The Kitchen's Garden

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I am Cecilia. A New Zealander who farms in Illinois.

My farms are organic and regenerative and full of stories. I have been writing here about environmentally sustainable farming and food and travel since 2011.

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LATEST POSTS

THE LAST FEW DAYS

Have been full on with two very modern misses. These guests were very serious about getting fully involved in farm chores!
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SCONES

Scones are so wintry. With surprise visitors coming down from Chicago on a blustery full of bluster Saturday, sixteen round bales to load into the barn and nothing to eat in the house I made raisin scones.
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ORANGE

It would not be hard to make a movie called orange this week.
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MOO FREE

This morning as I write there are no mooing calves. I am not sure whether to be relieved or grateful or worried that they have all run off.
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SUN LOW

The Mama cows ( I call them 84 and 73) are happy in the West Barn and the calves ( left on this side) are escaping in all directions ( who knew they could jump barn doors) but otherwise things are fine. No-one got terribly noisy and by now the worst of the weaning is…
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WEANING SOME MORE

Today we will wean the Angus calves from their cow mothers. Though weaning is not about taking the calves away it is about taking the mothers away. The babies are always left in the familiar family surroundings. The mothers do the moving.
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