WELCOME!

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.

Join Us!


LATEST POSTS


  • Tick tack

    Tick tack

    When Mr Flowers has his tail up at full power he does this funny thing. Imagine the tail spread out  as an enormous fan, maybe 150 to 200 feathers ,   now count in ten feathers from the right and imagine the next four feathers on the far right as one panel and  four more on…

    Read more

  • Tima and Poppy

    Tima and Poppy

    I am willing to bet now, that Timatanga Moana is pregnant. There is a certain angle from behind (- so rude) where you can see the  pigs belly drooping downwards with the teats quite prominent. Like a bulge. Usually looking at a gilt from behind you see nothing. Now I can see the curve of her…

    Read more

  • Mr Flowers – the long awaited display.

    Mr Flowers – the long awaited display.

    And all is right with the world.  Just for that moment of yesterday afternoon in this corner of the world. Both my guest worker and The Cadet spent a considerable amount of time yesterday standing in the loft looking across at Mr Flowers. Open mouthed. This display lasted more than an hour.  Then they both went…

    Read more

  • Slow DOWN

    Slow DOWN

    I sat down last night to look at this paltry assortment of images ready to tell you about my day yesterday but too tired to write it all down. Slow down. My neighbour said when she came over to drop off egg cartons. Are you mental? I called out. She laughed. So: Whose nose is this?  Oh…

    Read more

  • Musical Chicks

    Musical Chicks

    Today or tomorrow my broiler chicks should arrive. They left McMurrays yesterday and will be delivered by the Post Office truck to the Postmistress then she calls me. So everyone moves along a chair – the Accident Chickens have been shifted out of the Halfway house and into the tin chicken tractor, the Easter chickens…

    Read more

  • Stroking

    Stroking

    When I am hand feeding a young animal like Naomi I do a lot of stroking. I am firm.  I mean; the hand that strokes is firm as I feed her. I pretend to be the licking hand of a great big cow. She always settles. Lifting her chin for the neck scratch. Moving her belly closer…

    Read more