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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


  • I can’t see you, so you can’t see me and a floating chook!

    Little piggy games. Funny dog Games. Yesterday we sowed all the high summer vegetables all over again. The secret to growing lots of food across a whole summer is successive plantings. Already we are eating like kings. Last night we had lamb burgers flavoured with mint and fresh garlic, slathered with  a chimichurri made from…

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  • Home again, Home again, Jiggedy Jig

    Back to the farm, the animals and ordinary old gardening and housework. Why is it that a drill always appears on the table when I am gone.  Boo  will not let me out of his sight now that I am home. He has picked up a few bad habits while you and I were not…

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  • A horse is a horse – of course, of course …

    The horse riding was as torturous as expected, due to lack of padding between my bony bottom and the saddle. But the horses were fat and happy. We rode for two hours  through dense and stunning Canadian forest. We walked single file one horse following the other at a rolling sailor’s plod, the saddles were…

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  • No horsies today, all lost and gone away

    The horses were all booked out,  so we postponed and went for another punishing walk.. as high as we could bear, which was not very much higher in the scheme of things, to a little reservoir lake. Then we had a picnic with crostini and olive tapanade and pan fried local steak cut into paper…

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  • The Hills are Alive

    I don’t think it is the mountains intention to make us feel small. The mountain just sits within his height and watches. I think it is us little humans who see our smallness … reflected in a mountains unrelenting gaze. A reminder for us. To nod our woolly heads and say thank you to the…

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  • Climbing Trees won’t save you from Black Bears

    Because Black Bears are excellent climbers. However it is always worth a crack Trev. If you see a grizzly throw yourself at his feet and assume a star shape so he can’t roll you over. How this is useful I am not entirely sure  but the little wildlife preparedness card  in our Motel room tells…

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