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


  • A Hot day – Yay

    A Hot day – Yay

    Glorious, glorious hot day.  I am going to put a sign on the track. If You drive down here into my back yard and complain about the HEAT I will bite my thumb at you!  There. That will show them. Someone has a dimple! The chickens across the Way .. my official farm name is Kelly Creek…

    Read more

  • A box of birds

    A box of birds

    More chicks arrived in the post yesterday. These are the chickens I will grow for a number of family freezers.  It will take 8 weeks.  I will grow two waves of chickens for the freezers. I hope to start another set in 5 weeks time.  Each chick is given a drink as I take it out…

    Read more

  • Flux

    Flux

    Every time another change happens on the farmy I need to pause, reset, and adjust so that I can sensibly create another workable routine. I have a milk cow, a beef cow,  dairy calf, beef calves, sheep, pigs, chickens, big ones and little ones and baby chicks, peacocks, peahens, the ducklings, dogs, bees, cats and Tima,  (Tima the Naughty is…

    Read more

  • I got it wrong

    I got it wrong

    This little calf does not want to be called Aida she  wants to be called Del.  She is so calm and so sweet, there is not one fussy bone in her body. She has no aspirations for the stage, and no interest in tragedy. She reminds me so intensely of my Aunty Del  that I have…

    Read more

  • Godot

    Godot

    And his sidekick Mr Carlos Garcia have been released. It took some fast talking but if I promised that the girls would stay in for a few more weeks then the  boys could come out already. They have promised Our John the Head Gardener not to wander into the vegetable gardens.  Cross our hearts and hope…

    Read more

  • Meet Aida

    Meet Aida

    Now that was a surprise wasn’t it!? I have been looking for a little heifer to rear as another House Cow.  The Breeder called me yesterday morning with the good news that she had a wee heifer at last. She is another Ayrshire. Aida was born on Saturday and is very sweet. So I went over…

    Read more