Jade Valley Farm

Jade Valley Farm A journey towards a self sufficient lifestyle. The lessons, failures and joys of life on the land.

09/06/2026
09/06/2026

The newest group of heifers got to graduate up to being out in the paddock 24/7.
This is legitimately one of K1s favourite things to watch.

It is a big cattle weekend on the farmlet. 13 new babies arrived yesterday and they are gorgeous wee grass puppies.13 ca...
30/05/2026

It is a big cattle weekend on the farmlet.
13 new babies arrived yesterday and they are gorgeous wee grass puppies.
13 calves got weaned yesterday and we will be taking and 13 are going to their new homes this weekend.
Our mob of calves still on milk has shrunk significantly to only 6 now needing to get to the 100kg mark before they too get weaned.

25/05/2026

Got to love spray paint short hand to know what weight range your calves are all in.

Edit - 6 jars left. 12x 80mg jars of skin yumminess for sale - $25 + postage (New Zealand only). Home grown and grass fe...
22/05/2026

Edit - 6 jars left.

12x 80mg jars of skin yumminess for sale - $25 + postage (New Zealand only).

Home grown and grass fed sourced tallow which has been infused with vanilla pods for a light and pleasant fragrance and then Manuka honey sourced from our hive.

Added to the tallow is coconut oil infused with plantain and Kawakawa.

Skin benefits include

-Tallow
* nutrient-dense animal fat that acts as an intense moisturizer and occlusive barrier for the skin. It is rich in fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that closely resemble human sebum, helping to deeply hydrate and soothe dry, irritated, or compromised skin.

- Coconut oil
nourishing fatty acids like lauric acid and antioxidant Vitamin E, it deeply moisturizes dry skin, acts as a protective barrier, and offers anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties

- Kawakawa
*Reduces Inflammation & Redness: Kawakawa is a potent anti-inflammatory. Bioactives like myristicin help cells release nitric oxide, which reduces swelling, heat, and redness associated with eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis.Soothes Itching & Pain: Compounds like pellitorine have a natural numbing (analgesic) effect. This is particularly effective at breaking the "itch-scratch cycle" in eczema sufferers and providing relief from insect bites and stings.
*Natural Antimicrobial: It contains antiseptic and antimicrobial agents (including eugenol) that help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. This makes it useful for treating acne, minor cuts, grazes, and skin infections like athlete’s foot.
*Deep Hydration & Protection: When used in balms (often blended with beeswax and carrier oils), it creates a breathable, protective barrier that locks in moisture. This helps repair dry, cracked skin, heels, and lips without suffocating the tissue.
*Promotes Healing: It stimulates blood circulation to the applied area, which can speed up the natural repair process for minor wounds, burns, and even new tattoos

- Plantain
*Accelerates Healing: Rich in allantoin and aucubin, plantain stimulates cell regeneration, making it highly effective for minor burns, cuts, and scrapes.
*Soothes Inflammation: The mucilage in plantain leaves instantly cools and calms itchy, irritated skin caused by eczema, psoriasis, sunburns, or poison ivy.
*Fights Acne: Its natural antibacterial and astringent properties help kill acne-causing bacteria, tighten pores, and regulate excess oil production.
*Minimizes Scars: By promoting clean wound healing and cell turnover, plantain can help reduce the appearance of old and new scars.
*Provides Hydration: It helps the skin retain moisture while delivering antioxidants that protect against oxidative stress.

-Manuka Honey
*Honey offers antibacterial and antioxidant properties, all while maintaining a moist wound environment and protective barrier, which prevents microbial infections in the wound.
*Manuka honey can enhance wound healing, amplify tissue regeneration, and even decrease pain in people with burns. What’s more, Manuka honey may help heal diabetic ulcers.
*Manuka honey may also effectively treat wound infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

21/05/2026

That is 13 calves weaned now. Only 19 to go!!

A step closer……
20/05/2026

A step closer……

This weekend we say goodbye to the first four of our calves that are weaned. Having not done calves in over a year it wa...
16/05/2026

This weekend we say goodbye to the first four of our calves that are weaned.
Having not done calves in over a year it was crazy how little they still seem at 100kg when you have been working exclusively with older cattle.

Due to having to make room for the venison on the freezer all the tomatoes have ended up as tomato paste and also frozen down into small amounts which will be really useful for cooking going forward.

K1 is quite stoked to see it all organised and in the freezer now for future meals.

K1 also finished the first batch of whipped tallow. She utilised the Kawakawa leaves A came back from his hunting trip with. They were infused along with plantain into olive oil and then she also added Manuka honey from our hive.

It smells gorgeous having also had vanilla beans added into the tallow while it was melting down. It feels ever so slightly grainy from the crystals in the honey so it will likely go through a second melt down and then rewhip it.

Last night A and K1 processed 23kg of the venison into mince.  It has now been packaged into meal portions (500gms) and ...
13/05/2026

Last night A and K1 processed 23kg of the venison into mince. It has now been packaged into meal portions (500gms) and frozen down.

The second lot of tomatoes that had to come out of the freezer to make room for the venison is being made into tomato paste which then gets frozen down into 1 and 2 tablespoon lots of easy use later on.

The first lot of Kawakawa leaves is currently infusing into olive oil in a nice warm spot for the next 3 weeks minimum.

The calves for debudded by the vets today and K1 got sign off for the local anesthetic sign off necessary in NZ to legally do this at home. This is just another thing we don’t have to contract out now.
She took the time while the calves were in the yards to reweigh them all. 10 have been drafted into a separate mob to make weaning easier in two weeks time.
There is another 7 that will be drafted out in two weeks time for the same reason as they are not far behind this newly drafted mob headed towards weaning. They were a very sleepy lot of calves on their departure out to the paddock this afternoon.

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