I appreciated reading this. We now have a small quarter acre parcel in a small city, and this was so helpful to me as I am thinking through how, and what, we should be growing and tending here while we are here.
Also, I wanted to ask--would you ever reconsider posting some of your writings from your old website here? Some of your older articles, especially the ones about how and why you refurbished and furnished your home in the way you did, have been very influential and so helpful to me in my own thinking as I work on crafting our home environment for our babies.
PS sorry if this posted multiple times, was having difficulties with Substack login :)
Thank you, Emily. I have been thinking of doing a bit of an ongoing series of posts on health as a totality of life efforts. A sort of all-encompassing approach to health, as I see it anyways. That would allow me to include things like you mentioned along with the other things we do. I think if I write from anew, it would also be a better source of information as I can update it with all the things that change, worked, didn't work etc... Hopefully that will be helpful?
You’ve got a way with words girl and you know how to use em!! I just simply love you and what you have to say. I feel like it resonates inside of me but I’m not a writer and never know how to express properly the things that run deep in a way others will understand. You’ve got a wonderful gift 😘
So we’ll said! I don’t write nearly as eloquently as you, so I won’t try.
Dairy cows will certainly humble you. I have had a handful of jerseys for a handful of years now. They bring so much joy from their personalities and efficiencies to their glorious cream and butter. A herd is important for these animals-a very important step one, or else you’ll be their herd.
Right now they love pumpkins and are growing thick coats.
Have you crossed your jerseys with any beef animal? I am thinking of a limousin cross for my Jersey heifer. Just need a low birth weight bull. I A.I. so I can pick one that has that. A belted Galloway would be hardy but also slow growth with Jersey mixed. Thanks as always for an interesting read.
I don't like Limousins at all, but that's just my ole' opinion. They're a breed that, yes, grows fast on grain. I like grows slow on grass much better. That said, we don't butcher before three or four years of age because we solely grass feed and we like older animals. Every farm is different.
We commonly cross breed our dairy gals with beef. We have used Galloway/Devon/Red Poll/Highland. We are using Canadian Speckled Park next. I'm excited to see what happens there :)
Excited to see what the Speckled Park does as well! What a fun cross. The Limousin is out since I have found a plethora of options for potential sires. Red Poll would be maybe be my top choice now. Thanks for your reply!
Haven't even finished but I just had to stop by and say already that I love it! It angers me that posing questions on how to best take care of an animal pisses people off. What entitlement and selfishness. You are here to take care of the animal, not just use her -- that's what makes you earn the sweet rewards they give. It also makes me think that hunting -- of old and present -- was and is the best form of animal consumption. There are ways to do domestication right, but it is not a half-assed affair, compared to hunting where an animal is plucked out of the synergy they naturally live in. I'm going to go back and read the rest now. :)
Couldn't agree more, Amanda. We hunt as well, but there's a part to hunting that concerns me. Depending on where you are hunting, the flesh of the animal can be contaminated. I know people that hunt in areas where the bulk of the animal's diet is from genetically modified crops like soy and corn. Then, of course, those crops are sprayed. Waterfowl, too, depending on where you can get them on their migration route, can be laden with heavy metals and other environmental toxins. We've really done a number to our ecosystems. Still, I think that just being cognisant of source, just like with our domestic food, we can circumvent that somewhat.
I know this isn't the heart of your message in this post, but I wanted to share some of my thought process so far. Our property is 68 acres of pasture, it's totally cleared and fenced on all sides. It has had cattle on it for at least the last 100 years, but it's been continuously grazed. The farmer says he has been able to keep approx 10 cow/calf pairs. Originally I thought that I would also have cows, but the pasture is prone to going to brush and I think it might be helpful to give the grass a bit of a break, so I'm shifting my focus to goats and sheep. I also happen to be developing an obsessive interest in fibre arts, which feels like synchronicity to me... I wonder if I'll develop a taste for chevon too!🤷♀️
How do you feel about a menagerie type situation for herd animals? Would a cow or two be comfortable surrounded by other ruminants?
Congratulations on your burgeoning farm, Taryn. Ohhh... I love fibre arts, too. I am convinced this is part of the reason I feel the need to get some sheep, but if I have sheep, I need donkeys to keep them alive with our predators here and my husband isn't so convinced.
A few thoughts come up. First, is that I wonder if the previous farmer was rotationally grazing or just putting the animals out on pasture and letting them continuously graze? The difference is vitality or depletion. If you don't know about rotational grazing, I would say that you need to start there before anything else. ACRES USA has so many good books and courses on that topic. I wish we didn't have to rotationally graze, it is such a pain in the grazing months, but without, our land would be depleted in no time.
I think a menagerie type situation works well generally, but one cow with twenty goats won't cut it. A cow knows it's a cow and wants other cows with it. Even just two or three is a happy situation.
Ok, two or three cows would definitely be doable! The previous farmer was 100% continuous grazing, and we will 100% be doing rotational. He's such a sweet man though, every time we see him he reminds us that he'd be happy to help us out.
There's a surprising amount of grass and clover among the weeds and brambles, so I know I can feed some cows. I'm sure we can get those pastures looking good pretty fast! Very excited!
I work for a land use planning/design cooperative that focuses on holistic land management and regenerative agriculture. So much of our process of working with clients (both new to their land and well-rooted) is sussing out the 'shoulds'.
I appreciate that you have such an intentional, iterative, responsive process with the land you steward. It isn't always the case with landowners, no matter how rooted they are; and it's difficult to convey the necessity of such a process to folks that are new to their land or are otherwise stuck on certain 'shoulds' without having observed what the land can support.
What a gift to be in relationship to a place and its' inhabitants!
Your work sounds so interesting and is definitely needed. We took a holistic land management course in our first year of farming. We had friends that were lifelong farmers that has participated in holistic management as a way to direct and manage their personal lives as farmers. I found that work and information of profound importance in enabling us to hone our goals and to learn how to prioritize the quality of our lives with the quality of the life of our land and animals. Such needed work.
This is tangential, but the musician Nick Cave publishes a beautiful newsletter called the Red Hand Files, where he answers questions from his fans. Today's installment was particularly moving (but really, so many of them are) and immediately brought you to mind. If you're so inclined, it's #173: https://www.theredhandfiles.com/
In June 2021 we purchased 43 acres to one day be able to put animals on to provide for ourselves and family. It’s been a very slow process, partly because of asking these questions. When people are telling us to “Just get something on it” or “How many of _____ are you going to have?” My answers are: it’s not ready and it depends. For all of the points you just made. I will not put an animal on our land until I can protect it, until the land can provide for it, until I know it can live out its best days on it. As far as how many? Well…that depends on the land. I learned that from you. And I thank you.
I remember learning that we must ask the land what it wants. At our first farm, I had an entire herd of beef cattle purchased before we even took possession of the land. We really are a "trial by fire" type of couple. But, I will qualify that with saying I knew the land could handle those cows, and actually needed grazers on it.
I am so happy for you that you found a place of your own! That is truly wonderfu!❤️
I appreciated reading this. We now have a small quarter acre parcel in a small city, and this was so helpful to me as I am thinking through how, and what, we should be growing and tending here while we are here.
Also, I wanted to ask--would you ever reconsider posting some of your writings from your old website here? Some of your older articles, especially the ones about how and why you refurbished and furnished your home in the way you did, have been very influential and so helpful to me in my own thinking as I work on crafting our home environment for our babies.
PS sorry if this posted multiple times, was having difficulties with Substack login :)
Thank you, Emily. I have been thinking of doing a bit of an ongoing series of posts on health as a totality of life efforts. A sort of all-encompassing approach to health, as I see it anyways. That would allow me to include things like you mentioned along with the other things we do. I think if I write from anew, it would also be a better source of information as I can update it with all the things that change, worked, didn't work etc... Hopefully that will be helpful?
You’ve got a way with words girl and you know how to use em!! I just simply love you and what you have to say. I feel like it resonates inside of me but I’m not a writer and never know how to express properly the things that run deep in a way others will understand. You’ve got a wonderful gift 😘
Thank you so much, Billie.
So we’ll said! I don’t write nearly as eloquently as you, so I won’t try.
Dairy cows will certainly humble you. I have had a handful of jerseys for a handful of years now. They bring so much joy from their personalities and efficiencies to their glorious cream and butter. A herd is important for these animals-a very important step one, or else you’ll be their herd.
Right now they love pumpkins and are growing thick coats.
Have you crossed your jerseys with any beef animal? I am thinking of a limousin cross for my Jersey heifer. Just need a low birth weight bull. I A.I. so I can pick one that has that. A belted Galloway would be hardy but also slow growth with Jersey mixed. Thanks as always for an interesting read.
Ha! Yes, Jerseys will do that. :)
I don't like Limousins at all, but that's just my ole' opinion. They're a breed that, yes, grows fast on grain. I like grows slow on grass much better. That said, we don't butcher before three or four years of age because we solely grass feed and we like older animals. Every farm is different.
We commonly cross breed our dairy gals with beef. We have used Galloway/Devon/Red Poll/Highland. We are using Canadian Speckled Park next. I'm excited to see what happens there :)
Excited to see what the Speckled Park does as well! What a fun cross. The Limousin is out since I have found a plethora of options for potential sires. Red Poll would be maybe be my top choice now. Thanks for your reply!
Haven't even finished but I just had to stop by and say already that I love it! It angers me that posing questions on how to best take care of an animal pisses people off. What entitlement and selfishness. You are here to take care of the animal, not just use her -- that's what makes you earn the sweet rewards they give. It also makes me think that hunting -- of old and present -- was and is the best form of animal consumption. There are ways to do domestication right, but it is not a half-assed affair, compared to hunting where an animal is plucked out of the synergy they naturally live in. I'm going to go back and read the rest now. :)
Couldn't agree more, Amanda. We hunt as well, but there's a part to hunting that concerns me. Depending on where you are hunting, the flesh of the animal can be contaminated. I know people that hunt in areas where the bulk of the animal's diet is from genetically modified crops like soy and corn. Then, of course, those crops are sprayed. Waterfowl, too, depending on where you can get them on their migration route, can be laden with heavy metals and other environmental toxins. We've really done a number to our ecosystems. Still, I think that just being cognisant of source, just like with our domestic food, we can circumvent that somewhat.
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Also, wise and true. Every time.
Thanks, Jessica 💕💕
I know this isn't the heart of your message in this post, but I wanted to share some of my thought process so far. Our property is 68 acres of pasture, it's totally cleared and fenced on all sides. It has had cattle on it for at least the last 100 years, but it's been continuously grazed. The farmer says he has been able to keep approx 10 cow/calf pairs. Originally I thought that I would also have cows, but the pasture is prone to going to brush and I think it might be helpful to give the grass a bit of a break, so I'm shifting my focus to goats and sheep. I also happen to be developing an obsessive interest in fibre arts, which feels like synchronicity to me... I wonder if I'll develop a taste for chevon too!🤷♀️
How do you feel about a menagerie type situation for herd animals? Would a cow or two be comfortable surrounded by other ruminants?
Congratulations on your burgeoning farm, Taryn. Ohhh... I love fibre arts, too. I am convinced this is part of the reason I feel the need to get some sheep, but if I have sheep, I need donkeys to keep them alive with our predators here and my husband isn't so convinced.
A few thoughts come up. First, is that I wonder if the previous farmer was rotationally grazing or just putting the animals out on pasture and letting them continuously graze? The difference is vitality or depletion. If you don't know about rotational grazing, I would say that you need to start there before anything else. ACRES USA has so many good books and courses on that topic. I wish we didn't have to rotationally graze, it is such a pain in the grazing months, but without, our land would be depleted in no time.
I think a menagerie type situation works well generally, but one cow with twenty goats won't cut it. A cow knows it's a cow and wants other cows with it. Even just two or three is a happy situation.
Ok, two or three cows would definitely be doable! The previous farmer was 100% continuous grazing, and we will 100% be doing rotational. He's such a sweet man though, every time we see him he reminds us that he'd be happy to help us out.
There's a surprising amount of grass and clover among the weeds and brambles, so I know I can feed some cows. I'm sure we can get those pastures looking good pretty fast! Very excited!
I so enjoyed reading this.
I work for a land use planning/design cooperative that focuses on holistic land management and regenerative agriculture. So much of our process of working with clients (both new to their land and well-rooted) is sussing out the 'shoulds'.
I appreciate that you have such an intentional, iterative, responsive process with the land you steward. It isn't always the case with landowners, no matter how rooted they are; and it's difficult to convey the necessity of such a process to folks that are new to their land or are otherwise stuck on certain 'shoulds' without having observed what the land can support.
What a gift to be in relationship to a place and its' inhabitants!
Your work sounds so interesting and is definitely needed. We took a holistic land management course in our first year of farming. We had friends that were lifelong farmers that has participated in holistic management as a way to direct and manage their personal lives as farmers. I found that work and information of profound importance in enabling us to hone our goals and to learn how to prioritize the quality of our lives with the quality of the life of our land and animals. Such needed work.
This is tangential, but the musician Nick Cave publishes a beautiful newsletter called the Red Hand Files, where he answers questions from his fans. Today's installment was particularly moving (but really, so many of them are) and immediately brought you to mind. If you're so inclined, it's #173: https://www.theredhandfiles.com/
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Also, wise and true. Every time.
thank you, Jessica
❤
In June 2021 we purchased 43 acres to one day be able to put animals on to provide for ourselves and family. It’s been a very slow process, partly because of asking these questions. When people are telling us to “Just get something on it” or “How many of _____ are you going to have?” My answers are: it’s not ready and it depends. For all of the points you just made. I will not put an animal on our land until I can protect it, until the land can provide for it, until I know it can live out its best days on it. As far as how many? Well…that depends on the land. I learned that from you. And I thank you.
I remember learning that we must ask the land what it wants. At our first farm, I had an entire herd of beef cattle purchased before we even took possession of the land. We really are a "trial by fire" type of couple. But, I will qualify that with saying I knew the land could handle those cows, and actually needed grazers on it.
I am so happy for you that you found a place of your own! That is truly wonderfu!❤️