Leather + Wool | The Makers Behind The Products

Midwest Crafted Wool and Leather Goods

This collection is inspired by generations past when quality goods, buying local and responsibly using the whole animal at harvest was the norm. It is ‘Grandpa’s thinking’ that inspires us to utilize the incredible talent that surrounds us to keep more of what is harvested from our animals in our local economy and serving our local community. So, how does this get achieved?

hides

We save our cattle hides at harvest and send them to be processed by a micro-tannery in Iowa. After they are processed into leather they are crafted into the products you in the collection by my sister-in-law, A Well Worn Story. Each item is 100% Midwest made by three small businesses that believe in continuing the values of generations past by using our resources more thoughtfully.

During sheep harvests we save the hides as well and they are turned into beautiful sheepskin rugs by an incredible group of women just 8 miles from our farm in Paoli, Wisconsin.

Wool

Once a year our flock is sheared to help our sheep stay clean and comfortable during the hot summer months. We collect this wool and have it processed into mattress pads. Our wool mattress pads are processed at a small woolen mill in Appleton Wisconsin that is still doing things the way they were done in the 1800s. Some of our wool goes to a one-woman shop in Illinois to be spun into the felting that is used for our leather + wool items.

It is with these many loving hands that we offer our collection of wool and leather goods to you.

Farm | Our first season of grazing our EQUIP pasture

Reflecting on our first season of grazing our EQUIP-funded pasture

June 2nd, 2019

Our first day of grazing was June 2nd. I fell significantly behind this spring because I was heavily exhausted in my first trimester of pregnancy and I still had a water line to finish before I could get cattle moved. So, by June 2nd the alfalfa and grasses were significantly over-grown so most of our first grazing in each paddock was trampled vs. eaten.

Our rotation schedule

When I met with my mentor and EQUIP partner this spring she mentioned I would likely move cattle each day, to which I thought, ya I’m sure with how I’m feeling I’ll move them everyday… BUT sure enough I moved cattle each day until July 13th. We had LOADS of grass to be eaten with such a cool and wet start to our grazing season. The cattle trampled and ate and I moved them every day. July 13th things changed with a heat wave and I moved them every two days to keep my work lighter during this time. Of course with that decision I instead made my paddocks larger, which left more to be trampled in the process. But, we got through a few days of a heat index over 100 degrees and we went back to daily moves.

Our first ‘rest’ period was just shy of 30 days for our first rotation, due again to the cool and wet weather we had the grass was growing well. I had planned on continuing with a regulated rotation, however, when an adviser visited the farm he suggested I get my beef back on the best grass instead of being so rigid with my rotation and paddock one was at it’s prime; so I moved them back to that paddock shy of 30 days.

The rest of the summer I maintained a Paddock 1 - 30+ rotation. During the heat of the summer I moved every one to two days depending on my paddock size. I had a few paddocks that were weaker in vegetation so I moved through those quicker than areas with good vegetative stands. I’m dealing with some significantly sandy areas that didn’t seed well so they are thin, leaving very little to eat.

Once fall approached I continued to move every one to two days depending on the quality and quantity of my vegetation.

Thanks to a smaller herd we grazed until November 16th this year!

I made things as easy as possible

I decided before we moved cattle down to this field that with how I was feeling I was going to need to make this first season as easy as possible. So, in the spring I ordered a couple hundred step-in posts and three reels. I set up my entire field with the step-in posts so that with each rotation I was only moving wire. I have to say this was a life-saver for me, especially this season, the less walking laps the better.

Later in the summer my mother purchased a JD Gator for me to use, and that was an incredible help as my energy level diminished with my growing belly.

we made hay

We only grazed 13 head this summer, our capacity is about 30, so this early grazing season we decided to take first and second crop hay from one side of the acreage and the area we cut totaled about 8 acres. Since we had such a great growing season we felt that it would simply age-out if we didn’t cut it since we had very few mouths to feed.

We only cut the areas that were heavy alfalfa which happened to be a big swathe down the middle of our field, so it made some pretty great hay and bounced back for our third rotation of grazing quite nicely.

We ended up in the end taking first and second crop hay and stock piling to extend our grazing season as well as the additional mouths we added in the fall.

things i learned

The biggest thing I learned this season was to be flexible. I thought each paddock should be evenly spaced, that my rotation should go in a certain pattern, and that I should graze my entire field in the same manner. The fact is however, that our 20 acres are very different. Some areas have abundant alfalfa, some clover, some grass and some with heavy weeds which all graze differently and need different periods of rest. I also learned to be patient (aren’t I always learning this in farming). I started the grazing season frustrated with the ‘unevenness’ of growth, diversity and size of my paddocks. I like things even, similar and predictable, again when will I learn farming is NOT predictable.

Overall, I am thrilled with what the pastures produced this year, calves got fat and nothing was over-grazed. I look forward to continuing to see changes and developments with future years of grazing and management. We’ve come so far but there is still so much room to grow!

Our field after the east side was grazed and the west side was cropped.

East side after first rotation, west side after first cropping, view from south

View of our cattle grazing the east side, two day moves, view from south.

Rotation #3, view from South

Farm | What Their Last Day Looks Like

What their last day looks like

This has always been a hard topic for me, the last day. Even-though I believe that cattle and sheep were created for us to eat, there is something very sad about that lingering date on my calendar, the date a life ends to give us health and well-being. While it’s an extremely graphic topic, I know there are those of you like me that while it hurts to know, we have to know. I think it’s the most important part of being a responsible meat consumer and thank you for caring enough to learn the whole process of what it takes to get your favorite meat on the table.

So, if you’re with me, I’ll wipe away the tears that fall when I write this and share what the last day looks like for our livestock.

it starts like every other day

Thanks to a MSU (mobile slaughter unit) we’re able to harvest our animals here on the farm. Which means that their day starts out just like any other. If they’re on pasture, they’re grazing when the sun comes up and if their harvested during the winter in our dry lot they wake up to bales of hay being thrown in the feeder.

This is what’s so special to me. That their morning doesn’t start off with a trailer backing up, a small holding pen. It doesn’t start with them being forced to load into a trailer and leaving home for an unknown destination.

when the truck pulls in

They get curious. Any visitor to the farm does not go un-noticed. Our butcher, steps out, says hello and gets to work prepping for the harvest. He loads his gun, he starts up the generator to keep his truck cool, he puts on his boots and smock and then he asks ‘who’s going today’. THAT’S the hardest question to answer, not because I don’t know, but because I’m finally acknowledging the end. If it’s a steer I point them out and give him tag numbers so there is no guessing. If it’s lambs I have them corralled in the barn and again give him the tag numbers.

The inspector put’s on her (usually her) or his white gown and boots and is ready when he’s ready.

then it’s time

I whisper a little goodbye as I hand over those tag numbers and I shed a few tears. If it’s a steer (our male cattle) I walk the butcher and the inspector out to the field. Then we pause, because it really makes us all sad. The gun is loaded and then I look away and wait, for that one shot. The shot comes, a single shot that takes the animal down, it’s gone. There is a heavy sigh from all of us and our butcher cuts the throat to let the blood run out.

If it’s a lamb (fully mature) it happens a little differently. They are corralled in the barn. The butcher instead uses high-voltage to kill the animal. The lamb lies down quickly from the voltage, it’s gone. Again, the harvest is never without a sigh and the butcher cuts the throat to let the blood run out.

To be honest, I don’t watch my animals go down, I haven’t mustered the strength to watch. I just wait for that shot and walk them back to the gate, the lambs I watched once to understand the process and now I walk out of the barn.

It’s really, really hard for all of us. BUT, it’s fast and in their home, just like harvesting a deer in the wild and that’s what brings me some comfort.

the processing

After the steer or lamb is gone, it’s brought to the truck via a skid-steer or wheel barrow, and the butcher skins it, guts it and if it’s a steer quarters it all with the inspector there to watch. After the animal is clean he closes the door, takes off his smock, thanks the inspector and waves a tense goodbye.

The final carcass is brought to their processing facility where it is aged, cut and packaged for pickup

it isn’t easy for any of us

I’ve received some very harsh words when I share my heart on this subject. I’ve been called ‘psychotic’, ‘sick’ and I know there are those who will always feel that way. What they don’t know is how much each and every person involved in harvesting our animals DOES care. The butcher, the inspector and the I, the farmer, all want what’s best for these animals. We want it done humanely, without pain and quickly. No suffering is what we all care about. None of us are in this industry because it’s easy and none of us are immune to the sadness. That inspector has to watch hundreds of these a week and that butcher has to perform hundreds a week and they both admit it has a high emotional toll. As the farmer it’s hard to pick a date where you’ll be forced to say goodbye to something you’ve cared for for so long, something you’ve watched born and bottle fed as it’s mama.

We do it because we believe these animals deserve the best and you deserve meat that was actually cared for, meat that came with tears. So, never believe that the last day was met without a trio of heavy hearts. It isn’t easy and none of us feel to should EVER be easy.

Thanks for reading, for wanting to learn and for supporting those who care.

Farm | Renovating Sheep Pastures

Renovating Our Sheep Pastures

This is a lengthy post… about nerdy stuff like grass and soil. I love documenting and this post is certainly a compilation of lots of documentation. So, if you like soil, grass and learning about how other farmer’s make decisions, this post might just be your cup of tea.

what we started with

Our sheep pasture consists of seven acres, three of which are significantly sloped and heavily wooded. Two acres was an existing alfalfa and orchardgrass field with two acres that is mostly brome grass.

using web soil survey

I looked at what we have for soil and slopes in our pasture. You can find your soil map HERE

72% of our pasture is | Newglarus-Dunbarton silt loams, 12 to 20 percent slopes, moderately eroded

17% of our pasture is | Elkmound-Northfield complex, 30 to 60 percent slopes, very rocky

11% of our pasture is | Eleva sandy loam, 12 to 20 percent slopes, eroded

What we did in 2018

In spring 2018 we cleared about 2 acres of brush which included prickly ash, grey dogwood, sumac, plum, boxelder and mulberry. I over-seeded the ‘thicket’ areas with a mix of grasses and legumes, of which 30% was legume. Over the summer months I focused on keeping the woody species from coming back in, using mowing and herbicides. In the fall I heavily grazed a 1/2 acre area of brome grass and over-seeded with the following over-the-counter mix:

50% Gulf Annual Ryegrass
27% Intermediate Ryegrass
19% Orchardgrass
3% White Clover
1% Medium Red Clover

In October I took our cattle through a two acre area that was primarily brome grass and had them beat it up to expose soil.

what we did in spring 2019

In spring 2019 we worked on clearing additional brush in the most heavily sloped areas. These areas have significant timber including walnut, catalpa and cherry. We removed mulberry, elm, cedar, boxelder along with honeysuckle, grey dogwood and plum (plum is poisonous to sheep). This area still has significant cover and will need additional clearing, maybe next year.

In the late winter spring months I developed my knowledge on sheep pasture mixes, mixes that maximize gains, and our options for our drought-prone slopes. With my research I developed the following pasture mix.

Our pasture mix

Chicory - 40%

Ladino Clover - 15%

Alice White Clover - 15%

Alfalfa - 5%

Orchardgrass - 10%

Festolium - 15%

My research lead me to develop a mix with a high chicory content. Chicory is non-bloating, and local farm research showed significant gains on chicory based pastures. I also realized during my research that sheep prefer legumes over grasses, so I made sure to develop a mix that put more focus on the legumes than the grasses. Chicory, alfalfa and the grasses show better drought tolerance than the clovers; however, I wanted to try and get some clovers established on the less sloped areas that will get more water. I’m curious to see what my results are after this growing season.

our alfalfa and brome areas

The bromegrass areas I over-seeded with a Ladino and Alice White Clover mix. Over the coming years I anticipate continuing to replace alfalfa with clover, chicory and other legumes, and diversify the brome acerage with additional legumes and chicory.

Planting on slopes

Since three acres of our sheep pasture are in-accessible with a tractor, I broadcast seed by hand and put sheep hooves on it for a day, right before a good rainfall. This three acre pasture was broadcast with the chicory blend.

how i’ll manage grazing this year

I will be managing weeds and woody plants this season by rotationally grazing both the sheep pasture and the brome area. Sheep are fantastic gardeners and I can’t wait to see the progress made by using them for management this season.

What we did in 2021

This spring we finally hired a company to come and finish removing invasive species including Mulberry, Boxelder, Grey dogwood, Sumac and others. These removals exposed additional acreage and opened up the canopy allowing light to infiltrate. I seeded the newly open areas with a mix of meadow fescue and orchardgrass. I also fertilized most of the average after putting a heavy coat of manure over the land last fall. This season we will lightly graze it to allow for it to establish, control weeds and allow the land to come to life.

video documentation - 2018 fall pasture walks

Video has already been a great resource for me as I develop the grazing systems at our farm. It provides a really great reference to what was happening the following season, challenges and what I was looking at doing in the coming year. It is insightful to what I thought my plan was last season, to what I actually implemented this season. Video has proven to be a quick and effective way to manage our grazing here at the farm.

I look forward to documenting our pasture progress again this fall.

video documentation - June 2019 update

Farm | Spring on the Farm + Lambs!

Spring on the Farm

Hello GREEN! Wow, I didn’t realize how much I needed to see green this year, I’m sure you can relate.

Spring on the farm is always filled with projects, some larger than others but all necessary. This spring we decided to focus as much as possible and keep as few irons in the fire as we’re able. Since buying this farm a year and a half ago Matt and I have realized that while there is an endless list of projects, we can’t maintain our past pace. We miss out on a lot of important pieces of life if we’re constantly working on farm projects.

Building our hay and equipment barn

This spring our biggest project is the hay and equipment barn. The barn is well underway and the roof should be on by first crop in late May or early June. Last season we were storing hay in every nook and cranny and outdoors making feeding a challenge. I’m so excited to have a dry place designed to make storing and feeding hay easier next winter.

I will be sure to share a more complete picture of the barn as we make more progress towards the finish line.

clearing and seeding

Just like last spring we’ve put more time into clearing and seeding areas of over-grown pastures. While Matt’s attention has been on the barn build, I was able to focus on the clearing projects for a couple weeks this spring. I brushed out a good portion of the sheep pasture and got some seed on the ground. There is still a lot of work to get this back into shape but I’m thrilled to have made a little more progress.

we welcomed lambs

This was our second lambing season and I can’t say things went smoothly. While I was far less stressed than last year when it came to worrying about our ewes delivering without my help the last couple ewes brought bottle babies and vet visits.

We ended up with twelve little Cheviot lambs, all spunky and with a desire to live. Our first four ewes delivered with ease, their babies nursed with ease and all was right in my world. Then ewe number five delivered triplets. Like I had read she did indeed reject one of the triplets, a little girl I named Annie. She became my first bottle baby and my mom had to help me teach her to nurse. She quickly figured it out and is doing very well on her own. Ewe number six gave birth to two little boys. However, I quickly realized one couldn’t walk and the other wasn’t figuring out how to nurse. So, I took the little one who couldn’t walk into the vet. They splinted his front two legs because the tendons needed strengthening. He was up running in 24 hours and is full of love. I was feeding his little brother with a bottle but he has learned to nurse and I’m hoping to wean him off the bottle in the near future.

I certainly learned why people say bottle babies are work. Boy have I been absolutely exhausted since we welcomed those three. It takes a lot of my mental capacity to worry and flex my schedule to accommodate them in such a busy season. I’m so thankful that I have family to help.

With that said our final count for 2019 is 7 girls and 5 boys. I’m so thrilled everyone is doing well and I’m hoping for less bottle babies next season.

Farm | Why Grass-fed?

Why raise grass-fed?

This is a really simple question for us to answer.

Cattle and sheep were created to graze.

It really is that simple for us. Grass-fed beef and lamb are healthy for you because the animals were raised on a diet that reflects nature.

Our philosophy from day one was: why feed a ruminant grain substitutes when they are so perfectly designed for grazing?

Farm | Why I Only Raise Sheep and Cattle

Why I only raise sheep and cattle

In the beginning I struggled with wanting to do ‘all’ the livestock. I wanted a diverse farm that would allow for multiple revenue streams and offer a more diverse lineup of meats to my customers. AND I honestly wanted pigs, ducks and horses just because I love them.

However, over the last year this mindset has done a complete 180. Now I’m committed to sticking with just sheep and cattle.

Why? Because, I can’t do ‘all the things’ and do them well AND Matt and I can’t live the life we want without keeping things simple.

I had to be Honest with Myself

This was the hard part, I had to get really honest with myself. I am the girl that loves ‘all the things’ when it comes to farm animals, I’m sure many of you can relate. So, I had to be honest with myself and what I can actually manage. I am a one woman operation, my husband Matt works off-farm with no plans for that to change. I also run other businesses that are completely un-related to my farming venture. So, the reality for me is I can only do so many things and do them well.

So, searching for livestock to add to my existing cattle operation was going to have to be ‘easy’ or I was going to have to say no. BTW ‘no’ is something I’ve had to become GREAT at over the last two years… if you’re not good at it here is your permission to say NO to adding more than you can joyfully handle. Farming is easier and more rewarding when you’re doing it from a place of ‘I’ve got this.’

Finding a way to diversify meant sticking within my existing system

My first love was cattle, they have been my passion from the beginning. While pigs, ducks and horses sound like a grand old time (notice I didn’t say chickens or goats ;)) these animals all require different facilities, feed and daily care than my cattle do. So, after getting honest with myself, I decided to start looking for livestock that would be compatible with the cattle I already had.

Back in high school I raised a couple market lambs and I really enjoyed their personalities. They’d follow me home after wandering away while I was at school, they were eager to engage me, and let’s be honest they were adorable. So, it was a slightly natural progression for me to look at sheep as a possible way to diversify.

Cattle and sheep are both ruminants

Like cattle, sheep are ruminants, meaning that they could both be raised 100% grass-fed. Awesome I thought, that made them similar enough to convince Matt to say yes to the addition, at least that’s what I thought.

After further research, when Matt needed more convincing, was that sheep and cattle tend to prefer DIFFERENT grasses. So, I thought this could help lessen the need for me to physically mow my pastures. Properly managed the sheep could do this for me. This was a huge BONUS for me, I have a lot of irons in the fire so reducing chores is something I look for in any situation.

Then I was down the rabbit hole and completely obsessive with finding all the ways they would be a good addition to the farm. I realized that the parasites in cattle and sheep are different, meaning I could co-graze them. Co-grazing, if successful, would eliminate my need for guardian dogs. Which I was hesitant to add to the farm because of our long-term goal of inviting swarms of people here.

So, what I’m trying to say through all this is that sheep were an easy addition to the farm. While we currently keep them in separate facilities the process of raising them for meat is the same. The sheep and cattle get rotated every three days, they both eat hay all winter, they don’t share the ‘nasty’ with each other, my pasture systems are the same and therefore I can focus my energy on growing great grass instead of adding to my chore list.

SIDE NOTE | Honestly, adding something as simple as barn cats (which I have) is yet another animal to feed and care for differently. For example I can’t keep cat food in the barn because we get coons. So, all my hay is in the barn but I have to go to the garage for cat food. It SEEMS insignificant but all those little differences make chores take longer.

Life off the Farm

Something else I had to consider was the lifestyle that Matt and I want to live. While Matt enjoys living ON the farm working IN the farm, especially with the livestock, is not his passion. So, I had to take a good look at what a practical ‘farm load’ was for us.

Matt and I enjoy travel, so designing a farm that would allow us to leave the farm was something I really had to consider. Keeping things simple for someone to step in while we’re gone is crucial to our ability to leave.

Since our sheep and cattle chore list is the same it’s much easier to have someone step in without too much effort or ‘know-how’.

A chore list for our farm looks something like:

Summer | move the animals to a new paddock in three days (which I can create ahead of our leave), give everyone water.

Winter | Throw x amount of bales and give everyone water.

OH, and feed the cats….

Pretty simple really and something that I can easily explain.

For a more diverse farm it could look something more like this (though I don’t have experience here so I could easily be missing things):

Summer | gather eggs, give grain - x amount to animal y and x amount to animal z, throw hay, give water

Winter | gather eggs, give grain - x amount to animal y and x amount to animal z, throw hay, give water

So, keeping things simple has really been the key to us being able to leave the farm. Perhaps you have more resources to get help, though I would be really honest about this. I have many local animal lovers who are always willing to step in but there is a line I’m sure where my eager help would be a much shorter list.

Keeping my farm focused allows me to support other small farms

The beauty I’ve found in keeping my own farm simple is that I can connect with other farmers who are doing different things really well. Instead of raising my own chickens I can support someone who’s passionate about raising meat chickens or eggs. Instead of raising the bacon I can ‘bring home the bacon’ from another local farm. Instead of raising my thanksgiving turkey I can purchase one from someone who loves raising those hideous creatures (sorry I have to keep things light and fun in such heart-felt posts).

What I’m getting at is by keeping your farm focused it allows you to form a beautiful community with other farmers around you. Do you have a customer looking for the best pork in the neighborhood? Now you can send them to someone passionate about raising their pigs to be delicious and I think that’s a beautiful thing.

My best advice

If you’re in this ‘alone’ and have limited resources (people, time and land) I’d highly suggest keeping things simple. From my experience (even as a do’er of ‘all the things’) keeping it simple on the farm has been the key to success for me. Maybe this looks like one type of livestock, maybe it means a couple, but being real with yourself will help you develop a farm you really love working in. For me focusing on doing one system really well keeps me sane and in the end keeps my product to the standard I desire.

Be really honest with yourself and I’m certain you’ll love your 365 days-a-year job.

pin it!

Renovations | Our Barnyard Renovation

Our barnyard renovation

shaping the land

One of the things Matt and I love about landscape architecture is how shaping the land defines space and accents unique topography. This summer we had an excavator in to shape a lot of land at the homestead and we're thrilled with the results. We achieved not only functional space but a unique space shaped by the topography of our valley. #landnerdalert

Last year we excavated for our small livestock barn and I thought that made a huge difference. That difference pails in comparison to the change we experienced this season. The excavation work this year not only made a level pad for our hay/machine barn, it also made a level lawn area that will be Matt's ball field next season. The ball field was very important to Matt since we don't have a level spot anywhere in this valley.

The excavation really changed the land and made our barnyard much more dynamic, it makes us landscape architecture major's very, very happy. Our land design, grading and drainage systems have created a unique space and an interesting barnyard, one that is uniquely ours. It really has me itching to help with more master-plans, perhaps helping more farms create unique and functional space in the future.

our plans for the barnyard

We decided to go with a pure clover lawn around our barns to not only minimize our mowing and help my favorite honey bees but to add to the farm aesthetic. I'm absolutely crazy about clover (I'm driving Matt crazy) after visiting White Oak Savanna, a new venue in Dodgeville, and alternative lawns that feed my designer mind with a balance of beauty and function. Originally we were looking at no-mow grasses but I'm much more excited about the clover. I'm also excited to see some green around the barn that isn't weeds!

Along the slope coming down to our livestock barn we plan on adding some grape vines since again, we hope to have less mowing and would love some added agriculture production in the valley. 

our barnyard/land design inspiration

Inspiration Images Via Pinterest | clover lawn , barn, vineyard

our dreams for the ball field

While the barn will be used for storage we are hoping to make the 'ball field' into a grand space that perhaps someday we'd use for gatherings. While I have my eye on an underutilized garage for our farm to table dinners, I'm starting to think about all the possibilities for a future venue space. The Hayfield's and McCoy's ball field could be a perfect location to hold a larger gathering. We'll just have to see where this little business takes us.

Farm | The Great Release

and just like that...

... the 'big boys', AKA anyone over 300 pounds, is out on pasture! Sure we've been working tirelessly since March on getting critters out on the green grass (no it wasn't green in March but we were anticipating the green-up!) but it always seems that when you look back on the work, you forget how much work it really was. I'm counting on forgetting the work it took to put in these pastures by September when round #2 comes along.

Today we released the first four including our biggest troublemaker Sampson (though our little ewe lamb Ellie is giving him a run for his money) out to graze. In an effort to keep everyone from over-eating we let them out on the lesser value grass as too much of a good thing too fast can cause some major issues. So when we transition each spring from hay to lush pasture we do it slowly, so no one has tummy problems, I can talk like that being a cattle mama too, right?

We're on schedule to get the littles out next week so that we can celebrate the fourth with no work. I'm also planning on getting back to making dinner, cleaning the house, wedding my garden and going on bike rides with Matthew.

Renovations | Spring on the Farm

what will be the upper cattle pasture

the lane before...

the lane after...

lots of prickly ash and plum to work through

when you try and get a photo to share and your family photo bombs...

piles and piles

Matthew makes this job much easier

more and more plum

the cattle lane

string lines for straight lines...

our seed is coming in nicely

here's a past due farm update...

Like most farmers in spring, we're BUSY! So I figured I'd take a rainy day and write about what's been happening the last few months here at Homestead.

To put it simply we've been working on finding our pastures again...

When we bought this farm it hadn't seen livestock for at least 30 years, old pastures had grown in with woody and invasive species and were definitely in need of some major maintenance. In March we put our personal basement remodel on hold to get back to the farm projects. There was a lot of clearing to do to get animals grazing again.

I still can't believe how quickly the months around here fly by. We spent the last two months clearing fence lines in preparation for running our new fences. We seeded down areas that were cleared in hopes of establishing grass faster than weeds. The seed is coming in quite well but we definitely have some honeysuckle trying to make a come back... so now you know one of my tasks for the next week.

But as slow as it sometimes seems things are moving right along... Last weekend we proudly placed our first posts and mapped out the 152 (ish) posts left to place. It's a daunting task and it was probably a bad idea to calculate the time to finish placing posts. If you're wondering we have 40 hours of post pounding left to go....

After posts are in we'll start stretching wire and we're hoping to have everyone out of the dry lot by mid-June (I'm not going to mention, or maybe I am, that our first goal was mid-May). All in due time I suppose...

With an increasingly muddy cattle and sheep yard I'm more than ready to conquer another busy weekend to get these creatures out on our lovely greening pastures. This Memorial Day will be slightly less relaxing than previous years but a brat or three is still on the weekend to-do-list. I hope you also have a chance to get out and enjoy a brat this Memorial Day weekend!

Farm | Reflecting on Our First Lambing Season

Twins, Cain and Eva

Clyde learning to nurse

Mama and Eva

Cain

Cain and Clyde became fast friends

Testing out those three day old legs with hops!

King of the 'Mountain'

Our first lambing season

a season of learning

I learned a LOT this lambing season. I had never witnessed a lamb birth, or a birth of any animal for that matter, prior to welcoming these babies home. I was a typical mama and worried about them, did everything I knew to do to care for them and enjoyed how quickly they began to grow. I'm thankful for our eight healthy, spunky and sweet lambs that are making me smile each day.

It's rather funny really that I only witnessed the birth of two lambs when I spent an entire week on the homestead waiting and watching for them. I guess I wasn't needed as much as I'd thought. 

Everyone was healthy except for Clyde who was born on a cold day and ended up with pneumonia. So, I can check off my first vet visit with a baby lamb (I enjoyed the snuggles at the vet more than he did). He recovered quickly and is the largest of the Homestead lambs. 

I owe a ton of thanks to the incredible vets at Country View Equine who answered a plethora of questions. I also owe a HUGE thank you to my cousin Sarah joined me at the farm for a few evenings to teach me banding and tagging. In a couple years I'll be a professional at this right?

personal reflections

1. Making cute lamb jackets was a complete waste of time, the mamas tore them off and a couple of the lambs were too big for them. A simple sheet of fleece with leg holes worked much better.... but definitely not picture worthy.

2. Even when I thought I'd need to assist a ewe, she had it perfectly under control, next season I need to trust they've got it.

3. There isn't anything much cuter than a lamb learning to be mischievous, I'm looking at Cain as I write this...

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introducing Homestead's eight

Cain

Clyde

Clark

Calvin

Eva (named after my great grandmother)

Elsie

Emma

Ellie

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they really do grow too fast

I'm still blown away by how quickly these little ones learn to walk, hop and play. Each lamb was trying to stand within minutes of being born and was up walking around and feeding within an hour. Now approximately two weeks old and they're showing off their high jumps. 

I promised some video this season so here it is, my favorite part of these littles is watching them play.

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I'm learning to be flexible

This lambing season I learned I'm going to have to be flexible (five of our eight lambs were born within 24 hours and we had to make-shift lambing pens for them) and learned I shouldn't worry so much. I'm grateful for an easy first lambing season and look forward to watching these babies grow.

 

Farm | Homestead's First Lambs

We welcomed Homestead's very first lambs!

Well, the day finally came! Erma welcomed two healthy lambs yesterday evening. Meet Cain, the firstborn son at Homestead, and Eva his sweet little sister.

While I wish I could say I watched the birth of my FIRST lambs, I was out running farm/house errands when I got a call from my brother-in-law asking if I knew about the lambs. Then a phone call from Matt shortly after letting me know 'they are super cute'... I asked all the good Mama questions, are they standing? Are they dry? Are they nursing?

Pulling in the driveway my heart was racing, there they were! The sweet faces of newborn lambs. I helped dry them off, though it wasn't too cold yesterday, as a first time lamb Mama I wanted to do everything right. Erma is an incredible mama, delivering these sweet babies on her own and is caring for them so well.

We have six mama's yet to deliver, who wants to make a guess at our final lamb count?!

Farm | Our First Shearing Day

Our first shearing day

There are a lot of new experiences when you bring new animals to the farm. Today was our first experience with shearing and I can't help but laugh at how funny the girls look without their winter jackets.

Unlike cattle sheep are not easily corralled... so getting them in the barn and ready for the shearer was probably the most comical experience I've had with these ewes, mom even jumped in to help.

Once the girls were settled into the barn Jerry went to work shearing them and clipping their hooves, what an incredible process. These girls are squirmy and I'm glad I wasn't the one with the clippers.

So in the next few weeks we will be delivering our first wool to the mill to have the wool cleaned and crafted into some comfy mattress pads. I can't wait to sleep on my own wool.

With temperatures getting warmer and lambing only a month away I'm sure these girls will appreciate the extra weight off their backs.

Farm | Female Grass Farmer

Sharing my story

I was approached by Alyssa with Alyssa Bloechl Photography to write a guest post on her blog. Alyssa captures farmers and farm life through her camera lens and I was thrilled to be apart of her series of guest blogs.

For this post I decided to focus on sharing my story in hopes of inspiring other women with no farming background to push through the fear of not knowing as much as the woman/man that grew up on the farm. I wanted to share if their is a passion there is a way and that small beginnings are better than never beginning.

Read my story on Alyssa's blog and if you are an inspiring FarmHer I'd love to chat with you!

Renovations | The 'Cows' Came Home

The ‘cows’ came home

It’s been a little quiet around the blog since the purchase of our homestead. We have been spending every spare moment, between work away from the homestead as well as running our small businesses, to revive this old homestead into a working farm and a live-able home. We finally reached a milestone here on the homestead and I am happy to share it with you!

This week the ‘cows’ came home

We are thrilled to finally have them here with us. Three of the steers from our old farm have made their way home. This week our herd has grown with the addition of three new Highland calves and in the next few weeks we will be welcoming home three Hereford calves.

Rocket - Our Red Highland & Brisket - Our Brown Highland

Picket - Our White Highland

It’s been an adventure, as most farm start-ups are, as we’ve spent the last month and a half building a home for our cattle. There was not a barn on our homestead when we moved in, the old barn had been buried some time ago; but we did find a picture of it through the cleanup, YES! With a lot of work and several willing souls, we constructed our first barn, the cattle lean, as well as a winter lot.

We are thankful that the cattle are home with us again and we look forward to cozying up the barn and the house a little bit more before winter. Below is a digital timeline of how the barn came together... (it isn't quite finished)

Farm | The Story of Starting Our Farm

Since we first introduced Homestead Meats I have wanted to share with you the struggles and joy that have come with starting our farm. It has not been easy, and it isn’t done, but we are getting there and it brings a smile to my face to share our story with you!

Homestead Meats went from a dream to reality but not without blood, sweat and tears. We had talked about having livestock post-college after Matt met my first steer, Sir Loin. It was our plan to buy a farm and then start raising; however that changed when my parents offered up some of their acreage to get us started.

We started the planning process in December 2014. There were many hours of research of proper pasture management, feeding schedules, hay production and so many other things that go into starting a farm. Neither of us were raised on farms so there was a lot of information we needed to learn.

That winter we began clearing fencelines in order to make way for appropriate fences and secure additional pasture space. Wow was that a job! In fact we hate to admit this but we are still working on the last bit. Neither of us had any clue what we were getting into, how long could it possibly take to clear a few fencelines? We have found out… And the answer is long enough.

By spring 2015 we were tired and I was wanting to do something other than clearing fences. So I began ‘shopping’ for stock tanks, fencing materials and other necessary equipment. Thanks to several local farmers I was able to get a lot second hand which was a true blessing.

In May 2015 we hosted a ‘farm day’ which really meant come help us clear some brush… we had great attendance and the only casualty was the brush and my phone. We will see how the attendance is on our next ‘farm day’.

July 2015 we brought home our first steers and introduced them to their new home. They bonded quickly and made the months of work worth it.

This spring 2016 we expanded from 3 acres to 8 acres, meaning more fencelines needed to be cleared, more barbs strung and more blood, sweat and tears shed. We harvested our first crop of hay on our fields, and I had conveniently forgotten that hay day is always the hottest day of the summer.

This summer 2016 we brought home two sets of steer calves to the farm. With a total of 6 steers running our pastures we can finally say we have the beginnings of a ‘herd’.

We harvested 2 crops of hay off our fields in 2016 and are looking forward to better production next year.

As we are quickly approaching winter and our second anniversary to when it all began we are continuing to complete the first project list. The final barbwire fences and electric will be strung before November (I am determined to have this done), and we are hoping to start on our wooden corral before the ground freezes.

Like many experienced farmers have told us the work never ends, and they aren’t kidding. We are also learning that there are lots of lessons to be learned on the farm and not all of them are easy or fun to learn, but the joy of raising our own livestock makes up for it all. We have been so grateful for all of those who have helped bring this dream into reality. We owe a huge THANK YOU to all the brave souls who have helped us with many tasks along the way.

While our current location is not on our own homestead we look forward to starting an operation on our own land someday. Until then I will enjoy being ‘so close’ to finishing our current setup.

-Brit