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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


  • Breaking all the Rules of Carpentry

    While we have been farming, my friend the cabinet maker has been building the shelves/ cabinets for the Coupe.  The Coupe is a Tiny House being built adjoining our Home.  Our Johns Mother  will live there when she is ready to retire. Until then it will be a divine little guest house.   Everything is…

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  • A one legged rooster is not really one legged

    The chooks, roosters and the guineas swap feet when they are standing in the cold, one foot up, then that foot down and  then another foot up,  like a wee boy in his thin pajamas showing too much ankle on the cold bathroom floor desperately waiting for the toilet. Hurry UUUUP! His feet taking turns…

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  • Sheila’s Christmas Trick

    Most piggies can open a door and go out. That is not a problem.  Yes, many pigs can open doors to get out.  Maybe that is not too clever.Though Sheila’s smile of satisfaction is pretty sweet.   However Sheila has also worked out how to go back to the door, push the bolt about, get…

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  • It is the time of year for Christmas Revelry. If you want to.

    For many, many years I spent Christmas Day alone. Quite happily. I counted to thirteen Christmas mornings waking up in an empty house then I stopped counting. My children always spent Christmas with their beloved Grandmother my ex husbands mother. This was our tradition – a good one too. And I had a project every…

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  • The Christmas Owl

    Oh Owl.  You look so pretty. But where is your Christmas scarf and why are  you Carrying your star? I thought we agreed that you would Wear the star. You know. To be more Christmassy. I don’t want to be a Christmas Owl, miss c. Do I look like a tree? I am not a…

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  • Frozen rain falls like sharp stones

    Do you know that sharp gravel that you  can buy by the truck load? For the drive. The lane. The track.  Men buy it because the bashed up rock wants to snap back together and form a pointy barbed stony mat. Women would rather buy the soft rounded stones that are gentle on bare summer…

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