The White Family Homesteaders

     So if you haven't heard we've been accepted into our local farmer's market.  It's pretty big news like scream it from the roof tops news.  Someone pinch me, because I'm not sure all this is real...did we really sign up to grow food for others?  Yes we've talked about it before, about maybe having a little stand to sell our extra vegetables but who knew it would be this season. Oh so many strawberries.      After we first put in our application I began to think about what makes a farm or homestead.  I began to feel like maybe we aren't ready for this step or if people will take us seriously.  When I think of a farm or homestead I think of people raising beef or the massively huge vegetable and fruit producers who have workers because there's so much to pick and plant.  But here on our homestead it's quite literally a mom and pop homestead.  We provide food for ourselves and any extras we give to friends and fa...

     One day into fall and I'm loving the weather change.  Summer has always been my favorite season since I hate being cold but I think fall might be my new favorite season.  It might have something to do with the fact that we have a homestead and most of our time is spent outside and with the summer heat it's hard to do much for very long.  Plus I've found a new passion this summer, canning.  Our home doesn't have AC so it's quite miserable to have the stove on to boil water, we just about melt while preserving.  This year I have welcomed fall with open arms.      I made a trip to our local farm supply store and picked up eight new chicks to add to our brood.  When I got home lil man got a huge smile on his face when he heard the chicks chirping.  Papa had their new home all ready for them, we just had to get their food, water and grit in the brooder.  Lil farmer boy gave each one a tiny pet as I took them out o...

Our homestead made a big decision this week, we put down a deposit on two baby boer goats.  The hubby and I put up hot wire in the back of our house recently but I was dragging my feet about actually making the decision of when to get some goats.  I'm all about planning and making sure we are up for any decision we make before giving the green light.  Homestead papa likes just jumping in and figuring things out as we go.  To be fair though he does a lot of research before hand.  But with me I need to know every possible challenge and that we can overcome it and I need to know that we can financially handle a new responsibility.  If it was up to me though it would take me years before I said yes, I'm just a bit of a scaredy-cat.  Casey's best answer to make me agree is to say that if it doesn't work out we can sell what ever it is...we've yet to sell anything.  I found a great deal on some cross Boer baby goats on Craigslist and sent the link t...

We are extremely happy with how the garden is doing. Plants are producing vegetables, flowers are blooming and we have a big grin on our face.  Our peas are producing a lot and so are the zucchini plants.  Little farmer boy is in love with the peas and picks at least two every time we go to the garden to nibble on.  One of the many sunflowers in the garden, I'm in love with them. The zucchini row growing steady. Our goal this summer is to can more of our fortunes from our garden along with some delicious pickens from local farms.  Last summer we canned some peach jam and we wanted to try strawberry jam this year.  We found a recipe from Certo and picked up some strawberries and had a day of canning jam.  Luckily we did it on a day that wasn't in the 90s, cause boy was our kitchen hot.  There were a few incidents of burning our   finger tips but nothing too serious. Our other challenge was our two year old wanting our attention and ...