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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


  • Amazing shots of the sundogs , visiting Sheila and racking the wine.

    The sun with his dogs.  Frankly I find these images downright spooky. These were taken from the field and yes it was cold.  Ads shooting straight into the sun creates some odd effects but there is something deeply supernatural about these.  What does it mean to have this in your skies, as you trudge in…

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  • The Firewood, the Ark, and Sheila Bites the Boar

    Out on The Matriarch’s old farm, where John grew up, is an old mulberry tree planted by his Grandfather.  Last winter this branch fell. This winter this dead branch will keep his grandson (and his good wife)  warm. On the way home we dropped into John’s workshop (at the old farm) so he could show…

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  • How to tell when your ewe is due.

    Yesterday I received this wonderful tip from one of the wonderful Fellowship of the Farmy. r says: January 25, 2014 at 5:03 am (Edit) I am throwing my two cents worth of lambing prediction for your consideration. I go by the udder size to predict the number of weeks or days until lambing. My sheep hate my…

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  • Rocking the Barn

    Not as in rock ‘n roll either. Just a’rockin’. The frozen winds were so strong yesterday that the barn was heaving in and out, like a giant loudly asthmatic bellows. Often I anchor the camera by leaning it on the barn wall or a post but that was hopeless yesterday as the whole barn was…

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  • Thank you Post Mistress: How to make cat treats.

    They say it takes a village to raise a child – it seems it takes a postal route to raise a kitten.  This was delivered to my mail box yesterday.  Or it may have been the day before yesterday. Today Our John and I were debating whether it was Wednesday or Thursday.  Ah well I…

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  • Sticky Face.

    I thought I would be clever and upended the somewhat empty frozen gallon flagon of molasses, jammed it into Daisy’s feeder so it dripped into her hay and let them fool around with it for the day. OOPS! Then leaving Queenie to clean up the last of it Daisy went outside to bury her head…

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