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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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Dirty Windows
This morning I will milk the cow, clean the buckets and the milking parlour, strain and store the house milk. Feed The Bobby and Marcel their milk. Feed the pigs their milk and hay and a little grain (for Poppy).( Who is taking after the ‘Flying Nun’. ) Feed the chickens their milk and their…
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Green
The Southerly wind threw itself at us yesterday. Spitting heavy rain in amongst the gales. Shaking the doors and windows looking to stick its long scissorhands fingers in through the cracks. The barn was easy prey for windy fingernails. It is a colander of a barn. More holes than you can shake a stick at. More whistles than a marching…
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Storm coming
They say. Who are they, anyway? Did they say? Poor They. The weather They. It would not surprise me to hear that They have all quit. Just up and gone away. They simply cannot bear to tell me about the weather today. There is a storm coming They say. Some Day. We will go out to play. I…
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Cameos of Cold and Calm
Queenie waits now. Altogether Daisy gave 70 pounds of milk again yesterday. But this morning is very, very cold. I am worried that the milking machine will not work. I held the calf back from Daisy yesterday because she had started holding her milk back from me – which is a recipe for disaster with a…
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Here’s to a new day
Every day is a good day. (Chooks drink milk too.) And I love to celebrate each day. In our own quiet way. Though yesterday was cold there was sun. Sun is good. Yesterday Daisy milked 40 pounds (at 6am) , then 28 pounds (at 12 noon) , then 22 pounds of milk (at 6pm)…
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Sunday Walkies
All these babies wake up a farm from its frigid winter slumber much faster than the weather. Even though we only just reached above freezing yesterday, still the babies all commanded attention and sweetness and good food. Even the biggest baby of them all our beloved Sheila. I have taken Poppy and her Bali Belly…
The Kitchen's Garden
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Letters To My Mother
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