, Is Anybody Out There Listening? by: Rich
December 7, 2010, 16:31
The answer always seems to be a resounding "Yes!" Since winter has hit, and hit hard, I spend a lot of time on the internet - doing research, watching DIY…
- Crooked Horn Gives Birth by: Rich
November 14, 2010, 15:09
These Sunday morning goat babies seem to be more the rule than the exception. Shortly after Carol dropped Madison off at the church for Sunday School, she…
- Carol's Pumpkin Spice Pancakes by: Rich
September 27, 2010, 20:54
As some of you may have heard, yesterday was National Pancake Day. The thing is, when the Minnesota Vikings play football we have pizza... and yesterday the…
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- Farm Boys From Kenya by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 15:12
The day was cool and rainy, but that didn't stop our visitors from coming out from St Cloud, MN. Visitors? I should say new farm customers. Three younger…
- Crazy Cheeseheads by: Rich
May 13, 2010, 16:18
Folks from WI are a fun, crazy bunch. When they want something, there is no stopping them. Carol just had a car with Wisconsin plates stop out today. They…
- Palm Sunday Brunch by: Rich
March 28, 2010, 13:11
For our Palm Sunday brunch, Carol made this good tasting sausage and tator frittata. I believe Carol mentioned that except for the cheddar cheese, this is…
- Easter: In Review & Today by: Rich
- Category: Fermented (6)
- Kom-Boom Went Boom by: Rich
February 12, 2011, 22:34
Wednesday, on Facebook, I mentioned that I bottled my latest batch of Kombucha. It was the first time I had ever tried flavoring the Tea beverage. …
- Making Beer – The Easy Way by: Rich
February 4, 2011, 09:15
Although I just bottled 2½ cases of my 2nd batch of home-brew, I decided to start another 6 gallons. I have gotten a few emails and Facebook IM's about how…
- Hey, Is Anybody Out There Listening? by: Rich
December 7, 2010, 16:31
The answer always seems to be a resounding "Yes!" Since winter has hit, and hit hard, I spend a lot of time on the internet - doing research, watching DIY…
- We Started Our 1st Batch Of Beer by: Rich
November 28, 2010, 10:45
First, we want to apologize to our Facebook fans, as they not only read the blog entries, but also the tid-bits and minor updates on our FB page. I'm quite…
- 3 Gallons Of Kombucha Tea by: Rich
November 4, 2010, 20:50
It seems that making 2 gal. of kombucha at a time is not enough for our family. I am now starting a 3rd gal. This 3rd batch, I'm trying something a little…
- My Mother Is Dead by: Rich
November 1, 2010, 18:09
The mother that helped start it all, is now dead... and Carol fed her body to the animals. Such, is the circle of life.. Some say there are dozens of things…
- Kom-Boom Went Boom by: Rich
- Another Easy Way To Spend 00 by: Rich
- Category: Friends & Family (16)
- It's Christmas Time by: Rich
December 24, 2011, 22:06
To our customers: Thank you for giving us an opportunity to serve you and to provide you with food you can live with... food that is good for you... and food…
- WANTED: A Corgi to Join Our Family by: Rich
December 11, 2011, 14:29
Maybe you all can help us look for a new dog. As most folks who have had a working farm/ranch dog know, a herd dog is much more than just a dog. They…
- Time For Field Work? by: Rich
April 8, 2011, 22:35
Well, not yet. But we're close. We've had our 4th or 5th straight day of extremely nice weather (by Minnesota standards). It's been in the 50's, if not…
- It's Cold by: Rich
January 4, 2011, 07:59
Yepper... winter is here. When I turned on the laptop this morning, this is what I saw when I went to check the forecast. Madison had an early morning…
- Back To Normal by: Rich
December 30, 2010, 11:21
Life is back to normal and we're into the routine of things again. Carol, daughter Madison and I drove to NW Arkansas to celebrate Christmas with my sister…
- Raw Honey by: Rich
November 25, 2010, 09:56
Christmas may have come early yesterday. Our bee-keeper friend just dropped off two 4.5 quart pails full of delicious raw honey . It seems the hives he had…
- Organic Calves For Sale by: Rich
November 8, 2010, 20:23
UPDATE 2011!: Spring is here. If you are looking for organic calves, give him a call (see below). We've blogged about Farmer Mike, of Fresh-Ayr Farms, for…
- Yahoo! Email Problems by: Rich
October 12, 2010, 09:30
Just to let you all know... or at least to let those who have recently emailed us using a Yahoo! email account know, we are having some email issues again. …
- Good Bye Madison. Have Fun! by: Rich
August 25, 2010, 12:50
Today is the day we send our 4H'er off to the Minnesota State Fair for 4 days. At the County Fair level daughter Madison won several State Fair trips. This…
- The Cookbooks Are In. by: Rich
May 26, 2010, 22:03
Hey folks, the grade-schoolers in our area have helped published a cookbook. It's a fund raiser to help buy white-boards for their classrooms. The cookbook…
- Madison's Experiment by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 20:11
Last week, daughter Madison took some corn out of the farm's 4 row planter. She then put them into a baggy, containing a moist paper towel. Within days she…
- The Corn: It's Planted... Finally. by: Rich
May 10, 2010, 15:19
Planting the farm's corn field was not an easy task. We started planting on Tuesday afternoon, May 04. That's when the problems started. I had planted…
- Pouring Cement by: Rich
April 20, 2010, 17:18
I got done what I had been dreading for months - since December actually. I finally poured the small cement pad for our Ritchie™ brand automatic waterer. …
- Spring Plowing... Done! by: Rich
April 6, 2010, 22:21
After helping Farmer Mike with some spring plowing on his newly rented land on Monday, he came over to help me with mine. We worked the fields on this…
- Our girl promoting raw dairy products by: Rich
March 11, 2010, 15:55
Madison's school had a science fair. Her project was how to make Mozzarella cheese from raw goat milk. She even had samples available for tasting. Those…
- The weather... it's a changing. by: Rich
March 7, 2010, 00:10
It is finally starting to feel like spring around here. The weather is reaching it's normal high temps. of 30ºF and beyond. The creek that runs through…
- It's Christmas Time by: Rich
- Category: Homestead (130)
- Another Easy Way To Spend 00 by: Rich
January 24, 2012, 16:17
I just found another easy way to spend 00... and have nothing to show for it. Yesterday was cold and windy. That's why when I called our local well…
- The Boys Are With The Girls by: Rich
November 19, 2010, 17:45
This morning Carol removed the gate that separated the 'clean-up' rams & bucks from all the ewes & does. Carol has had a select ram and a select…
- New Yard Fence by: Rich
October 15, 2010, 20:05
Well, after a few short days of work and at less than /ft, we have a new fence for the yard. As you can see, it is a simple post and rail style fence…
- Are You A Small Farmer Or Homesteader? by: Rich
September 4, 2010, 10:32
If you are... We invite you to join the Facebook Group ' Small Farm & Sustainability'. This group is intended to be a clearing house of information and…
- What Does One Get For 25¢ Today? by: Rich
May 30, 2010, 09:44
The girls, with friends, went to an annual rabbit show in Hutchinson, MN. on Saturday. No biggy, right? Right. But, on their way back home (I think) they…
- The Cookbooks Are In. by: Rich
May 26, 2010, 22:03
Hey folks, the grade-schoolers in our area have helped published a cookbook. It's a fund raiser to help buy white-boards for their classrooms. The cookbook…
- Good News, Bad News by: Rich
April 7, 2010, 18:18
I got a phone call from our local Natural Resources and Conservation Services (NRCS) office, located in Willmar, MN. The official on the line said, "Rich, I…
- Spring cleaning by: Rich
March 15, 2010, 17:49
Question: What is 30 ft long, 10 ft wide and smells like crap? Answer: Crap... of course. It was barn cleaning time on the old homestead. With the warmer…
- Category: Machinery (17)
- The Tire Blow'd Up by: Rich
August 17, 2011, 22:03
We finally recovered the Farmall H from the field from across the creek. Carol had a few minutes to help me. This is the same unit that I was raking hay…
- Making Hay And A Truck-load Of Bread by: Rich
July 25, 2011, 22:46
We have rain in the forecast... again. Surprise, surprise. With that in mind, I decided that baling hay should be at the top of my priority list. I had…
- Brand New Planting Equipment - 65+ Years Ago by: Rich
May 21, 2011, 10:09
I'm happy to say, we have the small grain planted. Thursday was dry enough for me to get the wheat and the oats into the ground. A special thanks goes out…
- We Started Farming Again by: Rich
April 30, 2011, 09:12
The farm/ranch we are on, is bigger than a hobby farm, but according to the bankers (and most area farmers), it is too small to make a living on. Regardless,…
- Time For Field Work? by: Rich
April 8, 2011, 22:35
Well, not yet. But we're close. We've had our 4th or 5th straight day of extremely nice weather (by Minnesota standards). It's been in the 50's, if not…
- It's Cold by: Rich
January 4, 2011, 07:59
Yepper... winter is here. When I turned on the laptop this morning, this is what I saw when I went to check the forecast. Madison had an early morning…
- Fall Plowing Is Done by: Rich
November 18, 2010, 19:58
Enough said. Or is it? Here's the back story. Nov. 15 & 16th I was doing a little plowing for Farmer Mike. He rents some organic ground just a few…
- More Baling by: Rich
August 9, 2010, 19:56
It was a pretty nice day for baling. Although we had some light rain last night, by noon things were drying up nicely. After lunch I did some raking,…
- Baling Straw Is Done For The Season by: Rich
August 8, 2010, 22:17
Or is it? After baling for Farmer Mike on some rented land he controls, it was time to do a little baling here on this farm. We have about 3 straw bales…
- We Have Goat Hay For The Winter by: Rich
July 22, 2010, 22:01
The haying is done for now. This time I baled everything into small square bales for the goats (and Ruby, Madison's mini horse) this winter. A big thanks…
- New Equipment... Well, New To Me. by: Rich
July 18, 2010, 22:28
After the storms last night, the downed hay was too wet to rake. What to do, what to do? In the morning, I went out to the field of freshly baled hay. If I…
- New Farm Equipment by: Rich
May 6, 2010, 20:30
WOW! What a long day - nearly 400 miles round-trip. My first of two stops was in NW Iowa to pick-up an old 14' Minneapolis Moline grain drill. Although…
- Corn Planting Didn't Go So Well by: Rich
May 4, 2010, 19:17
I got the 20 acres of corn ground worked with the digger so it would be ready for me to plant, later in the afternoon. I then went over to Farmer Mike's…
- Green Day by: Rich
April 21, 2010, 18:34
With Earth Day due the following day, we experienced 'green' today. Carol came in the house after haying some of the critters in the morning. She was pretty…
- Spring Plowing... Done! by: Rich
April 6, 2010, 22:21
After helping Farmer Mike with some spring plowing on his newly rented land on Monday, he came over to help me with mine. We worked the fields on this…
- Starting Projects by: Rich
March 20, 2010, 20:43
The air was chilly, but I decided to start a fencing project anyway. I went out to the south east corner of the property to look at the old line fencing.…
- Home-made Round Bale Hay Feeder by: Rich
November 15, 2009, 17:20
Hey folks. Here's a quick pic of my home-made round bale feeder that I made for the 2009 fall/winter goat/sheep pen. It works pretty good - so far. It's so…
- The Tire Blow'd Up by: Rich
- Category: News (88)
- Another Easy Way To Spend 00 by: Rich
January 24, 2012, 16:17
I just found another easy way to spend 00... and have nothing to show for it. Yesterday was cold and windy. That's why when I called our local well…
- Frozen Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
January 20, 2012, 12:03
After 2 solid years of praising our flawless operating Ritchie brand automatic waterers, I was a bit surprised last night to see that one of the waterers had…
- Pork Products Are Available by: Rich
January 15, 2012, 08:29
Yesterday, we went into town to pick up the pork we had processed. The first thing we did was ask the butcher how our hog compared to others he had seen. …
- WANTED: A Corgi to Join Our Family by: Rich
December 11, 2011, 14:29
Maybe you all can help us look for a new dog. As most folks who have had a working farm/ranch dog know, a herd dog is much more than just a dog. They…
- The New Farm House Arrives by: Rich
November 30, 2011, 22:18
Shortly after 2:00 PM, we started seeing highway patrols roll by. Then a van pulled into the drive... then a large white truck, pulling a house. Finally, we…
- We're Back by: Rich
November 24, 2011, 17:16
After nearly 60 days of not being able to post to our blog, I think I have it fixed. It seems, that after 3 years of blogging, our data base quota had…
- The Cops Are Here... For Me?! by: Rich
October 2, 2011, 08:58
Yesterday, we had a squad car pull into the driveway. Carol, in all her wisdom said something to the effect, "I think he's here for you. I doubt this guy's…
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
September 30, 2011, 22:07
Carol did a little more gardening this morning inside the high-tunnel and I did a some clean-up on the outside. Carol made several trips from the garden to…
- Pasture And Grazing Available For 2012 by: Rich
September 15, 2011, 19:24
We have taken the next step towards being a sustainable farm/ranch. After 3 seasons of grazing smaller herds, this fall we have decided to add another 24…
- A Video For Us by: Rich
September 6, 2011, 17:55
Hey folks, I'm not sure how I found this video, but it's circulating out there in cyberspace. I didn't read the comments of the video, so I really don't know…
- American Guinea Hogs: They're Doing Well by: Rich
September 1, 2011, 08:07
The newest hogs on the place, our American Guinea Hogs, seem to be settled in and doing well. We still have them in a pen, under the hay loft, so that they…
- I Wasn't Expecting That Call by: Rich
August 12, 2011, 10:34
This morning, (about a half hr ago, really), I got a call. When I looked at the number, it was a (641) area code... I had no idea where that area code was…
- The Feedmaster Works! by: Rich
July 5, 2011, 15:14
I am more than happy to say that the farm's Farmhand Feedmaster Mixer/mill works. We had some ground corn on the feed pallet (about 200 lbs) so it's not…
- We Can Now Mix Our Own Feed by: Rich
July 1, 2011, 13:10
Recently, a local farmer had his retirement sale. The auction was an online auction. These types of sales are becoming more and more popular in our area,…
- Are We In Washinton State? by: Rich
June 22, 2011, 13:03
In the past 36 hours, we have received 2.7" of precipitation. I guess we should be grateful it's not snow. Whatever the case, in the first 3 weeks of June,…
- Brand New Planting Equipment - 65+ Years Ago by: Rich
May 21, 2011, 10:09
I'm happy to say, we have the small grain planted. Thursday was dry enough for me to get the wheat and the oats into the ground. A special thanks goes out…
- After 30 Years, We Have Hogs by: Rich
May 17, 2011, 23:25
It was approximately 30 years ago when this farm last had hogs. Today, we are proud to announce that the hogs are back. From a fellow farmer (and friend) we…
- The Goat Herd Just Got Smaller by: Rich
May 16, 2011, 07:34
Yesterday was a sad day and a happy day... all at the same time. Some nice folks from northern Minnesota bought the majority of Carol's goat herd. These…
- Our New Calves. Video & Photos by: Rich
April 20, 2011, 19:58
I'm happy to announce, we have decided on a name for the farm's first Scottish Highland heifer-calf. We'll be calling her Sheena. Her true name will be…
- Time For Field Work? by: Rich
April 8, 2011, 22:35
Well, not yet. But we're close. We've had our 4th or 5th straight day of extremely nice weather (by Minnesota standards). It's been in the 50's, if not…
- How Stupid Are We? by: Rich
March 11, 2011, 13:14
I wasn't going to blog about this, but after a few days of thinking about it, I thought our experience may help somebody else and prevent them from repeating…
- Looking For A Few Spring Pigs by: Rich
March 9, 2011, 08:33
We're just putting the word out there, perhaps you can help us locate some spring 'weaners'. We would like to try raising about 5 colored, crossbred pigs on…
- Twin Katahdin Lambs Were Born by: Rich
February 24, 2011, 11:33
Yesterday was another busy day here on the farm. It was a pleasant morning, unlike most of our mornings. While I was out in the winter pasture, making sure…
- Farm WebCam by: Rich
February 8, 2011, 11:17
After a day or so of testing, it appears we have a functioning, auto-refresh webcam on the site. Before yesterday, the cam pic was simply a static image...…
- I Love This Bread by: Rich
February 3, 2011, 14:27
Carol was nice enough to bake another 1½lb loaf of this delicious bread. I had to show it off. It's her Dill Pickle Bread. Isn't it beautiful? If…
- Pickle Bread, Fruit Leather And Valentines by: Rich
January 29, 2011, 17:56
The girls have been very creative in the kitchen today. First prepared was the ground beef for jerky later. Daughter Madison mixed a 1½ lb. batch for…
- The Calves... They Are A Coming by: Rich
January 15, 2011, 19:43
Sometime ago, this summer, we brought in a bull - a proven bull. It seems our little bull (Sampson), was first declared a young bull, by a neighbor... then a…
- More Home Brew, Thank You by: Rich
January 12, 2011, 17:50
Last night's meal was memorable. Although a basic meal, due to its lack of diversity, it was a noteworthy one. The beverage of choice (by me alone) was…
- My New Cap by: Rich
January 5, 2011, 10:54
Speedy Delivery just dropped-off a package from the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture. It was the prize from their fall photo contest. It seems we won 3rd…
- Anti-Anti-Farming Video by: Rich
January 3, 2011, 15:32
The Human Society of the United States (HSUS), a non-Government Agency, has been in the news lately... for both good and bad reasons. As most folks know,…
- Back To Normal by: Rich
December 30, 2010, 11:21
Life is back to normal and we're into the routine of things again. Carol, daughter Madison and I drove to NW Arkansas to celebrate Christmas with my sister…
- Photo Contest by: Rich
December 21, 2010, 15:43
I was just informed that we won 3rd place in photo contest, sponsored by the Minnesota Dept. Of Agriculture. It was for their fall photo contest. The…
- Hey, Is Anybody Out There Listening? by: Rich
December 7, 2010, 16:31
The answer always seems to be a resounding "Yes!" Since winter has hit, and hit hard, I spend a lot of time on the internet - doing research, watching DIY…
- Really? Another Goat In The House. by: Rich
December 2, 2010, 14:45
To start with... I thought that our Monday-Tuesday 'snow storm' was going to be more than it was. Yes, we got a bunch of snow. Yes, we got the wind. But…
- We Started Our 1st Batch Of Beer by: Rich
November 28, 2010, 10:45
First, we want to apologize to our Facebook fans, as they not only read the blog entries, but also the tid-bits and minor updates on our FB page. I'm quite…
- Raw Honey by: Rich
November 25, 2010, 09:56
Christmas may have come early yesterday. Our bee-keeper friend just dropped off two 4.5 quart pails full of delicious raw honey . It seems the hives he had…
- Crooked Horn Gives Birth by: Rich
November 14, 2010, 15:09
These Sunday morning goat babies seem to be more the rule than the exception. Shortly after Carol dropped Madison off at the church for Sunday School, she…
- Curly - I Almost Forgot He Went Home by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 11:17
Thursday was the day we brought Curly back to his home. Curly is the purebred Scottish Highland bull we rented/borrowed for the fall. We picked him up in…
- Heavy Use Area Protection Pad by: Rich
November 12, 2010, 19:10
Finally completed is the farm's first large heavy use protection (HUP) pad for the cattle's remote water station, north of the creek. The pad was built to…
- Cornstalks Are Baled And A New Goat Was Born by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 22:24
The last week is/was sorta the same... all involving cornstalks. If I wasn't chopping, raking or baling stalks here on the farm, I was helping Farmer Mike…
- The Next Organic Farming Theme Song? by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 14:10
Wha? Check-out this video from the Brits., at Yeo Valley. The Sustainable Farming movement is gaining momentum. Here's the deal. When we started…
- 3 Gallons Of Kombucha Tea by: Rich
November 4, 2010, 20:50
It seems that making 2 gal. of kombucha at a time is not enough for our family. I am now starting a 3rd gal. This 3rd batch, I'm trying something a little…
- Wind Damage by: Rich
October 28, 2010, 22:36
As with most folks around here, we are starting to see the damage that took place a few nights ago. We thought we had escaped anything major. We were…
- A New Baby Goat Arrived by: Rich
October 19, 2010, 19:20
When I was out and about, checking fences in the cattle's 40 acre winter pasture, I got a call from Carol. She thought she could use a little help with a…
- New Yard Fence by: Rich
October 15, 2010, 20:05
Well, after a few short days of work and at less than /ft, we have a new fence for the yard. As you can see, it is a simple post and rail style fence…
- Free Kombucha by: Rich
October 11, 2010, 18:39
It's called pay-forward. I got my SCOBY for free, you should too... for now. If you feel the need to barter... I am looking for a few hop rhizomes for tea…
- What A Beautiful Day by: Rich
October 8, 2010, 22:23
WOW! Upper 80's never felt so warm. Nearly 20°F above average, it was truly a day for field work... and sweat. I had cut a little more than 50% of the…
- Carol's Pumpkin Spice Pancakes by: Rich
September 27, 2010, 20:54
As some of you may have heard, yesterday was National Pancake Day. The thing is, when the Minnesota Vikings play football we have pizza... and yesterday the…
- Winter Pasture Fencing by: Rich
September 26, 2010, 17:18
Between the multiple rain days, semi-daily showers and the unpredictable sprinkles, I have been able to get some of the farm's pending fencing projects started…
- It Arrived. We Now Have One! It's A Kombucha Mother! by: Rich
September 16, 2010, 20:44
A few weeks ago, I took out an ad on craigslist looking for a Kombucha mushroom. I only got 2 replies. One guy was surprised that anyone out in these parts…
- Kiwi Brace by: Rich
September 4, 2010, 20:17
The forecast suggested it would be a windy day today - perfect for drying hay. As soon as the dew left the downed hay, I began to rake some of the road side…
- Are You A Small Farmer Or Homesteader? by: Rich
September 4, 2010, 10:32
If you are... We invite you to join the Facebook Group ' Small Farm & Sustainability'. This group is intended to be a clearing house of information and…
- 25 Years Ago Today by: Rich
September 3, 2010, 19:21
Carol and I are going out with friend and mentor, Farmer Mike and his wife Karen. Their wedding anniversary was yesterday and ours is today. 25 years ago,…
- Good Bye Madison. Have Fun! by: Rich
August 25, 2010, 12:50
Today is the day we send our 4H'er off to the Minnesota State Fair for 4 days. At the County Fair level daughter Madison won several State Fair trips. This…
- Hot And Heavy by: Rich
July 31, 2010, 22:16
The morning started as many mornings prior - with a walk around the pastures, checking fences. The weed-load (weeds touching the "hot" wires) is extensive. …
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- On A Rain Day What Do You Do? by: Rich
June 23, 2010, 19:58
Carol knew what to do. She started canning jam. She had a few flats of strawberries and some stalks of rhubarb that needed to be preserved so she made 9½…
- 2010 Fencing Season Is Completed... by: Rich
June 15, 2010, 19:50
... and inspected. :party: For the most part, I had the fencing project done yesterday. But today I added the finishing touches by installing temporary…
- Interview with Minnesota Public Radio by: Rich
June 10, 2010, 10:07
I received a call this morning. It was a gentleman who identified himself as Mark, from Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) The main topic, being the raw milk…
- High-Tunnel Progress by: Rich
June 7, 2010, 17:25
Carol, Madison & I buckled-down and got to the task of constructing the high-tunnel. We ran level string-line to make sure we had a plum building site. …
- Sunday Fencing by: Rich
June 6, 2010, 22:32
This morning was beautiful - warm, with a nice breeze. Although we had a birthday party to attend, I headed out, north of the creek to get a couple of hours…
- An Aunt Of A Friend Of A Friend - No Bull. by: Rich
June 5, 2010, 15:18
Carol, the girls and I headed south to the Granite Falls, MN area. Our mission was to look at a Scottish Highlander bull that we're interested in leasing for…
- About Our Blog by: Rich
May 31, 2010, 00:00
We will try to explain what this site is about, but we would like to send-out this notice before we lose your interest with our small-time, homesteader…
- Make Hay When The Sun Shines by: Rich
May 29, 2010, 20:59
It was a long, hot day. The first of many, I'm sure. Shortly after 7:00AM, I set out with the hay rake in tow. Although we didn't really have a dewy…
- Haying Season Has Begun by: Rich
May 27, 2010, 22:48
Much of the day was spent cutting hay with the farm's old swather. I first started cutting some of the ditch grass alongside the state highway that passes by…
- The Cookbooks Are In. by: Rich
May 26, 2010, 22:03
Hey folks, the grade-schoolers in our area have helped published a cookbook. It's a fund raiser to help buy white-boards for their classrooms. The cookbook…
- Making Water Kefir by: Rich
May 11, 2010, 14:01
With effort to live more naturally and to make things for ourselves, Carol started the conversion of some of our milk kefir to water kefir. The first…
- The Corn: It's Planted... Finally. by: Rich
May 10, 2010, 15:19
Planting the farm's corn field was not an easy task. We started planting on Tuesday afternoon, May 04. That's when the problems started. I had planted…
- New Farm Equipment by: Rich
May 6, 2010, 20:30
WOW! What a long day - nearly 400 miles round-trip. My first of two stops was in NW Iowa to pick-up an old 14' Minneapolis Moline grain drill. Although…
- Corn Planting Didn't Go So Well by: Rich
May 4, 2010, 19:17
I got the 20 acres of corn ground worked with the digger so it would be ready for me to plant, later in the afternoon. I then went over to Farmer Mike's…
- The Swallows Are Back. by: Rich
May 3, 2010, 18:02
Some time ago, Farmer Mike taught me that when the Swallows show-up in this part of the country, it's time to plant the corn. It seems the swallows migrate to…
- More Stinky Cheese by: Rich
April 30, 2010, 16:02
Carol made some Italian Herb Feta Cheese a few days ago from some of the farm's raw goat milk. Now that it has aged a few days on the counter, it was time to…
- Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
April 26, 2010, 19:15
Here it is... finally installed and ready for years and years of trouble free service. If it can make it through our harsh winter just setting on gravel, it…
- WANTED: Small Crop Sprayer by: Rich
April 26, 2010, 18:16
Hey folks... we're looking for a small crop sprayer. Although we are in transition to becoming certified organic, we still feel we have a use for one. We'd…
- Sick Kids by: Rich
April 25, 2010, 16:14
The girls were ill today. We're not sure if they had the same 'yuck' or not. The good news is that Madison appears to be getting over the hump (she missed…
- Green Day by: Rich
April 21, 2010, 18:34
With Earth Day due the following day, we experienced 'green' today. Carol came in the house after haying some of the critters in the morning. She was pretty…
- Pouring Cement by: Rich
April 20, 2010, 17:18
I got done what I had been dreading for months - since December actually. I finally poured the small cement pad for our Ritchie™ brand automatic waterer. …
- The Small Grains Are In. by: Rich
April 19, 2010, 06:02
The last week has been a blur. If we weren't doing one thing we were doing another... added to the confusion, we did the taxes. The last few days were…
- Good News, Bad News by: Rich
April 7, 2010, 18:18
I got a phone call from our local Natural Resources and Conservation Services (NRCS) office, located in Willmar, MN. The official on the line said, "Rich, I…
- No Farms, No Food by: Rich
April 7, 2010, 08:31
We got our free bumber sticker in the mail yesterday. Get yours today at the American Farmland Trust.
- Spring Plowing... Done! by: Rich
April 6, 2010, 22:21
After helping Farmer Mike with some spring plowing on his newly rented land on Monday, he came over to help me with mine. We worked the fields on this…
- Stinky Cheese by: Rich
March 28, 2010, 09:17
Carol has scraped/cut off the "blooms" on the Feta cheese that she has been making. It is now in a salt brine where it needs to age 1-4 months. As she was…
- More fencing by: Rich
March 26, 2010, 18:00
After helping Farmer Mike install some brand spanking new high-tensile fencing I decided to do a little here on the place. We still have a little ice and…
- Internet Problems by: Rich
March 21, 2010, 12:27
Hey folks... We need to apologize for the lack of posts recently. We are having major problems with out WildBlue Sat. Internet Provider. Our bandwidth…
- Spring cleaning by: Rich
March 15, 2010, 17:49
Question: What is 30 ft long, 10 ft wide and smells like crap? Answer: Crap... of course. It was barn cleaning time on the old homestead. With the warmer…
- Farmer Mike's Quality Meat by: Rich
March 12, 2010, 15:16
It's still rainy and cool here, but way warmer than it should be for this time of the year. Typically, our daily high temp. is about 36°F with a average low…
- The best neighbors in the world by: Rich
March 3, 2010, 23:01
This evening I got a call from our neighbors up the road. I now have hay to feed the cattle... they used their tractor mounted snow-blower to clear a path…
- Home-made Round Bale Hay Feeder by: Rich
November 15, 2009, 17:20
Hey folks. Here's a quick pic of my home-made round bale feeder that I made for the 2009 fall/winter goat/sheep pen. It works pretty good - so far. It's so…
- Another Easy Way To Spend 00 by: Rich
- Category: Pasture (38)
- We're On Baby Pig-Watch, w/Update by: Rich
December 22, 2011, 15:16
Curly Sue is one of our purebred American Guinea Hogs that is pregnant. She was due to farrow yesterday (Dec. 21). As you can see in the photo, her underline…
- Pasture And Grazing Available For 2012 by: Rich
September 15, 2011, 19:24
We have taken the next step towards being a sustainable farm/ranch. After 3 seasons of grazing smaller herds, this fall we have decided to add another 24…
- Too Early To Think About Winter? by: Rich
August 28, 2011, 21:25
Is it too early to start thinking about or plan for this winter? How about for next spring? We are trying to auto-water train our newest farm additions -…
- Goats And Sheep Have Moved by: Rich
August 28, 2011, 18:24
Carol talked me into moving the sheep and goats into one of the paddocks that is supposed to be for the cattle. I doubt they'll stay in, but it's either take…
- Making Hay And A Truck-load Of Bread by: Rich
July 25, 2011, 22:46
We have rain in the forecast... again. Surprise, surprise. With that in mind, I decided that baling hay should be at the top of my priority list. I had…
- Homemade Hog Waterer by: Rich
June 18, 2011, 15:37
I belong to a Small Scale Pig Raising Facebook group that focuses on small scale hog production issues. I had promised to post a photo of our homemade…
- Getting Ready For The Hops & Hogs by: Rich
April 26, 2011, 11:53
I got the telephone poles installed in one of our older garden areas, north of the vineyard. Last year, our rural electric co-op dropped-off the two 25+ ft…
- Baby Calves: 1st Day In The Pasture by: Rich
April 20, 2011, 18:43
Last night, the cattle wanted to head out to the pastures... even the mother of the newborn bull-calf. They were heading down the lane when I decided that I…
- Our New Silver Highland Calf by: Rich
April 15, 2011, 17:42
When I checked on the cattle yesterday, I thought two of the females looked a little 'iffy'. Not really knowing if they were ready to birth or if they were…
- Looking For A Few Spring Pigs by: Rich
March 9, 2011, 08:33
We're just putting the word out there, perhaps you can help us locate some spring 'weaners'. We would like to try raising about 5 colored, crossbred pigs on…
- Twin Katahdin Lambs Were Born by: Rich
February 24, 2011, 11:33
Yesterday was another busy day here on the farm. It was a pleasant morning, unlike most of our mornings. While I was out in the winter pasture, making sure…
- The Calves... They Are A Coming by: Rich
January 15, 2011, 19:43
Sometime ago, this summer, we brought in a bull - a proven bull. It seems our little bull (Sampson), was first declared a young bull, by a neighbor... then a…
- Back To Normal by: Rich
December 30, 2010, 11:21
Life is back to normal and we're into the routine of things again. Carol, daughter Madison and I drove to NW Arkansas to celebrate Christmas with my sister…
- Raw Honey by: Rich
November 25, 2010, 09:56
Christmas may have come early yesterday. Our bee-keeper friend just dropped off two 4.5 quart pails full of delicious raw honey . It seems the hives he had…
- Fall Plowing Is Done by: Rich
November 18, 2010, 19:58
Enough said. Or is it? Here's the back story. Nov. 15 & 16th I was doing a little plowing for Farmer Mike. He rents some organic ground just a few…
- Curly - I Almost Forgot He Went Home by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 11:17
Thursday was the day we brought Curly back to his home. Curly is the purebred Scottish Highland bull we rented/borrowed for the fall. We picked him up in…
- Heavy Use Area Protection Pad by: Rich
November 12, 2010, 19:10
Finally completed is the farm's first large heavy use protection (HUP) pad for the cattle's remote water station, north of the creek. The pad was built to…
- The Next Organic Farming Theme Song? by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 14:10
Wha? Check-out this video from the Brits., at Yeo Valley. The Sustainable Farming movement is gaining momentum. Here's the deal. When we started…
- Opening A New Winter Pasture by: Rich
November 2, 2010, 21:48
Carol got busy butchering chickens right away this morning. I'm not sure how many she got processed or even how many she had planned to process. She did…
- Wind Damage by: Rich
October 28, 2010, 22:36
As with most folks around here, we are starting to see the damage that took place a few nights ago. We thought we had escaped anything major. We were…
- What A Beautiful Day by: Rich
October 8, 2010, 22:23
WOW! Upper 80's never felt so warm. Nearly 20°F above average, it was truly a day for field work... and sweat. I had cut a little more than 50% of the…
- Cattle In New Winter Pasture by: Rich
September 27, 2010, 09:31
Here's a couple of quick photos of the farm's Scottish Highlander cattle in their new, 40 acre, winter season pasture. To say they look content would be an…
- Winter Pasture Fencing by: Rich
September 26, 2010, 17:18
Between the multiple rain days, semi-daily showers and the unpredictable sprinkles, I have been able to get some of the farm's pending fencing projects started…
- Two Gates Were Open And The Cattle Are... by: Rich
August 31, 2010, 16:28
This morning, when I was checking fences of the paddocks that were located south of the creek, panic rushed over me. At that moment I realized that the…
- Hot And Heavy by: Rich
July 31, 2010, 22:16
The morning started as many mornings prior - with a walk around the pastures, checking fences. The weed-load (weeds touching the "hot" wires) is extensive. …
- 2010 Fencing Season Is Completed... by: Rich
June 15, 2010, 19:50
... and inspected. :party: For the most part, I had the fencing project done yesterday. But today I added the finishing touches by installing temporary…
- The Cattle Are Out by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 11:30
After helping the neighbors with chores this morning, I was in the mood to do a little fencing... why not!? I'm awake already and it looked as though rain…
- An Aunt Of A Friend Of A Friend - No Bull. by: Rich
June 5, 2010, 15:18
Carol, the girls and I headed south to the Granite Falls, MN area. Our mission was to look at a Scottish Highlander bull that we're interested in leasing for…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- The Swallows Are Back. by: Rich
May 3, 2010, 18:02
Some time ago, Farmer Mike taught me that when the Swallows show-up in this part of the country, it's time to plant the corn. It seems the swallows migrate to…
- Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
April 26, 2010, 19:15
Here it is... finally installed and ready for years and years of trouble free service. If it can make it through our harsh winter just setting on gravel, it…
- Green Day by: Rich
April 21, 2010, 18:34
With Earth Day due the following day, we experienced 'green' today. Carol came in the house after haying some of the critters in the morning. She was pretty…
- Pouring Cement by: Rich
April 20, 2010, 17:18
I got done what I had been dreading for months - since December actually. I finally poured the small cement pad for our Ritchie™ brand automatic waterer. …
- The Small Grains Are In. by: Rich
April 19, 2010, 06:02
The last week has been a blur. If we weren't doing one thing we were doing another... added to the confusion, we did the taxes. The last few days were…
- Remote Watering Station by: Rich
April 8, 2010, 20:27
This morning I had time to work on one of the farm's remote watering stations for the most eastern paddock/pasture. Last fall I had purchased a few 500 ft…
- Spring Plowing... Done! by: Rich
April 6, 2010, 22:21
After helping Farmer Mike with some spring plowing on his newly rented land on Monday, he came over to help me with mine. We worked the fields on this…
- Barn Yard Fencing - Pasture fencing by: Rich
April 2, 2010, 20:49
I was able to dig a new post in where needed- by the gate. When I first attepted to install the post (a few days ago), I hit frost. Well, today I used the…
- More fencing by: Rich
March 26, 2010, 18:00
After helping Farmer Mike install some brand spanking new high-tensile fencing I decided to do a little here on the place. We still have a little ice and…
- We're On Baby Pig-Watch, w/Update by: Rich
- Category: Chores (3)
- The Blizzard Of 2010? by: Rich
December 11, 2010, 15:13
Is it or will it be a blizzard? I don't know. Maybe I should say "I doubt it." The weatherman is saying it will be the worst storm system in recent…
- Ish, Ish, Ish - We Have Winter by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 18:17
We got our first real snow of the winter season today. When a person realizes that the new snow is marking the beginning of winter, they don't always think…
- A new lamb by: Rich
March 16, 2010, 16:21
We had another purebred Katahdin lamb. She was born outside. Both mother and daughter are doing fine. We have a bunch more babies due. We can really…
- The Blizzard Of 2010? by: Rich
- Category: Fencing (28)
- Another Task Completed Before Winter by: Rich
December 2, 2011, 17:10
Madison wants to move her mini-equine from their outdoor pen to their winter stalls, in the barn. Once they come inside for the winter, we will convert that…
- Pasture And Grazing Available For 2012 by: Rich
September 15, 2011, 19:24
We have taken the next step towards being a sustainable farm/ranch. After 3 seasons of grazing smaller herds, this fall we have decided to add another 24…
- Goats And Sheep Have Moved by: Rich
August 28, 2011, 18:24
Carol talked me into moving the sheep and goats into one of the paddocks that is supposed to be for the cattle. I doubt they'll stay in, but it's either take…
- Homemade Hog Waterer by: Rich
June 18, 2011, 15:37
I belong to a Small Scale Pig Raising Facebook group that focuses on small scale hog production issues. I had promised to post a photo of our homemade…
- Getting Ready For The Hops & Hogs by: Rich
April 26, 2011, 11:53
I got the telephone poles installed in one of our older garden areas, north of the vineyard. Last year, our rural electric co-op dropped-off the two 25+ ft…
- Frozen Frog Legs by: Rich
April 9, 2011, 16:29
The last few days have been fencing type weather. Either taking out the temporary fencing of the winter pastures or repairing the lane fencing that was taken…
- The Calves... They Are A Coming by: Rich
January 15, 2011, 19:43
Sometime ago, this summer, we brought in a bull - a proven bull. It seems our little bull (Sampson), was first declared a young bull, by a neighbor... then a…
- Christmas Decorations For The Fence by: Rich
November 29, 2010, 15:36
We've had a few online friends ask about the garland that we added to our farm's post & rail fence. We have a "storm" moving in, so I thought I'd take a…
- Curly - I Almost Forgot He Went Home by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 11:17
Thursday was the day we brought Curly back to his home. Curly is the purebred Scottish Highland bull we rented/borrowed for the fall. We picked him up in…
- Opening A New Winter Pasture by: Rich
November 2, 2010, 21:48
Carol got busy butchering chickens right away this morning. I'm not sure how many she got processed or even how many she had planned to process. She did…
- Wind Damage by: Rich
October 28, 2010, 22:36
As with most folks around here, we are starting to see the damage that took place a few nights ago. We thought we had escaped anything major. We were…
- New Yard Fence by: Rich
October 15, 2010, 20:05
Well, after a few short days of work and at less than /ft, we have a new fence for the yard. As you can see, it is a simple post and rail style fence…
- New Yard Fence by: Rich
October 8, 2010, 22:53
Carol and I are coming to the conclusion that no bank will loan the farm $$$ so that we can move a house in. Most of the bankers have told us that there is…
- Winter Pasture Fencing by: Rich
September 26, 2010, 17:18
Between the multiple rain days, semi-daily showers and the unpredictable sprinkles, I have been able to get some of the farm's pending fencing projects started…
- Kiwi Brace by: Rich
September 4, 2010, 20:17
The forecast suggested it would be a windy day today - perfect for drying hay. As soon as the dew left the downed hay, I began to rake some of the road side…
- Two Gates Were Open And The Cattle Are... by: Rich
August 31, 2010, 16:28
This morning, when I was checking fences of the paddocks that were located south of the creek, panic rushed over me. At that moment I realized that the…
- Hot And Heavy by: Rich
July 31, 2010, 22:16
The morning started as many mornings prior - with a walk around the pastures, checking fences. The weed-load (weeds touching the "hot" wires) is extensive. …
- 2010 Fencing Season Is Completed... by: Rich
June 15, 2010, 19:50
... and inspected. :party: For the most part, I had the fencing project done yesterday. But today I added the finishing touches by installing temporary…
- The Cattle Are Out by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 11:30
After helping the neighbors with chores this morning, I was in the mood to do a little fencing... why not!? I'm awake already and it looked as though rain…
- An Aunt Of A Friend Of A Friend - No Bull. by: Rich
June 5, 2010, 15:18
Carol, the girls and I headed south to the Granite Falls, MN area. Our mission was to look at a Scottish Highlander bull that we're interested in leasing for…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
April 26, 2010, 19:15
Here it is... finally installed and ready for years and years of trouble free service. If it can make it through our harsh winter just setting on gravel, it…
- Green Day by: Rich
April 21, 2010, 18:34
With Earth Day due the following day, we experienced 'green' today. Carol came in the house after haying some of the critters in the morning. She was pretty…
- The Small Grains Are In. by: Rich
April 19, 2010, 06:02
The last week has been a blur. If we weren't doing one thing we were doing another... added to the confusion, we did the taxes. The last few days were…
- Spring Plowing... Done! by: Rich
April 6, 2010, 22:21
After helping Farmer Mike with some spring plowing on his newly rented land on Monday, he came over to help me with mine. We worked the fields on this…
- Barn Yard Fencing - Pasture fencing by: Rich
April 2, 2010, 20:49
I was able to dig a new post in where needed- by the gate. When I first attepted to install the post (a few days ago), I hit frost. Well, today I used the…
- More fencing by: Rich
March 26, 2010, 18:00
After helping Farmer Mike install some brand spanking new high-tensile fencing I decided to do a little here on the place. We still have a little ice and…
- Starting Projects by: Rich
March 20, 2010, 20:43
The air was chilly, but I decided to start a fencing project anyway. I went out to the south east corner of the property to look at the old line fencing.…
- Another Task Completed Before Winter by: Rich
- Category: Field-work (16)
- Well, That Didn't Work As Planned by: Rich
August 1, 2011, 13:43
This year we planted a 10 acre field of alfalfa/grass mix hay, with oats as a cover crop. I wanted the oats not as a grain, but as hay. For premium quality…
- Winter Hay On the Racks by: Rich
July 26, 2011, 22:28
Well, we didn't get the predicted rain last night, but that's a good thing. It gave us an extra day to get the bales off the ground. When I drove the…
- Making Hay And A Truck-load Of Bread by: Rich
July 25, 2011, 22:46
We have rain in the forecast... again. Surprise, surprise. With that in mind, I decided that baling hay should be at the top of my priority list. I had…
- Brand New Planting Equipment - 65+ Years Ago by: Rich
May 21, 2011, 10:09
I'm happy to say, we have the small grain planted. Thursday was dry enough for me to get the wheat and the oats into the ground. A special thanks goes out…
- We Started Farming Again by: Rich
April 30, 2011, 09:12
The farm/ranch we are on, is bigger than a hobby farm, but according to the bankers (and most area farmers), it is too small to make a living on. Regardless,…
- A Day Alone. It Was Peaceful by: Rich
April 13, 2011, 21:01
Yesterday, when I was coming back from helping Farmer Mike with some silo-work, I noticed that the bee-man must have been around. There were 3 hives setting…
- Fall Plowing Is Done by: Rich
November 18, 2010, 19:58
Enough said. Or is it? Here's the back story. Nov. 15 & 16th I was doing a little plowing for Farmer Mike. He rents some organic ground just a few…
- Baling Straw Is Done For The Season by: Rich
August 8, 2010, 22:17
Or is it? After baling for Farmer Mike on some rented land he controls, it was time to do a little baling here on this farm. We have about 3 straw bales…
- Hot And Heavy by: Rich
July 31, 2010, 22:16
The morning started as many mornings prior - with a walk around the pastures, checking fences. The weed-load (weeds touching the "hot" wires) is extensive. …
- Grapes & Grains by: Rich
July 28, 2010, 21:27
Small grain harvest is upon us, no doubt. The other day I helped Farmer Mike with the swathing of his field of organic peas and barley, and today I planned…
- New Equipment... Well, New To Me. by: Rich
July 18, 2010, 22:28
After the storms last night, the downed hay was too wet to rake. What to do, what to do? In the morning, I went out to the field of freshly baled hay. If I…
- Make Hay When The Sun Shines by: Rich
May 29, 2010, 20:59
It was a long, hot day. The first of many, I'm sure. Shortly after 7:00AM, I set out with the hay rake in tow. Although we didn't really have a dewy…
- Now It's Raining. Crap, Crap, crap! by: Rich
May 5, 2010, 12:22
After the "mishap" with the Oliver tractor yesterday, could things get any worse? Yepper! They sure can. Since the Oliver was still setting in the field…
- Corn Planting Didn't Go So Well by: Rich
May 4, 2010, 19:17
I got the 20 acres of corn ground worked with the digger so it would be ready for me to plant, later in the afternoon. I then went over to Farmer Mike's…
- WANTED: Small Crop Sprayer by: Rich
April 26, 2010, 18:16
Hey folks... we're looking for a small crop sprayer. Although we are in transition to becoming certified organic, we still feel we have a use for one. We'd…
- The Small Grains Are In. by: Rich
April 19, 2010, 06:02
The last week has been a blur. If we weren't doing one thing we were doing another... added to the confusion, we did the taxes. The last few days were…
- Well, That Didn't Work As Planned by: Rich
- Category: Garden (5)
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
September 30, 2011, 22:07
Carol did a little more gardening this morning inside the high-tunnel and I did a some clean-up on the outside. Carol made several trips from the garden to…
- Our Hops Plants Are Producing by: Rich
August 18, 2011, 22:36
Here's a couple of photos of our hops. I'm not sure how many ounces of hops we're going to be able to harvest, but it's looking good so far.
- High-Tunnel Progress by: Rich
June 7, 2010, 17:25
Carol, Madison & I buckled-down and got to the task of constructing the high-tunnel. We ran level string-line to make sure we had a plum building site. …
- Madison's Experiment by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 20:11
Last week, daughter Madison took some corn out of the farm's 4 row planter. She then put them into a baggy, containing a moist paper towel. Within days she…
- Good News, Bad News by: Rich
April 7, 2010, 18:18
I got a phone call from our local Natural Resources and Conservation Services (NRCS) office, located in Willmar, MN. The official on the line said, "Rich, I…
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
- Category: Harvest (9)
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
September 30, 2011, 22:07
Carol did a little more gardening this morning inside the high-tunnel and I did a some clean-up on the outside. Carol made several trips from the garden to…
- Well, That Didn't Work As Planned by: Rich
August 1, 2011, 13:43
This year we planted a 10 acre field of alfalfa/grass mix hay, with oats as a cover crop. I wanted the oats not as a grain, but as hay. For premium quality…
- Winter Hay On the Racks by: Rich
July 26, 2011, 22:28
Well, we didn't get the predicted rain last night, but that's a good thing. It gave us an extra day to get the bales off the ground. When I drove the…
- Making Hay And A Truck-load Of Bread by: Rich
July 25, 2011, 22:46
We have rain in the forecast... again. Surprise, surprise. With that in mind, I decided that baling hay should be at the top of my priority list. I had…
- Grain Harvest Is Done! by: Rich
October 22, 2010, 23:32
Yesterday morning I got a call from Farmer Mike. It was time to harvest the corn, here at Coyote Ridge Farms. Approx. 5 minutes after the call, he arrived…
- Hauling, Raking, and Haying... Oh My! by: Rich
September 15, 2010, 21:50
Yesterday was non-stop... from 6:30am to 11:30pm. I wanted to get an early start to the 2nd day of hauling grain by getting a load of wheat to the farmers…
- More Baling by: Rich
August 9, 2010, 19:56
It was a pretty nice day for baling. Although we had some light rain last night, by noon things were drying up nicely. After lunch I did some raking,…
- Baling Straw Is Done For The Season by: Rich
August 8, 2010, 22:17
Or is it? After baling for Farmer Mike on some rented land he controls, it was time to do a little baling here on this farm. We have about 3 straw bales…
- Hot And Heavy by: Rich
July 31, 2010, 22:16
The morning started as many mornings prior - with a walk around the pastures, checking fences. The weed-load (weeds touching the "hot" wires) is extensive. …
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
- Another Easy Way To Spend 00 by: Rich
- Category: Photos (92)
- Farm Raised Ham Is On The Table by: Rich
January 17, 2012, 17:22
Before Carol would allow any ham to be sold, she wanted to make sure it was the best... or at the very least, better than any ham you could buy within 100…
- Pork Products Are Available by: Rich
January 15, 2012, 08:29
Yesterday, we went into town to pick up the pork we had processed. The first thing we did was ask the butcher how our hog compared to others he had seen. …
- Home-made Chevron Jerky by: Rich
January 13, 2012, 13:23
We just bagged a half pound of home-grown, home-made, chevron jerky. We still need to fine-tune the seasoning/spices, but it's still tasty. Goat meat…
- We're On Baby Pig-Watch, w/Update by: Rich
December 22, 2011, 15:16
Curly Sue is one of our purebred American Guinea Hogs that is pregnant. She was due to farrow yesterday (Dec. 21). As you can see in the photo, her underline…
- Christmas Lights by: Rich
December 17, 2011, 10:32
When is too early to put the Christmas lights up? As you may have noticed, I put a few lights up on the blog... and yes, I'll be taking them down by the New…
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
September 30, 2011, 22:07
Carol did a little more gardening this morning inside the high-tunnel and I did a some clean-up on the outside. Carol made several trips from the garden to…
- Pasture And Grazing Available For 2012 by: Rich
September 15, 2011, 19:24
We have taken the next step towards being a sustainable farm/ranch. After 3 seasons of grazing smaller herds, this fall we have decided to add another 24…
- American Guinea Hogs: They're Doing Well by: Rich
September 1, 2011, 08:07
The newest hogs on the place, our American Guinea Hogs, seem to be settled in and doing well. We still have them in a pen, under the hay loft, so that they…
- Our Hops Plants Are Producing by: Rich
August 18, 2011, 22:36
Here's a couple of photos of our hops. I'm not sure how many ounces of hops we're going to be able to harvest, but it's looking good so far.
- The Tire Blow'd Up by: Rich
August 17, 2011, 22:03
We finally recovered the Farmall H from the field from across the creek. Carol had a few minutes to help me. This is the same unit that I was raking hay…
- I Wasn't Expecting That Call by: Rich
August 12, 2011, 10:34
This morning, (about a half hr ago, really), I got a call. When I looked at the number, it was a (641) area code... I had no idea where that area code was…
- Winter Hay On the Racks by: Rich
July 26, 2011, 22:28
Well, we didn't get the predicted rain last night, but that's a good thing. It gave us an extra day to get the bales off the ground. When I drove the…
- Making Hay And A Truck-load Of Bread by: Rich
July 25, 2011, 22:46
We have rain in the forecast... again. Surprise, surprise. With that in mind, I decided that baling hay should be at the top of my priority list. I had…
- Caitlin Is A New Mama, Not Grassfed Hamburger by: Rich
July 22, 2011, 17:35
Madison and I headed out to the near paddock, this morning, to check on the cattle. When we arrived at the old shade tree, we found most of the cattle…
- Carol's Peach Pie by: Rich
July 6, 2011, 11:45
I just had to show this off. The other day, Carol made this beautiful, peach pie... from scratch. The pie looked good before it went into the oven, but it…
- That's A Whole Lotta Bull by: Rich
June 28, 2011, 14:54
After getting our ducks in a row, our schedules were cleared and we were able to visit Kim's ranch. We had been in contact with a Ms. Kim Johnson of Birch…
- Homemade Hog Waterer by: Rich
June 18, 2011, 15:37
I belong to a Small Scale Pig Raising Facebook group that focuses on small scale hog production issues. I had promised to post a photo of our homemade…
- Brand New Planting Equipment - 65+ Years Ago by: Rich
May 21, 2011, 10:09
I'm happy to say, we have the small grain planted. Thursday was dry enough for me to get the wheat and the oats into the ground. A special thanks goes out…
- Our Rhizomes Are Turning Into Bines by: Rich
May 9, 2011, 19:10
About a week ago, I planted the hops rhizomes I ordered. I had gotten 6 Nugget rhizomes and 6 Cascades from a gal who raises hops, approx. 40 miles south of…
- More Cheese Please. by: Rich
April 26, 2011, 17:58
Carol has been making cheese pretty often lately. It seems the goats are in full milk and we have more raw milk than we have raw milk customers... at least…
- Getting Ready For The Hops & Hogs by: Rich
April 26, 2011, 11:53
I got the telephone poles installed in one of our older garden areas, north of the vineyard. Last year, our rural electric co-op dropped-off the two 25+ ft…
- Carol's Cheddar Cheese by: Rich
April 21, 2011, 10:32
The other day, Carol started a 2# batch of goat's milk Cheddar Cheese. Well, after a day of pressing and flipping, flipping and pressing, it is air drying…
- Baby Calves: 1st Day In The Pasture by: Rich
April 20, 2011, 18:43
Last night, the cattle wanted to head out to the pastures... even the mother of the newborn bull-calf. They were heading down the lane when I decided that I…
- Cheese Press Photos & Info by: Rich
April 17, 2011, 20:03
On the farm's Facebook page, I announced that Carol started making a 2lb batch of cheddar cheese (from goat's milk) this morning. The announcement attracted…
- Our New Silver Highland Calf by: Rich
April 15, 2011, 17:42
When I checked on the cattle yesterday, I thought two of the females looked a little 'iffy'. Not really knowing if they were ready to birth or if they were…
- Twin Bucklings by: Rich
April 14, 2011, 19:14
I don't typically post about all the births we have on the farm, but I do know I should post a few more than I do. Why don't I blog about all of the…
- Frozen Frog Legs by: Rich
April 9, 2011, 16:29
The last few days have been fencing type weather. Either taking out the temporary fencing of the winter pastures or repairing the lane fencing that was taken…
- How Stupid Are We? by: Rich
March 11, 2011, 13:14
I wasn't going to blog about this, but after a few days of thinking about it, I thought our experience may help somebody else and prevent them from repeating…
- Twin Katahdin Lambs Were Born by: Rich
February 24, 2011, 11:33
Yesterday was another busy day here on the farm. It was a pleasant morning, unlike most of our mornings. While I was out in the winter pasture, making sure…
- More Baby Pictures by: Rich
February 21, 2011, 22:11
Carol took a few photos tonight of some our new barn babies. The newest lamb doesn't have spots, as I first thought. It has what we call a scarf - a tan band…
- This Season's New Lambs by: Rich
February 21, 2011, 19:21
Last night, Carol came into the house, asking for the camera. It seems we had a ewe lamb born sometime late afternoon or early evening. This little girl is…
- Bread Labels by: Rich
February 19, 2011, 13:48
Not long after lunch today, I got started on the label for Carol's Pickle Bread. As many of you know, she has a small contract for her Pickle Bread. The…
- Farm WebCam by: Rich
February 8, 2011, 11:17
After a day or so of testing, it appears we have a functioning, auto-refresh webcam on the site. Before yesterday, the cam pic was simply a static image...…
- Making Beer – The Easy Way by: Rich
February 4, 2011, 09:15
Although I just bottled 2½ cases of my 2nd batch of home-brew, I decided to start another 6 gallons. I have gotten a few emails and Facebook IM's about how…
- I Love This Bread by: Rich
February 3, 2011, 14:27
Carol was nice enough to bake another 1½lb loaf of this delicious bread. I had to show it off. It's her Dill Pickle Bread. Isn't it beautiful? If…
- Carol Baked Sugar Doughnuts by: Rich
February 3, 2011, 13:34
A few days ago, on our last snow day, Carol and Madison decided to turn an otherwise "stay inside and do nothing day" into another day of kitchen creativity. …
- Pickle Bread, Fruit Leather And Valentines by: Rich
January 29, 2011, 17:56
The girls have been very creative in the kitchen today. First prepared was the ground beef for jerky later. Daughter Madison mixed a 1½ lb. batch for…
- Carol Made Fresh Baked Bagels by: Rich
January 26, 2011, 11:09
I'm not sure how or why she tried making bagels, but last night she did. They turned out pretty good, too. I was not familiar with the bagel making process,…
- Bunnies & Beer, It's A Good Thing by: Rich
January 18, 2011, 14:03
We have new bunnies being born and more on the way through Easter. The kits (baby bunnies) that were born last week are show rabbits. Madison is an avid…
- The Calves... They Are A Coming by: Rich
January 15, 2011, 19:43
Sometime ago, this summer, we brought in a bull - a proven bull. It seems our little bull (Sampson), was first declared a young bull, by a neighbor... then a…
- My New Cap by: Rich
January 5, 2011, 10:54
Speedy Delivery just dropped-off a package from the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture. It was the prize from their fall photo contest. It seems we won 3rd…
- Photo Contest by: Rich
December 21, 2010, 15:43
I was just informed that we won 3rd place in photo contest, sponsored by the Minnesota Dept. Of Agriculture. It was for their fall photo contest. The…
- And The Snow Cometh... Again by: Rich
December 20, 2010, 12:42
Not knowing if we will be able to get hay out to the goats and sheep after today (for the next week or so), I made another 2 hay-feeders using cattle panels. …
- Really? Another Goat In The House. by: Rich
December 2, 2010, 14:45
To start with... I thought that our Monday-Tuesday 'snow storm' was going to be more than it was. Yes, we got a bunch of snow. Yes, we got the wind. But…
- Christmas Decorations For The Fence by: Rich
November 29, 2010, 15:36
We've had a few online friends ask about the garland that we added to our farm's post & rail fence. We have a "storm" moving in, so I thought I'd take a…
- We Started Our 1st Batch Of Beer by: Rich
November 28, 2010, 10:45
First, we want to apologize to our Facebook fans, as they not only read the blog entries, but also the tid-bits and minor updates on our FB page. I'm quite…
- Oooops! Did I Do That? by: Rich
November 24, 2010, 09:58
Left in the house last night to tend to and watch over stuff, while the girls were milking their goats, I may have made an important discovery. And that…
- Crooked Horn Gives Birth by: Rich
November 14, 2010, 15:09
These Sunday morning goat babies seem to be more the rule than the exception. Shortly after Carol dropped Madison off at the church for Sunday School, she…
- Ish, Ish, Ish - We Have Winter by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 18:17
We got our first real snow of the winter season today. When a person realizes that the new snow is marking the beginning of winter, they don't always think…
- Curly - I Almost Forgot He Went Home by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 11:17
Thursday was the day we brought Curly back to his home. Curly is the purebred Scottish Highland bull we rented/borrowed for the fall. We picked him up in…
- Heavy Use Area Protection Pad by: Rich
November 12, 2010, 19:10
Finally completed is the farm's first large heavy use protection (HUP) pad for the cattle's remote water station, north of the creek. The pad was built to…
- Cornstalks Are Baled And A New Goat Was Born by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 22:24
The last week is/was sorta the same... all involving cornstalks. If I wasn't chopping, raking or baling stalks here on the farm, I was helping Farmer Mike…
- Opening A New Winter Pasture by: Rich
November 2, 2010, 21:48
Carol got busy butchering chickens right away this morning. I'm not sure how many she got processed or even how many she had planned to process. She did…
- Wind Damage by: Rich
October 28, 2010, 22:36
As with most folks around here, we are starting to see the damage that took place a few nights ago. We thought we had escaped anything major. We were…
- Mak'in Bacon by: Rich
October 23, 2010, 16:23
With the corn harvest done and rain in the immediate forecast... and me still a wee-bit tired from yesterday, today was the day Carol and I set out to smoke 3…
- A New Baby Goat Arrived by: Rich
October 19, 2010, 19:20
When I was out and about, checking fences in the cattle's 40 acre winter pasture, I got a call from Carol. She thought she could use a little help with a…
- Pouring Cement by: Rich
October 17, 2010, 18:21
Early last night, I looked at the weather forecast. It looked pretty good, with only a 20% chance of scattered showers... and they weren't supposed to be…
- Making Way For A New Waterer by: Rich
October 15, 2010, 22:31
After much procrastination, I finally got started on the farm's 2nd, automatic, frost-free waterer installation. Last year, when we ran water lines for the…
- New Yard Fence by: Rich
October 15, 2010, 20:05
Well, after a few short days of work and at less than /ft, we have a new fence for the yard. As you can see, it is a simple post and rail style fence…
- Cattle In New Winter Pasture by: Rich
September 27, 2010, 09:31
Here's a couple of quick photos of the farm's Scottish Highlander cattle in their new, 40 acre, winter season pasture. To say they look content would be an…
- Winter Pasture Fencing by: Rich
September 26, 2010, 17:18
Between the multiple rain days, semi-daily showers and the unpredictable sprinkles, I have been able to get some of the farm's pending fencing projects started…
- My Kombucha by: Rich
September 24, 2010, 10:33
Yesterday was filled with little more than rain. We were lucky... I guess - we only received 1.3" of precipitation. There were southern parts of our state…
- Good Kombucha by: Rich
September 21, 2010, 12:17
Peter, the gentleman who sent us the Kombucha SCOBY/Mother last week, sent us a large sample of his Kombucha. After hearing that we had never tasted…
- It Arrived. We Now Have One! It's A Kombucha Mother! by: Rich
September 16, 2010, 20:44
A few weeks ago, I took out an ad on craigslist looking for a Kombucha mushroom. I only got 2 replies. One guy was surprised that anyone out in these parts…
- Making Homemade Mozzarella Cheese by: Rich
September 9, 2010, 12:49
Our goats produce more milk than we can drink and/or sell so we learned how to make cheese. In this video, Madison, our 12 year old shows how to make fresh,…
- Kiwi Brace by: Rich
September 4, 2010, 20:17
The forecast suggested it would be a windy day today - perfect for drying hay. As soon as the dew left the downed hay, I began to rake some of the road side…
- 25 Years Ago Today by: Rich
September 3, 2010, 19:21
Carol and I are going out with friend and mentor, Farmer Mike and his wife Karen. Their wedding anniversary was yesterday and ours is today. 25 years ago,…
- Madison Wins Purple by: Rich
August 29, 2010, 13:15
Yesterday was Madison's show day for her bunny at the Minnesota State Fair. Carol and I left the farm early in the morning to get to the show ring early…
- Minnesota State Fair by: Rich
August 28, 2010, 22:04
As most of us Minnesotans know, the State Fair is a big deal, attracting nearly 2 million folks each year. I guess that's why the call it the "Great…
- Good Bye Madison. Have Fun! by: Rich
August 25, 2010, 12:50
Today is the day we send our 4H'er off to the Minnesota State Fair for 4 days. At the County Fair level daughter Madison won several State Fair trips. This…
- More Baling by: Rich
August 9, 2010, 19:56
It was a pretty nice day for baling. Although we had some light rain last night, by noon things were drying up nicely. After lunch I did some raking,…
- Baling Straw Is Done For The Season by: Rich
August 8, 2010, 22:17
Or is it? After baling for Farmer Mike on some rented land he controls, it was time to do a little baling here on this farm. We have about 3 straw bales…
- Carol's Auction Experience by: Rich
June 24, 2010, 13:29
Some of you know that Carol grew up as a 'Townie'. With that said, more folks know her as a farm gal. But being on the farm for only 2 years, there are…
- An Aunt Of A Friend Of A Friend - No Bull. by: Rich
June 5, 2010, 15:18
Carol, the girls and I headed south to the Granite Falls, MN area. Our mission was to look at a Scottish Highlander bull that we're interested in leasing for…
- What Does One Get For 25¢ Today? by: Rich
May 30, 2010, 09:44
The girls, with friends, went to an annual rabbit show in Hutchinson, MN. on Saturday. No biggy, right? Right. But, on their way back home (I think) they…
- Haying Season Has Begun by: Rich
May 27, 2010, 22:48
Much of the day was spent cutting hay with the farm's old swather. I first started cutting some of the ditch grass alongside the state highway that passes by…
- The Cookbooks Are In. by: Rich
May 26, 2010, 22:03
Hey folks, the grade-schoolers in our area have helped published a cookbook. It's a fund raiser to help buy white-boards for their classrooms. The cookbook…
- Madison's Experiment by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 20:11
Last week, daughter Madison took some corn out of the farm's 4 row planter. She then put them into a baggy, containing a moist paper towel. Within days she…
- Making Water Kefir by: Rich
May 11, 2010, 14:01
With effort to live more naturally and to make things for ourselves, Carol started the conversion of some of our milk kefir to water kefir. The first…
- New Farm Equipment by: Rich
May 6, 2010, 20:30
WOW! What a long day - nearly 400 miles round-trip. My first of two stops was in NW Iowa to pick-up an old 14' Minneapolis Moline grain drill. Although…
- Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
April 26, 2010, 19:15
Here it is... finally installed and ready for years and years of trouble free service. If it can make it through our harsh winter just setting on gravel, it…
- The Small Grains Are In. by: Rich
April 19, 2010, 06:02
The last week has been a blur. If we weren't doing one thing we were doing another... added to the confusion, we did the taxes. The last few days were…
- Palm Sunday Brunch by: Rich
March 28, 2010, 13:11
For our Palm Sunday brunch, Carol made this good tasting sausage and tator frittata. I believe Carol mentioned that except for the cheddar cheese, this is…
- Stinky Cheese by: Rich
March 28, 2010, 09:17
Carol has scraped/cut off the "blooms" on the Feta cheese that she has been making. It is now in a salt brine where it needs to age 1-4 months. As she was…
- Doggy worms by: Rich
March 21, 2010, 09:26
Carol found somthing on our dog Ellie. At first it looked like a piece of white cheese... then it started to move. OK, that's a parasite. YUCK!!! …
- Starting Projects by: Rich
March 20, 2010, 20:43
The air was chilly, but I decided to start a fencing project anyway. I went out to the south east corner of the property to look at the old line fencing.…
- A new lamb by: Rich
March 16, 2010, 16:21
We had another purebred Katahdin lamb. She was born outside. Both mother and daughter are doing fine. We have a bunch more babies due. We can really…
- Our girl promoting raw dairy products by: Rich
March 11, 2010, 15:55
Madison's school had a science fair. Her project was how to make Mozzarella cheese from raw goat milk. She even had samples available for tasting. Those…
- Making things from our raw milk by: Rich
March 9, 2010, 21:05
The girls were making cheese this week. Mozzarella and cream cheese are the favorites to make.
- Two more babies tonight by: Rich
March 1, 2010, 22:02
Our sheep Dotty just gave birth to twin ewe-lambs about 30 minutes ago. After I finished with chores tonight, I thought I'd check the critters outdoors for…
- New baby lamb by: Rich
March 1, 2010, 11:26
We have a new lamb on the ground. It is the first purebred Katahdin hair sheep born on the farm. Carol discovered it this morning while doing her chores. She…
- Home-made Round Bale Hay Feeder by: Rich
November 15, 2009, 17:20
Hey folks. Here's a quick pic of my home-made round bale feeder that I made for the 2009 fall/winter goat/sheep pen. It works pretty good - so far. It's so…
- Farm Raised Ham Is On The Table by: Rich
- Category: Video (10)
- American Guinea Hog Piglet Video by: Rich
January 25, 2012, 11:58
Carol went out this morning with camera in hand. She took a few photos and this video. We don't typically keep our animals indoors, but during the…
- A Video For Us by: Rich
September 6, 2011, 17:55
Hey folks, I'm not sure how I found this video, but it's circulating out there in cyberspace. I didn't read the comments of the video, so I really don't know…
- Our New Calves. Video & Photos by: Rich
April 20, 2011, 19:58
I'm happy to announce, we have decided on a name for the farm's first Scottish Highland heifer-calf. We'll be calling her Sheena. Her true name will be…
- Easter: In Review & Today by: Rich
April 18, 2011, 19:57
A few years back, our local TV station did a 2 minute, human interest piece on us, regarding Easter and the giving of animals to children as Easter gifts. The…
- Food Inc. Documentory by: Rich
March 13, 2011, 18:39
Carol and I just sat down with the kids and watched the food documentary entitled Food, Inc.. The question is asked, "How much do you really know about your…
- Farm WebCam by: Rich
February 8, 2011, 11:17
After a day or so of testing, it appears we have a functioning, auto-refresh webcam on the site. Before yesterday, the cam pic was simply a static image...…
- Anti-Anti-Farming Video by: Rich
January 3, 2011, 15:32
The Human Society of the United States (HSUS), a non-Government Agency, has been in the news lately... for both good and bad reasons. As most folks know,…
- The Unofficial Minnesota Song by: Rich
December 19, 2010, 18:17
For those of you who have only heard about the snow we have been getting up here in Minnesota, here's a fun little music video that gives one a little more…
- The Next Organic Farming Theme Song? by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 14:10
Wha? Check-out this video from the Brits., at Yeo Valley. The Sustainable Farming movement is gaining momentum. Here's the deal. When we started…
- Making Homemade Mozzarella Cheese by: Rich
September 9, 2010, 12:49
Our goats produce more milk than we can drink and/or sell so we learned how to make cheese. In this video, Madison, our 12 year old shows how to make fresh,…
- American Guinea Hog Piglet Video by: Rich
- Category: Weather (62)
- Frozen Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
January 20, 2012, 12:03
After 2 solid years of praising our flawless operating Ritchie brand automatic waterers, I was a bit surprised last night to see that one of the waterers had…
- We're On Baby Pig-Watch, w/Update by: Rich
December 22, 2011, 15:16
Curly Sue is one of our purebred American Guinea Hogs that is pregnant. She was due to farrow yesterday (Dec. 21). As you can see in the photo, her underline…
- The High-tunnel Is Wired For Winter by: Rich
December 5, 2011, 16:20
Yesterday, Madison and I ran some 12-2 wiring from the hoop-house/high-tunnel yesterday. I was worried, since it was only a partial roll of wire, if we would…
- Horses, Goats and Sheep... Moved For Winter. by: Rich
December 3, 2011, 18:00
You can feel it. Winter, with its snow and cold and wind, is close. It's right around the corner. We got a couple more wait-til-the-last-minute to-do's…
- We Had A Cold House Last Night by: Rich
November 27, 2011, 09:20
It's been a long, cold holiday weekend. The used part we had to put back into the furnace has been giving us a few challenges. :wah: It's bad enough not…
- You Know Winter Is Coming by: Rich
November 25, 2011, 09:54
You know winter is coming when the furnace gives you problems... and your worried about it. It seems as though the start of every winter season presents us…
- It Was Nearly 120°F by: Rich
September 30, 2011, 22:07
Carol did a little more gardening this morning inside the high-tunnel and I did a some clean-up on the outside. Carol made several trips from the garden to…
- Well, That Didn't Work As Planned by: Rich
August 1, 2011, 13:43
This year we planted a 10 acre field of alfalfa/grass mix hay, with oats as a cover crop. I wanted the oats not as a grain, but as hay. For premium quality…
- Making Hay And A Truck-load Of Bread by: Rich
July 25, 2011, 22:46
We have rain in the forecast... again. Surprise, surprise. With that in mind, I decided that baling hay should be at the top of my priority list. I had…
- Are We In Washinton State? by: Rich
June 22, 2011, 13:03
In the past 36 hours, we have received 2.7" of precipitation. I guess we should be grateful it's not snow. Whatever the case, in the first 3 weeks of June,…
- Toilet Humor... But Not Very Funny by: Rich
June 21, 2011, 08:09
OK... if you've read our blog for any length of time, you know our house leaks when it rains. I mean, what do you expect for a free house? And if you are…
- Brand New Planting Equipment - 65+ Years Ago by: Rich
May 21, 2011, 10:09
I'm happy to say, we have the small grain planted. Thursday was dry enough for me to get the wheat and the oats into the ground. A special thanks goes out…
- Our Rhizomes Are Turning Into Bines by: Rich
May 9, 2011, 19:10
About a week ago, I planted the hops rhizomes I ordered. I had gotten 6 Nugget rhizomes and 6 Cascades from a gal who raises hops, approx. 40 miles south of…
- We Started Farming Again by: Rich
April 30, 2011, 09:12
The farm/ranch we are on, is bigger than a hobby farm, but according to the bankers (and most area farmers), it is too small to make a living on. Regardless,…
- Twin Bucklings by: Rich
April 14, 2011, 19:14
I don't typically post about all the births we have on the farm, but I do know I should post a few more than I do. Why don't I blog about all of the…
- Time For Field Work? by: Rich
April 8, 2011, 22:35
Well, not yet. But we're close. We've had our 4th or 5th straight day of extremely nice weather (by Minnesota standards). It's been in the 50's, if not…
- Our First Calf Arrived Early by: Rich
March 18, 2011, 16:26
I wasn't going to blog about this. I wasn't comfortable with the thought of losing our first calf of the season. But the more I talked to folks with cattle…
- How Stupid Are We? by: Rich
March 11, 2011, 13:14
I wasn't going to blog about this, but after a few days of thinking about it, I thought our experience may help somebody else and prevent them from repeating…
- Twin Katahdin Lambs Were Born by: Rich
February 24, 2011, 11:33
Yesterday was another busy day here on the farm. It was a pleasant morning, unlike most of our mornings. While I was out in the winter pasture, making sure…
- This Season's New Lambs by: Rich
February 21, 2011, 19:21
Last night, Carol came into the house, asking for the camera. It seems we had a ewe lamb born sometime late afternoon or early evening. This little girl is…
- Carol Baked Sugar Doughnuts by: Rich
February 3, 2011, 13:34
A few days ago, on our last snow day, Carol and Madison decided to turn an otherwise "stay inside and do nothing day" into another day of kitchen creativity. …
- It's Cold by: Rich
January 4, 2011, 07:59
Yepper... winter is here. When I turned on the laptop this morning, this is what I saw when I went to check the forecast. Madison had an early morning…
- Back To Normal by: Rich
December 30, 2010, 11:21
Life is back to normal and we're into the routine of things again. Carol, daughter Madison and I drove to NW Arkansas to celebrate Christmas with my sister…
- And The Snow Cometh... Again by: Rich
December 20, 2010, 12:42
Not knowing if we will be able to get hay out to the goats and sheep after today (for the next week or so), I made another 2 hay-feeders using cattle panels. …
- The Unofficial Minnesota Song by: Rich
December 19, 2010, 18:17
For those of you who have only heard about the snow we have been getting up here in Minnesota, here's a fun little music video that gives one a little more…
- The Blizzard Of 2010? by: Rich
December 11, 2010, 15:13
Is it or will it be a blizzard? I don't know. Maybe I should say "I doubt it." The weatherman is saying it will be the worst storm system in recent…
- Frozen Water Pipes & Another Winter Storm Warning by: Rich
December 4, 2010, 11:50
Winter has most certainly arrived in West-central Minnesota. Yesterday brought us our first experience with frozen water pipes for this winter season. It…
- Really? Another Goat In The House. by: Rich
December 2, 2010, 14:45
To start with... I thought that our Monday-Tuesday 'snow storm' was going to be more than it was. Yes, we got a bunch of snow. Yes, we got the wind. But…
- Christmas Decorations For The Fence by: Rich
November 29, 2010, 15:36
We've had a few online friends ask about the garland that we added to our farm's post & rail fence. We have a "storm" moving in, so I thought I'd take a…
- Here's Hoping You All Had A Wonderful Thanksgiving by: Rich
November 27, 2010, 14:14
Here's hoping everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving. And may you continue to enjoy the Holiday weekend. On Thanksgiving Eve, with a report of bad…
- The Boys Are With The Girls by: Rich
November 19, 2010, 17:45
This morning Carol removed the gate that separated the 'clean-up' rams & bucks from all the ewes & does. Carol has had a select ram and a select…
- Ish, Ish, Ish - We Have Winter by: Rich
November 13, 2010, 18:17
We got our first real snow of the winter season today. When a person realizes that the new snow is marking the beginning of winter, they don't always think…
- Cornstalks Are Baled And A New Goat Was Born by: Rich
November 9, 2010, 22:24
The last week is/was sorta the same... all involving cornstalks. If I wasn't chopping, raking or baling stalks here on the farm, I was helping Farmer Mike…
- Opening A New Winter Pasture by: Rich
November 2, 2010, 21:48
Carol got busy butchering chickens right away this morning. I'm not sure how many she got processed or even how many she had planned to process. She did…
- Wind Damage by: Rich
October 28, 2010, 22:36
As with most folks around here, we are starting to see the damage that took place a few nights ago. We thought we had escaped anything major. We were…
- Rude Awakening by: Rich
October 27, 2010, 07:57
What a difference from last week... even from just a few days ago. Knowing that some cool days were knocking on the door, we began to prepare... we only…
- Pouring Cement by: Rich
October 17, 2010, 18:21
Early last night, I looked at the weather forecast. It looked pretty good, with only a 20% chance of scattered showers... and they weren't supposed to be…
- What A Beautiful Day by: Rich
October 8, 2010, 22:23
WOW! Upper 80's never felt so warm. Nearly 20°F above average, it was truly a day for field work... and sweat. I had cut a little more than 50% of the…
- Winter Pasture Fencing by: Rich
September 26, 2010, 17:18
Between the multiple rain days, semi-daily showers and the unpredictable sprinkles, I have been able to get some of the farm's pending fencing projects started…
- My Kombucha by: Rich
September 24, 2010, 10:33
Yesterday was filled with little more than rain. We were lucky... I guess - we only received 1.3" of precipitation. There were southern parts of our state…
- Hauling, Raking, and Haying... Oh My! by: Rich
September 15, 2010, 21:50
Yesterday was non-stop... from 6:30am to 11:30pm. I wanted to get an early start to the 2nd day of hauling grain by getting a load of wheat to the farmers…
- Kiwi Brace by: Rich
September 4, 2010, 20:17
The forecast suggested it would be a windy day today - perfect for drying hay. As soon as the dew left the downed hay, I began to rake some of the road side…
- Windy by: Rich
September 3, 2010, 08:50
WOW! Last night it looks like we got some more crazy strong winds. According to our personal weather station, we received winds in excess of 67 mph at…
- Rain, Rain Go Away by: Rich
September 2, 2010, 21:26
As with most of the summer, we have had plenty of rain. :rain: In the last 2 days we've received approx. 4 inches of precipitation... enough is enough…
- Too Hot! by: Rich
August 22, 2010, 18:11
It was nearly too hot to relax. With a temp of 94°+F, there was not much more to do than work. I chose work I could on the tractor... of course. We…
- More Baling by: Rich
August 9, 2010, 19:56
It was a pretty nice day for baling. Although we had some light rain last night, by noon things were drying up nicely. After lunch I did some raking,…
- Baling Straw Is Done For The Season by: Rich
August 8, 2010, 22:17
Or is it? After baling for Farmer Mike on some rented land he controls, it was time to do a little baling here on this farm. We have about 3 straw bales…
- Grapes & Grains by: Rich
July 28, 2010, 21:27
Small grain harvest is upon us, no doubt. The other day I helped Farmer Mike with the swathing of his field of organic peas and barley, and today I planned…
- New Equipment... Well, New To Me. by: Rich
July 18, 2010, 22:28
After the storms last night, the downed hay was too wet to rake. What to do, what to do? In the morning, I went out to the field of freshly baled hay. If I…
- 2010 Fencing Season Is Completed... by: Rich
June 15, 2010, 19:50
... and inspected. :party: For the most part, I had the fencing project done yesterday. But today I added the finishing touches by installing temporary…
- Farm Boys From Kenya by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 15:12
The day was cool and rainy, but that didn't stop our visitors from coming out from St Cloud, MN. Visitors? I should say new farm customers. Three younger…
- The Cattle Are Out by: Rich
June 12, 2010, 11:30
After helping the neighbors with chores this morning, I was in the mood to do a little fencing... why not!? I'm awake already and it looked as though rain…
- Rain by: Rich
June 8, 2010, 07:51
Although not much will be gotten done today, we are enjoying the sounds of the much needed rain. It is so appreciated.
- Make Hay When The Sun Shines by: Rich
May 29, 2010, 20:59
It was a long, hot day. The first of many, I'm sure. Shortly after 7:00AM, I set out with the hay rake in tow. Although we didn't really have a dewy…
- Wow! It Was Really Hot Out. by: Rich
May 24, 2010, 05:05
I think it was our first hot day of the summer. Knowing it was going to be a tad-bit warm today, I headed to the pasture early, to do some more fencing... I…
- The Corn: It's Planted... Finally. by: Rich
May 10, 2010, 15:19
Planting the farm's corn field was not an easy task. We started planting on Tuesday afternoon, May 04. That's when the problems started. I had planted…
- Now It's Raining. Crap, Crap, crap! by: Rich
May 5, 2010, 12:22
After the "mishap" with the Oliver tractor yesterday, could things get any worse? Yepper! They sure can. Since the Oliver was still setting in the field…
- The Swallows Are Back. by: Rich
May 3, 2010, 18:02
Some time ago, Farmer Mike taught me that when the Swallows show-up in this part of the country, it's time to plant the corn. It seems the swallows migrate to…
- Spring cleaning by: Rich
March 15, 2010, 17:49
Question: What is 30 ft long, 10 ft wide and smells like crap? Answer: Crap... of course. It was barn cleaning time on the old homestead. With the warmer…
- What's for supper? by: Rich
March 13, 2010, 22:48
We had another nice day... snow melting, mud all over and slipping & sliding for all. Once again, I went north of the creek to retreive a round bale of…
- Farmer Mike's Quality Meat by: Rich
March 12, 2010, 15:16
It's still rainy and cool here, but way warmer than it should be for this time of the year. Typically, our daily high temp. is about 36°F with a average low…
- The weather... it's a changing. by: Rich
March 7, 2010, 00:10
It is finally starting to feel like spring around here. The weather is reaching it's normal high temps. of 30ºF and beyond. The creek that runs through…
- Frozen Ritchie Waterer by: Rich
- Category: Wild Life (7)
- Baby Calves: 1st Day In The Pasture by: Rich
April 20, 2011, 18:43
Last night, the cattle wanted to head out to the pastures... even the mother of the newborn bull-calf. They were heading down the lane when I decided that I…
- A Day Alone. It Was Peaceful by: Rich
April 13, 2011, 21:01
Yesterday, when I was coming back from helping Farmer Mike with some silo-work, I noticed that the bee-man must have been around. There were 3 hives setting…
- Raw Honey by: Rich
November 25, 2010, 09:56
Christmas may have come early yesterday. Our bee-keeper friend just dropped off two 4.5 quart pails full of delicious raw honey . It seems the hives he had…
- Haying Season Has Begun by: Rich
May 27, 2010, 22:48
Much of the day was spent cutting hay with the farm's old swather. I first started cutting some of the ditch grass alongside the state highway that passes by…
- The Swallows Are Back. by: Rich
May 3, 2010, 18:02
Some time ago, Farmer Mike taught me that when the Swallows show-up in this part of the country, it's time to plant the corn. It seems the swallows migrate to…
- Remote Watering Station by: Rich
April 8, 2010, 20:27
This morning I had time to work on one of the farm's remote watering stations for the most eastern paddock/pasture. Last fall I had purchased a few 500 ft…
- Doggy worms by: Rich
March 21, 2010, 09:26
Carol found somthing on our dog Ellie. At first it looked like a piece of white cheese... then it started to move. OK, that's a parasite. YUCK!!! …
- Baby Calves: 1st Day In The Pasture by: Rich
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by Mark Beljaars
Our blog is to inform and entertain you as we pursue our goal of starting a small, west-central, MN family farm.
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