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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


  • Watermelon Cockails

    Watermelon Cockails

    After our usual nightly rain it came out hot and humid yesterday so by evening Amanda decided to make Watermelon Cocktails.  A girl after my own heart.  After consulting with her sister she made Equal parts: Gin and Tonic and Watermelon Juice with a twist of lime.  Divine.  They had a good kick! Here is…

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  • Half in and Half out

    Half in and Half out

    Much of life is half in and half out. Don’t you think? We juggle all the balls that comprise our lives. Trotting to and fro colouring in each step, turning the page. Half finishing some stuff then starting other stuff too early. Half of ourselves completely involved the other half with an eye out for…

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  • Selective Weeding.

    Selective Weeding.

    Even the weeds are sorted and carted off to this animal or that animal or this group of birds. Manu is still a little mystified by real food. But Naomi is doing well at eating her vegetables and weeds and of course Poppy eats everything being a breast feeding mother and all. And all the…

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  • Videos of Hereford Piglets

    Because I think that Hereford piglets are the cutest piglets EVER. And Poppy’s babies are friendly and endlessly sweet. Not too many words today so you can spend time smiling at babies. Amanda’s mother has come for a few days to help out in the gardens. So I am determined to be up and at…

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  • Natures Way?

    Natures Way?

    Nature is cruel and most of all it is cruel to animals or birds that are not perfect.  After watching the pea-chicks roll around their little box, both with one leg out at a right angle, wings spread, miserable, unable even to stand to eat, I decided that there was no way these birds were going…

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  • The disaster zone

    The disaster zone

    Yesterday I called the farm a disaster zone (after 2 and a 1/2 MORE inches of rain) and the animals must  be evacuated to higher ground. Except the pigs who are as happy as .. well.. Pigs.   Thoroughly disillusioned we moved the two Bobbys (steers) across the way onto the concrete pad there (they were literally…

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