Cheesemaking

Cheesemaking

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This morning, I opened the mini-fridge that houses our milk (we store it in a separate fridge so we can keep the temperature colder without freezing all our produce) and discovered that there was no room for this morning’s milking.  We’ve never had an overflow of milk before, but I knew it would come at some point and have been eagerly awaiting it.  Extra milk means…homemade cheese! I found a simple recipe online, and while making cheese might sound impressive, I can assure you that anyone who has…

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How To Get Wool From Angora Rabbits – The Easy Way

How To Get Wool From Angora Rabbits – The Easy Way

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With all the excitement of goat kids, we’ve all but forgotten to mention the other animals on here (and the newly started garden – more on that later.) Today, we’ll talk about our French Angora Rabbits. Frequently, people ask us if we shear our rabbits to get wool from them. You could shear them with scissors or clippers, but that leaves a blunt end on the fibers that makes it just a little more difficult to spin. We employ a different method…

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The End of Kidding Season

The End of Kidding Season

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Kidding season is awfully short when you only have two goats! Just like that, we’re done. When Steve went out to the barn this morning he could hear maa-ing from outside. He figured it was Pepper, who has been particularly vocal now that she has kids to herd around. However, as he got Pepper up onto the milk stand he realized that it was Flora calling out instead. Flora has been pretty much silent since we brought her home, so her sudden…

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Crying Over Spilt Milk

Crying Over Spilt Milk

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… no goat kids yet. Flora has been separated from the others so that she can have some privacy and rest these last few days. Still, she continues to keep us guessing. Who do you think will deliver first: Flora, or April the giraffe? I’m not holding my breath over the giraffe calf, but I am eager for Flora to get down to business.  You guessed it: a freshened goat means more dairy! Milk has been our running theme as…

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Mud, Mud, Mud… and some Milk

Mud, Mud, Mud… and some Milk

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Our quiet winter days have come to an abrupt end. Not that we ever have anything quiet around here; we do have three boys aged seven and under. Perhaps I should have said ‘uneventful’ rather than quiet. Gone are the moments of peacefully watching sap boil, we’re now full into milking, seed starting and mud. So far we’ve started onion, broccoli, pea and butternut squash indoors. The bay window in the front of our house has trays of seedlings set before it,…

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