Friday, August 22, 2014
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Dinner with the Amish
Dinner out.
I am going to let this blog sleep for a bit. At this point, it seems irrelevant. Our farm will remain a personal endeavor, and if people would like to come and visit or participate, they are still more than welcome to. The church is just not morphing into anything physical at this point. Although I'd love to have some labyrinth ceremonies, if anyone is interested.
I am going to let this blog sleep for a bit. At this point, it seems irrelevant. Our farm will remain a personal endeavor, and if people would like to come and visit or participate, they are still more than welcome to. The church is just not morphing into anything physical at this point. Although I'd love to have some labyrinth ceremonies, if anyone is interested.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Goat free/ milk free farm
Our herd of dairy goats were re-homed yesterday to some folks not too far away. I hope they will enjoy them as much as we have.
This is a step towards becoming a farm based on plant consumption...a vegetarian farmstead. The kids still can't have casein, and most dairy products do more harm than good to the human body, so we are, once again, going milk free in our farming practices.
It is time now to focus on healing practices for ourselves, both physically and mentally, and also to explore healing paths for the planet and all people.
This is a step towards becoming a farm based on plant consumption...a vegetarian farmstead. The kids still can't have casein, and most dairy products do more harm than good to the human body, so we are, once again, going milk free in our farming practices.
It is time now to focus on healing practices for ourselves, both physically and mentally, and also to explore healing paths for the planet and all people.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Labyrinth
Walking a labyrinth is a meditative experience. It can be used for cleansing oneself spiritually. As you travel inward, you release the past and clear your mind of any negativity. As you reach the center, you mind clears and you spend a few moment in quiet contemplation. The walk out of the labyrinth allows you to be filled again with good energy and good feelings.
The labyrinth is a sacred space, grounded and connected to the Earth. Walking through the paths of the labyrinth is a walk into the center of oneself and into the center of sacredness. It can be a very healing journey as you release all that does not serve you. The energy from the Earth and the energy from the labyrinth work with each person's own energy to bring about exactly what they need in that moment.
Ceremonies can be held in the sacred center of the labyrinth, including blessings, name ceremonies, weddings, or anything else that would be enhanced by the sacred circle of the center.
This week we are building a labyrinth on our land. It is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time, and now we have the space to do it. We chose a simple spiral, which can represent the path of time in and out. Time is circular, not straight. The spiral is a simple and direct path into the center.
Richard measured out the outlying circle and then he raked out paths for the inner circles of the labyrinth, leaving a central circle that is relatively large. In the center we will plant a tree and place a bench for meditation. We were trying to figure out what to line our paths with...something that would not vanish into the sand. My first idea was to used lumber scraps that I could paint in beautiful colors, but then, as I was relocating some old beer bottles we found on our land, I thought, we should use bottles! What better way to re-purpose all of the bottles we have been collecting and saving for building projects. And so the labyrinth was born!
It went pretty fast. We tried to dig the bottles into the sand a bit so they would not fall over. We got most of the outline of the labyrinth done--enough to be able to walk the labyrinth. I cleansed and blessed the space with sage and prepared it to be used.
I envision the finished labyrinth with paths lined with a kaleidoscope of colored bottles. In between the paths we will plant herbs (and other plants), so that the spiral of the labyrinth will become our herb spiral as well. It will be a beautiful place to walk and heal (and harvest herbs).
The labyrinth is a sacred space, grounded and connected to the Earth. Walking through the paths of the labyrinth is a walk into the center of oneself and into the center of sacredness. It can be a very healing journey as you release all that does not serve you. The energy from the Earth and the energy from the labyrinth work with each person's own energy to bring about exactly what they need in that moment.
Ceremonies can be held in the sacred center of the labyrinth, including blessings, name ceremonies, weddings, or anything else that would be enhanced by the sacred circle of the center.
This week we are building a labyrinth on our land. It is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time, and now we have the space to do it. We chose a simple spiral, which can represent the path of time in and out. Time is circular, not straight. The spiral is a simple and direct path into the center.
 |
| Richard, raking out the labyrinth path |
Richard measured out the outlying circle and then he raked out paths for the inner circles of the labyrinth, leaving a central circle that is relatively large. In the center we will plant a tree and place a bench for meditation. We were trying to figure out what to line our paths with...something that would not vanish into the sand. My first idea was to used lumber scraps that I could paint in beautiful colors, but then, as I was relocating some old beer bottles we found on our land, I thought, we should use bottles! What better way to re-purpose all of the bottles we have been collecting and saving for building projects. And so the labyrinth was born!
 |
| The beginning of the labyrinth |
It went pretty fast. We tried to dig the bottles into the sand a bit so they would not fall over. We got most of the outline of the labyrinth done--enough to be able to walk the labyrinth. I cleansed and blessed the space with sage and prepared it to be used.
I envision the finished labyrinth with paths lined with a kaleidoscope of colored bottles. In between the paths we will plant herbs (and other plants), so that the spiral of the labyrinth will become our herb spiral as well. It will be a beautiful place to walk and heal (and harvest herbs).
Sunday, August 3, 2014
New Facebook group
I've started a Facebook group for people in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. If you are interested, join us.
SLV Natural and Organic Living
SLV Natural and Organic Living
Friday, August 1, 2014
Progress and a bit of Local Flora and Fauna
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| cleared land for pad site |
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| the gravel arrives |
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| spreading gravel |
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| And the gravel is laid, spread and leveled |
We also had Brett, the landscape guy, clear and level a pad for the camper up near the tiny house site. We are now a ways away form the animals, and the bugs are not as bad. It may also be a condition of having the land cleared up in this area.
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| Camper moved next to office |
While we haven't been working much on the office as we shuffle animal pens and campers around, we have gotten most of the back straw bale wall done. Richard put wire fence along the back wall to hold the bales in and we will also put 2 x 4 (or whatever we can find cheap) on the inside walls. Then the two fences are "sewn" together through the straw bales with wire. This creates a stable and secure wall.
We also got a few more Earth bags done and leveled in the front wall.
The Industrial Hemp continues to grow. It loves the daily rain. It is budding now.
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| Hemp - male |
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| Hemp - female |
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| Hemp...glorious hemp |
And while on our daily walks, we have discovered some of the critters and plants around us:
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| Red velvet ant |
The Red velvet Ant is really a female wasp. They run frantically along the ground, looking for places to dig underground.
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| beetle with a tail |
Not sure what the beetle with a tail is. They look like stink bugs, which we also have a lot of, except these guys have this weird tail.
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| salt brush |
The little salt brush plants look almost like ferns. Except they're prickly and live in the desert.
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| desert plant |
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Pot Belly pig care and info
Some of the things I worried about with Harley were just natural...probably exacerbated by living in the desert, but still...
They shed every year when the weather gets warm and they shed nearly all of their hair, living a stripe up their back. Their skin gets itchy and they rub and scratch on everything.
Also, adult pot bellys are usually overfed. They don't need nearly the amount of food most people give them. Two cups a day is usually enough for a mature adult, but base it on weight. We give one cup or so in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening. Some of the feed says feed free choice, but that is not wise. A pig is still a pig and will eat nearly everything you give it, becoming obese and unhealthy. If you can't see your pigs eyes, they are too fat.
If your pig is constipated, add a little oil (olive oil or something similar) to their feed, and they will usually be better in the next day or so.
Here's a great link on pot belly pig care (just in case you are thinking of getting one or have recently become a proud and happy owner of one). And another.
Of course if your pig stops eating entirely or is acting really weird, call your vet.
By the way, Chloe is doing great and has become very vocal and social. I'm tempted to try to get the pig harness back on her and take her for a walk! Well, maybe not quite yet.
They shed every year when the weather gets warm and they shed nearly all of their hair, living a stripe up their back. Their skin gets itchy and they rub and scratch on everything.
Also, adult pot bellys are usually overfed. They don't need nearly the amount of food most people give them. Two cups a day is usually enough for a mature adult, but base it on weight. We give one cup or so in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening. Some of the feed says feed free choice, but that is not wise. A pig is still a pig and will eat nearly everything you give it, becoming obese and unhealthy. If you can't see your pigs eyes, they are too fat.
If your pig is constipated, add a little oil (olive oil or something similar) to their feed, and they will usually be better in the next day or so.
Here's a great link on pot belly pig care (just in case you are thinking of getting one or have recently become a proud and happy owner of one). And another.
Of course if your pig stops eating entirely or is acting really weird, call your vet.
By the way, Chloe is doing great and has become very vocal and social. I'm tempted to try to get the pig harness back on her and take her for a walk! Well, maybe not quite yet.
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| Chloe |
Hemp news, tiny house and work on the office
Hemp is now thigh high! With all of this daily rain, it's shooting up. It's not as high as other hemp growers in the valley though. Richard went to a meeting of local hemp growers this past Tuesday and met a few people growing Industrial Hemp locally. We ran into one of them at a fair in the park in Alamosa and followed him home to tour his hemp garden. His plants are 7 - 8 feet tall! He has a lot of variety though. We only have one type - Finola. Although, people have been trading seeds and plants around, so we may be able to grow more types in pots or next year.
We were also chosen to be one of the test plots for the valley. Yuck. At first I thought maybe we should just till up the plants, but that would be heart breaking. Watching those babies grow is so wonderful! And, it's the principle of the thing. We wanted to grow hemp this year to set a precedent for others to grow hemp. It would be wonderful if everyone was growing hemp in their backyards. It is an amazing plant. So, we will continue to watch our hemp plants get taller and see what happens. Richard plans on harvesting them on September 1, so the state will inspect so many days prior to that, to make sure the plants do not have an THC in them. The biggest issue is the cost, which we will bear. We have to pay cost of transportation for the inspector to come to our place (from where?) and we have to pay for the lab costs for the testing too. Kind of crappy, but it is what it is. Maybe they can bill us. Maybe it won't be too much. I sure hope not.
As it is, we are having a hard time saving for the deposit on our tiny house/shed, and I'm afraid it just may not happen before winter gets here. So plan B? Move the camper up the hill next to the office and start building walls around it, which we can then insulate. We will make a garage for it. A passive solar garage with windows across the south face, of course. At some point, we may pull the camper out and finish that space into a tiny house. So, we will see what happens. We are still waiting for the landscape company to send someone out to level the pad and put down four inches of gravel for the tiny house. They are having trouble keeping their appointments.
We got another course of Earthbags done on the office and Richard has almost all of the straw bales up. We may need a few more straw bales to finish it, and we may have trouble finding them right now. I'm particularly worried about moisture because of all the rain we have been getting in the San Luis valley, which isn't normal, as people will explain. Whatever. I love the rain! It makes things grow. It makes our hemp grow taller and taller. Maybe the SLV's climate is changing too. Maybe the winters won't be so intense.
We were also chosen to be one of the test plots for the valley. Yuck. At first I thought maybe we should just till up the plants, but that would be heart breaking. Watching those babies grow is so wonderful! And, it's the principle of the thing. We wanted to grow hemp this year to set a precedent for others to grow hemp. It would be wonderful if everyone was growing hemp in their backyards. It is an amazing plant. So, we will continue to watch our hemp plants get taller and see what happens. Richard plans on harvesting them on September 1, so the state will inspect so many days prior to that, to make sure the plants do not have an THC in them. The biggest issue is the cost, which we will bear. We have to pay cost of transportation for the inspector to come to our place (from where?) and we have to pay for the lab costs for the testing too. Kind of crappy, but it is what it is. Maybe they can bill us. Maybe it won't be too much. I sure hope not.
As it is, we are having a hard time saving for the deposit on our tiny house/shed, and I'm afraid it just may not happen before winter gets here. So plan B? Move the camper up the hill next to the office and start building walls around it, which we can then insulate. We will make a garage for it. A passive solar garage with windows across the south face, of course. At some point, we may pull the camper out and finish that space into a tiny house. So, we will see what happens. We are still waiting for the landscape company to send someone out to level the pad and put down four inches of gravel for the tiny house. They are having trouble keeping their appointments.
We got another course of Earthbags done on the office and Richard has almost all of the straw bales up. We may need a few more straw bales to finish it, and we may have trouble finding them right now. I'm particularly worried about moisture because of all the rain we have been getting in the San Luis valley, which isn't normal, as people will explain. Whatever. I love the rain! It makes things grow. It makes our hemp grow taller and taller. Maybe the SLV's climate is changing too. Maybe the winters won't be so intense.
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