Jacob's Reward Farm

A Fine, Fine Day for Fiber

2012-01-28T19:45:00.001-06:00

Does it get any better than this? Sunshine, brisk breeze, and a dozen sweet friends crafting together with fiber of all sorts - roving, yarn, delicate thread...

Anna brought new baby Ike by for his first visit to the barn. The last time he'd been here, he was still a bump. Now he's a doll--a gorgeous boy.

That's tough for big brother Brian to compete with, unless you blow bubbles in your water. That makes everybody smile.

Peggy showed Leslie some spinning tips. Leslie's going to be spinning soon. She's already rocking the knitting thing.

Anela told her all about knitting with those mysterious double-point needles. Nothing to be scared of...

Karen got to be with us again today, and this time, she brought her amazing Drudik wheel. She got this wheel from the Oregonian wheel maker back when they didn't cost as much as a used car, like they do now. It's a beautiful wheel that spins like buttah.

Her daughter, Lisa, brought her bobbin lace project with all its pretty bobbins and beads and pins, on the velvet pillow... It's intricate and amazing, and I was fascinated watching her.

The lace formed steadily under her fingers, following the printed pattern, twist by twist and knot by knot. Watching her helped me understand the experience of an uninitiated person watching a lace knitter or a talented drop spindler. It's all magic, until you get the knack.

Rita took a break from knitting her wedding veil to work on knitting her lace garter. How amazing will that be?

We enjoyed finally getting to visit with Karen and Gail, who hadn't been able to come to the LRB in a while. Barbara came again this week, and invited her friend Linda.

Linda found herself adopted by Smokey, who draped herself across Linda's lap and didn't move for ages.

Virginia got to drop by, too, and she worked on a pretty kettle dyed wool purse. Maybe she'll felt it, or maybe she won't. Such are the quandaries of a fiber artist.

Leslie had really come to the farm to work, so we spent some time skirting and tumbling Solomon's black alpaca fleece. She caught on quickly, and now has achieved the elite rank of Certified Fiber Tumbler here at Jacob's Reward Farm. Solomon's pretty fleece is medium fine and open, so we had to spend some extra time opening the locks and blowing the dirt and grass away. But that shiny black fiber is so, so worth it. Great job, Leslie -- thanks!

You are always welcome at the Little Red Barn to share these days of friendship and fiber arts. Learn something, share something, experience something beautiful in this sweet little community. You make a difference... At the bottom of this page is our Google Calendar. That's where you'll find all of the goings on here at the farm. We'd love to have you join us!

Rainy Day Dog

2012-01-27T19:57:00.000-06:00

Vanni and I seem to have the same emotional response to all the rain we got. We keep a stiff upper lip--after all, we really need the lakes to fill up, but it does make our daily lives a little more complicated.

I was reminded of all the low spots on the property that need to be dealt with somehow - filled in with some kind of material that's easier to traverse than clay-turned-quicksand. This summer was so dry for so long, I was able to put off thinking about this task. But one good rain event, and it all comes back... oh yes, the bog. What to do about the bogs?

The "Where's the Trunk" Show

2012-01-26T08:55:00.000-06:00

Susie Gibbs is a trooper. She probably had the ability to take whatever was tossed at her before she became a shepherd, but raising sheep for fun and profit will surely arm you for any kind of set-back.

Yesterday, at the Woolie Ewe in Plano, Susie put on a trunk show without a trunk. Seems UPS has temporarily misplaced all the finished garments and accessories made out of her new yarns. She improvised. That's what shepherds do.

Without missing a beat, Susie began telling her incredible story of moving from New York City as a news producer to adopting the rural, mucky life of a sheep and goat raiser, to designing her own line of commercial yarns.

As usual, her animated stories full of triumphs and foibles kept the gathered knitters entranced. We passed around yarns and ogled the beautiful pattern books.

The photos are so lovely, it was easy to imagine the beautiful knitted sweaters, hats, blankets, mitts, and other designs. Having the yarns right there to touch and evaluate helped a lot, too.

Today, Susie is off to Knotty Girls in Tyler, TX to share the Juniper Moon yarn line. I hope UPS comes through for her by the time the knitters show up. But if not, Susie will manage to communicate the dream: the story of a lady on a mission who doesn't let obstacles slow her down.

A big wave to Mary Bensel, Denise Royal, (pictured here with Susie) Laurie McIntyre, Joanne Pohlman and Marybelle (not pictured) who came out to enjoy time with our pal.

Today, January 26, we celebrate "Eureka Day" here at the farm. Three years ago today, Susie agreed to sit down with me at the Barnes and Noble in Fort Worth and tell me everything I needed to know to move our farm into the CSA model. With no thought for personal gain, she shared lots of amazing business secrets, and encouraged me to go for it. Her determination and creativity are inspirational. Thank you, Susie.

NOTE: Knitting Fever, Inc., who produces Susie's beautiful yarns, is holding a design contest using two of the JMF yarns - Willa and Chadwick. These are gorgeous yarns crying for new ways to knit them up. If you are interested in entering this contest, run by the Woolie Ewe and check out the yarns in person and see how they speak to you. Buy some. Then head over to the KFI blog for all the details about the contest. Deadline is March 1. Fabulous prizes. Good luck!

Animal Magic

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Jennifer and Marty Jurek brought their niece, Ashlyn, to the farm on Monday to get some eggs and to visit all the animals. A whole lot of kid <---> animal fun ensued.

Then, we went to visit the puppies...

Mama Ruthie is the perfect pal...

Ashlyn had to warm up to this Very Big Dog.

Uncle Marty, one of Ruthie's favorite people, helped Ashlyn get some confidence.

Strike a pose.

Let this be a lesson to you - when kids and animals come together, prepare to burn up a bunch of pixels. Dang... weapons grade cuteness.

Off to the Country

2012-01-24T14:29:00.000-06:00

Two of our alpacas have graduated to their plush retirement out in the country.

Noah and Gizmo left yesterday for the new chapter in their lives, called "Greener Pastures," as they headed south to Goldthwaite. Our friend Barbara is populating her large ranch with some pampered 'pacas and llamas, who will enjoy lots of grass and camaraderie. Gizmo and Jonah were Barbara's first alpacas, and they boarded here for years. I'm so glad she gets to have them on her own place finally. She's waited a long time for this.

Barbara's husband, Ron, picked up the boys. He's so tall, the alpacas look really tiny standing next to him.

Ron and Barbara's brother, Paul, convince Noah to talk toward the trailer.

Gizmo and Noah settle in for the ride to Goldthwaite.

Gizmo is always up for an adventure. He'll have familiar friends to spend the rest of his life with.

Barbara reports today that everyone made the trip just fine, and are settling in to their new digs. I couldn't have let them go, if I wasn't absolutely sure they'd have a fantastic life on the other end. Enjoy your new boys, Barbara!

Next week, ~~Silver Lining~~ Joseph will roll up from the Lubbock area. I'll let you know more specifics as we get closer to time. If you'd like to meet him in person, watch this space for all the details.

Gentlemen, Start Your Tomatoes

2012-01-20T09:38:00.002-06:00

At last. I've finally gotten ahead of the calendar and started some tomato seeds indoors. And if all goes to plan, I'll have many, many more than I can use, so there will be some to share.

I bought one of those trays pre-packed with peat pots that swell up when you water them. I also got some Martha Stewart organic tomato seeds because, well, they were right in front of me at the store.

Those little seeds are tiny, so I used the moistened tip of a chop stick to carefully get two or three seeds into each little pot.

Yeah, there's a lot of them.

And Martha's none too generous with her seeds - I barely had enough to fill all my pots. But we got it done. I'll post an update when they sprout in (according to the label) 7-10 days.

Baby 'maters!!

Farm Survey

2012-01-18T13:18:00.000-06:00

It's been too long since our last walk around the farm together, so I snapped some shots of critters who would love some virtual scritches.

Judah and Tella vie for attention

Social grooming bonds this working pair

Tella is such a beauty. A busy, mischievous beauty.

The ewes and lambs are shaggy and plump

Rachel is brave, behind the fence

Phineas eats and dozes on Shadrach's back

Shad and Mordechai get fresh water

Ms. Smokey shadows me on my rounds

Ruthie is always alert. Except when she's sawing logs.

Boaz enjoys the sunshine

This weather is heavenly to the alpacas - cool mornings and sunny, mild afternoons

These Ameraucanas are trying to make a break for it. Patience, girls.

Ice overnight will give way to spring-like temperatures by afternoon

How does our garden grow? Our patience has been rewarded. The seeds have germinated and new sprouts are coming up in the protected environment of the greenhouse. This provides good wind protection, and a bit of temperature mediation. Even though it's not airtight or heated, the cover makes a big difference for these cool weather veggies. My next plan is to get some onion starts to fill up the vacant plot in the greenhouse. I'm also starting some tomatoes indoors.

The spinach has sprouted in the greenhouse

Baby turnips

A row of young lettuce

I'm putting together the next farm newsletter, which will be chock-full of news about the very cool plans we have for 2012. If you're not on our list, sign up via the link in the left margin. I think you'll like how our calendar is shaping up.

Biological Imperative

2012-01-12T18:46:00.001-06:00

WE HAVE GERMINATION.

The lettuce is born.

Omnivorism

2012-01-11T12:31:00.000-06:00

I know I have a lot of vegetarian friends, so I want you to know up front that I'm going to be talking about harvesting meat. Skip this post if you need to, but rest assured, there are no photos, hopefully, that will be offensive.

It's been a busy week since I last checked in here on the blog. Over the weekend, Ted and I had a spur-of-the-moment opportunity to join with two other families to buy some Cornish cross show chickens from local FFA students. The students had finished with the chickens and the birds needed to be sold and harvested. It was a great chance to fill the freezer with meat we knew a little bit about-- not organic, but well cared for and harvested humanely.

A couple of years ago, we raised our own chickens for meat and harvested them ourselves for the first time. It was a steep learning curve, but that experience turned out to be useful to us and to these two other families who wanted the same skills, in the effort of feeding their families.

We don't take this job lightly. We appreciate the cost. It costs us, too - harvesting chickens is an exhausting, sobering job, but I'm coming to know that there's a lot more integrity in looking your dinner in the eye, than in chowing down on anonymous processed protein that presumably was once alive. Not everyone can or even wants this responsibility--it's definitely not for everyone--but as quasi-homesteaders, this makes sense to us. Five adults and occasionally a kid or two processed 60 chickens in about five hours. Time was not on our side, as we had to start late, and worked until after the sun went down. The birds ranged from over four pounds to about seven pounds - they felt like small turkeys! This harvest will feed us for a good long time. It's a very physical job, and I was really wiped out the next day.

For some people seeking a life closer to its origins, and whose lifestyle is intentional and omnivorous, I've posted some of the photos of our day on my Flickr page. Also, here's the link to Herrick Kimball's website, where we learned everything we know about processing chickens. We've adapted his techniques because we don't pluck our chickens, but all the basic information is there.

This opportunity will come around again next year when the Future Farmers of America students have their chickens ready to harvest. Let me know if you'd like to learn more.

I'm trying very hard to pay closer attention to my food, which is a challenge in this culture of convenience. Join me?

2012 is Taking Off Like a Rocket

2012-01-05T17:07:00.000-06:00

I just love it when a plan comes together.

The vision that has been gelling in my mind has also struck a beautiful chord with our farm friends, and I'm feeling a groundswell and momentum that is going to blast us forward. Today, we got together with new friends and old, shared some great skills, and massaged the dream a little bit more.

Madeleine tumbles Levi's fleece.

A great group hung out together, helping me with our white alpaca fiber prep and learning a bit about preparing their own fleeces. The weather was fantastic, and we just had a blast, covered with soft, downy fiber.

The group gets intimate with some suri fiber.

Madeleine and Anna came from Irving, Taya from Mansfield, Anela from Allen, and Mary and Diana from Southlake. We skirted suri and huacaya alpaca fiber, tumbled some fleeces and helped the ladies with their own llama and wool. These are skills you learn with your fingers as much as with your eyes and brains... fingers can learn new tasks, too. Taking time to train these ladies will pay off big time on our next skirting day.

Madeleine provided a gorgeous loaf of bread for lunch.

As a great focus group, the ladies helped me think out loud some more about our Farm Women School program, in development as we speak. If you're interested in this program, please contact me soon - I'll be sending an informational e-mail out to everyone I know who wants to participate.

Birth and Growth

2012-01-02T16:50:00.000-06:00

It's a brand new year. Twelve months stretch out before us with seemingly unlimited potential. My first task is to intentionally limit that potential to just what I think the farm can pull off, and focus in on that. Not easy.

But as I look back, and look around, and look ahead, the vision that seems to be forming clear and strong is that the farm will be a place of growth and empowerment... a place where dreams germinate and sprout. I read today that the largest, fastest-growing demographic in the field of farming (no pun intended) is women. And a bunch of those women are friends of this farm, longing and yearning for the day when they will have their own farms to tend. These new farms will not only nourish their owners, but the communities around them.

I think Jacob's Reward Farm can help.

The resources are ready...

This year, in addition to our fiber shares, which remain the backbone of our farm model, we will be creating and providing different educational opportunities for several types of learners: fiber enthusiasts, young people, and future women farmers.

Lettuce seeds, waiting to be born.

Our fiber pals can look forward to more skill-building workshops like tri-loom weaving, fiber dyeing, 3-D felting, etc. Groups of young people like scout troops and home school groups will have specialized curricula developed just for them, to help them engage with the farm. I'm planning on two sessions of Farm Camp in the later part of June for kids 7-10 years old to get an intense farm experience and lots of creative fun. And finally, women desiring their own farmsteads (urban, suburban or rural) will have a broad, multi-module Farm Women School opportunity with lots of hands-in-the-dirt time, so to speak.

I'm working on the calendar now, and pulling together all my resources so that we can get all these new programs "birthed" and off the ground. If you'd like to be a part of any of these programs - as a student, teacher or helper, please drop me a note. We'll need lots of assistant midwives standing by.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T20:35:00.001-06:00

How did you spend this last glorious day of 2011? The weather here was crazy warm, but that's just how Texas is - unpredictable. We took advantage of it.

I got to meet LuAnn and Jim, who became shareholders after a quick farm tour. Actually, LuAnn had been here before, accompanying her pals who took the tri-loom class a few months ago.

We also got to visit with Rachael and Phil, who wanted to take a Babe wheel for a spin. So good to meet them! Then we got down to work...

Friend and helper, Angela, came over to dabble in a veritable buffet of farm chores:

Dog grooming and massage... (you can see how the dogs cooperated without complaint)

Sheep feeding... (notice our silly way of keeping the t-posts from poking through our tarp? Yes, those are rubber garden shoes.)

...and alpaca fiber skirting. The fiber shares continue to march down the processing path.

Angela was such great company and a big help getting things done today. The difference in productivity between one person and two people is much more than double. The synergy is amazing. I love the training and enabling aspects of our work together, too. As more of us gals get our hands deep into the fiber prep work and the animal care work, the world takes on a softer edge, cushioned by love and sisterhood and wooly goodness.

We have some very exciting stuff coming up in 2012. I can't wait to spread it all out for you...

Happy, healthy, safe New Year!!!

Night on the Town

2011-12-30T09:47:00.000-06:00

Suzy, Moi, Susy, Marybelle, and Mary Tutu at Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth

A couple of times a year I get the opportunity to sit down with my friend Susie Gibbs and talk shop. As you know, Susie invented the Fiber CSA and generously shared her experience and expertise with me just about three years ago. We've supported each other directly and indirectly ever since. She's a blast to hang out with. Through Susie, I've met a bunch of really awesome friends who have also become part of our farm family.

Last night I got to have a wonderful Mexican dinner with Susie, who's home for Christmas, and some of our pals: Suzy from Oklahoma, Marybelle from Valley Ranch, and our own Grandma Tutu - Mary. I always come away so inspired to keep nurturing the farm dream, and full of new ideas. Even though our two farms' goals and visions differ quite a bit, Susie and I share a shepherd's heart, a love of our unique communities, and a passion to share our resources. We spur each other on to deeper creativity, encourage each other through challenges, and just generally have a good time.

Here's a bit of great news - Susie will be back in the area, promoting her Juniper Moon Farm yarns at the Woolie Ewe in Plano on January 25. I'll post the time and agenda later, as it's available. I'm sure the store will be sending out information on this, too, so watch your e-mail. We may even get her out to the farm to visit her puppies while she's in the neighborhood.

If you're by the Ewe, check out the Juniper Moon Farm yarns - they're luscious. And we got a bit of advance information about the new yarns she'll be adding to the line for the fall. Her new yarn, Herriot, will be in my shopping cart for sure. Can't tell you any more than that right now...

As the Year Winds Down

2011-12-27T19:00:00.001-06:00

We're tuning up for Auld Lang Syne here at the farm, but that just means we're flipping the calendar page. As usual, there's lots of comings and goings...

I told you we got a goat - isn't he magnificent? Not exactly sure what we're going to do with him yet, but he's just bursting with potential. And he looks great in all our finished knitted things. He's a big boy, so you can't miss him when you come to the LRB.

The Golding Spindle Project. Tom Golding is going to make Jacob's Reward Farm spindles as soon as we have an order for 20 of them. They will be either walnut or cherry, and have our logo laser engraved on the top of the whorl. The picture is the gorgeous Golding spindle I got for Christmas from my dear friend Karen. Aren't those Celtic sheep wonderful? And it spins like a dream - the Lamborghini of drop spindles. Can not wait to have one with the JRFF logo! Let me know if you'd like to be on the list of the first 20--they'll run $87 each (an awesome price). I'll gather the capital and we'll give Mr. Golding the go-ahead to start the project. We're about half way there, last time I checked.

Mr. Jonah boarded the trailer for the trip down to Goldthwaite yesterday, and made the journey just fine. Barbara called today to tell me he made it through the night in his new pasture with his new friends - several alpacas and some llamas. They'll make friends in time.

We'll miss him and his funny brown pants, but we'll also be very anxious to get our new gray boy here from Levelland. We've gotten some wonderful suggestions for names, and I think one name in particular has moved ahead in the polls. More information coming later on that one.

I hope you had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a good New Year's celebration. I love this season with all the holidays breaking up the routine of the daily grind. Must be a throwback to our school days when this holiday break provided some blessed relief from the pressures of life. Even though the animal chores and farm work continue no matter what, there's still a sense that everyone's on vacation, just a bit. Let's all relax and have some fun while we can...

Can I top off your nog?

Our Silver Lining

2011-12-23T20:26:00.000-06:00

I know I said I wasn't going to blog again until after Christmas, but I just had to show you the very special addition to the farm who will be coming, hopefully soon.

Monaco Pine's Silver Lining

Meet our new alpaca man, registered under the name "Silver Lining." He has a dense rose-gray fleece that you could just about eat with a spoon.

A better look at his ribbon-winning fleece.

I "met" this boy when I judged the STAR (State of Texas Alpaca Ranchers) spin-off competition a year ago last October. I pulled his fleece sample out of the bag to evaluate and spin it, and nearly fainted dead away. First of all, the color was magnificent, and secondly, the fineness and texture blew my socks off. He easily won first place in his color and age group. Super yum.

Our friend Lisa from Lubbock told me she knew this animal, and told me he came from her neighbor, Cindy Negen of Monaco Pines Alpacas. I loved the fleece sample so much, Lisa helped me procure the whole thing once she returned home. What a nice surprise!

Ms. Negen is a really savvy alpaca marketer, selling her own animals and also other breeders' wonderful alpacas. I noticed a couple of months ago that Silver Lining was up for sale, with a price that reflected his quality -- way more than a fiber farmer like me could afford or justify. I commented on her posts how lovely his fiber was, so that he might attract the attention of a worthy new owner.

To make a long story short, this amazing guy never found a buyer. I'm chalking it up to the drought and high hay prices right now, because in other circumstances, this boy should have sold quickly and for a great price. I told Cindy that if he didn't bring the kind of money she needed for him, I would make an embarrassingly low offer; one I could reasonably afford.

Clearly this boy is supposed to be here - after a few weeks, Cindy e-mailed me that she had accepted my offer. I cut her a check, and the gorgeous guy is ours. We now are looking for an east-bound trailer to get him here from Lubbock.

Lisa spent some time with him and confirms that he is a really sweet boy with fiber that will make you swoon. I still can hardly believe it.

The only downside to this story is that to make room for him, we have to reduce our herd here by one alpaca. But even that isn't as bad as it sounds. You see, at this same time, our friend Barbara, who used to own Gizmo and Jonah, has finally moved to her ranch property in Goldthwaite, TX. She really wants her old boy Jonah back, to complete the herd she's building on her new place. So next week, Jonah will head out to Barbara's, leaving a space for our new man to move in. It seems meant to be.

I've avoided calling him by his registered name much because you know he'll have to get a new call name to fit in with all his companions here at Jacob's Reward. I have a couple of ideas, but I'm taking suggestions...

Twas the Lull Before Christmas

2011-12-23T09:21:00.000-06:00

I've been a bit quiet on the blog this week, but it isn't because nothing's going on. It's because, like a lot of households this week, so much is going on.

We have some incredibly cool things afoot, but all I can give you right this minute are hints. Don't you just hate that? Sorry...

A couple of things briefly: We have a goat. A large, inanimate goat. I'll tell you more about him very soon.

And 2) we're getting our own Jacob's Reward Farm Golding Spindle. See what I mean about cool things afoot? More information on that little tidbit soon as well.

Gratuitous critter photos - my aunt and her friend came by yesterday for a Christmas visit, with the obligatory time in the pasture with the critters.

Bea and Asher ponder each other.

Aunt Karelin and Bea are up to their waist in Polar Bear.

Bea grew up in Chile around farm animals, and knows how to win them over.

Of course, Vanni is not a hard sell. I think he likes you, Bea.

If you're in the neighborhood tomorrow, I think some of the "Barnies" are coming by for a bit of stitching time in the LRB, so please know you're invited to join us. 10 AM till 2 or 3 PM on a quiet Christmas Eve day with friends. Sound fun and Christmasy?

Peace Out friends... talk to you again on Monday. Merry, merry Christmas.

^Luke:8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Awakened to the Love of Yarn

2011-12-19T22:27:00.002-06:00

Tonight Leslie and Peggy braved the monsoon that blew through the metroplex, to continue the knitting lessons they began last week. Uh-huh - this is just Lesson #2, and look at all this progress...

They're knitting. They're purling. They insisted on switching to Continental style. There might even be some ribbing going on. Is it all the Christmas Spirit in the air? Is it too much coffee? There's one thing for sure - two new knitting souls have been born. And they are Fiber Forces with Which to be Reckoned.

We may be doing lace socks before it's all over.

Party Hounds

2011-12-18T19:11:00.000-06:00

Just a bit of free advice: party with the LRB Barnies if you want to have a really fun time, and lots of amazing treats, and brainstorm amazing ideas for life and craft.

Saturday we celebrated the puppies' first birthday with another spin/knit-in at the farm, beginning with the feeding rounds, excessive Vanni scritching, and then retiring to the barn for some refreshments and stitching.

Coffee is much more festive with whipped cream from a can.

Our caterer, Sarah, brought both Tira Misu cupcakes and Orange Coconut cupcakes. We went totally gourmet - none of this silly vanilla vs. chocolate stuff. Sarah's in the eleventh grade, and has a very promising future ahead of her in the culinary arts...

Sweet UK pal, Caroline, sent us a powerful Mint Cake to enjoy - mighty minty!! From England! Thank you, Caro!

Kate got to be with us for the first time, and had Smokey in Kitty Heaven right away... it did slow down Kate's crochet progress, but it must be done.

Denise and Dina talked about a really unusual knitted scarf pattern...

Brand new knitter, Leslie, came out to enjoy some knitting friendship and treats.

(She's doing so great, by the way. She'll soon add purling to her repertoire.)

Anna and Brian got to come for a short visit. I'm still feeling bad that Smokey was less than hospitable to little Brian's sweet advances. Kitties and little people sometimes don't mesh...

Show us your socks, Denise...

Rita updated us on all the wedding plans. Things are really coming together! What an amazing example of organization and preparation!

Hanane's daughter made her a gorgeous yarn bowl in her art class. Really beautiful.

We got to see Brenda for the first time in a long time. It was so good to hug her neck.

Kris got to drop by for a bit, too. The Farmstead Museum has been working her to the bone... come rest with us, Kris!

In any case, the dogs were loved and celebrated, and we enjoyed some time together, holding each other up in whatever place in life we find ourselves challenged and engaged.

There are few better ways to spend a gorgeous winter day.

Give Me Shelter

2011-12-16T20:59:00.002-06:00

The sheep hut is finished!

I tell ya, there's not much you can't do around here as long as you have cattle panels, t-posts, baling wire, zip ties and duct tape. And a humongous tarp. And great friends.

Elaine came over today to help with this project. She's going to have her own farm and sheep some day and is anxious to learn all she can about shepherding. Today she learned how to drive t-posts...

...and how to get otherwise standoffish sheep to eat out of your hand.

There she is - our new sheep shelter, ready to protect the girls from the winter weather. And just as important, we're now able to till up the, uh, organic matter in the previous sheep hut to become our greenhouse for winter veggies. I'm very anxious to sow some seeds and get some spinach and lettuce going.

Thank you, Elaine, for a really great afternoon of camaraderie, hard work, achievement, and well, fun. The sheep thank you, and I thank you...

The Best of Times

2011-12-14T13:11:00.000-06:00

The best part of life on this farm, is the friendship of the people who gather here to enjoy it together. We love fiber and knitting and spinning and crochet and weaving and critters, and each other. This past Saturday, some of our Shareholders got together to toast the season, eat some wonderful snacks, work on projects, and generally have a ball. Fortunately, the weather was fantastic, because we spilled out of the LRB and into the yard! It's one of my favorite days of the whole year...

Shepherding looks great on Leslie!

Laurie's working on her 476th Queen Anne's Lace scarf!

Dawn got a t-shirt she's been hankering for...

Dina brought us a platter that sums everything up quite nicely!

So good to see Tasha and Gail again!


Ms. Chris made it in spite of car challenges. And I made out like a bandit: Golding spindle, hand-made scarf, and wee sheep pin! Up to my ears in riches!

Old friends and new bond immediately in the LRB!

Sweet Dina and new friend Barbara enjoy spinning yarns - of all kinds!

Karen looks lovely in her new alpaca scarf!

Gorgeous weather drew a bunch of us out into the sunshine.

Jennifer shares an amazing lace veil for show and tell.

Anela, Gay, Mary and Elaine settle into happy contentment with their needles clicking.

And because community is what we're all about, we're going to do it again this coming Saturday - it's our regular Third Saturday get-together, with a special treat: come enjoy goodies to celebrate the puppies' First Birthday!

The Satisfaction of a Job Well Done

2011-12-13T14:26:00.000-06:00

One of the very first people to take me up on this newfangled Help Share thingy was my buddy Jill. Now Jill is not yet a spinner, but that's only a matter of time. She's been a fan of the farm and a helper to me for a long time, but we're just now codifying it. When this city girl told me she was up for an outdoor adventure, I jumped on the chance to expose her to some gratifying farm labor.

True to her word, she showed up with her work shoes and her happy disposition firmly in place. Remember, this is the lady who coined the phrase, "too much nature," when she encountered things like bugs and worms here at the farm.

I had a very important job that has needed doing for a couple of weeks, and we really had to take advantage of the rainless skies to get it done. One person alone (me) would struggle with this simple job, but two hands would make light work. We found our stride and worked great together - what a team!

Jill and I assembled the raw ingredients I had purchased to turn our old sheep hut into a serviceable greenhouse for us to grow greens during the winter.

And in short order (and with only a little help from the sheep) we had it operational. Now, all we need is the other structure for the sheep to get in out of the weather and we can turn this enclosure over to the seeds and seedlings. But that's a bit larger project, for another day. Step by step, we'll get there.

Fine job, Farmer Jill! Don't let anybody tell you that you aren't a country girl at heart!

Nothing like a little dirt on your knuckles and some sheep poop under your nails to get that satisfying sense of a job well done.

Almost One

2011-12-10T11:36:00.001-06:00

Hard to believe, but the puppies will turn one year old next Saturday. I think it's time for a little informal birthday party for them, which will correspond nicely with our Third Saturday spin-in on the 17th!

Let's take a quick trip back in time a little, just for fun...

Tiny sleepy puppies.

Pups with Momma Lucy.

Ten week old Vanni with Shepherd Susie, stopping off in Nashville on his way to the farm.

Three month old Tella, as captured by our friend Jennifer Jurek.

Four month old Tella, out for some supervised exercise.

Four month old Vanni begins his friendship with Ruthie.

Nowadays, Tella begins her partnership with Judah by pestering him to death for hours on end.
I believe that she will soon be queen of this pasture, and Judah, her humble servant.

But she does love her lambs.

Vanni is our farm greeter and ambassador. He's never met a soul he didn't love instantly.

'Cept pasture predators. He does not love them.

Vanni has the most endearing personality of any critter on the farm. Though we love them all, and they each have their particular amazing features, there's something about this Enormous Polar Bear of a Dog that sets him apart.

If you can come have a bit of birthday cake next Saturday in the LRB for our Third Saturday get-together, we'd love to have you. You can give Vanni a birthday scritch.

(Tella would love a scritch, too, but she shares a pasture with Judah, who's not big on visits by strangers. It's best to keep out of his pasture, and keep your fingers outside the fence. Just sayin.)

Rules of Engagement

2011-12-08T14:49:00.001-06:00

Rule #1: When you get engaged, get some awesome professional pictures taken in some exotic location. Like a pasture.

Today Joey and Brittany met their photographer, Chad Zellner, here at the farm to take some of their engagement photos with the alpacas. Of course, we were tickled to have them. (Joey is the son of Wendy, one of our long-time farm friends.)

You know how much the pacas love the camera.

Boaz gets a close-up.

All we ask is a little love on the way out.

Congratulations, you two - happy wedding and happy marriage!

Winter + Fiber = Bliss

2011-12-06T22:50:00.001-06:00

The cold is here to stay. This week will be our most winter-like so far this year. Weren't we just melting in 105 degree heat? That's only a dim memory now.

And when the temperatures drop, the fiber comes out to play. Fiber, and fiber friends.

Meet Madeleine and Anna - new shareholders and relatively new spinners. Madeleine has nine talented kids, each gifted in some crafting area. Anna's the fiber girl. She and her mom made a long drive over to the farm Saturday to see the place, meet the critters, and get some advice on a free spinning wheel they'd been given. Turns out it's an old Schacht Matchless - not a bad gift! It mostly needed a bit of oil and a little tweak or two. Young Anna is a fine spinner, both on a spindle, and now on this new wheel of hers.

One of her first projects is a spindle-spun, hand knitted Ewok she made herself. Isn't he delicious? I cannot wait to see what comes off her needles next.

Today I went over to see our new friend Elaine, also new to her Kromski wheel, but progressing like mad. We had such a great time spinning, baking bread and talking about how we'd like to be peasants when we grow up - living and cooking simply, enjoying our archaic crafts. Sometimes a life of hard labor sounds like it would be a vacation from our lives tormented by technology and modern pressures. Okay, maybe not, but it's fun to dream.

I shared my beer bread recipe with her, and Elaine taught me a variation on the Mark Bittman No-Knead Bread recipe. I've never had any luck with yeast breads, so this seems like a wonderful option. This bread tasted like heaven with her black bean pumpkin soup! Good thing I'm not obsessed with counting carbs these days...

I managed to get a little spinning in myself today - spun and Navajo-plied some BFL roving that our Laurie had dyed. These colors look pretty wild here in the skein, but she dyed them with her "spectrum dyeing" technique, and they actually morph gradually from one Yowza color to the next. Can't wait to get this knit up into a project...

UPDATE: The Help Shares we introduced Saturday filled up to overflowing. I finally had to cut off applications at 12 wonderful new shareholders. These ladies have committed a BUNCH of valuable people-hours of help to the farm. I can't tell you what a gift that is.

REMINDER: Shareholders past and present, Whole, Half or Help: please RSVP if you're planning to come to this Saturday's annual Christmas Shareholders' Tea at the Little Red Barn. Fun and food... 'nuf said.

A New Share Option

2011-12-02T00:48:00.001-06:00

Chris helps out with feeding

Hey friends - sorry I've been so quiet all week... the share fiber is marching down the processing path, we had visitors from the Sachse Senior Center, and I've taken some time inside my house to battle some clutter mountains and decorate for Christmas. Whew. Never a dull moment.

But in my meditative organizing mode, I realized it's high time for a new option for shareholders.
Beginning now, for our 2012 shares, I'm going to institute a new category: The "Help Share." Here's how we'll do it. You can sign up for a Help Share and commit 10 hours of easy, fun labor on the farm between now and the fiber coming back from the processor, probably in the early fall of the year. You'll earn a half share of fiber for those 10 hours (a $90 value). Or if you'd like to get a Whole Share of fiber, you can get half of it in exchange for labor. We'll keep track of your time and be all official and everything.

Half Help Share = 10 hours of work for half a fiber share,
Whole Help Share = 10 hours of work + $90 for a whole fiber share.

And I can only take the first 10 folks who sign up.

What do you think? Some people are gifted with cash and others with time and an interest in learning about the stuff that goes on here. We'll do animal chores, fiber prep work, general farm maintenance, maybe dye yarn, alpaca halter practice, and who knows what else.

I hear from wonderful folks from time to time that they'd like to help, but I didn't have a good way to actually incorporate them into the day-to-day life of the farm. This way, I can train those eager folks who'd like to learn farm life, and get an extra pair of hands now and again to make the jobs go faster. Win-win.

If the Help Share sounds good to you, please drop me a note at ctelisak at juno dot com.

(And remember - all shareholders of record get an invitation to the Annual Shareholders' Christmas Tea on December 10. Just sayin'.)

Living to Give

2011-11-29T00:06:00.001-06:00

GrandmaTutu working on the farm

Wow, you guys are good. You gave us so many great ideas for making the farm greener and groovier! I hope we can do all of them! I promised you a re-cap of all the ideas and a winner. Some are harder than others, but if we all pitch in, we can make it happen. Here we go. You're going to like these:

Cindy (not me) suggested using leaves for mulch in the garden, changing our lightbulbs to earth-friendly versions, eating pie and wearing comfortable shoes. I'm working on the last two right now, you'll be happy to know.

Judith wants me to hire out as a mobile teacher-consultant. That's a great one. I'm on it!

Peggy R wants us to consider rain catchment, solar panels and bagging manure - all of which seem like doable ideas. Thanks, Peggy!

Fran says fleece makes a good ingredient in compost, and that's also an easy one. We can do some of that today! When I get through skirting fleeces, all the stuff that doesn't make the cut can go straight into our compost pile! You're rocking it, Fran!

Gail tossed out the ideas of wind power (we saw a wonderful DIY version at Homestead Heritage last week), French intensive gardening, and newspaper mulch in the garden. We have used some newspapers in the garden to cut down weeds, but, ahem, not nearly enough. We'll get on that right away. We'll tell you when it's time to bring your extra papers...

Ashley wants us to grow Christmas trees, and you know what? I'm going to mull that one over. We have a lot of property that isn't being used to its best advantage, and that's a fabulous idea.

Peggy HR had a list of wonderful ideas: Bees (we have totally been trying to make this happen), vermiculture (just found a very cool site the other day: Texas Worm Farm), solar cookers (we actually tried this once with pal Gail - you can see our attempt here and you know I've been in the mood to cook lately), cheesemaking - wouldn't that be awesome!-- and making caps for charity. Love it. That's very close to my heart, and easily done. We still have a big Yarn Storming stash that I'll be happy to dole out to anyone who wants to make hats for premies or cancer patients. Just let me know!

E Andert also suggested knitting for charity, which tugs at me in ways that will really make something happen. Let's mobilize on this one.

Anna echoed the solar panel idea, and Gay reminded me about the value of Paca Poo as a fertilizer. Carol asked about our progress on the sheep hut turned greenhouse, and we will see that one through very soon as well.

The Random Number Generator chose Karen as our winner, who has the most precious idea of carrying extra scarves with her when she's out and about so that she can spontaneously gift a homeless or needy person with a handmade gift of warmth and love any time the opportunity presents itself. I can't tell you how wonderful that idea is, Karen, and I'm happy to have some fantastic Prize Cotton to reward your generous heart. Please e-mail me your particulars so I can get your cotton to you (ctelisak@juno.com).

This farm stands as a loving work in progress. The whole community has pitched in to make it what it is today, and the community will see that it grows into what it can become. I'll keep you updated on how we plan to start working on some of these ideas, and how and when you can get involved.

You Guys Rock. Givers live lives of joy.

Yes, I believe she looks happy!

Going Global

2011-11-26T18:13:00.001-06:00

Today in the Little Red Barn, we were literally all over the map.

Brenda brought her friend, Tsigereda from Ethiopia, who casually sat and spun cotton on one of my drop spindles most of the day. And made it look easy.

Candi made the trek from far-away Arlington, and shared very cool stories about Liberia.

Of course, Anela was with us to represent the Polynesians, and Hanane hails from exotic Oklahoma. Brenda's a born-and-bred Texan.

Dina grew up in Panama, and spoke Spanish as a kid.

Hassan, Hanane's husband, comes from Morocco, and speaks four languages. Five, if you count "cat."

I got to tell a little bit about my project with a new friend in Nepal, to bring wool products here to the US to sell, to benefit his church. It's still a little embryonic project. I'll tell you more when it gets a little bigger.

Tsigereda treated us to some Ethiopian injera bread - a personal favorite of mine. In fact, my favorite restaurant in Dallas is The Queen of Sheba. We take all of our out-of-town guests there, and go there on special occasions. Ethiopian food is the bomb.

Look at her spin that cotton. She's not even breaking a sweat.

And speaking of cotton, here is the two ounces of super wonderful cotton I'm going to gift to a lucky winner who comments here on the blog. We've even rolled some of it into ready-to-spin punis. (The camera made it look yellow - it's really bright white.)

I'm looking for suggestions on how we can make the farm more sustainable, organic, charitable, compassionate or welcoming. Leave me a suggestion by 9 PM on Monday night for a chance to win this light and fluffy, cotton-candy goodness. Then we'll get Tsigereda to teach you to spin it. LOL.

Contest: Rekindling the Dream

2011-11-25T21:09:00.001-06:00

I promised you a giveaway - it's down at the end of the post. But first, I have to show you my field trip today.

Seven years ago, back before we moved to our own farm, my family stumbled on Homestead Heritage, near Waco, TX - the beautiful home of an agrarian community much like the Mennonites. Every Thanksgiving, they hold a huge festival over the whole weekend, sharing the fruits (literally) of their lifestyle and labor. (So you could still catch it if you have some time.) They live simply and intentionally, and they nurture "crafts" that most of our society has left way behind: beekeeping, horse farming, woodcrafting, metal forging, grist milling, pottery, quilting, sustainable practices, knitting and spinning, etc. Of course, you and I do appreciate our fiber arts, and I always feel right at home in the fiber studio there.

We've been meaning to get back again for that festival for years, but it just never worked out. But this year, I had a little added incentive to make it happen - our friend Lisa from west Texas was coming out with her husband Mike, and they were bringing our share cotton! (Mike and Lisa have gifted the farm with some of their wonderful crop, which is a significant gift, considering the horrible drought this year.) Lisa has worked with members of the Homestead Heritage community a couple of times, taking classes and sharing her beautiful cotton harvest. Lisa introduced me to Sue, with the community, who is very involved with the weaving and spinning classes.

There's something about this place that points me back to True North. Though our specific situations are very different, our philosophies and deep desires line up perfectly. I get new energy to look at our farm with fresh eyes, and see the things we could add or change, that could help us live the life God has called us to live here at Jacob's Reward: to love him, love his creation, and most of all, to love the people he has put in our lives.

If you've never been, here's some of what you'll find at Homestead Heritage on their big festival weekend:

All this eye- and heart-candy is just the tip of the iceberg here. Explore their website a little, and get a good look a the incredible resource we have right here within a stone's throw of the DFW metroplex. I'd really like to apprentice there for about a month, and really get these people and this lifestyle down into my pores.

OK, so you want a giveaway? I got yer giveaway! Our shareholders will be receiving a portion of the cotton that Lisa and Mike brought us today, but I'm holding out 2 ounces of my special secret reserve of hand picked and hand ginned, soft-as-a-cloud cotton from Lisa. It's too dark to get a good photo tonight, but I'll put one up tomorrow.

Now this is special stuff. This stuff comes dear. How can you win it? Comment below (or on Facebook) and tell me a way we could increase our sustainability here at Jacob's Reward Farm. How can we give more, grow more, "green" more, or generate more? Extra credit if you volunteer to help us achieve your suggestion. How can we better use the resources we have in our hands right now? That's always the question I'm asking myself, and now I'm calling on the community to lend some brainstorming power.

I'll take suggestions till Monday night at 9 PM. Then I'll recap them and pick a winner. I'll put everyone's name in a hat and pull one out. But all suggestions will be considered for implementation. I, for one, would never waste a good idea!

Muddy Feet

2011-11-23T18:44:00.001-06:00

We are all so thankful for the rain we got the other night. Here's what it does to our little tootsies. Mmm-mm. Black clay.

Muddy feet can be a little awkward, but they also mean happy grass seeds and happy farmers. Thank you, Tutu, for leaving your Crocs here for me to tramp around in on muddy days. Sometimes I come in from chores with little muddy polka dots on the sides of my feet, but it's all good.

~~~~ + ~~~~

Hey, ya know what? This is my 900th blog post. Nine Hundred. Did I have that much to talk about? In any case, I think it's high time for a celebration. On Friday, in my traditional tryptophan-coma, I'll post a really fun giveaway to celebrate this landmark. See you then...

Have a blessed Thanksgiving, wherever you are, whatever your circumstances. I pray the Lord's grace and mercy be with you and all those you love. I count you as one of my most precious blessings, dear friend.

Shareholders, Meet Your Farm

2011-11-19T18:35:00.001-06:00

Betsy and Chris came by the farm for the first time today, after signing up as 2011 shareholders earlier this year. Betsy is skilled at locker hooking, and knows her way around a ball of roving - she's definitely one of us. The two of them got the full immersion tour: holding chickens...

Playing fetch with the polar bear... This was Vanni's first time to really get the game of fetch--at least the bringing-back part.

Ruthie didn't like being left out, and lured Vanni away from his human playmate. She knows how to get him worked up into a silly, slappy, jowly tussle.

The alpacas weren't feeling up to cuddling much, but they did consent to hanging out in the background of this pastoral portrait.

Finally, we introduced them to the community - the joint was jumping in the LRB on this Third Saturday. Seems like such a long time ago we got to play together. Nearly a dozen of us got to spin some yarn or knit on lovely projects, and catch up on each other's lives.

Our pal Gail was a bit under the weather, so we didn't get to start our greenhouse project after all today. But it gives us something to look forward to, going into the holiday week.

I'm so thankful for all of the friends of the farm, local and far off, new and old. You give this farm its life and vitality, and put the commune in community!

Autumn Joy

2011-11-16T19:30:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I went walkabout around the property, enjoying the fresh air, the changing colors in the trees, and the silly critters that populate our pastures. Here's some of what I came across...

Judah having his supper on a blanket of golden leaves.

The golden leaves aforementioned.

Ezra.

Phineas' fine fluffy fleece.

Phoebe.

Mother and daughter, Mary Elizabeth and Rachel.

Tella.

Vanni on duty while Ruth catches some z's.

Noah and Ruth. I think there's some question about whose supper this is.

We have the beginnings of new turf coming up, and we've had a bit of rain on and off this week.
I hope it's enough to keep the rye seed germinating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow's post: A farm project opportunity this Saturday.

Boerne Bounty

2011-11-12T21:02:00.001-06:00

It's been quite a whirlwind so far - Dina, Laurie and I loaded the Clampett-mobile and headed down the road to Boerne, Texas, to get to work setting up one of the buildings for the Kid N Ewe Fiber Festival. Our road trip was a giggle-fest and pie-binge, and we made great time.

When we arrived at the fair grounds, the first job was to tape out the vendor spaces in the huge room.

A team of six amazing ladies dove in with 100' tape measures and masking tape. I tried to imagine what the building would look like twelve hours later once all the vendors were set up and doing business.

The next morning, the vendors began to arrive and turn that cavernous room into a bustling fiber market, exploding with color and texture.

I was very pleased with our new banners and display system. PVC and zip ties make the world go 'round.

Our Spin-off Competition display looked very impressive - those alpaca fleece samples looked really great - congratulations to the winning fleeces!

STAR (State of Texas Alpaca Ranchers) also sponsored its first Fiber Arts Competition. The entries were all so pretty - made of alpaca fiber, of course.

Our friend Rick Walton brought some juvenile alpaca boys to the festival so that he could show them off and answer lots of questions about them for the folks who came by. Alpacas are always so well behaved and winsome. Rick said he wished he was charging folks to take pictures of the little boys - he would have made a fortune...

Our Workshop area hummed with activity as well, both Friday and today. Here's the Etsy 101 class soaking up some good information.

Laurie always draws a crowd and starts the stitching and spinning circles - wherever she is, is a party. She taught a happy knot of crocheters how to make the Queen Anne's Lace scarf, some who'd never even crocheted before. That's talent.

This warm congenial spirit brings us back year after year, to share fun times with each other and our fiber obsession.

And if that weren't enough, the farm received another wonderful gift... I had made the decision to invest in one of these darling (but critical) tumblers, made by hand by the cool folks at Windmill Crest Farm. But before I could give them my credit card, I learned that the tumbler had been purchased for us by a generous donor. I was bowled over. How blessed can we be? Thank you, sweet benefactor! This will open up the fiber processing bottleneck we've discovered as we tried to clean a hundred pounds of alpaca fleeces this summer.

Now all I need is a gently used leaf blower, and we're in business. This tumbler/leaf blower combination gets a ton of the dirt and grass out of alpaca fleeces before it goes into the wash water. It can shave several wash/rinse cycles out of the process, and save us lots of time. The sooner the fiber is clean, the sooner it gets to the processor. And the sooner it gets back into our hands.

Yes, of course, we're shopping here at Kid N Ewe - here's just the tip of the iceberg of our haul to date. (Pictured are just the small, colorful treasures. It doesn't include the large puffy bags of delicious fiber we've amassed.) I have set the record for the least money spent so far - $4. I raided the bargain bin and found a few goodies, just to say I did.

But there's still tomorrow to go. Anything fibery could still happen. There are two other buildings here at the festival that I haven't even begun to explore...

Boerne Bound

2011-11-09T22:31:00.000-06:00

Today was spent making all the last minute preparations for the big Kid N Ewe Fiber Festival in Boerne - cutting PVC pipes for banner frames, cleaning out the back of the pickup truck, piling everything into the living room, packing bins and checking lists twice and three times. I'll be pulling out Thursday morning with a loaded truck and two buddies - Laurie and Dina.

Anela kindly came by to lend a hand and to keep me focused and on track. We hadn't gotten to visit in a while and it was great to have a pal for company while I thought through all my plans.

But Anela needed some good, old-fashioned critter time, so we made the rounds in both pastures, greeting all the sheep, alpacas and dogs...

...And a big ol' spider that freaked her out a lot. Warning arachnophobes...

Personally, I appreciate these big, colorful spiders, who help us keep down the bad-bug populations, and let the world know that there are no icky chemicals around here that would chase the spiders off.

Anela was particularly enamored of the pretty chickens, sporting their beautiful fluffy feathers, back-lit by the evening sun. Those girls are making sure I haven't overseeded my rye grass. I hope it starts growing before they thin it out completely.

The main purpose of walking to the far side of the pasture was to greet Ms. Ruthie, but Vanni thinks it's all about him.

This big love muffin refuses to take a back seat to anybody else on the property. I can't blame him. He is magnificent.

If you are in the Hill Country this weekend and want to indulge your fiber sweet tooth, do drop by the Kendall County Fair Grounds (1307 River Road, Boerne) and check out dozens of fiber vendors with more good stuff than you can shake a stick at. We'll be there in the STAR building - you won't be able to miss us. I'll take the old laptop and try to send bloggy updates when I can.

Have I mentioned that 2012 SHARES ARE ON SALE? Silly me. Too preoccupied with Boerne. Zip over here to the website if you'd like more information about our CSA shares. They are already selling briskly. We'd be honored to have you as a shareholder.

Found Treasure

2011-11-05T23:21:00.000-05:00

I discovered for myself an amazing jewel today. Our pal Gail picked me up early this morning and toted me to McKinney, a town dependably studded with squee-out-loud shopping and eating opportunities. I can always count on her to ferret out the coolest people and resources, especially in the area of local, healthy food, and she wanted to share her latest find with me.

So today I met Matt, who owns Local Yocal, an awesome full-service butcher and local food merchantile in McKinney, Texas.

Matt and his family raise their own beef, chicken, lamb and more, all on grass, just like my hero, Joel Salatin. Matt escaped the rat race a couple of years ago to share his amazing meat with the local community. His goal was to ensure the healthy raising and the humane butchering of all his animals, so that they become the best meat they can be. Then he stuck his neck out and opened a brick and mortar store, from which to share his localicious products.

But he doesn't just sell his own stuff - he stocks the natural, organic, amazing local goodness of dozens of other mom-and-pop producers in our area.

You can find veggies, cheese, milk, eggs, yogurt, honey, soap, lavender, baking mixes, and lots more in his tidy storefront on Tennessee Street. We got there about 8:30 AM on a Saturday, and we had the place nearly to ourselves. I understand the place packs out later in the day, and on days when they host special events. So go early and enjoy the staff's warm hospitality.

A committed carnivore, I just nearly drooled on his display case of beautiful meat cuts. I showed a bit of restraint and only took home a boneless leg of lamb and some nice sausage for my next pot of bean soup. And some cheese. And a loaf of artisan-type bread.

Gail and I sampled some blueberry yogurt that was so good, it stood us on our ears. We'll be back for more of that. Immediately.

I feel really blessed to have places like this very close where I can spend my grocery money, knowing I'm supporting small, local businesses who live lightly on the land, and sustainably.

Pop on in there, if you're in the neighborhood. You won't regret it. Tell Matt I say hi.

Impressionable Minds

2011-11-04T20:20:00.000-05:00

I so respect moms who take the responsibility to help their kids gain knowledge and wisdom from a very young age. These lovely learners came to the farm today to see what treasures they could uncover out in the country.

Some of the moms had rural upbringing, and wanted to share that with their kids. And I'm just biased enough to think that JRF is the most wonderful place to get an introduction to outdoor, domestic critters. Ruthie is one of the best ambassadors we have.

The pacas were on their best behavior, with Ruthie tending the kids at the fence.

She really takes a personal interest in our little visitors' welfare. Love this dog.

Even though they were a very young group, I think they'll take away sights, sounds and impressions that will stay with them, and inform their value systems regarding our partnership with farms and farm animals.

And they're ready for anything in their yellow Wellies...

Sowing Seeds

2011-11-02T22:54:00.000-05:00

Planting seeds is the most basic act of farming. Taking an embryonic plant, casting it to the ground, or under the ground, and joining hands with God to create new life, is at the very core of what it means to be a farmer.

I got to sow some seeds today.

First, I threw out a couple of pounds of annual winter rye grass seeds on the bare patches in the pasture. The drought has done a number on our poor bermuda grasses that the sheep and alpacas graze on every day, thinning and strangling their growth. I'm hoping some fresh winter grass will help fill in the gaps and keep our topsoil from blowing away. I'm also hoping that this nice grass will save me from having to buy a couple more bales of hay this winter and spring. An unexpected gift fell from the sky this evening: a cold wind carrying some light rain, just as the sun was setting. Hopefully this will be enough moisture to wake up those seeds from their slumber, and into germination.

The other seeds I got to sow today were seeds of knowledge and experience. Twelve awesome Girl Scouts came by today to learn all about our farm animals, see them up close, and get a fuller understanding of the benefits and mechanics of fiber processing. Not many of the girls had ever touched a chicken, either. The hens were pronounced, "very soft."

As usual, it's hard to determine who is more interested in whom, between the girls and the alpacas. They are both very curious groups of creatures. They gazed at each other with huge liquid eyes.

I do appreciate that adventurous Girl Scout spirit that approaches a big orange Port-a-Potty with a no-nonsense practicality. This is much posher than hiding behind a tree, after all. Not a problem.

They also feared no challenge from wool and spindle. The girls tackled their first spinning experience with lots of enthusiasm and a good deal of success. Check out their first plied yarns!

Who knows if today's quick exposure to the world of Grow Your Own might have far-reaching influence? Are we looking at a fiber shepherd or two of the future? Or perhaps a knitter or weaver who appreciates where her materials come from?

Vanni patiently received some scritches from his new gaggle of fans. A couple of the girls wanted to entice me with some money to buy him. Alas, I had to decline their generous offer. Vanni's staying with me.

Who else would be there to lean on our sweet egg customers like Carol here? She had to be properly greeted and solicited for attention. Nobody competently handles this responsibility like the Vanster.

After a long day spreading the Good News of the Farm, Vanni takes a well deserved chew-toy break.

I'm delighted and content in my farmer skin tonight. There are new seeds on the earth waiting for just the right conditions to spring forth, and there are new friends of the farm who take home stories of bucolic joy. The seasons will change a little tonight, with a cold wind blowing autumn closer and closer. It's time to pull out the sweaters and scarves.

It Worked!

2011-10-29T14:39:00.001-05:00

I did it. Chunky bean soup and beer bread from scratch. Be kind, all of you who could do this in your sleep... I know I hang out with folks who cook as easily as I tie my shoes, but this is a big paradigm shift for me. Many conditions had to line up perfectly for me to arrive at a place where I was attracted to the idea of cobbling ingredients together into tasty food. And here we are.

I'm chuffed and delighted to say that, well, it really tastes good. I think I'll start myself a notebook of "Yummy Things I Made Successfully Without Screwing Up." Then I'll have a collection of ideas to fall back on when the going gets rough, and my mind goes blank.

Thanks to everyone who sent me links to great resources. I got these two recipes from Farmgirl Fare - a blogger to whom I can relate as an agrarian sister. Here's the beer bread recipe and the soup recipe. These met my stringent specifications: few ingredients, non-fussy prep, and cheap. The bread recipe had the added benefit of requiring me to buy beer. Don't mind if I do.

The next phase of my transformation will be to start organizing some food plans so that I can have these basic, simple, affordable, real-food ingredients at the ready, and begin to get a feel for cooking intuitively. Then I will have arrived.

Seasonal Sweet Spot

2011-10-29T01:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes - I know I just got back from three weeks in Hawaii, but this.... THIS is what heaven will be like: 63 degrees, low humidity, and the sun just about to set. My favorite kind of weather on earth. We get a couple of moments like this, both in spring and fall, and today was one of those diamond days.

The Salvia Gregii is blooming its brains out... Gorgeous.

I've been home three days and I'm neck deep in the final preparations before the Kid N Ewe Fiber Festival in Boerne, TX. As the Barn Superintendent for one of the vendor buildings there, I'm moving in a blur of activity trying to nail down the last details.

But I'm also trying to maintain a little balance in life by getting more sleep, learning how to eat better, and spending some time with my precious critter friends. Just thought you'd like to see the beasts, since I haven't had farmy photos up in some time:

While I was gone, Ted put Tella and Judah out together in the north sheep pasture - and they are doing GREAT! You know, there was a time when I wondered if Judah would accept her, since he just growled and snapped at her through their common fence. She did spend some time in a pen inside his territory, so when Ted put them together, he seemed pretty happy, actually, to have some canine company again. Hallelujah, they like each other.

She literally gets him by the tail and runs him in circles.

He wrestles her to the ground sometimes, just to keep her in her place as the puppy of the pasture.

But is just as quick to do a little social grooming, with affection. There are no food guarding issues between them, and they don't even get jealous of my attention when I'm in with the two of them. I don't see how the arrangement could have worked out better. I'm overjoyed.

In the next paddock over, Phoebe, Mary Elizabeth and the lambs are all doing well. I'm hoping that all this thick fleece portends a nice cold winter - we need the parasites and flies to die, die, die.

The lambs are so big, it's hard to tell them from the mama sometimes! And their little fleeces are coming on nicely, too.

Rachel says, "hey." She's inherited the rust colored spots on her face and legs just like her mama, and the bare-of-wool neck that helps her survive our horrid Texas heat.

On the south side of the property, Micah shows off his thickening fiber. Seems like the minute the heat lets up, the fiber staple length really puts on a show. He's still growing, too. Even though he's officially an adult, I think he's a good deal taller this fall. What do you think?

This Jacob wool on the hoof just makes me drool. Israel and Tommy have some of the best wool on the whole farm. Samson is mostly around for his looks, and not for his inconvenient manly personality.

Ruth is hanging tough, though she's been favoring her "good" back leg the past couple of days. This puts more responsibility on the "broken" leg, which, miraculously, seems stronger than ever. I'm going to keep an eye on her and see if we need to take her in to the vet to have her other leg looked at. She also has that wonky pelvis from her long-ago car accident that could be giving her trouble. I sure hope the arthritis isn't setting in already. She's become such a fantastic guard dog and livestock mommy--I surely don't want her to become disabled.

Vanni is technically still a puppy, and he plays like one. But he is steadily getting into his job, and developing a powerful presence in the pasture. Don't tell the coyotes that he's just a marshmallow inside. They won't see that side of him, I'm sure. He has the bark of a Mastiff and nearly the size. He's huge.

So, both Livestock Guarding Dog pairs are working out beautifully. Vanni and Ruth, and Tella and Judah have bonded like magic, and we can all sleep peacefully, knowing they are on duty all night long. I'm totally smitten by each dog for his or her own endearing qualities - we are unbelievably blessed.

My last month was pretty tough, personally. But as usual, I can count on the Shepherd, my family, my friends and our farm to keep me on an even keel.

Coming Up: Watch for announcements about 2012 Shares, and I'd love to see you down in Boerne at Kid N Ewe (November 11-13).

Nine Thousand Miles

2011-10-26T20:03:00.000-05:00

Took my last look at Diamond Head last night out of the airport window. Seems I'm always a little weepy at this airport. This time was no exception.

My stay provided unprecedented opportunities to visit with my family, relax, and get a long break from farm chores. But I knew I was leaving my one-and-only child behind when I flew home, and that (as awesome as it is for her) was very, very tough. I clocked forty-five hundred miles each way.

So I stopped at a kiosk in the airport to buy my umpteenth plumeria cutting to take home (hope springs eternal) and look what I found hanging on the rack (above). Yes, really. Choke, sputter, sniff...

One happy surprise - I fell in love with a local artist while I was there, and had a hard time finding any of her prints online. But high overhead as I walked down the concourse was this huge, gorgeous tryptich of hers. (Couldn't get it all in one shot) The artist is Pegge Hopper. I just love her minimalist style, and the way her Hawaiian women are always pensively looking out to sea...

One seven-hour flight later, I arrived in Dallas, and finally, at the farm. Hard to believe how much had changed in three weeks!

Most notably is Vanni - the boy must easily top out over a hundred pounds now. He's filled out quite a bit, and grown into his feet. One hundred pounds of loveable goo. He was overjoyed to see me and leaned on me for the longest time while I squeezed and petted him. Tella has filled out, too, and is absolutely overjoyed to be running loose with Judah in the sheep paddock. They seem to be getting along quite well now. Whew.

Ted did a great job of keeping everyone fed and happy while I was gone, but with his long hours at work, he wasn't able to keep up with a lot of the mundane maintenance. I had a couple of hours of work today catching up before the next batch of rain blows through tonight. And I'm still not quite sure what day it is.

It's so good to be home. But I have a little startle reflex when I think about how far away my baby is. I relax again when I remember what a great kid she is, and what good hands she's in. I'm telling you this so you can remind me every so often...

Wrapping Up the Mission

2011-10-24T16:20:00.000-05:00

Mission Accomplished. As far as I am able to judge, I think my work here - settling in my daughter here with our extended family - is done. My sister and her clan have opened a cozy, loving place in their hearts and home for our Emma, and I'm really very excited about the amazing future lining up for her here. I've had a wonderful visit with everyone, done a bunch of relaxing and a few requisite tourist excursions, spent some very special time with family, and now it's time for me to head back to Texas.

Emma (front, with Blue the Sheltie) with her grandmother, aunt and uncle, and cousins galore.

This past week - the bonus week - allowed me to spend a little more time with Em. We talked and shopped and tried to think of everything she might need in her new situation. My sainted sister and I worked out Emma's schooling plan, and that is well under way. She's really enjoying her Japanese class especially.

I tried to fill up on some island pleasures as well--oriental food, tropical breezes, sleeping in... Yesterday after church, Emma showed off her growing ocean skills... she's always been quite the little fishy. Uncle Mark, Emma, cousins Rachael and Andrew and I slipped away to the beach park for a couple of hours before heavy rains blew in.

The beach is a short walk from the main road in Kailua.

No lounging on the beach - everybody's in the water. Except me. Someone's got to capture the action on film.

Emma and Andrew work on their boogie board technique.

It's a small jump from mastering the boogie board to tackling the surf board. That'll be next, no doubt.

Did I mention how much she loves the water?

She's a natural, and as my sister observed, fearless.


I had to get my toes into the Pacific one more time. Those gentle waves and powdery sand soothe me more than an expensive spa treatment.


I'm going to miss the local fauna. There are more lizards here than you can count. And no snakes.

Not all the fauna is exotic - feral chickens roam thickly all over the island.

Flocks of Common Waxbills visited the back yard, looking anything but common. I couldn't get very close - here's a better photo.

(I'm really hoping our friend Jennifer Jurek will get some good wildlife photos when she visits here in a couple of weeks. I didn't really have the time or attention to take advantage of all the gorgeous scenery during this trip.)

I did get a little knitting and crocheting in. Here's the quick recap, as promised:

I finished off a cotton washcloth for my sister - and convinced her to actually use it.

Whipped up a quick striped hot pad just to wile away some time and use up some yarn.

And found a fun use for this bargain bin cotton I bought last year: a brainless shrug pattern, perfect for wear here in Hawaii.

My sister models the finished garment. I've seen it on several family members so far. I think it's a hit.

I don't think I've ever been away from the farm for this long, and Ted deserves a medal for all the extra work he took on, and the care he provided for the critters. (Thanks also to Gail, who pinch-hit a couple of times.) A little more than 24 hours left on the island. Better go enjoy every last drop.

Hard Core Hawaiian

2011-10-16T05:40:00.000-05:00

Emma samples a classic North Shore treat.

Since my high school days, one of my favorite spots on Oahu is the little tourist/hippie town of Haleiwa. So today, as my visit winds down, we headed along the north coast, passing local landmarks like Chinaman's Hat, the town of Laie, Waimea Bay, and the lush valley where dozens of films and TV shows were filmed.

Chinaman's Hat sits happily in the bay - I got this shot from the car window at 35 mph

As we drove across the Rainbow Bridge (that's really its name) into Haleiwa, I could almost taste the sprout-and-avocado sandwiches we used to get there, back in the 70's.

This bridge was built in 1921, and has withstood scores of dramatic weather events.

Matsumoto's General Store draws hundreds of tourists and locals alike for their signature Shave Ice (39 flavors, plus ice cream), and t-shirts and other souvenirs. Hitting Matsumoto's is a Gotta Do when I come to Hawaii.

Expert staff members keep the long lines moving by taking orders in batches.

After loading up with some flavored frozen sugar water, the gang is ready to hit the waves. Clockwise from 12 o'clock are Emma, Rachael, Uncle Mark, and friend Kaili.

Landlubbers Andrew, Karelin, Stephanie (and I) hold down the beach blankets and keep track of the success of our surfers.

Cousin Rachael encourages Emma in the wonderful world of surfing.

Cousin Rebecca rocks the waves - here she bails on a wave so that she doesn't have to paddle all the way back to the good swells.

Emma bides her time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to get up on her board.

And on her first time out, she makes it up to her knees. She's on her way to considering surfing as a career. Ok, probably not. But her experienced cousins were very impressed with her mad water skilz... She did confide to me later that after a couple of hours in the waves, she is concerned that her arms won't work at all tomorrow. Paddle, paddle, paddle, and paddle some more...

Back on land, Uncle Mark starts cooking hamburgers on the hibachi. It's so easy to bring a party to the beach!

My sister and brother in law are such an inspiration to me - they are raising four fantastic kids, and have made room for a temporary fifth - our Emma.

The end of a perfect Hawaiian day. Fortunately, I get a few more of these before I head home.

How to Rest

2011-10-11T20:01:00.000-05:00

This much time with so few agenda items leaves me no choice but to try my hand at resting. It's not easy, but when I get going, this rest is a little intoxicating.

When my sister comes to the beach park to run, very early in the morning, I tag along to spend the time breathing in the breeze on the sand, and watching. There is treasure here.

...my base station....

...cool sand, talc-soft on my feet...

...my first companion...

...a reminder to just float...

...the time to paddle will come soon enough...

...more silent visitors...

...the joy of play...

...with trusted friends...

...an exhibition of flexibility...

...encouragement to stand tall, and sometimes stand alone...

There is food for the body as well as the soul, here in this remote Land of Rest...

...exotic nourishment...

...with the spices of life...

Meanwhile, back at the house, the home schooling has commenced...

...and the folding into the family.

I've been knitting and crocheting a bit, too, with all this quiet space. Next time I'll share my projects.

Do you need to rest?

Toughing it Out in Paradise

2011-10-08T17:46:00.000-05:00

Spending sweet time with my girl, settling her in with my sister and her amazing family. Sweet time, indeed.

Swimming at Grandmom's house

With Grandmom's poodle puppies

Walking to the beach park with her cousin

Enjoying an early morning ocean breeze

Walking on the beach to the market for juice and a muffin

...where the locals hang out and the tourists shop

Myna birds are Hawaii's version of grackles

She's turning into a beach girl like her cousin Becca

In the evening, Uncle Mark starts a fire in the back yard for marshmallows

A beautiful evening under the stars with snacks and new friends

Slumber party with the youth group girls - sleeping off the nail polish fumes

Today I enjoyed the view from that blue covered bench - the morning mist doesn't even touch me here

How long has it been since I sat still, soaked in the glory of the creation around me, and adored the Creator?

Yes, I've turned the world upside down. For the time being, doing nothing seems to be the key to everything. This is unfamiliar territory.

Family First

2011-10-05T20:42:00.000-05:00

John Lennon is not my favorite philosopher, but he got it right when said that "life is what happens while you're busy making other plans."

While I was busy working the farm and its various associated events and projects, my daughter's life started to take some twists and turns. DH and I, after lots of counsel, prayer, gut hunches, and agonizing, decided that at this point in her life, the absolute best thing for her would be a radical change of environment. And the only place on earth that seemed to make any sense--the only place I trusted to relocate her to-- was with my sister's family in Hawaii. She has cousins, a grandmom, pets, the beach, mountains, and all the sushi she can eat. Everything about it seems perfect, except that it's 4500 miles from us. That was the big pill for me to swallow.

So, yesterday, she and I hopped on a plane to Honolulu for her to start a very special chapter in her life. I get to stay a while to help her settle in and get into a new groove. An enforced working-parent vacation.

In the first 24 hours, we've had quite an adventure:

My sister and Em's cousin Rachael met us at the airport

Emma immediately cozied up to Blue, the Sheltie

The backyard

...complete with hibiscus flowers.

This morning, our first trip to the beach at sunrise...

Cousin Rebecca came along for the ride.

Emma gets her feet wet

Yeah, nice scenery on every side

Emma's view from her bunk bed. Sad, huh?

An afternoon hike with cousin Stephanie

Checking out the 100+ year old ruins of a Hawaiian summer palace

Steph on the rocks

Emma in the stream

Pool at the bottom of the stream, with the air heavily scented with ginger flowers

Ouch. The price of Paradise.

So, thanks for all of your notes and messages of love and concern. We're all fine, but we had to take a time out to make sure the family needs came first. This will also be a time of reorganizing and reevaluating priorities when I get home. I appreciate your patience as I try to get back to what's really significant in this life, and what is just noise.

The farm is not going anywhere, and neither is our mission. But the day-to-day routine may look a little different going forward.

I'll try to check in a few more times from the land of Aloha, and I'll let you know when I get home.

Whole Foods - Whole Lotta Fun

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

TGFD. It stands for Thank God for Dina.

I rushed out of church yesterday morning to get my booth stuff over to Whole Foods for the art and craft fair, and found Dina waiting for me, to help me unload and set up. Thank God, indeed. With her help, we had the stuff ferried in from the parking lot and set up in three shakes of a lamb's tail. Instead of having to slap it all up by myself, I had a funny, encouraging friend right there with me.

And we met our neighbor, Beth, whose business, Caprichos Studio features some gorgeous jewelry, hand painted fabric bags, paintings, and lots of other cool stuff. She's a hoot, and we really enjoyed wiling away the hours together while no one bought anything from us. (Insert silly grin.) Dina knitted, I spun yesterday's dyed roving, and Beth and Dina talked quilting for a bit. There's never a dull or wasted moment when several devoted crafters occupy close quarters for a spell.

Alright - it's not exactly true that we sold nothing - young Miss Janie and her grandma bought a hat and scarf (modeled above) and lots of people took business cards and farm brochures, and that makes the day a smashing success.

Our friends Judith, Burt, Rita, Lawrence and Brent, and my own sweet Ted and Emma also stopped by to cheer us on. I even spoke to a couple of people who knew of the blog, and who had read the Allen Image article from a couple of years ago. That's really amazing to me.

We made a couple of bucks for the Whole Kids Foundation, and we spread the word about all the wonderful gifts the farm has to offer. All in all, a grand day, productively spent. Another one in the win column.

Spectrum Dyeing

2011-09-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

Laurie's hands know their jobs. She spins with artistic abandon, knows the rules and ways to break them, and has the teacher gift that allows her to share her understanding.

Today, she shared how to make a beautiful color-transition yarn very much like a commercial brand we all know and love, but want to be able to make ourselves.

Laurie worked to find out how to do this when she happened upon a shawl pattern that took her breath away - the Lazy Katy shawl she stumbled on, on Ravelry. She has become so obsessed with this pattern that she's made six or seven of them, using them as a palate to try out her new dyeing techniques for spectacular effects.

Seven of us gathered at the farm today to learn this mysterious method ourselves. You'll need to talk to Laurie to find out all the details of her method, but from these pictures, you can see it's kind of a new and unique style. We'd expect nothing less of Laurie, right?

I was just excited because I finally popped my turkey roaster out of the box for the first time. Turns out, it's perfect for this method, because of the way the bottom is shaped. Who knew?

Here's my bit of BFL roving perking away after I chose Aztec Gold and Teal to blend together. It's a little like hand painting, with some important differences.

Everybody got a chance to cook some roving in our roasters, and we tidied up our work space. One great thing about this method - it's very neat, and hardly any dye is wasted or lost. Everyone left with clean hands and clean clothes, all without gloves or aprons. (GrandmaTutu wore an apron, but it turned out to be an unnecessary precaution.) I was amazed.

And the proof's in the final roving. These two ounce strips were dyed, rinsed, spun out in my fiber washing machine, and hung to dry in no time at all. They were just about spinnable by the time we finished up our time together. I'm going to spin mine at the little craft fair at Whole Foods tomorrow, where I'll have a table. I hope we'll be able to see everyone's yarn spun up soon, so we can appreciate how this method makes the kind of yarn we really want for a particular project. The ladies took another several ounces of this white BFL home to practice with. That BFL is like candy for your hands -- you're going to love spinning this!

Some folks have asked me if we'll be doing this workshop again soon. I think we can probably arrange that, since we now know how simple it is to set up the equipment in the back yard. As we said to each other many times today: Easy Peasy.

I also want to send a big LRB shout out to all the gals who gathered just to enjoy each other's company in the barn today - Virginia, Hanane, Anela, Dawn, Rita, and Gail. You ladies rock.

Wuv U

2011-09-22T17:52:00.000-05:00

I can haz scritches?

And supper, if it's not too much trouble?

Stash Busting for Fun and Profit

2011-09-21T18:45:00.000-05:00

We're hard at work here at the farm, stash diving to put together enough goodies for a table at Whole Foods in Fairview this Sunday. They offered crafters a table to sell our wares, with 15% of the money going to their special kids' charity, "Whole Kids."

How could I pass up a chance to reacquaint myself with my beloved stash, sit and crochet for a few hours, spend the nice fall-ish afternoon at Whole Foods, and make a little dough for some wonderful children. Hard to lose, huh?

It's finally the time of year, isn't it, when the heat has backed off a bit and we can start getting back into our wool crafts with vigor. Even after I thinned my stash drastically early this summer, I still have plenty of yarn to play with. I'm thinking of working up some of my beloved hand spun for this great event--why leave it lonely on the shelf year after year? I thought Christmas had come when I popped open that tub of hoarded yarn I had made myself. Do I really have so much else to do that I neglect this valuable --bankable-- asset that brings me, and others, so much joy?

If you're in the area, I'd love to see you on Sunday - stop by between noon and 5 PM. They have a great buffet at Whole Foods, plus lots of wholesome groceries. If I leave there with more money than I arrived with, it will be a miracle.

Thank you to my sweet friend Jill who helped me decorate my hats and kept me company while I finished up UFO's today in the LRB. Good luck on your new job, Jillers - come back to the farm soon!

We Have Goats!

2011-09-19T19:12:00.000-05:00

Today I met the four-footed, curly coated, swoopy-horned, liquid-eyed producers of the Jacob's Reward Farm mohair supply! Ok, technically, they don't belong to me - they belong to Wanda and her five lovely children - but we've adopted them, and brought their fiber home to share with you.

You all know that over three years ago, our own Laurie began spinning a yarn that captivated everyone, and brought in big bucks for her hand spun skeins--these were in high demand. These skeins featured baby-soft kid mohair curls tail-spun into her wool yarn in colors that made you want to eat them with a spoon. And knitted up, they could make a grown woman drool.

Well, it's a miracle... Providence brought us another incredible affiliate farm with some of the softest, cutest goaties around, and now we have curls. You can make some of that luscious "Laurie" yarn for yourself. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I want you to meet Wanda and her gorgeous herd:

Laurie (my mohair go-to-gal) accompanied me to meet my new friend, Wanda and her great family. Sweet Wanda is on the left here, with two of her human kids - Hannah and Tabitha. These girls know how to handle goats. They show their goats at the State Fair and at fairs across the state.

Here's one of their magnificent bucks. He's a grand man, and he knows it.

Another wonderful buck. Those shiny ringlets on his face just slay me. The boy's fiber is neon-bright, shining in the sun.

These little breeding does don't like attention - much.

One little kid caught Laurie's eye, and she asked for a closer look. This little girl, called Sock Baby, just won her heart, with her impish attitude and bell-bottom leg fiber.

Her little baby locks are just as soft as her sweet gaze...

Once we'd given her a thorough look-see and oohed and aaahed till we were blue, we let the babies gambol back to their barn for a nap.

In good homesteading style, the farm also boasts a lovely pair of ducks who followed us around the yard, making quacky commentary.

And we met beautiful Bedazzled, the half Arabian, half Pinto mare. Love her!

Back at the house we met the boys, and had a great time talking goat lineage and fiber experiences. These young people love working with their animals, and were such fun to talk shop with... we have a lot in common.

Wanda's family also has a wonderful treasure in their bees. Their little hobby turned into a big family project, and their honey is winning awards and accolades. Yes, I brought some home. Just say the word and I'll hook you up...

Laurie and I both came away with a very nice haul of both washed locks and raw fiber. We'll be washing this and packaging it up for sale in the LRB. Some of it just might have to find its way into the dye pots, doncha know.

Thank you so much, Wanda, and family, for hosting us today and spending so much time making us feel right at home. We share very common visions for our farms, which makes us instant family. I know we'll be seeing a lot more of each other in the months and years to come. Your critters are incredible, and we'll do everything we can to get your beautiful product into appreciative hands. And thanks for letting me adopt your goatie brood - We LOVE them!

Mud Just Strengthens Our Resolve

2011-09-18T00:56:00.000-05:00

It hasn't really rained enough to move the little orange floaty in the rain gauge since about May -- until last night. And this rain wasn't a frog-strangler by any means, but we got bona fide squishy mud in the pasture out of it.

So today in the LRB, several knitters braved the humidity and, finally, seasonable temperatures, for a day of visiting, snacking (thanks again, Hanane) and knitting. Nobody minded that the coffee pot malfunctioned and we had to strain the grounds with our teeth, or that the sheep escaped their temporary pen in the yard and started eating the shrubbery. Those things were quickly put right.

Today was Knitting Day, by gum, and some of us made some impressive progress on our projects:

Kris started knitting with this cool lacy sparkly novelty yarn she picked up at the Woolie Ewe. Once she figured out the system, that scarf started growing inches in minutes.

Anela brought her mom, Mona, out to the LRB to experience the fun first hand, and to try to get her hooked on fiber. (It's working.) On another front, Mona and I got to spend a little time reminiscing about our growing up in Hawaii. She and I actually graduated from the same high school in the little bumpkin town of Wahiawa on Oahu. What. Are. The. Odds? I'm still amazed.

Hanane worked on a cute top-down baby sweater in a sensible acrylic yarn. She and her friend Denise will be two of our vendors at the "Share the Harvest" Fall Gift Market coming up on October 15th. Can't wait to see the cute things they're making for sale.

Anela wanted to introduce her mom to Ruthie and Vanni before they had to leave for the day. Of course the dogs were overjoyed to greet visitors - muddy faces and all.

Too bad Vanni is so hard to get along with. Snort. Gonna have to face it, he's addicted to love.

Feeling uncharacteristically antisocial, Smokey spent most of the day in a cardboard box I'd left on the bench outside the LRB. Not sure what got into her, but she needed some alone time, apparently.

Rita managed to finish a socklette here at the Barn, between wedding planning and preparations. She fears not the Kitchener. What an inspiration...

Dina was here today, too, dispensing wisdom and keeping us laughing. But with her Ninja powers, she somehow managed to escape getting her picture taken.

What did we tell you, Kris? You're almost finished with that very cool scarf in one sitting. Looks like I might need me some of that fancy yarn. It's magical.

Here's the label, in case you're interested in it for yourself. Pretty, pretty stuff that Kris says comes in lots of colors. Hmmmmm....

Me, I still have amigurumi on the brain, and I'm working on a new creature. You'll see it when it's finished. Crochet is fun--it's like building with Legos. And you know how fun THAT is!

Yes, I know it was Spin in Public Day, but (and this will shock you) we just can't do everything. After last year's fiasco, we decided to just chill out and relax today. Kind of a nice break from all the busy preparations for the fantastic stuff that's coming at us quickly: dye workshop next Saturday, Fall Gift Market in October, Kid N Ewe in November, and sometime in there, a CSA share harvest!

If you spun in public today around DFW, we'd love to hear about it!

New Beginnings as Fall Approaches

2011-09-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

Good Egg

One of our new hens laid her first little egg today. Good girl! I'm sure it's the recent lovely weather that brought on this fresh productivity. Today was absolutely heaven. And I had so much work to do inside, I almost missed it. More of that where all good weather comes from, I'm sure.

Our little spring chicken is a big girl now...

We'll be spinning together on Saturday at the Little Red Barn if you're in the area. Not sure if it will be wet or dry out, but who cares, as long as it's not 100 degrees, Amen?

A quick word of warning - this weekend is the Plano Balloon Festival, so if you're coming to the farm from the west, take Bethany or Parker, NOT Spring Creek, which is blocked off between Jupiter and Parker. Stop and enjoy the festivities at the Balloon Festival on your way over if you like - it's always a lot of fun.

Kris, Mary and Gail skirting Samson's Jacob fleece.

This week at the LRB, again depending on the weather, I will probably be outside at the skirting table, working feverishly on share fiber. If you'd like a quick lesson in skirting a raw alpaca fleece, please wander over to the back yard for a little instruction. There's still so much fiber to get through!

What a way to go... See you Saturday at 10 AM-ish...

I Need a Do-Over

2011-09-13T22:49:00.000-05:00

Call me crazy - I'd love to do High School again.

*I forgot my camera (D'oh!) - these photos are borrowed from the school's website.

We just got back from DD's school's open house, and I'm in love. It's a shiny new school--the current jewel in the district's crown--and man it is it snazzy. Very modern layout, furnishings, and design. Many classes have glass walls that look into the open areas of the school. Every classroom has a whole wall that's a whiteboard for drawing, working out problems, or expressing thoughts artistically. The library looks like a Barnes and Noble, with a tenth as many books. The hallways look like the mall, only more intimate.

The teachers are young and hip (for the most part) and promote a curriculum and a style of learning that encourage critical thinking and cross-disciplinary synthesis. And they do cool projects. The chair of the math department tonight looked nineteen. She wore converse sneakers, a skirt, and a denim jacket. And she's very jazzed about Algebra. Holy cow. What I wouldn't have given for a math teacher like that?

What is it about all this that has me drooling at the idea of spending hours a day giving my brain a challenging workout--learning for learning's sake?

I have several theories:

First, I think I've totally embraced the Information Age. I'm a card carrying Information Junkie. That's why it's so hard for me to be without the internet or to push away from the computer - there's always something I need to look up and research. Tons more information than I could ever take in, is available in nano seconds through search engines. Yes, sometimes it's too much and my brain totally shorts out. But still.

Second, I'm in a place in life where I could actually appreciate school on its own merits. I could exchange ideas with the teachers as peers, and tailor the projects and homework to suit my own practical needs. I'm a grown woman running a business, a farm and a household, and some of this stuff can actually make a difference in my daily life. When I was fifteen, that was a bit harder to grasp and apply. "When am I ever going to need to know how to write essays????" Um.... nearly every day, Foolish Teenager.

And speaking of NOT being fifteen - think about all the time and energy I'd have for learning, that wouldn't have to be spent worrying about dating, or snippy girlfriends, or student government politics, or pimples ruining my weekend. That would change everything from the first time around.

And finally, maybe my longing for another chance is just my way of wishing for that supposedly simpler time of my life when I wasn't worried about paying bills, meeting deadlines, raising children or burying loved ones. I didn't think it was simple then, but boy, do I now.

And really, I look around, and my opportunities to learn new things keep popping up in my life every day. They are just dressed differently. Now they look like committee assignments, software manuals and parenting challenges. I just don't have a shiny new classroom surrounding me while I learn.

But I wonder if they'd let me sit in on World History. I so want to make a yurt for the Genghis Khan unit.

Limited Spaces for "Spectrum Dyeing" Class

2011-09-12T23:00:00.001-05:00

Laurie and I have finally ironed out the details for her wonderful dyeing class scheduled for September 24th here at the farm. I, for one, am hoping some of her wicked-awesome color sense rubs off on me, if I take this class. For those of you who have been asking, here's the scoop:

We have room for eight folks who'd like to learn how to dye roving so that it spins up gorgeous like your favorite Noro yarn. For $25, you'll get Laurie's expert instruction, our pre-mixed Jacquard dyes, and 8 oz. of yummy Blue Faced Leicester roving, pre-soaked and ready to go. We'll work under the shade of the trees in my back yard, so pray for great weather.

We'll begin at 10 AM or so, with a demo from Laurie about how she sets up her wool, her colors, and her heating, and then we'll turn you loose to try her method, or do some handpainting in your own style. Because space is limited, I'll need to know that you plan to come, with a pretty firm RSVP. Paying ahead will guarantee you a spot. (We heart checks or Paypal to ctelisak at juno dot com).

In the meantime, the 24th is a regular LRB spin/knit day, and the barn will be open for your crafting pleasure, if dyeing doesn't suit your whim. As usual, the coffee will be on and the company will be spectacular.

Yes Sir, Yes Sir, Nine Bags Full

2011-09-10T20:17:00.001-05:00

Aren't these pre-fall days a welcome relief? The morning temperatures gave me the feeling I could move heaven and earth today. In reality, getting one thing done on my list was plenty, and took everything we had to give.

The "we" here is Daniella, Dina and me. Daniella is our new friend who came with Anela one day, and decided to adopt the farm community (friends whose names rhyme - very fun). She's originally from Romania and had amazing tales to tell about growing up as a child in a communist country. It's hard to imagine a life where you wait in line at different stores all day long to buy your basic necessities, and maybe when you get to the front of the line, there are no more necessities. Next time, we'll have Daniella tell us stories about her years living in France!

Dina you know - she's the sweetheart who's capacity to give has not yet been exhausted - my, how she can pitch in! And creative ideas... she amazes me.

These two ladies, learning as they went, helped me push a whole lot of fiber through the process from dirty to clean, and then to dry. We worked in the pleasant temperatures under dappled shade in a gentle breeze. This kind of weather is too, too perfect for fiber prep.

Next stop - mail the boxes to Lynn at Spinderellas. A fine day's work. There are buckets of lovely fiber left to prepare, but this was a big hunk of it. The chickens can wait a day or two to get their coops cleaned. Today, it's all about the fiber.

How did you spend your sunny Saturday?

Rolling Up Our Sleeves

2011-09-09T12:26:00.000-05:00

Up till now, the oppressive heat has kept us from tackling a few jobs around the farm, but now it's time to apply some elbow grease. Tomorrow, I'll be working on a couple of tidying-up projects, and would love some company and conversation if you're in the area.

GrandmaTutu Tidies Up the Sheep Pen

You're also invited to don a pair of work gloves and join in, if you'd like. Nothing too tough, but as they say, many hands make light work. Our big Fall Gift Market is coming up quickly, and I'd love to have the place looking really spiffy for our vendors and guests.

Laurie's Eyes and Hands Prepare a Fleece

Would you like to get your hands into some beautiful alpaca fleeces? Need an impromptu lesson in skirting? That's on the agenda for tomorrow as well. After visiting with Lynn, our processor, I've decided that letting her do most of our work for us this year will put our share harvest and distribution too far behind. So the duty's back in our court, and there's much to be done. We want that fiber back as quickly as possible for our wonderful shareholders. I want to thank Laurie, Barbara, and all the other helpers who have gotten us as far along as we are on the fiber effort. Mwuaaa!

Fiber Ready to Mail

The weather looks like it is going to heat back up a little next week, so I'm motivated to take advantage of our cool mornings by getting a bunch of outdoor tasks accomplished. Would love to have you out to the farm to play or hang out!

Ted Helps with Paca Pedicures

Idaho On My Mind

2011-09-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

Hot Texas Feet in Soft, Cool Idaho Grass

I can't remember the last time I was away for six whole days. That's pretty much forever, when you're a farmer with mouths to feed and poop to scoop. But since I have the best-ever farm sitters, we were able to take the time we needed to go to Idaho and lay my mother-in-law to rest.

The Family

The whole family met at her wonderful house and spent a lot of special time together--my in-laws are amazing. And I think I've mentioned that Julie's back porch is on my list of Top Five Places I Love on the Planet.

The View

Of course, the primary reason for our visit was for Julie's funeral. My brother in law is a priest, and had the lion's share of the planning job. I helped with the music, and also wrote and delivered the eulogy. As a married-in member of the family, it was easier for me to keep the raw emotions in check, at least while everyone was watching. I felt no small amount of pressure to come up with fitting words that in a tiny way, captured the essence of Julie's long and complicated life. Her influence on me has been profound, and I was happy to give her the credit and thanks I owe her for that.

St. James Episcopal Church, Payette, Idaho

Established 1892

A Beautiful Day to Say Goodbye

The Church Ladies Fed an Army of Relatives

In addition to the funeral, we also needed to begin tackling the tough job of cleaning out the house. If you've ever had that responsibility, you know how draining it is, both physically and emotionally. Sometimes, after hours of going through boxes and boxes of old photos, tax returns, newspaper clippings, high school diplomas and sewing projects, you just have to cut loose and have a little fun.

The Cousins Model Vintage Fashions

The discovery and exploration of all of Julie's fascinating clothes and accessories, spanning the decades, led to the weekend's most entertaining adventure: the Funny Hat Croquet Match to the Death.

Serious Competitors

Wait - Did I Say "Serious?"

Dress Code Strictly Enforced

Julie Would Have Approved

The family enjoyed a healthy mix of sadness, joy, nostalgia, hilarity, serious detective work, euphoric discovery, bone-wearying fatigue, tears, and relaxing over dinner with a judicious adult beverage. We all chipped in together with caring hearts, ready to lend a hand, and deferring to each other, thereby avoiding the damaging melodrama many families go through when someone dies. By the grace of God, everyone got along famously and finished the weekend bonded closer together. What a gift.

So now, we're back in Texas and I'm working on re-entry. It's easier said than done. Today I began to face down the mountain of laundry, phone calls, e-mails, bills, and projects-in-progress that were waiting on this end of the trip. I'm very happy to be home, but my heart is still in Idaho, at least for a little while.

BRB

2011-09-01T14:24:00.000-05:00

I'll be out of radio range for a couple of days, with some important family business. Will check in through Facebook when I can. All's well.

Y'all play nice, K?

Finish Christmas Shopping Before Halloween

2011-08-31T22:32:00.000-05:00

Here in Texas, we're beginning to enjoy that season where 100 degrees seems like a huge relief, and the prospect of a week of 94 degrees is sheer bliss. Fall is almost here.

That means that our third annual "Share the Harvest" Holiday Gift Market will be here before we know it. (Actually, it's October 15 from 10 AM - 4 PM, but that's really only a few weeks away.) If you were with us the past couple of years, you know how much fun I'm talking about - scores of local artisans with beautiful hand made wares to drool over and take home, or tuck away for holiday gift giving. Seriously - check off all your gift giving needs in one day, right here at the farm.

And have a load of fun at the same time. A lot of your favorite vendors will be here, plus some amazing new ones. Remember how excited the kids got with the face painting, and storytelling, and getting their pictures taken with a real sheep?

If you are a hand crafter with some cool creations for sale, we do have a few booth spaces left and would love to have you be part of our big day. The vendor application is up there at the top of the page, "2011 'Share the Harvest' Fall Gift Market Vendor Application." Fill it out and send it in - it's ever so affordable. We do a lot of vendor promotion, too, because we want everyone to know you'll be here - we've got a bunch more advertising set in place than before - the crowds should be great.

Check out our Flickr page to see all the pictures from last year. Then mark your calendar to come hang out at the best fall craft fair and holiday stress buster for miles around. Admission and parking are free, of course.

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure

2011-08-30T22:33:00.001-05:00

On a relatively cool Texas evening in August, a great way to wind down is to wander out to the pastures and visit with the critters. Sure, you suspect they only love you for your opposable thumbs which allow you to get into the feed cans, but it's still nice to see them run up to you with those big, adoring eyes and waggy tails.

Judah was our first guardian dog, and though he tolerates no monkey business in his pasture, and has kept us predator-free for almost 2 years, he's still a big marshmallow when his momma (me) comes in to see him and hug his neck.

Down in the south pasture, Ruthie is enjoying a lovely quiet dinner with her pasture mate Vanni safely locked up for a few minutes. It's bad enough having to defend your dinner from the laying hens, but Vanni can be an even worse pest when it comes to food. Like all kids, he wants yours, but won't eat his own.

After supper, Ruthie likes to rest and tidy herself up before the night shift starts. I have to tell you, this dog is hardly recognizable when you compare her to 16 months ago when she first got here. She's lean and muscled, alert and healthy. When she sprints down the fence line to bark at a passing truck, she launches herself like a rocket, with nary a trace of a limp. And since we trimmed off a bunch of the nasty matts that had begun to form around her ears and back end, she's looking pretty sharp, too. Ruth is an unbelievable treasure.

The chickens help me relax after a long day, too. You could spend a whole day studying their culture, society, communication and politics, and never run out of things that make you laugh out loud. This is one of our friend Mea's hens that came to live here when Mea moved to Iowa. She's a lovely bird, very dramatic in the fading sunlight -- a quiet girl, who minds her own business. Our egg production is still down because of the heat, but I'm hoping the next few days will bring us cooler weather, and maybe some rain. I also hope the chickens will register their relief by dropping a bunch of fresh eggs--our customers are starting to line up at the gate.

This is what all that heat and lack of moisture does to our black clay soil--this crack goes down about a foot that I can see, and undoubtedly more. You can turn the water hose on it for a long, long time and never fill it up. If we had horses or donkeys in the pasture, I'd be afraid of some twisted ankles or broken legs in these deep crevasses. Fortunately, the alpacas spend most of their time close to the shade of the barn and avoid them.

I finished up my quiet time back up north, for Tella's exercise session, and to look all the sheep over to make sure all is well. Look how huge the lambs have gotten!

This is what usually happens when I try to get a picture of Tella. She rarely stops moving. But she's doing better and better around the sheep, and I have some special plans for her next week, as her education progresses.

One more hot day, they say, before our next chance at a bona fide cool front. I'm ready. Bring it.

A New Way to Weave

2011-08-27T17:24:00.000-05:00

Jill shows off her finished piece.

Sure, most of us made potholders as kids and understand the basic concept of weaving: over, under, over, under... And a couple of us even have more advanced weaving skills using big equipment and fancy patterns. But the magic of tri-loom weaving is something completely different.

Judith weaves a light, airy, cotton triangle.

Our class of six ladies today caught on remarkably quickly, and everyone took home a completed weaving. Barney Terrell's looms are lovely - light and strong - and made the work really fun. Everyone had a different kind of yarn, and it was fascinating to see how each one took on its own personality as it was woven on the loom.

Brenda wove with a sparkly lux hand spun yarn.

Karen wove with Madeline Tosh.

Sharon worked with a pretty dark rust acrylic.

LuAnn, visiting from out of town, knits some, and helps the ladies concentrate.

Tri-loom weaving feels like playing a harp...

Kathryn adds fringe, and ...

Voila!

I'd love to teach more people this very fun technique - please let me know if you'd be interested in a private or small group class on an evening or weekday. I think the group really enjoyed themselves!

Judith's finished cotton triangle, ready to take off the loom.

Saturday: Weaving in the East, Spinning in the West

2011-08-25T22:52:00.000-05:00

More hot days ahead, but Saturday is chock full of cool fiber fun choices.

The Tri-Loom Weaving Class will go on in the Little Red Barn - we have 6-7 folks signed up, and I want everyone to have enough space to move around and weave their little hearts out.

But I don't want the spinners and knitters to be missing their time together, so our friend Kris has graciously opened up the Young House at the Heritage Farmstead Museum again for anyone who's in the market for some serious spinning and knitting collaborative time. Just add snacks. Kris says she'll put the coffee on. Regular times: 10:30 to 3 PM or so. Thanks, Kris!

The Young House is such a nice place to work with fiber.

If the tri-loom class filled up before you had a chance to sign up, don't worry - I'm starting a list of folks who'd like a second class scheduled before too long. Please let me know if you'd like to be on the list. Comment below or send me an e-mail. It's so fun, and Barney's looms are such beautiful tools! And now we have some incredible tri-loom project patterns by Midge Jackson for sale as well! You can have your holiday gift projects cranking out right away... it's a thought...

Is it fall yet?

Rest from Her Labors

2011-08-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

Pausing during our niece's wedding reception

My sweet mother in law departed this world last night, peacefully, and at the end of a fairly uneventful day. She had been living with my brother- and sister-in-law in Denver, as her 91 years began to catch up with her. Living alone in her home in Idaho just wasn't a good idea any more. She had actually been feeling stronger and healthier than before her move to Colorado.

But when it's time, it's time. She just took her last breath and was gone. We're so grateful that she wasn't in the hospital, ill, undergoing procedures, or separated from her family. God was merciful.

I'm so grateful to have had Julie in my life. Not only was she the matriarch of the incredible family into which I married, but she and I just hit it off immediately when we first met. We had a lot more in common than loving her son. Julie was the first generation of her family to be born in the United States. Her parents had come from the Ukraine. They brought with them all the artistic skills that we now value as crafts, but at the time were just necessary for daily life.

She's wearing the cotton wrap I made her for her birthday last summer

Julie taught me to knit and crochet. She taught me how to braid rugs. She made lovely quilts and was an outstanding seamstress. She grew a lovely garden, her own arbor of grapes, and fruit trees. Every Christmas we'd get a package of her home made fruit leather, raisins, and (my favorite) raspberry jelly.

The sunset from Julie's back porch

Julie's house was one of the most restful and rejuvenating places on the earth to me. Her back porch looked out over a gorgeous landscape - the Snake River, with Oregon on the far side. Inside the house, the walls were decorated with hand made textiles and family photos. Ted's dad actually built the house, and you can feel the love and planning, labor and effort under your feet and over your head. I'd really be mourning the loss of that home, but I think it's staying in the family.

Roses in Julie's garden

So I'm going to knit a little tonight, and thank God for the gift of Julie, and that she taught me skills I'll use and love for the rest of my life. I love you, Mom.

Tella's Turn

2011-08-23T10:06:00.001-05:00

While Vanni has gotten most of the recent press here at the farm, Ms. Tella and I have been working on getting her better equipped to make the move to the big sheep pasture on the north side of the property, and teaming up with Judah. She has a ways to go.

But she really, really wants to have a job - it's in her DNA. Slowly but surely, she's calming down around the sheep, and when she gets too familiar, the sheep correct her. As soon as I can pull it off, I'll move her to the other side, to meet the bigger, meaner sheep (when it comes to strangers, and dogs) and also to get her on board with Judah. So far, he's not too keen about having Tella as a pasture-mate.

We have to take it slowly.

In the meantime, here's a look at our sweet girl, in all her impish puppy glory: