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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
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In the night,
as one lone coyote howled out on the frozen tundra (and Boo answered from THE COUCH! ), the temperatures dropped soundlessly to -12F/-24C. By midnight the wave of frigid air had rolled through and without pause the temperatures began to rise again. Not a breath of wind just this inexorable deepening then lightening of terrible…
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Little Pig in the House
This little piggy stopped eating and stopped getting out of bed. He was hunched and lethargic. The others would push and pull eating at the food and by lunchtime he would just stand still while they jostled him this way and that. Just like the other piglet that died last week. And then he stopped getting…
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The Ring-Master
Sheila. Showing you her performing cows. She literally has them running rings around her. They obey her every bark. Not a lot of news from yesterday unless you want to call weather news. Which I would rather not but that is all I have. Frozen rain was falling from the sky over-night. As we prepare…
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Big Birds in Barns
The barn is heaving with birds at the moment, not only the big domestic birds- all the homeless roosters that are not allowed to live with the hens, the peahens and the two oldest guinea fowl on the planet, and Mr Flowers the peacock, here is dear old Pania – one of the original peafowl,…
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the full moon night
After the dinner is done and the dishes are done and the writing is done. I stand in front of the fire and put all my cold weather gear back on, my clown suit, the jacket, the hats, the scarf, the gloves, pick up the long torch and walk out with the dogs into the…
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A Touch of Ice …
… is enough. A touch of ice is enough to scare this girl who grew up on a new Zealand beach. My new truck with four wheel drive has saved my bacon twice in the last two days. Though I do not start her up often – this vehicle uses a lot of petroleum…
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