Happily Ever Homestead

09/29/2024

3 weeks of Mr. Cowboy!

•Hes growing incredibly fast on mom’s milk, i cant pick him up anymore.
•His favorite game is kicking chickens.
•He has grown sweet and loves head rubs.

But, jersey bulls have a reputation of becoming very aggressive. Mr. Cowboy will soon have an appointment with the vet to be castrated & dehorned. These aren’t my favorite things to do, but it wont be long and he will realize hes stronger than I am…

09/25/2024

Hi! I know a lot of you are eagerly waiting for milk so I thought id give you an update! Originally when I told you all I could get you milk in September, that was assuming both cows would calve in September.

But if there is anything farming has taught me, it NEVER goes as planned. Our other jersey didnt end up getting pregnant at the same time so she isnt going to have her baby for another 2 months! (For perspective, normally I have about 10 gallons a day available and I only have 4 currently.)

So yes, I have some milk but not enough for everyone yet. HANG IN THERE! If anyone is secretly going to surprise me with 50 acres and 15 more cows… im ready for my surprise. 🙃

09/21/2024

Things Bailey finds super interesting that the rest of the world probably doesn’t care about… different cream lines from the same cow! The jar on the left has significantly more cream than the right.

Do you know the ONLY difference between these two jars? The calf was nursing while i was milking mom for the jar on the left. The calf was NOT nursing while I was milking the jar on the right.

I dont understand the science of it, but a cow can actually hold the cream until she thinks the calf is nursing. Her body will save it and prioritize giving it to the baby.

How. Incredible. 😍 This is another reason why calf sharing isnt common in the dairy industry. The farmers and customers want that cream! I cant blame them.. I have a tiny bit of resentment towards Cowboy right now. Ill continue to be patient and let Cowboy take what he needs, thats top priority for us while hes young!

09/19/2024

Good morning everyone! I am leaving for Texas next weekend and need some help milking. I would love to train someone who wants to learn so I can have a back up milkmaid.

The tricky part is scheduling for everyone.. i am needing Friday night to Sunday morning. Kids are welcome as long as you think theyll be okay while youre working.

It takes me 30 minutes from start to finish, but im sure a newb will need some more time. But I would think an hour would be plenty of time!

09/17/2024

GUESS WHAT! Its time for our 2nd merch release! 😍

This is available in unisex teeshirt or unisex crew.
Teeshirt is $18
Sweatshirt $25

Also, if you reached out because you wanted our last sweatshirt.. you can order that now! I will order them at the same time. (Ill post a picture in the comments.)

Sonia Bartels & Anngela Brewer I still have your shirts, shoot me a message and we can coordinate if you still want it!

09/13/2024

Calf sharing.
Cow, calf and farmer working together. ❤️
This has always been the goal for our farm. I believe that dam (mom) raised calves are the healthiest.

Its taken two years for me to figure this out. We have failed and failed again. I have cried some serious tears in the barn and even called my cows some really terrible names… (they forgave me, its fine.)

This wont last forever, eventually this calf will be stronger than I am and wont put up with my shenanigans. But were enjoying it now!

09/10/2024

Raw milk can be unsettling, but my goal is to hopefully reverse that “dangerous” stigma. Here are some things that help to keep our milk safe & clean:

1). Use a machine. The milk goes straight from the cow into a sterilized tank.
2). Testing. Once a month I make the drive to Peoria and have the bacteria counts tested in the milk.
3). Chilling. The quicker you can chill your milk, the better! Our milk is immediately put in a cold water bath to bring it down below 40° promptly.

Besides the nutritional value, raw milk isnt all that different from store milk. If it starts to go bad, youll know. The taste & smell will change! But its not uncommon for our milk to last 2+ weeks if stored properly. Which is a good sign of clean milk! ❤️

(Pictured below is all new parts for our machine, an added step to clean milk!)

09/08/2024

What an absolutely incredible life. Welcome to the family, little guy. ❤️

09/08/2024

09/08/2024

Is it time?! Alexis bag this morning at 10:15 on the left, her bag tonight on the right!

Her milk is definitely coming in.
Ligaments are disappearing.

Bring. On. The. Baby! 😍

09/06/2024

All of my customers are chomping at the bit for milk sales to ramp up again! (You guys are the absolute best!) Were 4 days out from our due date! But what does that mean for our consumers? Well, I wont have milk for you in 4 days… Sorry. 😬

Heres the scoop: After momma has her baby, her body will be producing colostrum. (The life saving liquid gold that will ramp up the baby’s immune system and prepare it to thrive in life). We will wait 5-7ish days for all the colostrum to be out of mom’s system. THEN I will send off some milk for testing.. as long as it comes back with a green light, the milkroom will open its doors again!

Fun fact: Did you know in the state of IL, in order to legally sell raw milk your milk must meet the Grade A standards? That means our raw milk is tested the EXACT same as your store bought pasteurized milk. There are no exceptions. ❤️

09/01/2024

9 DAYS UNTIL OUR DUE DATE! 😍 For a little fun, lets all take a guess at when she will calve and if you think it will be a heifer/bull! My guess: 9/12 Heifer!

08/31/2024

If youre looking for a guilt free snack.. this is it! Homemade popcorn! 😍 The kids loved watching it pop as well.
3 tblsn Coconut Oil
4 tblsn butter
Add oil/butter to a thick bottomed pan along with 3 kernels. Turn on high heat, when the 3 kernels pop.. your oils are hot enough!
Add in 1/2 cup kernels
Cover with lid, remove from burner and swirl pot for 1 minute. Add the pot back to the burner and the kernels should start popping! When popping slows, immediately dump into your bowl. Add salt to taste. 🙌

08/28/2024

I posted this on my personal page, but I think its important to post it here too. I want you guys to know exactly who you’re supporting when you support me.

I believe in morals over money.
I believe that kindness is always the answer.
I believe in working towards being a better version of myself every day.
I believe that children are our most important gifts.
I believe that wealth does not come from money.
I believe that true happiness comes from serving others.

I also believe that the only way im going to grow into the person I want to be is if God is holding my hand and guiding me. So this weekend we chose baptism.. and this is my new favorite picture of myself.

The way we live life and farm is very different from conventional life. And I love that you all stand by my side to support the bigger picture. ❤️🙏🏻

08/26/2024

GOOD MORNING! I know its going to be 100° these next couple of days.. BUT our very first merch release for Fall is today. 🥰

This is a unisex crewneck available in all sizes for $25! If you would like to place an order for one, please comment your size and how many. You will NOT be billed until I place the order! (Hopefully later this week but we will see.) Ill send you a message at that time and confirm your order!

08/19/2024

Have a dairy cow but not sure how to tell when shes getting close to her due date? The cow on the left isnt due for a couple of months. The cow on the right is due in 3 weeks. Here are a few things to notice & compare:

Bag development: When a cow is dry or not producing milk, her bag looks wrinkly and empty. As they get closer to calving, the rising hormones will cause the bag to fill back out. This is NOT full of milk, milk doesnt typically come in until a couple days before or after delivery.

V***a swelling: A common term for this is “springing”. As the cow gets closer to calving the hormones also cause her v***a to swell.

Changes in belly: As a cow gets close to delivery, the baby will drop and get into position for delivery. A cow will look SUPER pregnant one day, and then the next she will look skinny because the baby has shifted!

Last and most important: her tail ligaments will get soft and disappear! This is the best sign that your cow is close to delivering. Unfortunately, this doesnt happen until right before delivery. Youve got about 24 hours or less before the baby comes!

Every cow is different and the only true sign to go by is the tail ligaments. But as you learn your cow, youll be able to read her body better and better every year!

Also, none of this applies to heifers because they do what they want. Hence the term, “Dont be a heifer.” 😉

08/15/2024

Its been in my sights for SO long to have some apparel, and Carolyn Pemberton is making it happen for me! Stayed tuned this fall for some super cute merch. 😍

08/13/2024

IVE DONE IT! After 4 years of trying to grow potatoes, I did it! 🎊 Do I know what I did this year that was different? No. Am I confident I can repeat this next year? Also no.. but who cares, were eating taters this fall. 🤣

08/12/2024

Here is a harsh reality that may rock the boat in the homesteading world…. Everyone wants grain-free, non gmo, pesticide free etc livestock, but sometimes thats simply not the best decision.

For example, which do you think is better for the COWS sake?
1). High quality hay that was been sprayed with herbicides.
2). Low quality hay that hasnt been sprayed with herbicides.

In a perfect world, we would get high quality hay that has never been sprayed! Unfortunately in todays world, most of us dont have access to that. If a farmer was to only feed their cows the unsprayed low quality hay, they would starve their livestock. Their cattle would have low immune systems that would lead to other health issues like milk fever, retained placentas, miscarriages, etc. Not all hay (or feed) is created equal.

In my opinion, it is inhumane to deny a livestock the nutrition its body needs for your own priorities. Im very fortunate I have access to good quality grass hay & alfalfa that has never been sprayed. If I didnt have access to this hay, would I still buy high quality hay that had been sprayed? Absolutely. I will not sacrifice my cows health just to benefit my own. If my health is higher priority, I should sell my cows and buy the organic option at the store.❤️

Here is a picture of one of our girls in tip-top shape! Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

08/11/2024

Do any of you remember Astra? She was my first milk cow that I shed lots and lots of tears over.

Long story short, Astra carries a bacteria that she can never get rid of. It makes her milk unsafe when shes having a flare up but also its contagious to my other cows. It was an impossible decision, but I made the decision to send her to the butcher. The same week that I heard back from the butcher about processing her, we realized she was pregnant!

So by the grace of God, we still own this sweet gigantic beast. AND shes due to have her calf very soon… Although she wont be bred again and her future doesnt look promising, right now she can stay on the property we rent and raise beef for us.

So all of this to be said, I need bottle calves! Astra produces 9 gallons a day so im looking for 3, possibly 4. I know the market is very high on calves right now, but im hoping this post finds a cattle farmer who simply doesnt want to mess with a bottle calf.

One farmers annoying bottle calf is another farmers dream bottle calf. I think thats how the saying goes? 😉

08/09/2024

Im looking into having our milk jars etched with our farm logo. Is there anyone local who does this?

08/01/2024

Pesto Chicken & Zoodles. Last year I turned EVERY single zucchini into zucchini bread. 🙈 This year I promised myself to do better with the produce. Raw zoodles, cherry tomatoes, homemade basil & mozz cheese! If you dont have a julienne y-peeler, I highly recommend!

07/31/2024

VANILLA EXTRACT!
Its super simple to make, here is the breakdown at a beginner level:

Vanilla Beans:
https://a.co/d/c8ZORqu

Bottles:
https://a.co/d/6Fm7zDS

Alcohol: Stick with a plain vodka or white rum.

1 oz of beans to every 8 oz of alcohol. (You can double the amount of beans if you want a stronger extract.) Alcohol MUST be at least an 80 proof. Slice your beans down the middle so the alcohol can really pe*****te. The longer it sits, the better it gets! Throw the jars in a dark/room temperature place and shake them every once in a while.

Thats it! If youre not a beginner you can spice things up by getting different beans/alcohol combination and creating new flavors.

Pro tip: these 4 oz jars make excellent Christmas gifts! They can be made for a little over $7 per jar. But you better start them now. 👀

07/30/2024

Dont forget, we still have some homegrown chicken & ground beef! But our supply is dwindling for both. We wont have either available for another year or so.

Sn**ch it up while you can! 🍗 🥩

07/25/2024

Its a good thing Im a few states away, because I dont think I could make eye contact with my cows while drinking this “creamer”. 🫣

But on a serious note, I want to very simply explain good fats vs bad fats. Your brain is made up of 60% FAT. Making it the fattiest organ in your body.

Not all fats are created equal, this is whats important. Animal fats FEED your brain. Seed oils INFLAME it. This creamer is mainly water, sugar & vegetable oil..

Animal fats=brain fuel.
Seed oils=brain fog.