Making granola

                                                           

FFF Photo a Day - Day 59

Today I started a new batch of granola. I make it in my dehydrator (although you could do so in the oven as well). 

Once I mix up all the dry ingredients (nuts, seeds and oats), I add a mixture of browned butter, oil, honey and syrup to stick it all together. 

Before they are fully done, I may shape them into bars or simply leave as shown and then break apart into bigger chunks. 

Great energy bars and I like that I know what's in them!  

   

Friday's Felfie

FFF Photo a Day - Day 58

Friday's felfie (farmer selfie) - me and Grace hanging out together. 

Late for a meeting?

FFF Photo a Day - Day 57

Tracks in the snow are not unique at the farm.

Each day there are all manner of animal and bird tracks that if you pause long enough to study them, tell a story of the daily adventures of the four and two legged souls we share the property with. 

Today I came across this collection of bird tracks, which left me thinking I missed a meeting.... 

Beauty to start the day...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 56 

This morning's sunrise was beautiful. No more is needed to be said. Enjoy! 

Your lucky day!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 55

Today's dose of cuteness is named Lucky. Lucky was a cutie pie that almost froze quickly after death as he got caught between his momma and a very cold barn wall. 

Our quick thinking boys wrapped him up and brought him inside to thaw out and eventually thrive. He was a house pig for several months before he re-joined his relatives out in the barn. 

We named him Lucky for obvious reasons... he indeed was a lucky pig!

Chicken Haiku

FFF Photo a Day - Day 54

My mind was wandering as I washed today's eggs... as a result, I present to you a chicken haiku (apologies in advance): 

Our hens lay them all, 
brown, white, beige, speckled, large, small.
They are all yummy!

The water walk!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 53

This collage captures a few images related to the daily water walk on the farm. For most small scale farmers, winter means a daily slog of bringing buckets of water out to the animals. 

In weather like this (ranging from -20 to -40C overnight) it is difficult to keep water from freezing except in a heated (or very full) barn. The financial commitment needed to set up heated water lines out to the animals is often out of reach for mixed or small scale farms. 

So....it means that once or twice a day, out we go with buckets in hand. Today I tried to capture a picture of me when I was done with my eyelashes full of ice... but the darn iPhone doesn't work too long at such temps! 

The daily dirt...

Washing eggs is a daily chore

FFF Photo a Day - Day 52

Washing eggs is a daily chore around the farm. This simple but meditative task is soothing and feels productive regardless of how badly the rest of your day has gone.

Our eggs come in fifty shades of beige and there is always an odd shaped one in every batch. 

Did you know that a hen will lay eggs regardless of the presence of a rooster. In fact since our miniature rooster - Elton died, we haven't had a man in the coop. Somehow everyone's seems a bit happier. ;)

Where's the Beef?

FFF Photo a Day - Day 51

Homegrown Grassfed Beef Tenderloin

Tonight was date night on the farm again, however this time we stayed home and created tapas and art! 

We started with some of our fresh beef tenderloins, lightly seasoned, pan fried, sliced thin on crackers with goat cheese - it was yummy. 

Farm-her Chic

FFF Photo a Day - Day 50

When its this cold, fashion is not a consideration. 

Actually, fashion is not often a consideration on the farm. It's one of the things that I enjoy about being a farm-her! Sadly as a female, I find that all too frequently I am judged on how I'm dressed, my weight, my overall appearance. 

This judgement of course, comes from other people. Animals don't judge! They don't care what you look like as long as you bring some fresh food, water and a gentle hand. 

Dreaming of warmer days...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 49

Its cold out there! I hate to complain but I'm soooo looking forward to spring. To cheer me up I've dived back in my photos to a warmer day a couple of summers ago. 

My daughter and I were hanging out with the kids (goat kids) in the sun. We had quite a few that year and they were playful and curious. I love this shot of her reacting to a over-curious goat nibbling on her shorts! 

I can almost feel the sunshine! 

Working harder or smarter?

FFF Photo a Day - Day 48

This is a bucket of our soil, well sort of. Usually in the fall we fill a number of buckets for us to use when we start seeds indoors when the snow is still on the ground. 

Someone neglected to fill all the buckets needed! Once in a while, Farmer Phil's follies is to work harder not smarter. Thus he will be out with a pick axe this week getting soil and a good upper body work out. 

But hey, who doesn't like a farmer with a muscular upper body??  

Ripple Effect

FFF Photo a Day - Day 47

Today was spent witnessing a dear friend become part of something I have taken for granted all my life. 

Eighteen years ago, we hosted an German exchange student for a year in our home. Who knew he would fall in love with a Canadian girl, make three beautiful babies and today swear his oath and became a Canadian citizen. 

A wonderful example of the ripple effect of one small decision. 

Congratulations and much love, Florian. 

View from here...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 46

It's chilly out there. Wind is strong and biting... Think I'll sit here awhile. 

It

Learning to connect...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 45

Today I spent the day with 15 other small farmer in a great little workshop on farm marketing put on by Small Farms Manitoba and Food Matters Manitoba and facilitated by Adrienne Percy from Nourished Roots Farm.  

Seemed appropriate to spend the day that celebrates relationships learning how to connect more with customers and others interested in what we are doing on the farm. 

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you! 

Laser Love

FFF Photo a Day - Day 44

It is once again date night on the farm. Tonight Farmer Phil and I are off to Laser Jungle in Stonewall to work our our stress and have some fun! 

Bubba and Chunk

Bubba loved to get dirty!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 43

I stumbled upon this picture of Bubba today and thought I would share her story with you. 

Bubba and her sister Chunk were two pot belly pigs who we first met at the AMazeIn Corn - a local corn maze that featured a small petting zoo. Our middle son who was then around 9 or 10 years old fell in love with them, so naturally at the end of the season, we brought them home. Two cute, little pigs!

As you can see they grew into their names, filling out in various directions, reveling in Caleb's attention. Unlike other pigs that came and went on our farm, Bubba and Chunk stuck around from one season to the next. 

Caleb even bred them both as part of a 4-H project and learned many lessons about raising piglets - fun and not so fun. 

Sourdough Success

My first sourdough starter!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 41

I've been wanting to get back into making bread with sourdough for awhile and this weekend I successfully made my first sourdough starter. For those that aren't familiar with sourdough baking, you need a 'mother' or a starter from which you extract a cup or so instead of using yeast in your baking. You must feed your 'mother' and maintain it in between baking sessions. 

I have a previous experience with sourdough baking that has made me a tad shy of the whole thing. About 20 years ago, a good friend gave me a tupperware container of starter, extolling its wonderful properties and possibilities. I dutifully put it in my car to take home....and forgot it there.... for days.... we brought the car to the wrecker later that summer - need I say more? Sourdough starter is not something you forget about! 

Learn to do, By Doing

4-H member learning welding in our shop.

FFF Photo a Day - Day 41

4-H is an international youth leadership program that we have been involved in for many years. We believe it gives our children so many skills and experiences that they may never gain otherwise. We invest a lot of our time and energy helping our children and those within the community to engage in 4H because it builds our future leaders. 

In 4-H our children can and have learned everything from how to raise livestock, take good photographs, cook nutritious meals, sew their own clothes, to how to manage their money, survive in outdoor weather, welding and blacksmithing. There is no end of skills that they can learn. On top of that they learn how to plan a project, practice public speaking, and know how to run an efficient meeting better than most adults. 

Learn to do by doing is the 4-H motto and it is a great way for kids to learn and gain confidence. We are a 4-H family! 

Should have named her Queenie

The view outside our bedroom window

FFF Photo a Day - Day 40

Our regular followers have met Avery before... Our Newfie cross thinks she is the Queen of the Farm and when not on the road, annoying all the people driving by can be found on the back laundry stoop/woodpile.

From up there she can see a good portion of our land and I think it just makes her feel superior. If she turns around she can also stare intently into our bedroom window willing us to do her bidding (let her in, fill her food dish, etc.) 

If you are interested in learning how to manipulate others, come learn from the master! She likes to be scratched behind the ears!

Last of the Sunshine...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 39

We finished off last summer's potatoes yesterday. We also only have six wrinkly tomatoes left and two small squash. Whether we like it or not, we are entering that irritating time of having to buy all our vegetables at the store.

It will likely be at least four-five months before we once again can taste real sunshine in our food. :(

Come and sit awhile...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 38

Got some snow today - much needed moisture and ground cover for the fields. The upcoming season will be too dry if we don't get more. 

This bench sits at the front of our house in the middle of our herb garden. Its a beautiful place to sit awhile - even better with a cup of coffee and your favourite person (or animal) to keep you company. 

The bench faces south and looks down our driveway and onto fields upon fields of various crops - as far as the eye can see. (well at least in the summer it does...) 

Dreaming of summer....

Seedy sweet-talk

FFF Photo a Day - Day 37 

Today was spent doing inventory of saved and leftover seeds and pouring over seed catalogues. After much debate surrounding what we will grow this year, we managed to come up with a complete list of varieties and quantities and finished our seed orders! Whew! 

Looking forward to trying a few new things such as collards, Armenian cucumber and Honeynut Squash. Of course we have way too many varieties of tomatoes (if that's possible) and are also trying a few some yellow and red carrot varieties. 

Chicken Run!

FFF Photo of the Day - Day 36

Our hens miss summer, being outside and scratching in the dirt so on warmer days they scoot out when we open the door to the coop and wander around the yard. 

It means we spend the evening searching the various outbuildings for rogue chickens. 

Parsley post

FFF Photo a Day - Day 35

The other day we ran out of dried parsley in the jar in our spice cupboard! It reminded me that I have yet to process all the drying herbs that are hanging in my basement! 

In the fall, we put all our perennial herbs in pots to grow inside and harvest all the annuals to dry. 

This extends the harvest, saves on the grocery bill and gives us a hint of summer in the midst of the snow. 

My jar is full once again! 

Look around....

FFF Photo a Day - Day 34

Beautiful shot to end the day, reminds us all to stop and look up, look around and drink in the beauty that all of us are privileged to be surrounded by. 

Regardless of your beliefs about how it came to be created, I'm certainly we can all agree that we live in a world of great beauty and complexity and we can honour that by pausing once in a while to notice what it has to offer. 

A peek inside our cupboard...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 33

As part of extending our harvest we spend a lot of time freezing, drying and canning in the fall. This picture was what my canning cupboard used to look like... its less full right now (and not as neat)!

We make tomato sauce, paste, pasta sauce and salsa with what is typically an over-abundance of fall tomatoes. Jalapeno jelly, ground cherry jam, salsa verde from our tomatillos, and various other assortments of preserves, pickles and sauces. 

For most of our canning we use the water bath canning process. I covet my neighbours pressure canner and hope one day to own and master that processing method. 

Triple Double Day!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 32

Got love a day that starts with three double yolker eggs! 

My math is not strong so I'm not sure if you would express this as 2³ or something else. 

Either way its delicious and a great way to start a day!