living the dream, farming in Wisconsin

Chocolate pudding & a NEW documentary!

  What is it like to “Live the Dream”? Here’s the trailer for a short documentary made this summer on the farm, by the very talented filmmaker Jila Nikpay. Go to her website to watch the whole piece for free! Click HERE. It is very personal and honest and….it made ME cry! Jila was able to collect and capture all this information, all my ramblings, all these images, all the sounds and craft them…

Turkey & Goose Harvest Workshop

Come out to the farm on Saturday, July 30th and learn how to compassionately harvest your own turkey or goose, with me demonstrating and helping you through the entire process. I’ve raised these beauties on all organic feed, they are living the good life ranging around the farm, snacking on grass and plants and even getting hard boiled duck eggs as treats! I have 10 spots available. There is no…

Summer begins, and Co-op love

My days are full of animals, just how I dreamed. While cuteness abounds, I cannot lie – it is very overwhelming at times to manage all these little beings and make sure they are safe and sound and happy. I guess if I didn’t take it seriously, I wouldn’t feel so stressed out, but there is so much to constantly keep on the front burner when you are responsible for caring for animals. So I’ve been…

Boy oh boy, it’s been quite the time out here. The lady ducks are laying like bonkers and I had all my spring baby birds arrive within two weeks of each other. Broiler Chicks, Turkeys, Ducklings and Goslings! I have had my hands full, to say the least. Meanwhile, you can find my Duck Eggs on special right now at several of the Co-ops in the Twin Cities area, including The Wedge, Mississippi…

Stillwater CSA Fair & Duck Eggs are back!

Happy early Spring to all! Glorious weather has caused the ducks to announce it officially, they are laying eggs like crazy. I’m getting eggs to the co-ops one by one, right now you’ll find them at Eastside, Seward, Wedge, River Market, Mississippi Market and Lakewinds Richfield. YAY to the return of Duck Eggs! The ladies are enjoying this spring thaw very, very much. There is nothing a duck…

Farmstead Kitchen- Baked Beef Curry

While the name of this recipe is not too enticing, I can assure you the end results will blow your mind! SO much flavor, so tender, and really a perfect way to cook leaner meat with delicious results. This recipe came from my neighbor Lisa, who makes it with venison. Since highland beef is so similar to venison in flavor, and also lean and more mature than regular corn/soy-fattened beef, I had a…

Pastured Meat CSA Shares!!!

LTD Farm 2016 Pastured Meat CSA Offerings! Thank you for your interest in my delicious and sustainably-raised Pastured Meats! It is my pleasure and honor to grow amazing food for you and yours, with love and compassion in my heart each day as I tend to these wonderful animals. I’ve made a few changes this year, asking for a bit more up-front to help fund my farm when I need the cash flow. Spring…

A lot of driving

I need to explain what has been going on for me and why I haven’t been writing here much lately. My Dad had a series of mini-strokes just 2 days before Christmas. He was in the hospital recovering and going through rehabilitation for almost a month after that. He’s doing ok now, but the hospital is 2 hours away from the farm, so I was driving a whole lot. Thankfully I had JUST bought a new-to-me…

LTD Farm fundraiser- you get meat delivered to your door

I bought a “new” Subaru FUV (Farm Utility Vehicle) this past December, and then engine blew up last week. I need to ask for help as I am out $4,000, and NOW have to buy another vehicle. This is life, I know, but you can help me by signing up and prepaying for meat that I raise this year, and then, because it is a fundraiser, I can bring it to you!!! Read all the info and let me know if you have…

Farm Dream, Chapter 2

Happy New year! SO, here’s the next installment in my “Farm Dream” book. Remember, it is NOT perfect, but I hope there will be some good nuggets for you to think about as you begin or continue on with your Farm Dream!

  Chapter 2

Homestead vs. Farm, Scale & Specializing

  Homesteading versus Farming Homesteading – a lifestyle pursuing self sufficiency by growing your own food and living off the…

A New Year’s gift for you

I have been sitting on my “Farm Dream” manuscript for over a year now. Who am I to have anything to say to anyone about how to start the journey of becoming a farmer? Well, I do have a lot of experience, but this past year has been personally difficult and confidence shaking, and that held me back from working on this project. Also, I have to admit it was even more daunting whenever I imagined…

Happy New Year everyone! So- I just got LTD Farm up and running on INSTAGRAM!!! Come find me there, I’ll be sharing pictures much more frequently now, yay! Isn’t it amazing to see how quickly technology is developing, and for small scale farmers, this one in particular is so fun and gratifying. After one of the warmest starts to winter I’ve ever experienced, the snow season has finally arrived.…

I designed my first custom mugs through Snapfish.com! I’d ordered cards from them before and had been very impressed with the quality, so when I saw they offered custom-made mugs I knew I had to do it- I have been wanting to make some “farm bling” for a long time! So, here they are! They are lovely and heavy mugs with super lustrous printing, I’m in love with them! There are 2 styles, pictured…

re-merging my personal and farm life in one blog

Here’s my latest post, over on my farm website. I’m not sure if I will keep writing separately on this site or not?

Hi guys! So- I’m going to be experimenting with returning back to my roots of this being a bit more of a personal blog again, now that I am running the farm on my own. Let me know what you think.     Here’s to you and yours having an awesome holiday season. I hope you are able to focus on spending quality time with those you cherish and not get stressed over figuring out gifts! I can HIGHLY…

Well, what a glorious year it has been, and the weather this fall continues to be lovely! The past month has been insane with putting up garden goodness, family visiting, chicken harvesting, beef deliveries, furnace and waterline repairs, internet issues and then all the regular tending of things around the farm. I want to give everyone a heads up that the ducks are starting to get ready for…

A customer came by yesterday to pick up his chickens. He’s been with me from my very beginning as a farmer. We took a walk together out to see Lola and Ruby, chatting about things as we ran our fingers through Lola’s lovely fur. As we returned and after we had his chickens in his cooler, he turned to me with kindness in his eyes and said “ Well, now, how are YOU doing? I heard.”

OMG, what’s…