Everyone loves cheese!

Day 14 - FFF Photo of the Day

Cheese is my chocolate! I am of the opinion that cheese is near enough to being perfect than it gets in the food world! 

We have made a variety of cheeses, from cheddar, to chevre to mozzarella - all with various levels of success. While we are still honing our skills in this area, there is nothing better than the moment when you realize that 'it worked!'. We primarily have worked with our goat milk but hope to move into cow's milk next year as we gain a better supply. 

Here we are making mozzarella which involves working and stretching the hot cheese with your hands - a bit like taffy! Its a bit of a trick to avoid burning your hands but still work the cheese before it cools off! 

Pecking order

Day 13 - FFF Photo a Day

We raise chickens for meat in the summer months and eggs throughout the year. We bring our hens inside the barn during the really cold winter months. 

A couple of times a day we go out to feed, check their water and gather eggs. When you enter the coop, they come running to peck the snow off your boots! 

Meet Gaston

Day 12 - FFF Photo a Day


This is Gaston - our bull calf that was born this past July. He has turned into quite a fur ball and enjoys running around his mom in circles. 

Local folks may have seen him at the AMazeIn Corn in Ste. Adolphe where he hung out for a few months this summer. There he was known as 'Dexter' and enjoyed being spoiled by everyone who came to visit. 

A month ago he managed to get himself hopelessly stuck in the hay feeder and we had to cut him out with the angle grinder. We were pretty worried for a while but he bounced back with no lasting effect. 

For a beastie who is only 6 months old, he's had a eventful life! 

A remedy for the winter blues!

Day 11 - FFF Photo a Day

We are always looking for ways to extend our season and try to bring many of our herbs in over the winter. 

We hang and dry our oregano, parsley and basil and pop our rosemary into pots in front of our sunny southern windows. 

It is wonderful to add fresh rosemary to our meat dishes in the cold winter months. 

When I'm feeling down, I bury my face in our rosemary plant and breathe deep! Instant pick me up!

Connections are important!

Day 10 - FFF Photo of the Day 

Today we went to the first (annual - I hope) Small Farms Manitoba Conference in Oak Bluff. 

Small Farms Manitoba is the brain child of Kalynn Spain who has spent the last 1-2 years meeting and profiling small farmers around the Province and has created a wonderful website that provides a platform for all small farmers to reach their customers. Whether you are looking for great local food to eat or want to find work on a farm, check out the website to easily find what you are looking for. 

The conference was a resounding success, drawing loads of farmers and producers from all over. While there was some great content and much learning, one of the most valuable things about the day was the ability to connect with others that show the same passion and have similar experiences. Farming can be a pretty solitary enterprise unless you make efforts to connect with others. It was great to network, share a great meal and learn some new things. Thanks Kalynn for making it happen!  

Motivation...

Day 9 of FFF Photo a Day

Farming is more than a business or even a interesting past time. 

For us farming is and has always been about raising our family in the way we want. A way of knowing, in a very intimate way, of where your food comes from. A way to create a very basic connection for our children with the earth that nourishes them. 

There are many rewards (and challenges) that come with farming. One of the best, is sitting down to a meal such as this one. 

As you sit, you know that the food will be good - not only tasty but healthy. You know that in a very personal and intimate way... that is not possible from a transaction at a supermarket. 

It's what keeps us motivated, its what keeps us going! 

Day 8 - FFF Photo a Day

On our farm we raise goats primarily for milk production. We use milk to make yogurt, cheese and soap - pictured here. 

Contrary to popular belief, I find soap fairly easy to make. Goat's milk soap is creamy and lush but not too soft or mushy. 

Besides milk, you can use a variety of oils such as almond, olive, or coconut oil. We add a small amount of essential oils to our soap to give it a pleasant scent. You can also add tints or colour although I prefer the creamy white that comes from the use of the goat's milk with no additives. 

We use a silicon brownie mold for our soap molds as it makes these tidy, uniform little bars very easily, however there are so many different molds and shapes that you can use. If you are interested in further information on soap making, there are many resources on-line including one of my previous blogs - Soap making - the art of clean.