You will have to squint your eyes and look very, very carefully. Pania has come back…
… with One teensy weensy peachick. Of course his/her name will be Chickpea. However it is a dangerous world out there so we will only whisper that name for a while. When she calls him she has a TockTock sound and she is very careful to watch him, making sure that he is keeping up. What a surprise. Not that she is a good mother but that she is a mother at all. I could not find them again yesterday evening so I hope she has him well hidden.
I went to visit another farm yesterday where they raise and sell organic pork and raw milk. Organic pork from grass fed milk. Just fantastic. We had some of their sausages for dinner last night and OH they were good. The farm is called South Pork Ranch (cool aye!) and it is a good old fashioned farm run by hard working people. Donna also has a blog, I discovered yesterday, where among other things she keeps us up to date on her legal battle to keep Illinois a state where we can buy and sell raw milk.
Like you and I, they love good food. It was a tonic for me to see first hand how other people do what I do on a larger scale. They have a wee store too where you can buy the milk and the pork products at a reasonable price so if people choose to eat well they certainly can.
Old fashioned farming in a modern setting is very hard work. There is little generational support. For me there is No Gran in the kitchen. No daughter to take over. This is a big loss on a farm. Often people have no old people to work with us and teach us as they go. No grandpa pottering about in the workshop out the back. No grown children who live in a farm cottage and help out in the day time. So the people who are working these little old fashioned farms need tons of community and peer support. We need to shift our thinking to accomodate this gap. I really hope that this farm has solid support.
The fellow who is managing this farm with his wife said to me that he is looking at selling this farm as a going concern, then buying a smaller place so they can farm on the same small scale as The Kitchens Garden. I said, why. He said: you just can’t get anyone to work as hard as this anymore. We all paused and thought about this terrible statement. This is a successful operation. Beautiful and productive, a real bonus find for me while Daisy is dry. But the workload is phenomenal.
Then I thought of the teenager in this house who is due to leave for the army on Sunday who I have never seen upright for more than an hour usually a lot less. He darts into jobs or training when told to and does them fast, then throws himself back on the couch or in front of a device. He certainly could not work as hard as these farmers do. So once again we need to come back to ourselves. How can we train the next generation to work as hard as we were trained to.
Maybe saving our children and our children’s children is just as important as saving the bees or the butterflies. Am I being simplistic? And now that we know that there are teenagers and young adults out there who have never worked a whole day in their lives what do we do?
I do not know these people yet, though I hope to. And to achieve what they have they surely must have a great network of family support. But I am sure there are many small farm owners who are struggling along in a modern world, wondering exactly why this just got so hard. Is this one of the reasons we are losing our little farms? Young people cannot work as hard as they used to?
Good morning. Speaking of bees, as I suspected Nefertiti’s hive was failing. They tried to raise their own queen but I could not find a queen in the few trays that they have covered with honey. No brood. So I spread a sheet of paper over Cleopatra’s bursting at the seams super and laid Nefertiti’s on top. The bees will nibble through the paper and by the time they have joined they will be used to each others scents, Cleopatra will have huffed her powerful pheromones through the new hive and they will become one.
I need them to have piles of honey for the winter this year, so maybe I will not be taking any honey this season. My plan is to add another big super or even two over the next few months and then next spring I can divide these back up again.
Like many of you we are going to be hot, hot again today. The Bobby is doing much better now that I have corralled him in the deep cool of the barn. That little steer is not a good doer.
The new puss is still up the top in the barn. He is not ready to come down yet which is fine. I am feeding and visiting him up there.
The painter thinks he will be finished today. How fantastic is that!
There was one other thing I was going to tell you but it has dropped straight out of my Paddington Bear brain. Maybe I will remember and pop it in the comments as we go along today.
Have a lovely day.
Your friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
82 responses to “Look what I found yesterday morning!”
Living in Washington state we have seen some renewal of the younger generation turning back to farming–little homesteads and such—but I often wonder if this is just one of those “trendy” things the 20/30 something generation is supposed to attempt? I am on the western side of the state and we are known for those hipster, uber-conscious, all about the environment sorts of young folks (which is fine) but will they sustain the lifestyle or simply get tired and move on? I often think without the generational handing down of tradition the newness and wonder of this lifestyle may be deemed much too hard to sustain after a time.
High speed change is a part of this generations lifestyle and they are quick to move on in all aspects of work, life and such without really being bothered I think.
I agree completely about the gap in information, there are so many easy ways for me to do things that i do not know about. So many short cuts and tips that come as small comments from another real farmer but are gold to me. Those “of course, that is SO obvious” moments. I love them! I think the 30 somethings will be able to sustain the lifestyle if they have a network of support. This is a timeless thing. People need support. Families need support especially from those who know a little about what they are attempting. But it is the young teenagers that worry me the most. c
Hooray for the tiny little garbanzo!
Garbanzo!! stunning! c
Well you have touched on a subject so dear to my heart. I worry that future generations will just keep on eating Twinkies and Big Macs, because it takes no effort on their part to put the food on the plate. The fact that so many children these days have no idea where a lot of what they eat comes from. Even worse, neither do their parents! Then there are the corporations that just want to throw a load of chemicals in a box and sell millions of them to get rich, not even considering the implications of what they are feeding people. However those that are trying to do the right thing, with their farms an small homesteads are thought of as ‘hippies’ LOL. I m in my 60’s (yep still have loads of energy, so you have that to look forward to) and to me it is all about the sense of achievement I get from a hard days work and seeing the result on my plate, knowing no corporation threw it is a box! Sad to say but I think it will take a huge crisis (like no electricity or power for instance) before people appreciate the earth and what it can produce once more. OK off my soap box now or I could go on and on for ages….
ah yes, i am going to change the slogan Save the Children to save OUR children, we should all find a couple and help them get their fingers in the earth.. or how to cook. I have always said teaching kids to cook Real Food is the pivot to it all. Then it all makes sense.. Where in california are you Lyn? c
I am in Virginia – at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains in a little town (was a ‘city up until the 1st of this month) called Bedford (which reminds me of home LOL).
I am mentoring the teenager next door, teaching her how to make bread and passing on recipes for Granola etc. She is all fired up about the ‘real food’ idea and I love her enthusiasm.
There. Thats all you need then. We can change the world one loaf of bread at a time! Oh Virginia, that was my mistake, I thought you were in Cali, I am hoping to go out to California in a month or so..but that will not be close to you at all c
LOL not close at all! Let me know when you’re coming to VA though, I have a guest room!
Love the name Chickpea! We just had a peahen show up on our property two days ago. Since she seems to be sticking around, we have dubbed her Peanut. I know it’s not very original but it’s fitting for her. About the farming issue, I wholeheartedly agree. This computer generation does not understand that someone will have to take the place of the aging farmer. Country Bloke and I are planning on selling our 6 acres in about 7 years and purchasing a 100 acre farm. Our boys will be in their tween years but it’s never too late to begin the lessons. I have absolutely no experience with farming but I feel it in my blood that farming is what I am supposed to do. I really hope that parents who are around my age understand that their children will not have a better life if we come to depend on other countries to provide for us. That would be a terrible life…
Oh you wonderful girl.. ONE HUNDRED ACRES!,.. I love that idea.. and the early teens is still a wonderful age to start taking over corners of the farmyard.. this sounds like a fantastic plan.. I look forward to seeing that unfold.. c
Oh Cinders…a real live little Chickpea? I can hardly believe it and love that you named him/her that! Of course Garbanzo is brilliant!! Yup, I hear you about the younger folks but like a few others have mentioned…TTT is in for a real eye opener in the work department when he goes in for basic training….he will probably wish he was back working on the farm ALL day! And so glad to know there are a few others trying to make a difference, like you with their “good” farms! I hope they can truly make a go of it!
Yes Chris, chickpea was a great idea of yours! Fits like a glove and makes us all smile! c
I so enjoyed reading your thoughts about how generational farming, even on a small scale, is becoming a thing of the past. After several years of discussion with our grown daughter, son and daughter-in-law, my husband and I just closed Tuesday on a small farmstead. We are looking for ways to best remodel the home so that we can all share it. While they all work on off-farm jobs, we hope to one day produce most of our own food. This arrangement sounds crazy to almost everyone I talk to, but we believe we know ourselves (and like each other) well enough to make it work. We can make their lives easier in some ways, and they can help us as well. And perhaps I shouldn’t be SO surprised at myself for doing this, since I homeschooled my two back in the early 80’s when that was still completely unheard of. People thought I was crazy then too, but we have NO regrets. It build the family bonds that have kept us close into their adult years, even when they both moved out of state. Anyway, all that to say that I think multi-generational living may be making a comeback. Thank you again for sharing your days with us. I have learned so very much!!
How absolutely wonderful. i am sure if each branch of your family has his or her own sitting room and wee kitchenette for a quiet cuppa there is no reason why this would not work perfectly. When you are all working on a farm and (off farm) no-one has the time or energy to get nit picky about the little things. And supporting each other with shopping, and child care and meals and laundry.. oh it would be wonderful. When my children and I were kids (I was a solo mum for years and years) we used to dream about having a little piece of land and each of the children designed and redesigned their own tiny cottages .. they were all linked with long covered outdoor passageways.. and there were outdoor bathrooms and everything. oh it was a wonderful dream. Even then we knew that we would need to have our own private spaces, but a big communal kitchen and dining hall. You have reminded me of that. The Coupe would be just about perfect for what you are thinking, just add them on as wings, with two doors. wow. good for you. i love your idea.. c
We think alike! I have instructed the draftsman that each family must have a “suite” with a bathroom, bedroom, and sitting room. Each suite will be a private area, as opposed to what we’re calling “common areas” such as the dining room, kitchen, laundry, and family room. It is making for a rather large house, but we know it will be absolutely necessary to make this work in the long haul. Perhaps that is why I’ve been drawn to following the progress of your beautiful Coupe since I found your blog (which, ironically, was before we had even located our new property). Your wisdom and experience is wonderful, and you are so generous to share it!!
It is the fellowship, so much information has come to me from you all! I am so looking forward to seeing this all unfold! It is such an awesome idea.. c
There is gold in what you’ve written. No matter how far removed some of us are from daily awareness of farming challenges we are all dependent on the farmers’ success. Your concerns are so valid, I believe. I have a lot of concern about American youth unrelated to the specificity of what you’ve related connected to hard physical labor, but it’s more about the inability to see the big picture. Americans aren’t too skilled, in my opinion, at seeing consequences and long-term effects of being so focused on themselves. Our need to be “individuals” has stunted us. Through Google alerts I I closely follow the struggles in California’s San Joaquin Valley. We really do have the bread basket of the world in that huge stretch of farming and agricultural land and it is threatened for many reasons, and I suspect some of the problems may be exactly what you’ve talked about today. You’ve moved me with this post, Celi.
On a much sweeter note…Chickpea. *in love* Thinking of the tall teenager…God bless him…life is about to change. ox
I wonder if any agricultural major at Davis, or somewhere else, would like to intern with you; perhaps you can work out an extra credit deal with a university, etc. so someone would get hands on training. You are absolutely doing the right thing; I wish we taught all this when children are in elementary school. there’s got to be a way; best to you as always
As always, love your blog and photos. I think the working topic is a timely one with all the discussion on immigration in this country. People don’t work hard anymore because they hire people to do it for them and I’m as guilty as the next person. I won’t delve to deep on the topic because we don’t need to politicize your lovely blog but it is a big discussion and I fear a tad depressing for this country.
Love the bees, love the chicpea, did the other cats come back or no? I asked you that yesterday. Talk about Paddington Bear brain!!!
oops and i meant to answer your question in todays blog I KNEW there was something else I was going to write. Thank you for reminding me. No, there has been no sign of those two at all. I have decided to up the cats feed in the summers when the corn is tall, I fear predators get quite close to the house at this time of year. So the basement door is always open now and they have extra food on a dog free table down there to try and encourage them to stick a little closer to home at night. Country cats who hunt are in the way of danger all the time. Sad but true. c
Yep. We live in the city but in a rural sort of area surrounded by state parks and coyotes are very comfortable coming into the neighborhoods 😦
I guess they were here first.. pity they like cats but they also do a good job of cleaning up under my fruit trees and keeping the rabbits and mice down..
Uh-oh. TonTon might have competition for the cutest name from Chickpea!
I just came across your blog and kinda fell in love. Just wanted to tell you, subscribing to it now. 🙂
Welcome Pamela and thank you for introducing yourself on the way through! Brooklyn farm girl sounds interesting! c
Such a lovely visit I had at the Farmy today, Celi. Celi with the lovely Paddington Bear mind. Remember, why back in our past we were both reading Wolf Hall. I got side-tracked by life and Wolf Hall lay neglected, forgotten and unfinished for months. A week ago the misplaced was found and I have been reading it morning, noon and nigh. Snatching minutes during the day. Thinking about Anne, and Henry, and especially Cromwell. Brilliant Cromwell carrying the ledgers and balance sheets of England in his mind. With more to come – a Tudor Trilogy – I am indulging myself, reading and reading. Not worrying about a vacuum because I know Bring Up The Bodies is ahead, and then The Mirror and The Light. Keep Cool dear girl. V.
What a thought-provoking blog today celi, including the comments…know what you mean about languid teenagers, but then I’ve seen them snap out of it at Uni, and surprise us all with their application…LOve it that that poor little abandoned kitten has found a loving possie…
So cold here at the moment, but I already know to plan for drought this summer… we always seem to get the northern hemisphere’s weather these days..
I am all smiles and excitement over the news of the new arrival. What a marvellous little secret! As for children working, we encouraged ours to use both their heads and hands – the combination is unstoppable. Having said that, both of my boys have (or are about to) move to the opposite side of the globe, so perhaps I should rethink that logic.
One of Canada’s most famous contemporary, natural artists, Robert Bateman, is in his 80s and still keeps 12 to 15 hour days of work. Painting and environmental activism. He cheekily said during his talk to our Probus Club recently, “I tell my contemporaries it is imperative that they maintain their good health and fitness. After all, they’ll be pushing their grandchildren in wheelchairs.”