Year 4 got going slowly. Around December, we started on a brand new adventure…the Lost Arts House at Blue Hen Farm.

Blue Hen needed renovations. We tore the carpet out of the den, dining room and living room and painted all the walls with our signature color scheme.

While we perfected chicken curry, Seth worked on his frittata and learned to put furniture kits together, and learned to drive the tractor.

We started the Pork project, preparing hogs for roasting in the new “Oink Oven”. With two pig roasts under our belt, we decided that it’s more economical to cut up the pig rather than roast it whole.

Next we learned to make sausage…our first experience taking place in the new kitchen at the Blue Hen Lost Arts House.

Early in 2018 the cousins came from Ohio to visit and for Lily’s 9th birthday. We spent a day tooling up and down the Rainbow River. Hunter left for Basic Training at Ft Benning GA the following week.

We began raising Call Ducks…for which it turns out you need a license…to sell and a permit to buy!

We expanded our pig breeding operation, without realizing it! Pigs apparently only need to be a couple of months old to breed! Who knew?

Our Dwarf Nigerian goat, Baby, produced the last of Half&Half’s line. We named him Spike.

Headed into Year 5, the adventures continue at Bent Pine Farm.

Happy Homesteading,
T.

Time flies…here’s Bent Pine Farm two years ago.    We’re predicting that it will take another two years at least to finish the infrastructure for the Fairhaven Community School Project.   Keep you posted.

The Garden isn’t looking quite as good in 2018.   The Winter 2017-18 was so cold that we lost much of what we put in.   Last year the dollar weed took over and we fought it for at least a month with the cultivator and white vinegar.   Not sure who won, since it only takes one tiny root to re-infest the whole garden again.   

Actually the clover won this round.   Now we’re back again with the cultivator and white vinegar.   Can’t feed these roots to the animals, because we use the livestock manure to fertilize.   Thinking of trying “weed soup”.   I’m sure there is such a thing…ever heard of it?

Happy Homesteading,
T.