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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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Scenes while Mowing
Our old mower is so loud and so old and so wonky that it is a wrestling match to get mowing done. But I cleaned up the pathways between the asparagus beds. (There is a little asparagus coming up but still not much – too cold yet). The ducks are curiously unfazed by the mower.…
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What is Your First Childhood Memory?
I have been thinking a lot about memories lately. With all the new writing I am doing. All my life I have believed my first childhood memory to be two linked moments when I was in a push chair looking at outdoor fresh water fish in a tank at a neighbours house. Our neighbour on…
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The Hen-House Doors open to the Great Outdoors.
I let the chickens out in to the wilding field yesterday evening. We are safe from the rooster threat now. A few roosters went to one place and a few roosters went to another place (to introduce new characteristics to the gene pools of other flocks), so now there are only 5 roosters left on…
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The Re-Wilding of a Farm Field
We have a lot of wild areas out here in this corner of the prairie. I used to call them my faerie gardens but really they are just wild and out of control. I have no time for formal gardens that I cannot eat. I guess I garden with trees. Re-wilding is a way to…
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Do you talk to yourself?
I do. I talk to myself all day. Mainly because I am by myself all day. I think talking to yourself is perfectly healthy. Here are some of the things I say to myself “OK”, “Right”, “That’s not heavy”, “Are you crazy?”. “Coffee time.” “What the hell is he doing?” “DRINK!” (did you ever watch…
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Another Reason To Walk Down The Back
Don’t just sit there – get up and walk! I know right ? (wriggles in chair and sits up straighter) – our bodies were not designed for a sedentary existence. When I was working with the online tutoring company I spent way too long sitting and I ached! My whole body went out in protest…
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Letters To My Mother
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