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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


  • Fifteen Teats

    Fifteen Teats

    The big digger has done his pass along the bank and left behind a huge ugly mess but he did not tear down the trees I have up there and evidently the path is still intact but I am not walking it anymore. The smell is just awful and we have rain due so it…

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  • See this big digger?

    See this big digger?

    Working its way along the ditch that was a creek. It will be beside the house sometime  today. It will pass through, hauling slime and muck and rubbish and dead things up out of the ditch and slinging it down into the grasses where the pheasants are nesting and all manner of other creatures live.…

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  • Utero babies

    Utero babies

    Molly’s belly fairly bubbles with baby movement now. Two or three times every day I go and sit with Molly  in her room -the moment she hears me croon, she lays on her side so I can stroke her belly. As long as she can feel me leaning against her she is happy. I encourage this. Farrowing…

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  • The Farrowing Pen

    The Farrowing Pen

    When a sow stands up, or prepares to lay down, her piglets scatter to the walls or flatten themselves into corners so she does not lie on them or stand on them accidentally. Even a good sows is huge and lumbers about looking for food and watching out for danger.  They do not watch their…

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  • Pigs. Sleep.

    Pigs. Sleep.

    This morning I awoke to strong LOUD thunderstorms, pouring rain and strobe lightening that flashes on and on and a severe weather warning beeping on the phone.  I merely note the severe weather warnings. They send them out for the most ordinary of weathers.  It’s a thunderstorm. Not an extraordinary  event.  If I did not have…

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  • Last Light

    Yesterday I was in a hurry so I shot all these images using my Iphone.   But my constant companion – Phone – hates my laptop. No reason. Just fact. And if I say it often then enough surely it will become a fact? These pictures took 24 hours to appear in my email and…

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