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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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West meets East
Look West. See the sunset? Then. Turn. Swivel. Look over your shoulder. Keep your feet planted. Look back. From the exact same spot. Look East. Same light. Same time. Different direction. The land is so flat that the sunset lights the clouds in the East. We can see light and dark from the exact same…
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Weeding in Bare Feet
If you are a gardener you are a weeder. A watcher of weeds. We endlessly plot how to have weed free gardens and fields. A weed is a plant in the wrong place and there are thousands of plants in the wrong place in my pig garden. Velvet weed or Buttonweed is an invasive species.…
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Line after Line of Storms
Last night, after a terribly hot, oppressively muggy day, we were battered by line after line of dangerous threatening storms. The wind felt circular and furious. Rain pounded down. Thunder rolled endlessly, like a larger than life train was passing by. Out the window, in the strobe-like flashes of lightning, I could see the big…
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Blending the Flocks and Herds
By returning the calves to their aunties and bonding the new layer chick flock with the old layers I have made a massive dent in my work day. Four units have become two. I am very glad to finally get to this day in the plan. The chicks have been moved in with the big…
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Giving Fear its Name and Beating It
Yesterday I drove through heavy traffic, deep in the mess of Chicago’s highways, to deliver Allan and his son to the convention in Rosemont up by O’Hare. The Chicago traffic was shocking. The cars were driving at different speeds. Everyone was angry. Loads of long overfilled trailers. Construction with workers and diggers and post hole…
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And off Again
Today I drive my guests back up to the Hyatt where Allan, who was the motion captor actor, for Godzilla is one of the guests at G Fest for the next three days, another two hours either way. And no. We are not buying a checkered shorts suit! Good lord! A group of fans tracked…
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Letters To My Mother
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