Learning to connect...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 45

Today I spent the day with 15 other small farmer in a great little workshop on farm marketing put on by Small Farms Manitoba and Food Matters Manitoba and facilitated by Adrienne Percy from Nourished Roots Farm.  

Seemed appropriate to spend the day that celebrates relationships learning how to connect more with customers and others interested in what we are doing on the farm. 

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you! 

Laser Love

FFF Photo a Day - Day 44

It is once again date night on the farm. Tonight Farmer Phil and I are off to Laser Jungle in Stonewall to work our our stress and have some fun! 

Bubba and Chunk

Bubba loved to get dirty!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 43

I stumbled upon this picture of Bubba today and thought I would share her story with you. 

Bubba and her sister Chunk were two pot belly pigs who we first met at the AMazeIn Corn - a local corn maze that featured a small petting zoo. Our middle son who was then around 9 or 10 years old fell in love with them, so naturally at the end of the season, we brought them home. Two cute, little pigs!

As you can see they grew into their names, filling out in various directions, reveling in Caleb's attention. Unlike other pigs that came and went on our farm, Bubba and Chunk stuck around from one season to the next. 

Caleb even bred them both as part of a 4-H project and learned many lessons about raising piglets - fun and not so fun. 

Sourdough Success

My first sourdough starter!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 41

I've been wanting to get back into making bread with sourdough for awhile and this weekend I successfully made my first sourdough starter. For those that aren't familiar with sourdough baking, you need a 'mother' or a starter from which you extract a cup or so instead of using yeast in your baking. You must feed your 'mother' and maintain it in between baking sessions. 

I have a previous experience with sourdough baking that has made me a tad shy of the whole thing. About 20 years ago, a good friend gave me a tupperware container of starter, extolling its wonderful properties and possibilities. I dutifully put it in my car to take home....and forgot it there.... for days.... we brought the car to the wrecker later that summer - need I say more? Sourdough starter is not something you forget about! 

Learn to do, By Doing

4-H member learning welding in our shop.

FFF Photo a Day - Day 41

4-H is an international youth leadership program that we have been involved in for many years. We believe it gives our children so many skills and experiences that they may never gain otherwise. We invest a lot of our time and energy helping our children and those within the community to engage in 4H because it builds our future leaders. 

In 4-H our children can and have learned everything from how to raise livestock, take good photographs, cook nutritious meals, sew their own clothes, to how to manage their money, survive in outdoor weather, welding and blacksmithing. There is no end of skills that they can learn. On top of that they learn how to plan a project, practice public speaking, and know how to run an efficient meeting better than most adults. 

Learn to do by doing is the 4-H motto and it is a great way for kids to learn and gain confidence. We are a 4-H family! 

Should have named her Queenie

The view outside our bedroom window

FFF Photo a Day - Day 40

Our regular followers have met Avery before... Our Newfie cross thinks she is the Queen of the Farm and when not on the road, annoying all the people driving by can be found on the back laundry stoop/woodpile.

From up there she can see a good portion of our land and I think it just makes her feel superior. If she turns around she can also stare intently into our bedroom window willing us to do her bidding (let her in, fill her food dish, etc.) 

If you are interested in learning how to manipulate others, come learn from the master! She likes to be scratched behind the ears!

Last of the Sunshine...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 39

We finished off last summer's potatoes yesterday. We also only have six wrinkly tomatoes left and two small squash. Whether we like it or not, we are entering that irritating time of having to buy all our vegetables at the store.

It will likely be at least four-five months before we once again can taste real sunshine in our food. :(