Rosemary Propagation

Around here on the farm we like everything to serve at least one, even better, two purposes.  Something we have started to do when it comes to landscaping is to not put the focus on the aesthetics of the plant but the functionality. Is it edible to us, to the animals or provide food for bees?  If it meets none of those criteria, then it probably doesn't get planted. Thank goodness bees love flowers! The one herb we use a lot of in cooking is Rosemary. Last year, we planted a row of rosemary to act as a privacy hedge. The row is doing really well and now we want to expand it and also plant more around the property.  We have learned that rosemary has medical purposes for animals.  It  improves the respiratory systems, repels insects and provides a calming  factor for the animals.  Along with rosemary we have planted many other herbs for our benefit and the animals.  Now instead of going off and buying more plants we have tried to propagate more by cutting young growth stems off our already established plants.  What you do it find a limb that has not yet hardened - first year growth stem. You cut it and remove the leaves from the bottom 1-2”.  Then poke the stem Into some fertile soil and water once a day for 2 weeks.  I also added a willow tree stem into the soil for its natural root growth properties. If this works in the weeks to come we should have many more rosemary plants to add around the farm. Check out the video for a quick overview of how it's done!

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Hunker Down

Social Distancing and hunkering down, as a farmer/homesteader/homebody we've kind of got that down pat. Most of our days are spent here anyways, doing something. Growing, mending, nourishing, care taking. In some form or fashion. So, when everyone was told to socially distance themselves for the greater good of the people, we thought "Piece.of.Cake" Boy. Was I wrong. It doesn't take long to see just how much you can miss something you didn't realize you had. We had the blessing of meeting a wonderful family this evening on the farm - it was their first time out for an on farm pickup order. The first instinct for most when meeting someone new, is of course an extend of hand for a friendly handshake. Well, that's not the best idea right now. And then there was when the kids got out of the car and you could tell our son and their kids wanted to run around and see the farm. Play, interact. Because that's what we do when we have visitors out. Of course, to be safe everyone kept their distance. That one really got to me because these kiddos, for the most part, don't really understand what's going on. We had a wonderful conversation, a great visit, and it was a great time. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a small ache in my chest for the way things have come to be - hopefully for just a short period of time. One thing that has really stuck with me is this - Perhaps God is calling people to slow down and focus on Him. What better time to bring your family in close, cook a meal together, study your Bible together. Connect with Him while connecting with one another. Yes, there are many things we cannot/should not be doing right now that we're going to miss. But I personally believe there could be some amazing transformations within our homes and our lives if we just take the time to slow down. What better time to implement this than now, when we have nowhere to be?  Love & Wellness

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Honey Time

The amount of honey this household goes through is astronomical. We eat honey on everything. Honey on eggs, honey on bread, honey in recipes, and not to mention our all time favorite - honey and sausage. Being as self sufficient as we can, we decided that it was time to get some honey bees and try our hand harvesting our own honey when the time comes. First step, Bee Hives - Check.  Second step, put said Bee Hives together - Check & Check Thirdly, set up an area on the farm for the bees that the cows can't get to - Check And the step we're currently on - Obtain some bees! We have a dear friend who's parents have hives and she called yesterday to let us know the hive had split! Josh jumped in the truck and well, check out the videos below to see the rest! (Make sure your Sound is on - Listen to those bees Fly!

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