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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


  • Keep Your Hair on

    Keep Your Hair on

    An old fashioned saying of my grandfathers. In other words – settle down. No ripping the wig off your head and trampling on it in frustration. Do you remember that saying? I told Jude this morning – keep your hair on – as he tried to rip the gate off its hinges. Again. Jude is…

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  • Something this way weary comes

    Something this way weary comes

    The first thing I do in the morning is check my photographs from yesterday. And these photographs guide my post for today. But yesterday I was feeling cold and out of sorts. Not quite poorly but a little bloody. When you are feeling bloody it is like you don’t know where to put your body.…

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  • Wind and Rain, No Pictures Make

    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

    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

    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?

    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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