It's been a long summer and fall, obviously. I've been too busy to post, and had to put it on my to do list to remind myself that I have dozens of photos and ideas of things to write about. Perhaps I should put it as a regular reminder on my calendar?
Evan playing in a huge pile of feed corn at a local corn maze!
The summer was full of work. Outside and inside. And lots of traveling to events and the homes of our good friends and family. I have been sewing, knitting, cooking, gardening, building a proper farm, cooking, eventing, farm sitting, and did I mention cooking? I've actually been looking forward to the Winter (!!!) since that means a nice break from travels and a little bit of time to slow down and gather myself.
Our newest addition to the farm, Tristan
I've been getting more involved in my community. I've learned that the old ways are still alive, though burning down and struggling like a wood fire in the garden on a drizzly day. If we could just rekindle it. If we could just bring our communities together again and start becoming more self sufficient as a village should be.
A black swallowtail caterpillar found in the garden. It's late in the season for them, I hope he survives this cold.
The market here this winter has been very refreshing. Everyone gathers in a small farm outbuilding with a warm wood stove and close company. Everyone selling there has something different, something that is grown, baked, or raised here in this valley. It turns out that I am setting up next to a lady who spins her own wool from her own animals. It is a lovely thing to see. Since I knit, we have seen some interesting results being close to each other. Last week I had a customer buy yarn spun by her hands, bring it to me, and ask me to make warm wool fingerless gloves with it. I've been working with the local wool knowing that the animal that produced that soft fleece was raised right here in our community. And the yarn spun right from the source, then made into a garment. From beginning to end. It makes me hopeful that we can go back to that a little more.
We have also been looking into getting more of our food locally. I've been inquiring about beef since there are so many farmers with cattle here. I was invited into a share of a cow that was raised on green grass only a mile or so from here. He was slaughtered and butchered all close to our community by local people. Not shipped from one place to another. Then we simply picked up the convenient frozen and divided packages of meat. Just like in the grocery store, but much better quality. And not much of a difference in price.
Can you tell the fresh grass fed from the grocery store ground beef?
We have eaten a bit of it already. The ground meat is lovely. Bright red with very little fat. The grocery store meat I mixed it with was very pink and fatty. Even though it was a top dollar ground beef. It was interesting to see the difference side by side.
Comments
Post a Comment