Search Results for: cow

When Will my Cow Calve?

When will my cow calve?? That's the question we asked each day for the past two weeks! Since Creme Brûlée had been impregnated through the use of Artificial Insemination (AI), we had a "due date" pinned down and in the calendar. Unfortunately, like humans, the due date doesn't tell you exactly when your cow will give birth. But, by paying attention to a few signs, we could anticipate when Creme Brûlée would calve, and were able to be home and waiting to greet her calf, and help if needed. How Long is a Cow Gestation? Like humans, cows are pregnant for about 9 months. According to most charts, the average gestation period is 283 days. However, smaller breeds, like Jerseys, tend to give … [Read more...]

A Year with our Family Milk Cow

A few weekends ago we quietly celebrated a year with our sweet Jersey cow, Creme Brûlée. Becoming a new cow owner is like having a baby in that it really does take several months to get your bearing! And caring for a cow after many years of caring for goats was very much like having my second child; in some ways everything was same-old, same-old, but in other ways, it was completely brand new! For months prior to Creme's arrival, I had been reading about cows, dreaming about cows, talking to cow owners, and preparing for her arrival. Creme Brûlée is one of the sweetest, most wonderful cows imaginable, thanks to excellent training from her previous owner. But when she arrived at our … [Read more...]

Can I Afford to Buy a Family Milk Cow?

Can I afford to buy a family milk cow? We considered this question long and hard before we welcomed Creme Brulee to our homestead three years ago. I like getting real about money on the homestead, so I think it's important to publicly talk about the financial side of this really big investment. And yes, a cow is a large investment - in money, in infrastructure, in time and effort. But it's also a hugely positive investment in your homestead, your pasture, your community, and your family's well-being. Brian and I looked seriously at our finances before purchasing a cow, as we would with any major purchase. We are able to get delicious raw cow's milk from a family farm, as well as … [Read more...]

Welcoming our Homestead Cow

It's hard to express the excitement we feel at finally welcoming our new Homestead Cow, Creme Brulée. Having a dairy animal once again feels so right, so perfect for our little homestead, and yet it's been a long path to find the right cow, to create infrastructure for a cow, and to invest in a cow. And the learning adventure has just begun! For Christmas last year, I presented Brian with a homemade Gift Certificate for "One Dairy Animal of Your Choice." For years we cared for Alpine dairy goats on our Oregon homestead, but when we moved to Missouri, we felt that a family milk cow would be a better choice. For one, our landscape is well-suited for a grazing animal. And the fencing … [Read more...]

What Every New Cow Owner Should Know…

I have some VERY, VERY exciting news (and I bet you can guess what it is!) - in a month's time, we are going to become first time cow owners! (Cue the excited squeal!) For months I've been connecting with an amazing farm that raises Jersey cows, waiting patiently to see if there would indeed be a cow for our family. And the answer is yes, yes, yes! She is a registered Jersey in her second lactation, she is in milk and has been exposed to a bull, so we're hoping she'll be bred when she arrives in mid-October. Even though we raised Alpine dairy goats for years, we've never cared for a cow. So, I reached out to my favorite cow-owning homestead bloggers for their VERY BEST tips for a new … [Read more...]

Homestead Dairy Cow Basics

The addition of animals to our off-grid home is what made our beautiful piece of land feel like a real homestead. Even before we moved onto our land, we raised 10 chicks, and we had a chicken coop set up before we had a house to live in! We keep a variety of animals for the joy and companionship they bring to our lives, but more importantly for the food security they provide. We raise chickens and ducks for their eggs, lambs and pigs for their meat, and a homestead dairy cow for her milk. Many people wonder whether a goat or a cow is more ideally suited to a small homestead, and having raised both animals, I think that is a very complicated question that is as much about your personality … [Read more...]

7 Organic Ways to Add Fertility to your Garden

To grow the healthiest vegetables and fruit, and to have a garden that is productive and disease-free, it is important to build fertility over time. Also, in the mid-summer, I often find that my garden needs an extra boost of fertility to maximize production and health. Over the years, I've experimented with many ways to add fertility to my garden, and here are a few of my favorites. 7 Ways to Add Fertility to your Garden 1) Comfrey Tea, Compost Tea, and Manure Tea While you would not want to drink these teas, liquid fertilizers for your garden, often called "teas," are a great way to add fertility to your garden. The basic gist is to add water to some well-composted manure, some … [Read more...]

BONUSES – The Homestead Kitchen

Cookbooks for the Homestead Kitchen Eating Local Foods Getting Started Gardening Cookbooks for the Homestead Kitchen Here's a list of some of our favorite whole foods, seasonal, and local foods cookbooks for inspiration! Many of these could be found at your local library. The River Cottage Year by Hugh Fearnley-Whittenstall Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmer’s Markets by Deborah Madison Eating Close to Home: A Guide to Local Seasonal Sustenance in the Pacific Northwest by Elin England The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown Madhur Jaffrey’s World of the East Vegetarian Cooking Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Putting Food By Janet … [Read more...]

MODULE TEN – The Homestead Kitchen

Gathering in the Homestead Kitchen Gathering in the Homestead Kitchen Recipe: Bean Salad Recipe: Red Cabbage and Gorgonzola Salad Recipe: Peach Basil Salsa Recipe: Winter Squash Cheesecake Homestead Kitchen Recipes Gathering in the Homestead Kitchen Creating Community One common misconception about homesteading is that it is an isolationist endeavor, and some think of it as synonymous with being a hermit. In fact, homesteading is about slowing down and going back to basics in order to build richer community relationships. One of the best ways to connect with people is through food and to end this course, we are going to spend a little time reflecting on the power of food … [Read more...]

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