Lessons from the farm
As I navigated through the thick mud, nine sheep followed in my footsteps. They’d never been in the cow pasture before, but I’d noticed a long strip of green grass along the fence line. This would be a real treat in the middle of January. The tricky part would be crossing the ditch full of […]
Blessings of Blindness Read More »
The impressive storm rolled in fast. This was the first significant weather event that the sheep had weathered in the new pasture, so I decided to brave the thunder, lightening, and sideways rain, to drive over to check on them. I expected to find them safely tucked away under one of the shelters, but to
Sheltered With the Shepherd Read More »
“What’s going on with the newborn calf under the feed shelter?” I asked my husband. “He must have been born last night. He’s cleaned off and alert, so his mama should be back, he said confidently.” I scanned the pasture, and there wasn’t a cow in sight. The heat was sweltering, and the humidity made
Trusting the Process Read More »
Matthew 23:37 (NKJV) “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!_____________________________________________________ “Any chicks yet Mama?”I said as I peeped into the stable of
Wings of Protection Read More »
On our farm, we have twenty egg laying hens and five game chickens that free range. Although Easter egg hunts are fun, hunting eggs every day gets old, so we shut the egg layers up in the chicken yard. We left our game rooster and his four hens turned out to keep the stalls “turned
The Power of Presence Read More »
Judah. He is a perfect representation of the Analolian Shepherd breed standard. He is a fierce protector, but he is gentle as well. He will address any threat without reservation, but he is also a babysitter to lambs and goat kids who often use his body as their playground. But Judah, like all of us, is
Fierce Reflections Read More »
Every night I count twenty-one chickens. Sixteen go back to the coop to roost, and five that roost on the trusses in the barn. Four days ago I counted (and recounted) only twenty chickens. ” I have no idea what happened to one of our hens, but she’s gone”, I told my husband. “No telling.
Gone But Not Forgotten Read More »
When we bought our farm in 2017, the old sand and rock quarry operation had not been active for 17 years. In order to meet the standards to “reclaim” the land, the government required that certain types of vegetation be allowed to grow to stabilize the soil. Coyotes and foxes were everywhere. After a bold
Cats, cats, and more cats! Although we have never been “cat people”, we realize that just like our livestock guardian dogs have a job, these feral cats have an important job on the farm too. The problem is they are multiplying! Where there is livestock there is feed, and where there is feed there are
Captive of Captivity Read More »
A few years ago, my husband brought home our first flock of 60 mixed breed sheep. At the time, I knew nothing about sheep, but I quickly fell in love with these inquisitive creatures. Although I had never thought of myself as a shepherd, the sheep quickly appointed me as such, and they ran to