How To Render Lard

Over the years, we have learned that with every season comes the harvesting of home grown farm products.  Living near several large groups of Amish, one begins to really appreciate the 'old' way of living.  One thing we have learned is that it isn't really the 'old' way of living as much as it is a smart way of living.  Now mind you, I'm not ready to get rid of electricity or running water, but I enjoy knowing how to live without them if necessary.

Returning.....

It has been many months since adding a new post.  With the passing of my Father, family needed to come before blogging.  It still does, however, with time comes healing and an ability to not only get back into life again, but to also take the time for the little things that take quiet concentration like this blog.  

Much has happened on our homestead since my last post and God has truly walked beside us every step of the way, picking us up when we stumble, dusting us off and pointing us in the right direction again and again as often as we need it.

This Week on the Homestead

Last week, finally, we were pleased to find a calf in the barn!  We had a feeling about one of our cows calving first due to the signs, but sometimes you just don’t know for sure.  By the time we saw the calf, Mama already had it dried off and it was nursing like there was no tomorrow.  Its legs didn’t even seem wobbly, so we figure it was at least twenty four hours old already.  It is a beautiful chocolate brown with a fuzzy coat that makes it look like a little teddy bear. 

A Variety of Chicken Eggs and Colors

Aren't these beautiful?

We have been getting such a wonderful variety of colors when gathering eggs lately, that I couldn't resist putting them all in a row for comparison.  The darkest ones are from my favorite hen that is actually a

Lavender Orpington Chickens

This is an update for all of you who fell in love with the little silver chicks we brought home last spring.

The top picture is of two of these baby chicks that are now

This Week on the Homestead

So how many of you have had their fingers just itching to get into the dirt with this January thaw?  

I know I have!  I did not give in to it, but instead have been gathering eggs to incubate.

Hatching eggs is a bit more rewarding when starting this early in the season compared to planting.  I have learned that from experience and have had a greenhouse over run with so many plants that

This Week on the Homestead

What a beautiful, crisp, fluffy snow we’ve gotten!  We didn’t get enough ice to bother us much, which is a wonderful blessing.  Watching the snow fall here in the woods was quite a sight to behold though.  With all of the impending winter storm warnings we received, we had plenty of time to replenish the wood pile, add some much needed insulation to the chicken coop, bed the bunnies down with extra hay, and fill the bird feeders all the way to the top.  The only thing left to do was