role call

It feels like our farm is starting to fill up:

43 Chickens

12 Cats

6 Geese

And

3 Humans

So busy

Things have been so busy around here since we got back, its like i have to do everything now that i missed last week. Thankfully my brother has come to stay for a few weeks to help me get some stuff done.The day we got back one of our Americauna chickens started laying so its been so nice to go into the hen house and find a little blue/green egg with the lovely brown ones.
I started a batch of sour cherry wine this week. I got the recipe from my mom and its the first time i'm trying it. So far it smells really good; kind of like cherry pie and yeasty bread. Its bubbling away now and hopeful it will work. If it dose i'll share.
I must say that the one time i feel at peace with everything that is going on here is when i'm hanging clothes on the clothesline. It must be in the evening while Liam is hanging out with Matt. Nothing seems as overwhelming and it feels like i'm getting something done. As i'm shaking out the wet clothes the fact that the counter is coved in dishes or that i'm not sure what to do with 12 cats (oh yes ginger her kittens) dose not seem to weigh on me so much.

Its been a very busy week on the farm, it feels like so much has happened since my last post. My sister has come to stay for awhile and help get some stuff on my To Do list done. The weather has not been cooperating with us, we have had 100km winds and rain for several days now. On Friday one of the trees near our house split in half and fell 10 feet from our front door, i am very thankful it was not closer. But even though it has been less then nice outside many things continue to flourish: The geese are now larger then our rooster and show no sign of stopping. They have almost eating they way though a 12kg bag of food in 3 1/2 weeks along with a big basket of cut grass everyday. There true feathers are coming now so by the end of the week i hope to be moving them outside into the pen i have yet to finish, but hope to.
Our cat Sadie had her kittens in the barn this week. Two are caramel coloured, and one is black. We moved them into the sun room with the geese once the weather turned nasty and they are nomming away happily on their momma .
I put up a proper clothes line all by myself this week. Its really satisfying to see all the clean diapers lined up in the sun and they smell so good. My home made laundry soap is working great and is something like $.05 per load instead of $.50 for Nature Clean, which I used to buy( i use Nature Clean's stain remover soap bar instead of Zote) There are all kinds of flowers coming up all over the place, the old owners planted a lot of bulbs that are now everywhere. There is a big field of dandelions that i am planing on making into wine in the coming week. I will post more about wine as i do it.

I got creative this week and painted some chairs. i have had them for about a year but was not a fan of the colour (they were forest green). Now they are set up on our deck with with a salvaged teak table so i can see them from the kitchen sink when i do dishes.

10 Chickens

1 Rooster

5 Cats

3 Kittens

6 Geese

3 Humans

The new girls in the hen house!

This week we have some new arrivals to our farm. My mother came bearing four Rhode Island red chickens to add to our flock. They are sisters to some of our girls(from the same batch of hens as ours from last summer). She had twenty-one birds and only enough room for fourteen in her coop this winter so we have some lovely new ladies to help round-out our seven into a wonderful eleven! I was a little worried about introducing the new chickens to the flock as we have had some trouble with the trio we bought a few weeks ago, but its almost as though they were there all along. With no more then a few feathers flying and a few squawks, none of them seam any worse for wear.

11 Chickens
5 Cats
(soon to be more as Ginger is due any day now)
And
3 Humans

A kitty for Liam

There is a new cat at the farm. We found him in the barn about a week ago and have since invited him into the house on a part time basis. We have named him Mr. Blue and we think he is about 3-4 months old as he still loves to play and has not quite grown into his paws yet. He spent the day yesterday sleeping at Liam's feet and begging for bacon. I think he will be a wonderful addition to our family.

7 Chickens
5 Cats
3 Humans

Starting off

I, Sophie, my husband Matthew and our 3 month old son Liam want a farm. We want to sell our house, buy 10 acres and grow lots of yummy food on it. Until then we are going to make the most of the small city backyard we have. I was raised on a hobby farm and have always loved to cook fresh food. My husband is new to the idea of growing things but is really coming around to the idea. At the moment we have 4 laying hens, 2 cats, 4 gardens, 3 fruit trees and berry patches. This blog is to document are work towards homesteading, cooking good food and raising Liam.