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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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New Babies!!
The calves are here. And they are beauties. They will stay in the big calf pen for this week until they know me and have bonded with the two big cows. Then I will let them out into the field with the big cows. Already the big cows are standing by. See them through the…
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Ride along on the Big Tractor
‘Is that you in the tractor’? I texted Farmer Ross. The big John Deere with its planter boxes had been slowly trolling back and forth around the house for a few hours. ‘Three minutes’, he texted back. So after a couple or three short minutes I walked out into the field. The ground flat and…
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How to Shift Hogs
🌻 Think like a Pig. 🌻Never hurry a hog. Let them proceed at their own pace. 🌻I prefer to lead them. You cannot herd hogs or pigs. They need to feel safe or they will bolt back. And following me feels safe to them. 🌻Moving hogs is like chess – always think two or three…
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Everything needs a Space
My godmother said to me years ago that everything needs a place to live. She went on to tell me that I should not buy anything new unless I have first decided where it will be stored. And. Returning that tool to its designated space promotes peace and harmony. Because when you need it –…
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Works, Works, Works.
Mowed. Trimmed. Strimmed. Cut hedges. And generally fought to tame the enormous green growth that follows spring in Central Illinois. (I could not even park my car – the hedge was so overgrown). My arms are up in arms (I am allergic to grass). There must be a particularly nasty grass out there. Itchy welt…
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Who has Been Sitting in My Chair!
New rule: No more adolescent chooks sitting on my chair! Cheeky bastards. No respect! I have let the cows out into the big summer field. They are beyond happy. The field they are sharing with the big pigs undergoes a resow this year. Oats and grasses and maybe even sunflowers. The cows love this deep…
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Letters To My Mother
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