Here are some shots.

We put it in the hallway, where it’s the first thing you see when you walk in the front door.

Pretty nice against the wall color.

The duck has become our farm’s logo. Simple. A tribute to our first animals: a batch of four little ducklings back in 2009. One of those ducks, Sassy the white and fawn Indian Runner, is still with us, running the show.

Here’s some detail.

What do you think?

Here’s the Asian Pear.

Next up: Pomegranate. I thought this one was dead, but it has really come out strong.

How about the 3 in 1 Pluots? Looking good.

And then we have the Peach tree. Very, very nice.

I love to support our local small businesses. Buying from local folks and sources is important to us. As much as we can, we want to support local people. Not just the local economy, but the people. If it’s food, you know where the food came from, what went into growing it and getting it ready for sale, and you promote that ideal.

But, there can be definite downsides. Buying local is not the same as buying quality. And by quality I mean ethically or naturally grown or produced; sustainability; a consciousness to take care of everyone involved in the process, from production to consumption to the environment.

I like sandwiches. When I am able, I like to check out the different local sandwich shops and delis around here. Some are better than others. Some are way more expensive than others. Sequoia Sandwich Company is amazing, with a pretty good median price range for the amount of food you get. Big Popy’s Deli is great, with a fun atmosphere, and an exquisite selection of un-crappified cherry sodas (good stuff, not the syrups and junk). They are very pricey, though, and the amount of food struggles to justify it.

But, back to the point of the post.

I recently checked out a local sandwich shop that very recently opened up two blocks away. They actually replaced a Quiznos that left. I heard good things about them. So I walked over, saw they had a Deep Pit Sandwich and wanted to give that a try. I had a choice of salsa or BBQ sauce, and I went with BBQ sauce. I also asked that it be toasted.

Done. Sandwich ordered. I walked over to to register, and I get to watch them make the sandwich. The young man who took my order grabbed what was the deep pit, wrapped in some sort of parchment paper. He tossed that into a microwave for 15 seconds. Then he walked over to the bre…

Wait. What? The microwave? Oh, that’s no good.

He got the bread ready with some sauce and cheese, grabbed the nuked meat, placed it on the bread,  then ran it through the toasting contraption. While waiting, the gentleman at the register grabbed my BBQ sauce. It looked pretty good; and not in a packet. I asked, “Say, is this a homemade sauce?” He told me, “No. It’s from … um … a Smart & Final brand.”

Dang.

Even though their prices were just a tad more than that of Subway or Quiznos, the quality just wasn’t there. I am willing to pay more for quality local food. But, it needs to be quality. If it costs $1-2 more for a sandwich that’s ultimately no different than that of Subway–poorly raised and processed chickens and cattle, GMO packed grains and produce, using a microwave as a heating element, and not even purchasing their produce or ingredients from local sources–from my perspective that is not supporting local businesses.

The food and restaurant industry as a whole is a complicated mess of inhumanity. There are gems out there, but they have to use street diligence and word of mouth promotions to fight against the billionaire marketing machines. I want to support and promote those local businesses that have quality products and services who are dwarfed and stepped on by the giants. I want them to have a chance.

Here are some pluot branches, looking very promising. This was an attempt at growing 3 trees in 1 hole. Went very well last year in their first year of growth. I’m expecting a fairly good output in this second year.

Here’s our peach tree in it’s infancy stage. Had four peaches last year. Good outlook in 2013.

This is our apricot tree. We actually got this one a little later than the others, but it had several nice apricots on it.

The nectarines should come out nicely.

The asian pear is a wild one we’ll have to keep an eye on. Last year (same as the others, it’s first year), it had tons of fruit growing. Tons! But they all fell. Good thing. Those branches would never have handled the weight. I think I tasted one of the bigger ones. Definitely a good tree to have.

Now for the nuts. No. Not me. The trees.

First up is the hazelnuts. As long as we can keep the geese away from the upper branches, we’ll be alright.

Hall’s Hardy almonds. These are beauties. We’re in the heart of almond country. I think they’ll be fine.

And here’s another almond variety, called Price.

This is a pecan tree we’ve actually had for a few years, but it’s starting to have some life.

We have some other trees growing, like the apples, pistachios, walnuts and an olive tree, but they aren’t showing as well as these are right now. They need a little more time. But, I’ll be sure to snap some photos of them as they grow.

Just so you don’t get any romantic ideas about farms, let’s be real. Here’s what happens to grapes when the aforementioned geese get to them:

Oh yeah. I’m sure they were tasty.

And, here’s a random shot of a bee trying to enjoy the strawberries.

Oh. I did get a better shot of the goose egg. Here’s a comparison. The egg on the left is an average sized blue Easter Egger contribution.

There you have it.

As winter is coming to an end, the weather starts to warm up here in California’s central valley. We haven’t had our last freeze yet, but the temps in general are going to go up. And that means so much.

One of our geese laid an egg. They don’t have a long egg laying period, and ours will only lay up to 40 per goose. We did confirm we do have a gander. So we will only have three laying geese.  The egg was massive, and as expected, she found a spot to somewhat bury it, trying to cover it up. Still found it, though.

Our chickens are starting to get in the laying mood. As we move out of the cold weather, more and more eggs are showing up. We are not going to treat our chickens poorly and force them to lay constantly like the big factory farms do. There, after a year of production, the hens are deemed useless. They lived a short, horrible life. We believe in treating God’s creatures with respect and dignity. We treat them well, they’ll treat us well. Even the ones we will process for meat will have lived a quality life, eating quality food.

We will be ordering some more ducks, and we will be receiving turkeys in April. The adventures, baby.

We have an opportunity to possibly pick up a goat who is pregnant. We’ll keep you posted on that front. I will have to figure out a good pen and housing situation, though.

And our trees. The hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, and walnuts all have those beautiful new buds creeping out all over the trees. The fruit trees are starting to show their new year’s life as well. Especially the pluots. This will be such a fun year watching these tees continue to grow. Plus, the chickens will appreciate the extra shade they’ll get.

There is also a lot going on behind the scenes. Not to sound like an Obama campaign poster but there is a lot of hope and change going on. I hope to have a new Schleitheim Farm website up and running which will cover the plans and opportunities. For now I don’t want to say too much and start making promises before I can assure you they will happen.

Stay tuned. More to come.

Currently we have a Nook (1st generation, old school) as an actual e-reader and the Kindle app on the iPad. The Nook has helped me out a lot. And e-ink is a great reading medium for a digital device.

But, the Nook has serious limitations. Hopefully within the next couple of months I’ll be picking up the Kindle Paperwhite. It’ll be a better experience, and will help me read at night.

For those Real Books I can’t get, many have turned up as e-books or PDFs. Now I get to benefit from one of the well known college and grad school perks: library access.

Via the library e-book selection, I’ve been able to get my (digital) hands on some excellent texts that will fit right into my studies:

• The Black Abolitionist Papers, five volumes
• Antislavery Politics in Antebellum and Civil War America
• African Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean
• The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader
• The Problem of Emancipation: the Caribbean Roots of the American Civil War
• Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico

There are more, but these are some exciting reads. I’m humbled by this opportunity in so many levels. I get to study more, learn more, get rid of some of my misguidedness and ignorance (there’s a lot there, so I don’t want to say all), and test my voice more in the community.

I just need to make sure my voice doesn’t get stuck in the ivory tower. If we can’t communicate information and truths, and engage with the people in our communities, then what’s the point? If all this learning isn’t meant for change, then it’s a vain pursuit.

One the one hand, there are large farms, which include but are not limited to the companies you find in so-called Big Ag. Typically they are characterized as extremely large operations, with a massive amount of acreage, seeking a profit. The purpose of their farming is ultimately to make money.

On the other hand, there are backyard homesteads, small home farms, and small operations. These smaller plots (which can range from 20 acres down to a quarter acre, or even an apartment patio) tend to be focused on farming for the self: self-sufficiency. They are looking to produce for themselves, their families, their friends; and whatever they have in excess they might sell at a local farmer’s market or use in some sort of CSA.

Sure, these are generalizations. No two farms are the same. No farmer is the clone of another. The reasons they farm are their own, and as diverse as fingerprints.

Let me back up a little bit before going on.

In an article written a few months back, David Sommerstein posited that there are two ways that farming businesses are portrayed: the large or mega-farms that have a global reach and use pesticides and toxins on their crops, and what he called locavore organic farms, which are small scale, focused on local distribution. For Mark Bittman, there’s another option, a third way as Sommerstein called it: “mixing crops and livestock and planting in rotation can reduce pesticide use without reducing yield.”

While I agree with Mr. Bittman’s proposal, and think it would be a great agricultural benefit in the short and long term, the ideology is still limited to, and possibly grounded in, the kingdoms of this world. It’s still embedded in the global economic system. I wouldn’t call that a third way, as Sommerstein did.

Particularly in Anabaptist circles, the phrase third way feels right at home. We recognize the reference and go right back to Jesus. The Third Way isn’t middle ground. It’s not a compromise. Through his life and teachings, his death and resurrection, Jesus gave us a third way. It’s an alternative to the kingdoms of this world. It’s an intentional alternative. It’s an upside-down way of approaching relationships, politics, conflict, economics. When someone strikes you on the right cheek, instead of striking them back or running away, Jesus offered a third way, an alternative way to respond that turns the tables on the one that struck you. In that response is movement toward justice and restoration.

Third Way Farming, as I see it, is an extension of justice and restoration in the activity of farming. When applying the Way of Jesus to farming, it looks different than the world’s farming operations. There’s equality, there’s charity, there’s love, hope, giving, a lack of poverty, purpose and direction. In essence, Third Way Farming is the Jubilee that the Christ proclaimed, particularly applied to farming. What the farmer does with their land, their produce, their livestock, their home, their excess, their time, their income, their family, their workers, and how that spills out into their community shows their attempt to live out Jubilee.

I’m not talking about just handing out food to the needy. While good, it’s merely a step. The Third Way involves a restoration of status to…get this…fellow humans created in the image of God. Not them, but us.

I’m not talking about not selling produce and goods and making a profit. The Third Way involves taking the profit and investing it into the community. Or, completely getting away from kingdoms-of-this-world-based economics, and focusing on the greater value we have in our time, energy, gifts, and talents. One approach that comes to mind is the Groupee (some info here or here).

Ragan Sutterfield’s Farming as a Spiritual Discipline is something of a manifesto on Third Way Farming (see my Amazon review for my brief thoughts). I urge everyone, whether farmer or not, to read it over. Even multiple times.

While I haven’t fleshed out all my thoughts yet, I am hoping to talk about this more. Anabaptism and farming easily mesh; it’s a natural marriage. And if we continue to develop thoughts of how caring for the land is connected to caring for each other, grounding ourselves in the teachings of Jesus and the exposition of the Scriptural text, our communities will be better off.

I don’t believe I’m coining a new phrase, or inventing a revolutionary idea. The idea has always been there, though under a different name. Many community gardens are Third Way Farming operations. I’m trying to put a name to what we are trying to do with our little place, and what I’ve seen many others doing around the country (and the world) long before we ever decided to go this route.

Appendix: I know, I know. “Don’t label me, bro!” But, when used properly, labels and names can be extremely helpful. It’s why I refer to myself as an Anabaptist. As we continue down the post-Christendom and post-Christian timeline, there will be more confusion over who and what Christians are, do, and believe. Just calling myself a Christian isn’t all that helpful. Telling somebody I’m a Christian moves us nowhere in the conversation. Being an Anabaptist tends to naturally invite questions if not judgement.

Was I looking for those places specifically? Nope. They just happen to be where the positions were available, and the positions were ones I am qualified for. The pay would be excellent.

Is that good? Heck no.

I don’t want to move. We have some great plans for this house and property we’ve only lived in for just over a year.

But, the reality is, as of Jan 1, 2013, it will cost us too much to work & live here. My job at The Californian is very low wage. With the raise freezes and the 5% pay cut that have been in place for 3 years, my pay has been stagnant. There have been reassurances that the pay cuts will not end, & there will be no raises up coming. There are no other positions at the paper that I can move into with better pay.

There are no design positions available in Bakersfield at the moment. And I can’t just go it alone via freelance because that well of client base is tapped out by the few and successful agencies in town. It’s still a small town; not much work to go around.

In January, our health insurance rates will almost double, which will suck an extra large chunk out of each paycheck. There is simply nowhere for us to cut in our own budgets. Well…that’s not totally true. We spend a lot on gas, like everyone. If I just don’t drive into work, we’ll be fine. Of course that would mean not having a job at all anymore.

What a viscous cycle.

So I’ve opened up my range: anywhere. I don’t want to move. My wife doesn’t want to move. My kids don’t want to move. But do we have a choice? So far God has done nothing to really bind us here. There’s been nothing but closed door after closed door, struggle after struggle. I don’t want to give up this farm and this dream (though the dream can go on elsewhere, I know).

Can I just get another job? No. My wife’s health is so shoddy I have to be here when I can. We can’t afford to hire help. There is no community of people around us, supporting us with helping hands in that way.

Plus: should I have to get another job? Is that what the people of God are supposed to be doing, working away from home more than they spend time at home with their families? Why is it that I can’t have or find a job, a source of income, that will cover our needs and expenses?

Some say, “At least you still have a job.” Technically true. In the real world, though, it’s an absolute hell of a situation. The reality is that people who are underemployed by wage (not hours worked but by rate of pay), especially at a full time position, are unable to rectify that problem so easily. We can’t just go find another job. We have to work. And because it’s full time during the day, I have to wait until the wee hours of midnight to do serious job hunting.

So now I need to go to bed, so that I can wake up, get ready, and get to work, to do a job I am very good at. I will smile and I will love my Jesus. And I will come home and send more resumes and fill out more applications.

Just not here in Bakersfield.

Farmers aren’t just good for food. They can feed you in so many ways.

Yesterday, with the help of some good friends just down the street, I successfully processed two of our chickens.

Processing, if you’re not up on the lingo, refers to the killing, defeathering, and prepping (a.k.a. gutting) of a chicken.

I had never done it. Our friends had done it once, a couple weeks ago. I was going to go then to watch and learn and try my hand at it, but things kept getting in the way. So, this weekend, it all worked out. They did their second rooster, then I handled our two Rhode Island Reds that, honestly, needed to go. They were something of rescue chickens, that were not treated well before. We tried to help them, but the nastiness took them over. They pecked anyone. They pecked the ducks and geese and asked for fights. We decided it was time.

The actual process of processing was not as gruesome or messy as I thought. It was actually far less than expected. And it really doesn’t take that long.

In order for us to do it again, though, I know I’ll need to get a hold of some extra tools and necessaries.

But, I’m certain I could do it again.

Many thanks to our friends down the street. I’m glad they went first.

Now, it’s real.

Day 1
I am extremely thankful for my wife, who has stood by me and helped me for over 10 years through my insanity, selfishness, and bad decision making. Also for our 5 (soon to be 6) little boys who are a joy and a blessing, not a burden and a curse. Sure it can be tough financially, but the Kingdom of God isn’t run by money. Even if it doesn’t look like it by the world’s standards, we are blessed.

Day 2
I am extremely thankful for the van we were able to purchase yesterday. Not for the material possession. Ultimately it’s just a van. But what it means right now is that we have a vehicle that we can all fit in. Our van died six weeks ago or so, and we’ve only been able to borrow a truck that can’t fit us all. We haven’t been able to gather with fellow Christians in over 6 weeks. Of course, the week we decided to check out a new church nearby (living out in the country, nearby is relative; it’s a 12 minute trip, as the Nazgul flies), our van died. So, was it God telling us we weren’t supposed to go to that church, or was it the demonic forces trying to keep us away from where we were supposed to go? We haven’t been able to go places as a family. We’ve spent a lot of extra money making extra trips. But now, we’ve been extremely blessed with a vehicle that can help us be a family, and help us do what we need and want to do.

Simple technique: distract people with characteristics like flavor, awesomeness, large production numbers, etc. while not ever telling you what’s really in the food.

The other, Red Letter Revolution from Claiborne and Campolo, came a little bit ago. That one I get the privilege to review. Score!

But, I’ll still drop a review down for the Hipps book. It’s very welcoming, isn’t it.

Thought I’d take a few snapshots of what’s in our fridge right now. These have been collected this week. And this is after making a double batch of pumpkin waffles this morning; and I’m still likely to find probably three more eggs out there this afternoon. Got some later-layers.

These have been particularly fun. I do have to apologize for the quality of the photo. It just doesn’t do the colors justice. In real life, in real light, the colors are bolder than this. The white egg in the center comes from a Leghorn or Blue Andalusian. The egg on your left (by my thumb) is actually a very cool blue. Very awesome. That’s from a mother Ameraucana. The egg on your right is actually a pale olive green. That’s from one of our Indian Runner ducks.

It’s been fun, frustrating, educational, and delicious raising poultry so far this year (though three of our ducks we got as hatchlings 4 years ago). And nothing beats baking with duck eggs. Those are phenomenal.

And, in case you’re wondering why some of the eggs look dirty, I can explain. They’re dirty. I leave some of the gunk on the eggs, be it mud or other things. We will not wash the eggs or scrub them down.

It’s not because we’re lazy. We’re actually trying to have the best quality eggs possible. And when we sell or give eggs to folks, we’d like them to have the best quality possible as well. The shell is protecting the contents of the egg. What you actually want to eat.

You’re not going to eat the shell, are you?

But the shell is also porous. When the egg is laid, it has a protective coating the keeps stuff out. By stuff I mean nasty microorganisms, especially salmonella. If you wash the eggs, scrub them down, get all of the “gunk” off, you also get rid of the coating. Now, if you’re going to crack and cook that egg right away, not big deal. But, if you are just going to keep the eggs in the refrigerator until you need it later, even days later, then you do not want to wash that coating off. The longer eggs sit without the coating, the more opportunities exist for nasty stuff to get in your eggs.

And, remember, I’m talking about fresh eggs. The eggs we get from the store have already been cleaned, the coating stripped off, and chemicals used on it for sanitation. And they are also days old. The lack of coating means they are more likely to be compromised, and there’s a chance the chemicals can enter the porous shells. You’re likely to hear about salmonella scares from store bought eggs long before you hear about your local farm’s fresh eggs being a suspected salmonella culprit.

Ours are safe.

If you buy eggs from us, we’ll explain it all again. As often as we need to. We’ll clean off any large chunks of mud and stuff, but that’s it. Before you crack or boil the egg, wash it. Use warm water. Then, have at it. Seriously, that’ll give you the best quality, safest egg eating experience.

I tried to make coconut ice cream. Ice cream is no mystery. Most of us have done that. Even did it in chemistry class in high school. That was good day. And, being Puerto Rican, I’ve made a coconut dessert called Tembleque. Delicious & smooth. But it’s not quite ice cream.

But that really wasn’t the challenging part of the adventure. We were low on sugar. So, what’s an ice cream maker to do? Go sugarless? Nope. That’s way too much of an experiment when we wanted a tasty treat. How about brown sugar? Aha!

I made a straight up exchange in the recipe. The “regular” sugar was now brown sugar. I had seen others mention that once they tried brown sugar ice cream they never went back to the “regular” sugar ingredient.

I think I agree. The concoction was very good. Good coconut flavor (I used actual, quality coconut milk, not shavings). A nice departure from the norm with the brown sugar. I’d agree with some others that there was a bit of a nuttier note to it. And I added no vanilla. Didn’t need it. When you actually use coconut milk, and enough of it, you get the right flavor.

My only complaint would be the texture, but that’s because I put the mixture in a bowl and set it in the freezer. So it was more ice than cream. I’m sure if I had cleaned up the ice cream maker and gone that route it would have turned out creamier. Next time.

We need some extra hands. There’s cleaning, weeding, planting, cleaning, and cleaning. Plus we have to move a couple big pieces of furniture. And some cleaning.

If you can help, even a little bit, let us know. Anything would be a blessing. Email us, call us, message us. Thanks!

Every morning, when I open the pen for the ducks and geese, they like to stretch their wings. We all do.

Geese do it better than anyone, beast or man.

First they’ll honk at you. Maybe squeak. Just a little. They’re hungry of course.

Then, off they go. With a running start, and wings spread wide, they fly.

They don’t get very high, mind you. But they can go.

If you haven’t met them before, they are Toulouse, a french breed. Ours, I’m pretty sure, are the production type (there are two other, more showy types). As I understand it, these are a very popular breed of goose for small farms and homesteads. To the right, leading the way, is Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Granted, I may be wrong, but he’s the only one I’m sure is a male. It’s tough to determine the gender for sure; likely waiting for them to mature and start mating.

I’m guessing now, but by observation I believe we have one other male, and two females. We’re trying to use french names. Naturally. As we get a better idea of who they are I think we’ll assign them.

They are amazing birds. Contrary to popular belief, they are not mean. I kid you not, the first response I get when someone hears we have geese is, “Oh, they’re mean.” Rest assured, ours are not. They weed and weed. They honk and squeak. And this morning I discovered they even hiss.

It’s awesome to watch them fly.

We live on a farm. It’s probably not what your thinking. There’s no big red barn. There are no rolling fields of corn or hay. And there are no sheep dogs to call on. Since we have no sheep why would we need the services of a sheep dog?

No, that’s not quite our farm.

Our garden is simple. Why make it more than we can handle? It’s surrounded by some chicken wire on posts. And one day we may just have a scarecrow in there. We’ll need something. The squirrels got all the melon plants.

At the moment there are rows, running north and south, of earth with some compost and amendment. Some of those rows have tomatoes, eggplants and onions fighting gravity. The rest are waiting. See, we’ve only finally gotten the irrigation problem solved there. Most of it anyway.

The grapes there, just to the west of the onions but outside of the chicken wire, are doing okay now. We almost lost them. They’re babies, new to this growing thing. Just like us. But, the three of them should produce some delicious fruit next year.

And the raised beds? Those are for the strawberries. They were too late for this year, but if you look real close you’ll spot a few berries. They’re still trying. Oh, don’t tell Kimbrah but the kids and I planted some watermelon seeds in one of the empty beds. We don’t expect much from those, but we’ll give them a chance.

Now the orchard. You’ll love the orchard. You may not think it much to look at now, but you can’t just look at what you have. One thing you learn to do quickly as a farmer is change what you think when it comes to efficiency. It may be another year or two before some of the trees produce real fruit. And while that’s inefficient by the world’s standards, that sure is the efficient way God set things up. You might see just leaves and twigs on short stumps. But a farmer sees the pies, the jams, the cobblers, the tarts, the lemonades, and even the sticky fingers from eating an orange plucked right off the branch. In their time, the walnuts, pistachios, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, cherries, persimmons, pomegranates, apples, pears, nectarines, peaches, pluots, apricots, grapefruits, tangelos, oranges, etrogs, lemons, limes, figs, and olives will all do their part.

Did I not mention the yautia? Now that’s a special one. Not likely to find many of those in our zone. It’s a tropical tuber, found in Central and South America, and the Caribbean. I was able to acquire some direct from my homeland. But, I won’t bother you with the details now. Another time.

The chickens, geese, and ducks roam free. While we never lack for eggs, our original batch of chickens haven’t started laying yet. Because of this or that reason, we’ve received older hens that were already laying. Our hatchlings (well, hatched at McMurray Hatchery and shipped to us; still odd to think about) are still biding their time. Oh, when they do, though. I’ll have to get an Eggs For Sale sign prepped.

And the sheep? Well, I mentioned that already. We do want to have goats, cows, and possibly pigs and sheep. A horse? Well, maybe if we snatch up the 2 acres north of us, and those other two right behind us. Would be nice.

The farmers here are much like the farm: simple, imperfect, a work in progress, needing time and patience, dirt and clay that just needs some tilling and amendment to make it healthy and productive.

Our faith, Christians of the Anabaptist ilk, drives what we do here. This farm really isn’t ours. We’re just the farmers. And this farm isn’t just for us. While we are becoming more self sufficient and gaining more freedom, we are also wanting to:

• help families in our immediate community with food and resources
• help families in our extended community (Bakersfield) with food and resources
• educate anyone interested in doing something like us (but better of course) with raising chickens (especially for our urban brothers and sisters), having a garden, and supporting others
• provide chickens and small coops for those wanting to raise their own; or even ducks
• support the creation, maintenance, and promotion of community gardens/farms, especially on church properties (I’ll be writing more about this one; a cataclysmic issue for me)

We would never consider this a ministry, though others may. We are simply living. Trying to be simple. Trying to till the soil. Trying to be obedient. Trying to be patient. Trying to be loving. Trying to keep it all sustainable, long lasting and long producing. Trying to allow the Way of Jesus to dictate or choices, not the the way of the world. Trying to be an example. Trying to show people that you don’t have to be in bondage to the world, to the economy, to the government, to politics. Trying to show that we don’t have to be too busy; in fact we must not be too busy. Trying to shun the idol of money and live by Kingdom economics and be willing to share our time and resources.

We don’t have it all together. We need as much an education on farming as the next rookie. But we’re trying and every day is an adventure.

We do have some major, more immediate needs:

• probably the most important: some regular farm hands willing help out, whether your know about farming/gardening or nothing at all; Kimbrah’s has been having some health issues and an extra hand or five would be a great blessing
• we still need to finish fencing in our property; need an extra 150 ft. or so of the no-climb fencing
• better lighting around the house to discourage four legged predators, and two legged ones, at night
• a real fort or play area for the kids
• more and better fencing around the garden to keep out the rabbits
• to run a water line to the back of the property
• to set up a drip system for the trees in the back
• chicken processing materials
• cheese making materials
• an outdoor dog that will protect the kids and the animals

We also have minor needs. More like projects I will get to when I can:

• greenhouse
• pond with a creek for the geese and ducks
• replace the roofing on the current chicken house (only a temporary roof on there now)
• outdoor pizza oven
• patio
• garage area

Some of that we need money for. Some only the materials. Some just time. Some a helping hand or two.

Our focus now, doing what we can, is getting the farm established. The till the soil and get a rythm and flow going. Then we’ll step out more.

If you’d like to visit us, let us know. If you want to help, have something to teach us, want to learn from us, have resources that could help us, let us know.

We came to the property with 3 ducks: 2 Khaki Campbells and an Indian Runner; we raised them from ducklings, and they are over 3 years old now. We’ve expanded that to 10 ducks, adding several Rouens and Cayugas. We’ve gotten a good number of eggs from them, and those of you who’ve tried them know how excellent they are.

Baby chicks in a brooder

We then decided to add some chickens. We have 41, at least at the time this was written–funny that I have to say that, but you’ll see why. We ordered a bunch of chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery. I think 8 died within the first 2 days. We picked up a few more from a local feed store. From that first-batch we have Wyandottes, a Leghorn rooster (that must go…now), Hamburgs, a New Hampshire Red, a Cochin, couple of Langshans, a Turken (a.k.a. Naked Neck), and many other various breeds (some of which we still can’t nail down). Around 6 weeks later we purchased 6 Silkies from some great folks just north of us; they’ll serve as excellent brooders if we want them to sit on some eggs (even duck eggs). That same day, while waiting, we picked up 3 more Turkens from Tractor Supply.

Don't get too close. Could fall over. Remember who built it.

The day I finished building the 8′ x 12′ Chicken House for the majority of them, we received two more mature, already laying hens. And then a couple of days ago we obtained two Phoenixes; a male and a female.

At some point during all of that, we obtained 4 Toulouse Geese. They are one of the nice breeds. These 4 are very timid with people. They are finally starting to stay a little closer a little longer, so long as you have food. They’ll squeak at you if you’ve got a hand full of green weeds.

Initial load of trees from White Forest

We received some sage advise to start with the orchard. They take the longest to mature, so get trees in the ground. So, when we had the money we swung over to the best nursery in town, White Forest, and made a few purchases. We have planted a fairly diverse orchard so far: limes, lemons, nectarines, pluots, apricots, etrogs, tangelos, asian pears, pomegranates, persimmons, cherrys, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, olives. There was already an apple tree here; we’ve kept it going.

As for the garden and the produce side of things, that has been a struggle. We purchased a truck load of compost and it turned out to be extremely hydrophobic. We used it for our potatoes, and we lost every last one; all rotten. Turned out the water was never getting through the compost. When I checked around the seeds, it was bone dry despite what we thought was a pretty good watering. Pumpkins and squash and anything else that was sprouting from the ground became ground squirrel kibble. They ravished it all. Our seedlings in the trays are all doing quite well.

An edible jungle

The problem, though, is we have no place as of yet to transplant them in the ground because of the blasted squirrels.

And I am currently trying to get our grape vines planted. Running into a materials issue; don’t have all we need for the trellises. I’ll have to do what I’ve done with so many other farm projects and Frankenstein it.

Well. That’s it for now. More to come. There is something new every day out here. We thank God all the time.

Maybe this cookbook can help you along. There aren’t as many recipes as I’d like to see, but it has some great ideas.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A true burst of color

They grow in bunches here

A couple of beauties

A variety of sunflowers

All these flowers and not one bee.

I find myself asking, “So, where do I go from here?” Sometimes I start to wallow in self pity. That feels good for a while, then it just becomes as disgusting and tiresome as the constant pain and weariness. I do find solace in reading God’s Word. No matter how far down in the depths I have gotten, He can always speak to me and pull me back up for a gasp of air. It is truly a balm to my soul. I found out today that music helps as well. Thank goodness for Pandora and my favorite stations: Indigo Girls, Alison Krauss, and The David Crowder Band.

My family is definitely holding me together right now. My sweet, caring, wonderfully understanding and nurturing husband; my five sweet little boys who are the agony and ecstasy of my life; my extended family who support me as they are able. I know that I am truly blessed, but there are days that I choose to embrace depression over my relationships. I have found that allowing my family and a few close friends to keep me accountable and occasionally pull me back from the brink helps a lot.

I am still trying to figure out how to best fight this Fibromyalgia. I am starting some supplements to see if they help. I am cutting way back on sugar and grains. I will hopefully be able to totally eliminate them soon, but it has been difficult. Baby steps. A wise woman told me this last week that we have this idea that perfect health can be ours if we just figure out the right formula and sometimes this just isn’t true. Sometimes we are just sick, for no better reason than that we live in a fallen world and there is sickness in that fallen world. I am trying to trust God daily in this and relying on Him for my strength.

If you are reading this and you have or have had a debilitating illness, how have you coped? I welcome advice in this matter. I think because the diagnosis is so new for me, I am struggling more with it now than I probably will once I get used to the idea. These are just some thoughts going through my mind right now. I truly appreciate any dialogue this may generate. Sharing and communicating can only make it better.

Here is a quick description from the pamphlet that the kind doctor gave me yesterday, from the Arthritis Foundation-

Fibromyalgia is a condition associated with widespread chronic pain, fatigue, memory problems and mood changes. Fibromyalgia affects up to 4 percent of the U.S. population, and it occurs more commonly in women than in men. The average age of onset is between 30 and 50 years old. Fibromyalgia is not a disease, but a constellation of symptoms that can be managed. (Pg. 2, Fibromyalgia)

I still need to check if my doctor tested me for hypothyroidism (which can mimic the symptoms of fibromyalgia) first, but it is good to know that I am not imagining things. It is a great relief actually. And now I know what I can do to start getting proactive. The pamphlet suggested that the most important changes I can make are having a good sleep hygiene/routine and getting more exercise. I think I can do that!

Some other things I am planning on looking into are following more of the eating principles talked about on the Weston A. Price Foundation website and in the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I have been warned that it takes about 7 months for gluten and the symptoms it causes to clear your system. I think that is going to be the most difficult thing for me because I love love love gluten. But I love feeling good more.

I guess the reason I feel compelled to blog about my diagnosis is to not only to help inform others about fibromyalgia, but to get feedback from those who have it themselves, and to open up communication and dialogue that will benefit all of us. I know there has to be a reason that fibromyalgia is on the rise and it seems from what I have read, doctors and researchers do not seem to have an idea why that is or what the actual cause of fibromyalgia is. I guess I am just not willing to accept that I will always feel like this for the rest of my life.

Secret Sister gift

Last year I heard about a great idea that one family did for Christmas. The theme is Make It, Bake It, Sew It or Grow It. Whatever you give your family, you either make it, bake it, sew it, or grow it. I love this idea because it is not only frugal, it takes a lot more thought than just picking up something out of the dollar bin at Target. Not that I have ever done that. Ahem.

Last year for Christmas our budget was really tight, so I made candy for everyone in the family. I took a clipping of a plant in my house that my sister had admired and I rooted it, potted it up and gave it to her as a gift. I sewed a fuzzy stuffed octopus for my son. I framed pictures we took of our boys for the grandparents. I hand sewed a pillow for my Secret Sister at church. Everyone really enjoyed their gifts and I didn’t have to leave any one out. It was a good feeling, as I love giving thoughtful gifts, but often don’t have to budget to go out and get “the perfect thing.”

There are so many free patterns available on the internet, free recipes, and great ideas. You should be able to find something for everyone in your family at a price that fits your budget. The added benefit is that it will be more meaningful because they will know that you thought about it and spent time to make it happen, just for them.

Some of these are contingent on my actually obtaining a copy of the text mentioned, but a boy can hope.

Currently Reading:

Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark’s Story of Jesus by Ched Myers.

The Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder. Second time through. Too much quality to let it sit on the shelf.

Homilies on the Book of the Revelation Volume One by Archimandrite Athanasios Mitilinaios. Borrowed from a friend at work. A look at Revelation from a Greek Orthodox perspective. Refreshing.

An Introduction to Mennonite History edited by Cornelius J. Dyck.

What About Hitler?: Wrestling with Jesus’s Call to Nonviolence in an Evil World by Robert Brimlow. Second time through, but this time with my wife. It is an amazing, challenging read.

Transforming Church in Rural America by Shannon O’dell.

Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. This is a powerful read so far. Definitely impacting me already.

Culture Makers: A Worldview Approach to Re-engaging the World by Josiah Vencel. Wife and I will read it together. The author’s a friend of ours.

Future Reading:

“Come Out My People!”: God’s Call Out of Empire in the Bible and Beyond by Wes Howard-Brook. This one won’t be published until next month I believe.

All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery by Henry Mayer. Do not own a copy yet.

Hutterite Beginnings: Communitarian Experiments during the Reformation by Werner Packull.

Neglected Voices: Peace in the Old Testament by David Leiter. Do not own a copy yet.

The Naked Anabaptist by Stuart Murray. Do not own a copy yet.

The Faiths of the Founding Fathers by David Holmes. Do not own a copy yet.

Marpeck: A Life of Dissent and Conformity by Walter Klaassen and William Klassen. Do not own a copy yet.

Unveiling Empire: Reading Revelation Then and Now by Wes Howard-Brook and Anthony Gwyther. Do not own a copy yet.

I do not plan on reading these in this order. But, if I’m able to snag copies, at my current reading pace I’d be able to have these done by late Summer of next year. All in God’s time, though. My list is always subject to change. My wishlist currently has 129 items in it with about 15 or so set to Highest priority. I can’t control myself.

If anyone has any recommendations, feel free to drop them in the comments. Always looking for a good text to pick up.