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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


  • This kept me working late last night

    This kept me working late last night

    The chicken poop truck came yesterday. To spread the last of our natural manure onto the organic fields. And yes! The pong was as awful as usual. However there was rain in the forecast so they worked late. I wrote late ( too noisy to sleep) so was able to film this two tractor fly-by…

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  • I put the cows in with the hog, then this happened

    I put the cows in with the hog, then this happened

    FreeBee and The Cows are sleeping together. More on this later. First – here is the funniest thing that happened this weekend! I am putting this right at the top because we need a laugh! Here is the writing from the weekend. I feel totally confident with the week-day TKG Take Ten, I think these…

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  • 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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