Cooking Lamb

How to Cook Lamb

Rather than pretend to be a chef, I’m going to let you learn from the pros and give you the resource I use in my own cooking adventures with lamb. The American Lamb Board has great resources and recipes available on their website.

If you love to cook lamb and have recipes you’d like to share, I’d love to highlight them here!

*** When you purchase lamb from Homestead we include a recipe guide and a temperature guide for your kitchen produced by the American Lamb Board. I am so grateful for the materials they provide us, producers, to help us best advise you on how to get the most flavor and nutrition out of your lamb.

Farm | When Cheaper Isn't Better

cheaper isn’t always better

If you’re like me you’re always after the best deal available for most items on the market. However, I’d venture to guess you’re also like me in the fact that you’ll spend your hard earned money on something you find valuable. It might not be diamond rings, it might not be ethical clothing, and it might not even be food.

But, you probably value something so highly the price wouldn’t matter a whole lot to you and you’d even go out of your way to get it.

My passion is to share with you more background on a topic that is very close to my heart. That is the $3 head of lettuce and the $3 beef at the grocery store.

Cheap food isn’t better, cheap food is killing us.

Disease

Did you know that 1 in 4 Americans have diabetes? Or that roughly 40% of Americans struggle with obesity, which can lead to heart disease, diabetes and some cancers?

The industrial food system has allowed food to get cheaper but only at the expense of our health, animal health and the health of the people that work to put food on our tables.

Much like the fashion industry, the food industry in America has been driven by lower costs. The only way to make things cheap is by cutting every corner possible, which in turn, has made American’s sick and those who work to keep food on our dinner table even sicker.

Food - Borne Illness

The CDC estimates that ‘48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die each year from food borne illness in America’. Recalls on beef alone in 2018 totaled 31 independent recalls - totaling 13,185,563 pounds of beef. The numbers of people that died due to food borne illness is disastrous, our food shouldn’t be killing us. AND on the other end, which also breaks my heart as a farmer, these recalled pounds of beef are animals that are dying to feed us. We should be harvesting animals that make it to dinner plates to give us a nutritious meal, not meat that get’s pulled off grocery shelves because it could kill us.

To give you an idea of how many animals were harvested and pulled from grocery shelves in 2018, in just beef alone, I’m counting upwards of 33,000 animals. When I harvest a steer on my farm, I get back roughly 400 pounds of beef. If we divide 13,185,563 pounds of beef that was recalled last year alone, that is a total of nearly 33,000 animals that were thrown away for no purpose other than the desire to make beef cheap enough to sell a $1 hamburger at McDonalds. We’re not only looking at a in-excusable number of human lives lost, but of animals lives lost all in the name of cheap food.

And that’s just food borne illness.

The farmer’s share

I was baffled when I saw this chart for the first time, and I would guess you are too. No wonder we have a food problem. Have you ever driven through Nebraska or Wyoming and seen the miles and miles of feed lot beef? That’s what you get when you have to meet such a low cost demand. You can’t make a living on $1.95 per pound for beef, the economics just don’t work.

https://www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com/

Slavery in america

Do a little looking into the industrial food system and you’ll quickly realize that slavery is not truly gone in the agriculture industry. Meat packing workers, field workers and even farmer’s themselves have become slaves to the system.

For example, a single industrial food system chicken house costs upwards of $500,000 dollars, which the large companies ‘finance’ to their farmers. In order to be a competitive chicken farmer for large buyers a farmer would likely have several of these buildings. It’s been stated that even with multiple chicken houses a farmer is only likely to pull $20,000 annually in profits. Again, the price we pay for the chicken on the grocery shelf, is not what the farmer is getting paid when we buy from large suppliers. Working in such unsanitary chicken houses for $20,000 dollars, with a mountain of debt to the companies, is exactly the type of ‘slavery’ that these farmer’s face. There is no way out for many of them.

Meat packaging and field workers suffer from little pay, high-risk of injury jobs, unhealthy working conditions and abuse. Just imagine for a second being brought to this country with a promise of a ‘good job’ only to be abused and endure incredible suffering instead.

All in the name of cheap food.

Change is in your hands

We’ve all been consumers of cheap food. We’ve all been looking for the best deal at the grocery store. We’ve all looked at a head of lettuce, a package of ground beef, and our Thanksgiving turkey without questioning how it was raised, who processed it and how it got to our local grocery store. Most of us have looked at it through dollar signs.

I honestly understand that it’s a hard habit to break. I love a good deal and I love convenience, but when I looked at the industrial food system of America my heart broke, I was angry and I needed to change my thinking. I hope you feel the same.

Perhaps you’ve made steps to knowing your food better, if you have you’re already making a difference. If you are still a deal shopper at the local grocery I know where you’re at. But change needs to happen. We need to spend our dollars in a way that makes change happen. The industrial food system came out of our very own desires for cheaper food and if we desire something better - it will come. If you feel powerless, like the food problem is bigger than you, I want to firmly tell you it isn’t.

You can choose to ask questions, to get to know your local farmers and to know your food.

I Know it costs more

Going back to my very first argument, I GET IT. I understand the desire to consume a deal, to stop in at my local grocery for that $3 per pound hamburger BUT eating cheaper isn’t valuing my health and the health of all the people connected to the food chain. It is going to cost more now but it’s going to change our future for the better.

Practical Steps

One thing that has changed for us since eating more locally and knowing our food better (though we have much room for improvement yet) is that we eat differently. Meat is no longer making it onto our nightly dinner menu, we actually eat far less meat since we began farming than before we farmed. Meat raised and harvested right costs more than meat raised in manure lots that are stuffed to the gills with cattle; that are then processed in an assembly line that is bound to break every once in a while (contaminating that meat). We buy our own meat and since it comes at a higher cost we eat less of it, honestly we eat meat about 3 times a week.

1. Start with something small. Unhappy with inhumane treatment and harvest of animals, start by buying meat from a farmer you trust. Unhappy with slave labor in California wine making, buy local wine made from local grapes. Unhappy with eating Romaine lettuce that makes you sick right before the holidays, partner with a CSA.

2. Do the research. Information is at our finger tips, but we need to be willing to look and we need to be willing to be confronted with hard realities. Start by watching Food Inc. (available on Netflix) and research your questions from there.

3. If you have a family history of a particular disease, check to see if it’s linked to a food you’re eating. For example, a customer of mine buys grass-fed meats because a grain diet can be linked to Alzieimer’s, and her mother just passed from that.

4. Find a local farmer. If you’re in Wisconsin finding a farmer has never been easier. You can find a list of local farms on the Farm Fresh Atlas.

Perhaps a change in how you spend your dollar means a change in how you eat. BUT in exchange you’ll be part of a valuable movement to say no to unhealthy food, to big corporations and to change the way America eats for the better.

For a deeper look you can watch food inc. for free on netflix

Recipe | 30 Minute Dinner - Lemon Garlic Lamb Chops

Lemon Garlic Lamb Chops & Roasted Vegetables

Lamb chops are such an easy, delicous and quick way to serve dinner.

This recipe is designed to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes. So the next time you're looking for something quick that your family will love, be sure to try this recipe.

***Recipe is for 2 people. double as necessary.

Roasted Potatoes

4 thinly sliced red potatoes 
1/2 head of broccoli sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic salt (or more to taste)

How to Cook

Heat your oven to 350 degrees
Chop potatoes and broccoli and place on a baking sheet
Drizzle olive oil and add garlic salt
With your hands lightly mix to coat the vegetables with olive oil and garlic salt
Put in the oven for 30 minutes.

While your vegetables are roasting get the lamb chops ready, start them 15 minutes after putting vegetables in the oven.

Lamb Chops

4 Homestead lamb chops, serve 2 per person
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3-4 tablespoons
2-3 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp thyme leaves
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

How to Cook

Pre-heat a cast-iron/stainless steel pan over high heat.

Drizzle the lamb chops with the olive oil and lemon juice, generously season with the herbs and spices on both sides. 

Place the lamb chops in the hot pan then sear for 2 minutes per side, do not cook longer or your chops will be over-cooked.

Flip the lamb chops onto the fat side and allow to sear for 1 minute, until the fat has started to render and caramelized.

Remove from the pan and allow to rest for five minutes before serving.


Remove your roasted vegetables when they can be easily pierced with a fork. Serve lamb chops with roasted vegetables and a lemon wedge. Enjoy!

Farm | Food Inc.

Food Inc.

THE VIDEO THAT CHANGED THE WAY I EAT

Most would argue that I was born a farmer, and they would be mostly right. But my passion to farm was given purpose because of one class during my final year of college.

I was sitting in one of the classes that I would have initially written off as ‘a waste of time’, it was a non-degree filler course and I definitely looked at it that way.

However, one day, I sat down in that class unprepared for what I was about to be confronted with. The title ‘Food Inc.’ splashed up on the big screen and my curiosity sparked for the first time. Then, as the film began rolling I became incredibly uneasy. What was flashing before my eyes was the incredibly inhumane treatment of livestock in the ‘modernized’ food system.

It was down right horrifying to watch cattle being drug off trucks with skid steers, ALIVE, because their legs had broken in transit. To watch female pigs give birth and not to have room to even lay down comfortably, and to watch chickens being de-beaked and living in their own waste.

What was as equally horrifying is the unhealthy levels of antibiotics in our food, the tasteless, fattening substitutes that have been made in the effort to keep things ‘cheap and quick’.

It changed me and it dramatically changed the way I looked at the meat on my table.

WATCH THE TRAILER FOR FOOD INC.

I HAD TO BE PART OF THE CHANGE

The only way I could see myself continuing to eat meat, was if I could be certain that it was harvested from livestock who live natural and comfortable lives. Which quickly lead me to the conclusion, I had to be a farmer that helps others make a change at their own dinner tables.

I had to make my ‘dream farm’ a farm that brought people in who had also been confronted with the horrors of our modern livestock systems. People that want healthier, tastier meat that was raised the right way, with the animal’s welfare at the forefront.

YOU CAN be part of the change

You can choose what your food dollar supports and I believe there is great power for change in your choice. You can choose to eat your meat with the confidence of knowing how it was raised and harvested. You can buy from local farmers so that you can get all your questions answered.

You have a choice and you have the power to change the way you and your family eat. I’m here to help you make that change.

Homestead | Ringing in a new year

ringing in a new year at homestead

This is always my favorite time of year. I’m a dreamer and a do’er and I thrive on setting goals. So, this time of year always energizes me as I look back at last year and look forward to a new year in front of me.

Some of the things I’m looking forward in this new business year is: growing our leather offerings, maintaining our growth in our herd, posting a vlog on a monthly basis to show more of the farm and floral studio with you, welcoming my first couple to the floral studio, celebrating with double the couples than I did in 2018 and taking classes to improve my knowledge in some of my weakest areas.

A New Year wouldn't be the same without thinking about where you’re going right? Last year I focused on being intentional. It was a beautiful year in many respects because I left one thing to focus on. I developed systems for more efficiently running my business, I focused on what really mattered in developing this farm and I connected with so many amazing vendors, farmers and couples that allowed me to grow both in my business but also in my personal confidence.

Intentional thinking and buying is now part of my daily business routine. I find myself consciously thinking through every decision, how it benefits my work flow or my customers and I’m thankful for a year that helped me develop this skill. It conveniently translated into my personal life and buying and I’ve begun to find myself focusing so much more on my community than I did in years past.

With last year’s success in intertwining intentional thinking into my daily life I’m excited to focus on another area this year. This year I’ve decided to focus on balance. Last year the farm controlled our entire life. While it was a season, and really a much needed season for the growth of this business, this year I want to balance business and personal growth. I want to balance the amount of time I’m developing this business and the amount of time I’m spending with Matt doing things we love together. While it won’t be a perfect 50/50 balance, I’m excited to push myself to work less and enjoy our time together without distractions even more. I anticipate that taking some time away from work will help me develop this business even further than I could if I spent every hour trying to make it work.

I hope you’ve had some time to reflect on what you’re seeking this year in your career and personal life. Let’s make 2019 the best year yet!

Farm | Grass-fed vs. Grass-Finished vs. Pasture-Raised What the Label Really Means

Grass-fed vs. Grass-Finished vs. Pasture-Raised

What the Label Really Means

I think most people would agree knowledge is power. Our food system has done a really good job of disguising itself and today I want to take some time to give you a little more insight into what popular beef and lamb labels actually mean, it might surprise you how little information they actually give.

Grass-Fed

Grass-fed is probably the most over-used and deceiving label in the beef and lamb industry. This label essentially means that the beef or lamb you’re eating was fed grass or hay during SOME point of it’s life, often the beginning. This does not mean the animal was fed 100% grass and/or hay for it’s entire life. This label also doesn’t mean it spent any time eating pasture grasses. It could simply be ‘feed-lot’ beef that were raised on hay and later ‘finished’ on grain.

Grass-Finished

This label is your best confirmation that your beef was raised on 100% grass. This label can only be used when the beef or lamb was raised on grass and then ‘finished’ (brought up to final weight) on grass and/or hay. Grass-finished, like grass-fed, does not mean the animal spent time grazing pastures but at least you can be certain it was raised on grass alone. If you’re interested in the health benefits of grass-fed beef you’ll want to look for a label that says grass-fed and grass-finished beef, or ask your farmer.

Pasture-Raised

This label means that the beef or lamb you’re eating was raised on grass fields. It again does not mean it spent it’s whole life grazing lush fields (many pasture raised animals are still supplemented with grain) and it also doesn’t mean it was only fed grass and/or hay for it’s entire life. It simply means it spent some of it’s life on ‘pastures’ which is defined rather loosely. ‘Pastures’ can be overgrown fields or over-grazed fields so buying pasture-raised doesn’t mean that the animal got it’s nutrition from them, but it didn’t live it’s life in confinement so that’s a plus if you’re looking for a more humane burger.

Free-Range

Very few livestock are truly ‘free range’, meaning they can wander wherever there heart’s desire, at least that’s what you’d assume by this label right? This label is probably most common in the chicken or egg industry but I’ve been asked in the past if my cattle are ‘free range’ as well.

Let me assure you that the chicken or eggs on your grocery shelf didn’t come from chickens who were running around and laying eggs anywhere they please or pecking around an old farmhouse for grubs. It simply means (in most cases) that they had larger cages and were able to ‘move’ instead of spending their life confined to a cage the size of their bodies. So I guess the label is an upgrade but it’s likely not what you first assumed.

In my opinion it is not ‘best practice’ to let animals ‘free range’ due to predators and other hazards found on commercial or small scale farms. And this label in my opinion is as vague as the term ‘grass-fed’ or ‘sustainable’.

What Are You Actually Buying?

What’s the best way to know what you’re actually buying? Knowing your farmer of course, do I preach that enough?. If 100% grass-fed and finished is important to you, ask. If a humane life growing on green pastures is what’s important to you, ask. If knowing the animal was harvested in a humane manner is important to you, ask. The beauty of getting to know your farmer is that you’ll be confident that the product you feed yourself and your family fits the criteria you’re searching for.

Our cattle and sheep are raised on grass alone

Here at Homestead we raised grass-fed, grass-finished, pasture-raised beef. We harvest our animals on these pastures and my promise to you is to always be open to any questions about our practices.

pin it!

Resources | My top list of the Best Resources for New and Aspiring Farmers

resources for new farmers

I haven’t been farming long, but in the last three year’s I’ve learned a lot about this industry through some incredible resources.

When I was starting out I was browsing the web, the library and blogs to find information on the subject of grass-fed farming. I’ve done a few things the slow way, and a few things right when it comes to growing my knowledge of this beautiful industry.

Today, I wanted to share with other aspiring farmers/newbie’s like me what I’ve used to grow in my knowledge of the food system, grass-fed farming and marketing. This post is tailored to those looking to produce grass-fed beef and lamb but many of these resources tie into multiple avenues of farming.

my top 10 go-to resources

• THE BEST thing I’ve done to further my knowledge is this… Get to know other local farmers doing what you’re doing. Whether someone interested in farming, a brand new farmer or someone who’s lived their whole life on the farm, you are each other’s most valuable resource. If you’re interested in farming or just beginning visit the farms of farmers who’ve been at it a while. Learn why they made certain decisions, what works in your region and what ‘good ideas’ you’ve found online are actually worth pursuing in your locale and which ones have failed. They will teach you more valuable stuff than you can ever find anywhere online.

• Attend local pasture walks - farm events - tours. I have experienced several USDA field days as well as grazing tours by Southwest Badger, and GrassWorks. Use these resources and opportunities to visit other farms, the best part is several of them are free!

• Your local USDA tribe. These people are incredible, get to know them!

  • These wonderful humans are well versed in sustainable agriculture and can often give you a list of some local resources for both education and funding.

• Your Extention Office - again these people are incredible resources and you can often find some valuable information online. It’s a good place to look for both farming resources but also business resources.

  • UW Extention Office

• YouTube - I can learn bits of information from a book, I learn a ton in person and somewhere in the middle is the beautiful world of YouTube. YouTube has given me glimpses into grazing systems used by farmers across the nation. While some of the information is location specific, I’ve found it very helpful to get a view into things like: rotational grazing, mob grazing, setting up a system, equipment to use for pasture division, and even how to renovate existing fields into thriving pasture. It can be an incredible resource.

  • If you’re interested I’m in the beginning stages of starting my own YouTube channel where I’ll be sharing some of the farm adventures here at Homestead. You can subscribe to follow the journey.

• Books

  • Grass-fed Cattle by Julius Ruechel

  • Books by Laura Lawson

  • Food Inc. (a good resource for understanding the food system we’re surrounded with today)

• Magazines

  • Graze

• Blogs

  • There are a number of farming blogs out on the world-wide-web that can be useful for learning how to set up your farm etc. There are not specific blogs I follow and I generally will skim quite a few to get multiple opinions.

• Marketing help - because once you have good products you need to actually sell them.

  • 3 Cow Marketing

• Squarespace - Now this is less of a learning resource and more of a resource to actually sell your product. I use Squarespace to power my website and I can’t say enough good things about it. I’m able to provide information on my farm, blog and also sell my product online. It’s a very powerful resource and with all the helpful how-to’s I’m confident it could be a good resource for you.

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 | Meat Delivered

What's better than locally raised grass-fed meat?

Local grass-fed meat delivered to your door.

What started with meal kit services has now stemmed into meat bundles delivered to your door on a weekly or monthly basis. If I'm honest I love this concept, what an easy way to shop for meat! However, I believe most of the options out there have missed the most crucial aspect of ordering grass-fed meats.  Knowing the farmer that raised it.

Why knowing your farmer matters.

As you've heard me preach time and time again knowing your farmer is the MOST important aspect of knowing the food that makes it to your dinner table is ACTUALLY what you think it is. Grass-fed beef at the local grocery may not actually be grass-fed the way you envision. It was likely raised in a feedlot like many other commercial cattle operations, not on pasture. Yes, grass-fed meats could be raised without ever having cattle on pastures, instead, they may be fed hay and forage out of feed bunks. Even some family farms may still opt to raise grass-fed beef in feedlots, not on pasture. The other misleading factor of beef is that beef that is labeled grass-fed may not be 100% grass-fed. Yes, you can label your meat as grass-fed and finish on grain.

So don't let those beautiful labels fool you, while some may be what they preach you can't trust it unless you know it. That is why I stress that knowing your food only comes when you know the farmer.

So now off my soapbox...

Homestead’s meat delivered to your door.

I'm just like you, everything I can order online I do and free shipping is always better. This is exactly why I've chosen to focus my farm on providing quality meats that can be conveniently ordered online and delivered for FREE to LOCAL doorsteps. You shouldn't have to choose between meat you know and the convenience of your grocery.

Only local doorsteps?

One thing that will never change is my focus on serving my local community. Sure there are ways to ship meat across the country, but that model isn't a good fit for me. I desire to serve my local community with the local, quality raised meats, where you could actually visit the farm where they are raised.

I personally deliver each and every package to keep your farmer part of your family. Personally delivering each package also keeps me connect to my customers who are the driving force behind why I farm.

Do you actually deliver for free?

Free delivery qualifies on orders over $75 for addresses within a 20 mile radius of the farm.

Here is where I get transparent. As the only full-time farmer here at Homestead it would be suicide to my farm to deliver every small order for free. Each online order is pulled, boxed, wrapped, labeled and hand delivered. While I LOVE delivering boxes I still need to focus my time on raising the meat in the boxes. So even if your order doesn't qualify for free shipping you can get your beef delivered to your door for only $10. This small fee helps pay for the time it takes to process your order and get it to your doorstep.

Renovations | Celebrating One Year at the Homestead!

we're celebrating one year

It's absolutely crazy to me how fast time flies; and when you're working hard it seems to go by even faster. Today we're celebrating one very busy, beautiful, challenging and exciting year here at the homestead. 

 we owe 1,000 thank you's

So many of our incredible friends and family have lent a hand this past year. From pulling out carpet and cleaning our house on closing day, to the seemingly endless post setting, we wouldn't be where we are today without the incredible sacrifice of our people.

So, I want to publically thank, my mom and dad, who spent nearly every moment working alongside us over the past year; you've been the best neighbors. Matt's parents, Rex and Becky for helping us paint over the awful yellow that first week and helping with electrical, plumbing, fencing and bringing us meals.

We also owe a huge thank you to the incredible people that volunteered their precious time to help us with our dream... Jarrett, Elise, Morgann, Kaleb, Erin, Joe, Ross, Danielle, Ricky, Grandpa, Sarah, Bethany, Tim, Jack, Jesse, Ricky and Phil.

We couldn't have done this without you lovely people!

we're reflecting on the progress

Though our to-do list is still long (and continually growing) we are so blessed to be living in this place. I find it incredibly rewarding to scroll through the pictures to see how far we've come and I hope you'll enjoy taking a peek at this last year's progress as much as I have. I must say scrolling through so many photos was almost as overwhelming as the amount of work we've done.

*while I had every intention to get nice before and after's, my desire to get my dirty hands on my camera was not... so I apologize for the blurry, nasty phone pictures*

---

our farmhouse remodel

We pulled all the carpet out of the house the day we moved in, along with all the furniture that came with the house, there was literally dishes still in the cabinets. The previous owner had cats which make me a sobbing, red-faced, sneezing mess. We also both prefer the look and cleanliness of a hardwood floor, especially on a farm, so the carpet HAD to come out. Our living room remodel is underway and perhaps in the next year we can prioritize the house again and finish her out. We will be refinishing the original douglas fir floors and installing a blackened wood wall and new fireplace surround at some point along this journey. We also might have a chance to upgrade the college couch and buy our first living room furniture together.

When we pulled carpet upstairs we revealed some original pine floors that were of course painted, which was exactly what we were expecting. We knew we'd refinish them someday but someday became the day after closing when we realized how bad the master bedroom floor was peeling. Fast forward 40 hours and we were ready to finish the floors in the master bedroom and move our mattress off the living room floor. We decided to paint one of the back bedroom's floor instead of sanding it down for the sake of time and the bigger picture, it will become a bathroom in the coming years. The other bedroom we stripped, sanded and finished to match the master.

We still have trim to finish and some 'cozying' up to do but they're coming along beautifully.

We've had several demo days around the homestead, but I'd have to say I think demoing our basement was my favorite. When we first walked into this basement seven months prior to our closing the smell got my attention right away. I can see through the dirt, grim and chaos but man, that smell stuck with me. So, instead of a cosmetic upgrade we were demoing to completely redo the space and to take that nasty smell out.

After months of contemplating how to best use the space, gathering inspiration images and finalizing a plan for permits we were ambitious and ready to get our hands dirty. Let's just say we got our hands, face, clothes and every part of our house dirty in the process (there may still be residue of concrete dust in the closets and cabinetry throughout the house but I'm not ready to look)...

This was our first time doing, well, most of this type of work. We learned A LOT along the way and I think we can both say we were challenged far more on this project than almost anything we've come across in life to this point.

I'd love to say the space is done, but we're happy with the progress we've made. This winter we'll wrap up the mudroom and those last pesky details like hardware on the kitchen cabinets in the apartment.

While most of our time has been focused on the house and other homestead projects we have done a few personal 'yard' projects. This spring we planted a hedge of aronia to define our yard boundary. We're planning on a full 'orchard' and fruit field between the aronia and the lower red garage. We have BIG plans for the red garage and having it surrounded with an orchard fits our vision for the space. While our aronia hedge is 'floating' in the lawn right now we love that this space is becoming more than yard space.

We also removed a huge patch of raspberry and weeds in our front yard. Less mess when we arrive home is so rewarding and we're loving the little difference.

---

homestead projects

While the house projects have come a long way, it's really the homestead that's made the biggest change.

Last fall we built our livestock barn, it's already getting tight and we're anticipating an addition next season (I have a problem with bringing too many animals home). 

Obviously one of our biggest projects here at the farm was clearing for pastures. While this  place was once a sheep farm with clear rolling hillsides, over the last 30 years it's become a tangled mess of invasive species. Fences are in, animals are grazing and we'll wait to finish up the clearing until the snow flies.

Excavation for next year's hay/machine barn is also complete! With the new barn excavation we got one of our two 'trout' ponds filled in and will be making it into a ball/game field

As you may remember we were selected for a USDA grant this past spring to help us seed and fence our 18 acre field. It's definitely greened up nicely (ignore my ragweed, I'm working on that ;)) and this fall we'll finish up the fences.

looking forward to the coming year

This coming year we're hoping to slow it down a bit. While we have several projects we'd like to do we're going to slow the deadlines for the sake of getting some rest and enjoying this beautiful valley. Things are finally workable so soon we'll be focused on getting things 'prettied' up, and I think we're both looking forward to that.

pin it!

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!

Recipe | Hungarian Goolash

Hungarian Goolash

Ingredients |

1 package Homestead stew meat

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons of all purpose flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons paprika

Dash of pepper

2 onions, sliced and diced

2 bell peppers, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can of diced tomatoes in juice

3 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons corn starch

How to Make This Deliciousness |

In your dutch oven heat olive oil. Coat stew meat in flour and sear. Add garlic and onions to soften and bring out the flavor. Once the meat is browned add in diced tomatoes, paprika, pepper, tomato paste and beef stock. Cook at 325 degrees for 3 hours stirring occasionally. After 3 hours remove from oven and add bell peppers and corn starch. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Let sit and thicken prior to serving. Serve on a bed of noodles and top with cilantro, of course.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Recipe | Cuban-Style Shredded Beef

Cuban-Style Shredded Beef

---

Here is an easy recipe that spices chuck roast up a bit.

Ingredients |

6 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 lb. Homestead Chuck Roast

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 chilies diced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped cilantro + more for garnish (I LOVE cilantro)

How to Make this Deliciousness |

In a skillet heat oil and garlic, sear roast until brown on each side. Since I like to keep things simple, slice, dash and dump all the other ingredients in your crockpot and mix. Add your roast into the crockpot and cover with sauce.

Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred and serve over rice or in a tortilla shell.

---

I'd love to share an amazing compliment to this recipe. Cuban-style beans. I admit this is almost the best part of the pair and they are SO SIMPLE.

Ingredients |

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium red onion, diced

1 jalapeños, seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin (I love this spice and I think an extra dash is delicious)

1 teaspoon chili powder

3 tablespoons cilantro

3 limes juiced

How to Make this Deliciousness |

Heat oil in a saucepan and saute the red onion and jalapeños until soft. Dice, mince and dump all the ingredients into the pan. Heat the beans, garnish with extra cilantro and serve. Yes, it's that simple and again so delicious.

Serve on the side of your cuban-style beef.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as Matt and I did. Who knew that a simple chuck roast could be so tasty.

Know Your Farmer | How Do I Do It?

get to know your farmer

How do I do it? How do I raise an animal knowing in the end it is headed to someone's dinner plate? I get asked this all the time...

Well, I am going to be real honest with all of you, it is hard. I, the ‘cattle mama’, have a very hard time saying goodbye. Our cattle stay on the farm for upwards of two years. I see them every day, multiple times a day. They all have names and they all have their own cow-sonalities (Matt hates when I use personality when speaking about them). They follow me everywhere I go, and mooo as soon as they see my face. There is a very special bond that I create with them without even trying.

Yes, it is hard, and yes there are tears when they leave. I chose to raise them anyway because it is important to me to be a conscious consumer. This choice of being an educated meat consumer was made in college when I attended a class that pushed me to become mindful of my consumption choices. One of the topics was food consumption. I heard many people during that class say that they didn’t want to think of it as an animal on their plate, that it was just meat. I was challenged by this as I had grown up loving livestock, but myself included never really made the full connection. For me accepting that it is an animal on my plate became part of being a conscious consumer. I believe everyone should know where their meat comes from because steaks don’t just fall from the sky.

The second piece to this was not just knowing that it was raised on a 'farm'. I wanted to know who raised it, their methods to raising it, and their passion for raising it. It became a connection of more than knowing where it comes from, but also the kind of life the animal lived.

Since the very beginning of our farm venture my desire has been for you to KNOW me, the one raising your steak. So yes, I fall in love with each and every calf that comes to our farm, I can’t help it. So when you ask how I do it, I do it with love and tears. It is actually easier for me to know these animals live happy, healthy lives on our farm than not knowing anything at all. I also chose to do it so you can become a conscious consumer and know where your steak comes from.

Sending out a huge THANK YOU to all those that made Homestead possible!

While a thank you is quite overdue we are approaching a season of thankfulness and we want to make sure we send out a HUGE THANK YOU all of those who have inspired us and helped us along this journey.

First off we want to thank those who have inspired us to create our adventure and follow our dreams, no matter how terrifying that has been!

·         Paul Morrison (Dad) we thank you for quitting the ‘day job’ so many years ago to pursue your passion, you have been a huge inspiration and a great support. Thank you for teaching us to follow our passions in life, even if it isn’t the easiest or most lucrative career choice. Friends be sure to check out his custom woodworking shop The Wood Cycle and be sure to pick up a copy of his new book ‘Tree to Table’, we promise it is worth the read!

·         Morgann McCoy we thank you for taking the step to open your own business so fresh out of school. You taught us that passion and drive can calm any critique about your ‘experience’ and that with enough drive you can do amazing things! Check out her amazing products at A Well Worn Story.

·         Elise Dettwiler we thank you for being another ‘Morrison’ that has taken on their own business venture and of course a huge thank you for providing images for our ‘About Me’ section. Be sure to check her out at Wild Mulberry Photography!

·         Amber & Preston Gable we thank you for blazing a trail and giving us the courage to diversify from our ‘degrees’ to follow all of our passions in life. We can’t thank you enough for owning your dream instead of following the traditional path of your education. Check out Back Country Winery for information on their beautiful winery. Their wine pairs perfectly with an evening on the homestead patio.

Finally, a HUGE THANK YOU to all the other supporters in our life! We truly believe we have the best family and friends around. You all have had such a huge impact on our personal lives and even though some of you have been overwhelmed with our business life we thank you for sticking with us as we pursue our new adventure. We love you!

-Brit & Matt