Radish Mama

Today is the day! We have our onsite butcher coming to process two goats and five pigs. If you aren’t on the list but want a share (1/4 or 1/2) of either I need to know ASAP! I am so lucky to have raised these animals and given them their best life possible. My animals are even more grateful for all the generous support the community provides for them as well. We often get scraps for our animals week over week. Can’t say we’ve had any complaints from these snorts or goats.

Chicken tenders have arrived! Processing dates will be 4/12 & 4/19.

Everyday is a new day. I choose to live each day with an appreciation for the hard work that sustains us. What a luxury it is to be able to go to the store and buy whatever we want. What a luxury it is to jump in a vehicle and drive to a place to buy a ready made meal. What a luxury it is to turn on heat or cool air to keep our bodies comfortable. I choose to do the hard things. Get up early, go to bed late, cook for hours, and sometimes go without. I don’t do these things because they make my life easier. I do them because they make my life better.

2am Estrumate shot and CIDR pull for Laverne. Then 4am pickup and drop off for my son and his cousin to work on a nearby farm. Nothing like pulling an all nighter! Had some fun helpers on the homestead last night and got to make cookies and then also run around wild with them. If I don’t respond much today it’s because I am probably napping.

And in true homestead fashion, we welcomed 3 new kids! Miss Patricia was such a champ bringing these three beauties top side in under 45 minutes. The last one was born still fully loaded in the sack. So cool to see and watch how these animals just know what to do. In the middle of cooking for a private client I was alerted by my LSGD that something was happening. I have actually been scouting the property daily for a coyote for weeks, so I assumed it was that. After walking down barefoot and realizing Patty cakes was laboring I ran back in with my riffle and got ready to assist. These sweet kids are doing great already and Miss Patricia is a fantastic mama. What I didn’t get on video was the alpacas coming to the stall gate to welcome them to the world. Both Jan and Tazz really took an interest in them. Jan in particular really showed some interest and love for them and I just love that. Happy Birthday to these three goat kids!

As the weather is finally starting to feel like fall, evening chores are a lot less daunting. Thanks @grubterra for our new evening treats! Our ducks, turkeys, & chickens enjoyed the extra protein. A few goats even gave them a try 😂. Update on Odin, he has been doing great off the leash around all the animals so all the training time I have been putting in is starting to layoff. Although you see him run towards the goats, he did not initiate that. We have a few new goats we are boarding that aren’t quite sure what is role is and they tend to be runners. Which makes all the goats run. And then Odin thinks he needs to run and investigate. This is why I tell kids they should not run around him. But his response time when called is amazing! He will settle down quicker now and get right back to work. He is the goodest boy. Very proud of him.

The countdown begins! Meat bird workshops will be commencing in 8-9 weeks! All the extra birds processed will be available to purchase. Keep an eye out for processing dates and be sure to share this post so anyone you know who is wanting to learn to process can follow, along with anyone wanting to be added to the purchase list can sign up! How cute are these little chicken nuggets?!

During our recent soaping workshop. Shop talk about height… I am a solid 5’1 and pretty proud of it but I chose to marry a man with some height to reach that third shelf. I am so thankful to get to teach these old world skills each month to people who want to become more self sufficient or simply want to obtain a new craft. If you haven’t viewed my stories, check them out because there were some pretty rad soaps made this past weekend. I know it’s summer and the heat makes you want to stay in but come on over for a workshop because I do my best to knock the AC down to accommodate y’all that can’t live in an 80 degree house 😂. I am just forever thankful for being able to live a life that fills my bucket. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is my passion and I get to do what I truly was built to do. I have so much more planned for the year and can’t wait to meet more people to add to my community, my tribe, and my list of friends. Also, if you plan to come by to purchase something, don’t ever expect me to look this clean. I am feral and this is a once a week occurrence for my hair and smile. Otherwise it is blood, sweat, and tears but not always in that order. Thanks to my girl arlopez0919 for helping capture rare footage of me in my element because I never take pictures and often have no idea where my phone is. She is just the best. #blessem

The curse of the Forth of July has struck again. It is with a heavy heart we laid our girl Mimosa to rest, she was either 17 or 18 so definitely had a long life. But that never makes it any easier. As I got up to feed the animals Friday morning I found her. Sometimes when hard things come up you just have to pivot and understand that you just need to focus on the very next step. We know what valley fever looks like and other neurological symptoms and she did not display any signs of those. I believe it was probably her heart due to the overwhelming fireworks around us that tend to really spook the animals. Because of her age she probably didn’t have it in her to be running around wild like that. But that’s just my guess. After morning chores I was thankful The Boss was home from work because the next step was to dig a hole. Wide and deep in the raw desert in the scorching heat of summer without a cloud in sight. She was composted near a barrel cactus and we moved a creosote on top of the mound where she was buried. As life is taken it can also replenish. Even with a hard start to the day I made sure that didn’t stop me from accomplishing what I needed to and fulfilling my prior commitments. At the end of the day, we are all given the same amount of time each day we draw breath. Make it count. R.I.P. Mims 💜

It’s a cool 96 degrees out ☀️ which is a pretty nice day considering the heat we’ve been having. My summer garden is hanging on strong. I have quite an abundance of zucchini & yellow squash. A hand full of cucumbers and enough eggplant to make one of my favorite dishes this week. Lots of herbs I will be drying for this weekend’s spiceology workshop and some peppers I am saving up to make some hot sauce. It’s almost time for me to put some shade over a few of the beds and get some seeds down in the empty areas. I like a chaos garden. I don’t want a lot of space between plants. What can I say… I’m a thrill seeker. My garden is all organic non-gmo plants. Check out my funky zucchini that was hiding under my oregano 🌿 What are you growing this summer? Or are you smart and waiting for fall temperatures?

Up at the crack of dawn for Miss Laverne to get her AI done. She was a pretty good sport about it for the most part but since she is such a big girl it took a bit longer than expected. Grateful for the help from @arizonamobilevet Dr Burrows and his patience with her! Fingers crossed things will go our way!

Yesterday’s harvest was the last of my purple cabbage, some artichokes, and some kale and chard varieties. I have a jam packed weekend coming up between workshops, everyday life, and a small side gig help with a friend. So somewhere in between those jobs I will be pickling the cabbage and cooking up my artichokes. Garden days are the best of days.