In the last eight months, all of the things that I am learning to accept as the 'norm' for my life haven't been the easiest. I slip up now and again, but for the most part I try to be consistent in my convictions to live life a little simpler.
Learning to live a more simple life does not seem very 'simple' in reality.... It is actually pretty complex at first getting used to the idea of NOT making meals from a box, or learning to eat what food is in season, to work a little bit for your milk, put a little work into your cheese, ice cream, and eggs instead of just driving to the store and picking it out of the refrigerated bin....making coffee on the stove as opposed to having the timer set for it to be waiting on you when you roll out of bed...
Growing up, I didn't have access to farming; the little gardening experiences I had helping my grandma I didn't appreciate and I couldn't quite understand why in the world you would CHOOSE to work all day on your days off or in your free time in a hot as hell garden with the Georgia sun beating down on you... and how can you have gratification from THAT?!?!? I mean at the time I also thought that if you ran out of money, you could just write a check to buy things...but gardening in your free time for FOOD??? That is what grocery stores are for! I couldn't stand the bugs, the bees, the dirt and dust that would stick to my sticky, sweaty face... I still have a hard time with the bugs and the bees, but the dirt I am beginning to really enjoy. Digging in the dirt has become somewhat of a therapeutic escape after I have spent my whole day cooped up in an office.....
The very first thing we did this year as "About An Acre" was inoculate logs with shiitake mushrooms....
...then I put my very first seedling in the ground in May (due to an unplanned move from one farm to another), and even though I was a little late in the game getting things into the ground, I had a pretty good year with various tomatoes, okra, watermelon, green beans, bell and jalapeno peppers, strawberries, sunflowers, cucumbers and herbs. I unfortunately killed my potatoes with an overdose of goat poop and the squash and zucchini didn't last very long after the squash bugs overtook them...wah!
Since starting this blog back in January of this year, I have had so much encouragement in moving forward with my little 'acre' project, that it has grown to about three acres...I have had donations that have helped me tremendously with the expensive cost of fencing, people volunteering their time into the farm, and I have had an overwhelming response to my cries for help when it came to sick Eli and then Milly. I can now rotate my fields and even keep the grownups and kids separate so that the "playing" is fair.
I have regular weekly customers that pick up eggs from the hens here, but also who buy milk, honey, and beef from other farms that I network with. I just started my fall garden, so hopefully I can sell a little produce here and there to my regular 'porch pickup' customers!
I haven't lost a chicken this year since moving to the new place. Unfortunately Baby (my sweet baby girl canine friend) "caught" an escaped chicken at the beginning of the year and it didn't make it. She has since become very used to the hens and can play in the field with them without incident!
The last few months I have been toying with different foods/ products made from Ellie's fresh milk. I started out making 'farmer's cheese' and then made some 'coffee can' peach/ vanilla bean ice cream. Next month I will attempt my first batch of goats milk soap....
I appreciate all who have continued to keep up with the 'acre' and also would like to encourage everyone to just try a bit to live life a little more simple - it isn't for everyone and it isn't easy, but even things like planting your own herb garden, starting to compost and recycle (which means less waste!), or avoiding buying bottled water can really make a difference over time in your bank account! I have even started making my own laundry detergents, bath salts, and facial products! I try to post detailed instruction on almost everything that I have tried making, so just check the back blogs - if you want to email me, do so here: sandice@aboutanacre.com
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