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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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Wind and Rain, No Pictures Make
It is early morning here on the plains. And while a lot of Illinois got wild weather overnight all we have here at the farm is wind and cold. No-one was particularly disappointed. About the lack of wild weather. And someone is still on a diet. Both these someone’s actually. Talking of diets. My daughter…
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The Highs and Lows
Today we will reach a record high of 70f (21C) at 3pm and within 12 hours the temperature will have dropped to 24f (-4.5C). The highs are not a surprise anymore – it has been an unseasonably warm February – it is these massive swift temperature swings that will cause damage. We will be frozen…
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A Well Placed Rocking Chair
I placed an old rocking chair in front of the barn and sat on it yesterday evening. And it was good! I never sit down out there. Why do I never do that!? The rocking chair blends with the barn. Looking like it has sat there forever. Small changes can have big repercussions. I will…
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How’s your Fake Spring?
Ours is great. I am even thinking of buying my yearly supply of clothes pegs for the clothesline! Where do all those pegs disappear to!? FreeBee is so much happier with a warmer day. This is how BooBoo breaks up cock-fights. Because he is not allowed to bite the roosters, he runs towards them and…
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Someone Left My Coat Out in the Rain
And that would be me!!! I thought about it in the night as I heard the rain begin. Heavy on my tin roof. So, from deep in my bed I did a quick mental inventory of the pockets. Then turned over and went back to sleep. I saw myself take it off when I got…
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When a Black Cat crosses your Path
Distant. Beautiful. That penetrating gaze. Slightly ethereal. Superior. Independent. Black Cat is deeply imbued with cat characteristics. And this cat crosses my path with panache. Stalking. I don’t know the sex of this cat but TomKat hisses at it. And the orange cats are very wary. No-one takes TomKat seriously, he is so hairy and…
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Letters To My Mother
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