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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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The Little Queen
Yesterday for the first time since she gave birth to her little daughter Txiki, Alex stood at the gate looking at the other cows and mooed with longing to them. It was a long soft sound. She was ready to go out and join her herd. So I opened her gate and she slipped through…
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A little red kite
Yesterday Connor our second woofer joined the fold. It is a funny thing how a person begins an intense communication with me as they travel across the country and sometimes across the world to my little farm. As they get closer our txts and calls get more frequent as I navigate them closer to the farm,…
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My pasture cocktail and fire
I am using a new formula for my pasture recovery and beef fattening. One third grasses, one third legumes and one third brassicas. Plus sunflowers and pinto beans and turnips, I think that cows and pigs (like humans) need a more diverse range of foods – they are healthier and fatter. Plus we need…
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Pigs like buses
I was sitting on the veranda steps in the afternoon, head down, tying up the laces of my work boots when a large slow moving shadow passed across blocking the sun. “Out Boo,” I said, “you are in my light.” “Grunt” said Sheila steaming past me and disappearing by slow degrees around the corner. Boo moved up…
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Laying in Wait
Molly waits for her food with her feet up on the wall. The others clamour and drool but she lays in wait (and drools). She puts her head down and pretends to be the sweetest pig in the world then when I am close and (hopefully) not concentrating she will lunge up off the wall…
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Not the only show ..
There are still plenty of other things happening on the farm or so these little chicks thought as they mounted yet another escape. These were labelled Rhode Island Reds at the feed store but I am not terribly sure what they are now- they should be redder than this by now but their feathers are growing…
The Kitchen's Garden
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