White Acres Farmstead and Craft

10/15/2026

Homemade beef stew with tallow. It was so tasty.

10/14/2026

Datura of Yucca & Mohave County, Arizona 🌵

Did you know we have three different species of Datura in our desert area? While they all share distinct roundish, spiny seed pods, here is how you can spot the differences between them:

🌸 Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii)
This is the species you'll encounter most often around here. It features silky, pure white flowers with a white or pale green throat.

🟣 Desert Thornapple (Datura discolor)
Look closely at the bloom—its white-to-lavender flowers feature a striking purple/violet throat.

🌿 Common Jimsonweed(Datura stramonium)
Features funnel-shaped white or pale-purple flowers and distinctive spiny, coarse-toothed leaves. Its spiny seed pods are also smaller and more egg-shaped compared to the other two.

⚠️ Important Safety Note:
All three species are highly toxic if ingested. The sap can cause skin irritation, and the pollen can bother sensitive individuals. Enjoy their beauty from a safe distance—just don't handle the sap or ingest any part of the plant, and you'll be perfectly fine!

📜 Historical Context:
Historically, various cultures around the world studied and documented these plants for their potent, naturally occurring tropane alkaloids. Because these compounds are so powerful, it's best to admire them strictly as a wild desert marvel!

All 3 where used for:
Pain & Inflammation Relief: Leaves were crushed into poultices, salves, or oil infusions and applied directly to the skin to numb severe pain from sciatica, broken bones, severe bruising, and acute rheumatism.

Bites and Stings: Poultices were used topically to draw out the pain and venom from tarantula bites, scorpion stings, and ant stings.

Respiratory Ailments: In rare, highly controlled spiritual or medical contexts, the smoke from dried leaves was inhaled in tiny amounts to dilate the bronchial pathways during severe asthma or respiratory infections. But

Common Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) was used more for Asthma Ci******es. When smoked the atropine temporarily paralyzed the spasms in the lungs to open up the airways.

⚠️ Important Disclaimer: The information shared in this post is for educational and historical purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or a prescription for any condition. Many plants contain potent active compounds that can interact with medications or be hazardous if used incorrectly. Always consult with a licensed healthcare professional or qualified physician before using any new herb or natural remedy.

👇 Let's talk in the comments:
Have you ever encountered this plant in the wild, or do you study traditional botanical uses? Let me know your thoughts below!

Photos are of some of the Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii) on our property.
Garden zone 9b Arizona.

10/13/2026

Camille’s at it again! 🦃

Everybody warned me about goats and how they like to jump and act up. But our three goats are great—no issues at all, nobody’s jumping out of anything.

The turkeys, on the other hand... they're something else! They keep jumping the fence—mostly Camille, but Gonzo does it too. Everybody said turkeys are sweet, loving, and friendly. Ours *are* friendly, they just refuse to stay where we want them to stay!

That’s on us, though, and we can fix it. I still think it’s hilarious! 😂

Does anyone else have farm animals that refuse to stay in their area? Tell me your escape artist stories in the comments! 👇

10/12/2026

10/12/2026

Thank goodness the only damage we received was one of the Joshua trees over by the duck area. 🌵🦆

We got **3.5 inches of rain today**, which actually puts us over our total yearly rainfall! For our area in Yucca, Arizona, we usually only average **8.1 inches** for an entire year.

The photo of the small tree is our velvet mesquite we planted. It's doing so good this year.

How is everyone else faring after today's storms? Let us know in the comments! 👇

10/11/2026

I don't think we will be going anywhere for a few days. The last main road to our property is running like a river and we still have more rain coming. This is Yucca, Arizona.

10/10/2026

If you can't find Bronson go look at the goats. He loves guarding them.

Yes there's a huge tarp over the goat area right now. We are expecting some rain and some wind.

This was the only tarp we had left over after tarping everyone else.

So there whole area got covered.

10/10/2026

Bronson & Stazie ❤️ Arizona skies💕 German shepherds💕

10/10/2026

⚠️ **WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS BELOW (For Educational Purposes)** ⚠️

Life on the farmstead isn't always fun and games.

This week was a tough one at White Acres. On Monday, we had a freak accident. I had just checked on the rabbits and everything was completely fine. I walked back toward the door—maybe taking 3 or 4 seconds—shut it, and suddenly heard a terrible scream. I knew right away it was one of our rabbits.

I ran back out and saw a baby dove trying to get out of Cash’s cage. Cash seemed scared, his house was upside down, and the back of his cage had somehow come loose. I freed the dove, fixed the setup, and left Cash alone so he could decompress.

On Tuesday, he wasn't moving around much, but he was still eating and drinking. By Wednesday, though, he started showing clear signs of injury 😔. We brought him inside, set him up in a small box with blankets, food, and water, and kept him immobilized so he wouldn't hurt himself further. No vet would see him, so we did our absolute best to keep him comfortable. He stayed alert and kept eating and drinking.

I checked on him at 3:30 AM to give him water and wet mash. When I checked again at 7:47 AM, he was still hanging in there, but I could tell he was in more pain. By 9:47 AM, he was gone 🥲.

It was really hard to see. I processed him myself and cried the whole time—I felt so terrible about the accident. While processing him, I discovered he had broken his back, so there truly was no saving him.

The whole accident took less the 1 minute.

Because Cash was our only male, our meat rabbit breeding program is now on hold. Even though they are raised for meat, Cash was our first buck, a big boy, and so sweet. I'm keeping his pelt to remember him.

**A question for fellow homesteaders:**
Would you eat the meat in a situation like this, use it for dog food, compost, or bury?

*(Photos attached show the broken area for educational purposes.)*

10/09/2026

Just picked up a breed I’ve wanted for a very long time! 🐔✨ Welcome to the farmstead, our 3 Cuckoo Marans!

They’re a great dual-purpose breed, and we can’t wait for those dark chocolate brown eggs. 🍫🥚

Are you raising any favorite chicken breeds on your farmstead? Let us know in the comments! 👇