Fall updates to shop . . .09.26.2017

Yippee!  One Blessed Acre Farm is headed to Fig Twig Market this year on November 3 - 4th.   The Fig Twig Market began in 2012 with a vision to bring a hand-crafted, vintage, up-cycled shabby chic holiday market to Humboldt County. The market showcases home, holiday decor and handmade one-of-a-kind finds.  They showcase over 55 vendors at this market covering 3 buildings at our local fairgrounds.  It's well worth the time to come out and enjoy an evening or afternoon of shopping.

Production is in full force at our house.  Nothing says fall like Pumpkin Pie, Spiced Apple Cider, Orange Clove and Vanilla Fig.  Let me just tantalize your sense of smell for a moment. . .  .

• Hints of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, brown sugar and amber;
• Warm citrus-y scent of orange combined with fall scents of clove;
• Sweet vanilla musk scent wrapped in hints of rum and dark amber candied in ripe fig, bergamot, fresh peach

In addition to our great goat milk soap and lotions, a lovely selection of handmade linens in burlap will adorn the booth.  I will be showcasing a selection of my best selling table runners.  Our pleated runner in a natural burlap is just the addition that your fall dinner table needs to dress it up.   Burlap pillows with fabulous fall designs stenciled onto the fabric will complete our linen line-up.  These are top secret designs, so I highly recommend stopping by the booth to check them out!

The farm kids are going to be producing some great goat milk products.  Our one of a kind goat milk lip balm with goat milk, honey and silky smooth oils is just what your dry lips will need this winter.  Or, how slipping one into a Christmas stocking this year.

How about a sugar scrub or bath bomb with the healing, soothing benefits of goat milk?  It can't get much better than Unicorn Farts or Electric Lemonade.  Our littlest farm hand has crafted a Tub Tea with Lavender Essential Oil by doTERRA.  Just place two or three tea bags in a warm bath and you'll be relaxing with luxurious goat milk, dried lavender buds, and calendula petals scented with therapeutic grade essential oil.

We can't wait to see you there!

Getting Ready for Baby Goats. . . 09.19.2017

It's been a long time coming,  but we are anticipating the birth of baby goats within a month's time.  This road to breeding goats and successful kidding has been a struggle and it's not exactly the struggle I want to share as a blogger and homesteader, but maybe my experience will help another goat newbie.  I feel like it's worth sharing.

Two years ago I bought our Nubian, Luna, who was already in milk.  She was a two year old freshner, meaning that she had just given birth.  All went well that first year with milking and her health. But last year came and we spent the entire breeding season running her back and forth to the breeders home (thankfully, they were only 5 minutes down the road) trying to catch her cycle so that his buck would breed with her.  It was a very frustrating time. 

First, breeding animals is not as easy as just putting them into a pen together.  The doe needs to begin cycling, which for Nubians happens around August and lasts until January.  This doesn't give much of a window of time.  Each time we thought we had a successful breed, the next month she would show signs of heat again and the final time I actually administered a blood test thinking we had won victory, only to get a negative pregnancy test.  Second, I found out goats need to be up on their minerals to actually go into a full cycle.  I was at my wits end and didn't know where to turn.  

I needed answers and quickly.  So, I began researching websites of goat owners that had been raising goats longer than I.  Two sites kept coming up with lots of information; Fiasco Farms and Land of Havilah.  Plus, an excellent book to read is Pat Colby's Natural Goat Care.  The overall consensus of information I read lead me to realize that my goats were not only copper deficient but selenium deficient.

The only way to boost copper is to copper bolus - which is where you stick a gigantic pill down the goat's throat for them to swallow.  I bit the bullet, bought the bolus gun and tried the pill.  YouTube is a great resource for information, but even after watching the videos over and over again, I still didn't get the pill all the way past the back of the throat where goats have some serious molars.  Each of the goats had a nice tasty chomping of a copper capsule.  Uggh!  

Right after this first blousing, I also began administering 1 teaspoon of selenium powder every night.   I was in shock; within weeks this is what I saw.  Mocha went from a dull, dreary rust color to a vibrant chocolate brown, her coat was once coarse and fried feeling was beginning to have a smooth and shiny character to it and she went into a raging heat within two months (I knew this because Doug was going nuts trying to get into the pen with her).

Deborah Niemann of the Thrifty Homesteader top dresses her copper.  Most sites recommend copper blousing every 6 months, but I did find several recommendations that if the goats are in an area where there is much sulfur in the water to copper bolus every 3 months because sulfur inhibits copper intake.  This led me to try three months later top dressing the copper.  This worked well, but some of the copper remained at the bottom of the feed pan.  I think that I will continue to top dress the copper only because it was less stress on this owner and all goats participating.

Fast forward to August and I actually witnessed Luna go into her first heat.  It was a very quick one of only several hours, but it was a start.  I can now see that the health of my animals is on the right track.  Here's hoping she'll be pregnant by the end of the year.

Mocha was actually bred in May to our little Nigerian buck, Doug.  I was worried that she wouldn't be in top health for her pregnancy so I did a few things to help her put as much energy into growing healthy babies as she could.

• I dried her up from milking as soon as we got the pregnancy results.  Goats can actually be milked up to two months before kidding, according to Fiasco Farms, but like I said, I wanted her putting energy into growing healthy babies, not making milk for me.
• I began administering an herbal supplement that included nettle, spirulina, alfalfa, dandelion and marshmallow leaves.
• I began giving her Diamond V Yeast Culture - It improves digestion, muscle weight gain, litter weights, milk production, conditioning, and even survivability in all the various animals it's been tried on.

My girl, Mocha, is getting bigger everyday.  My birthing kit is almost ready.  All that's left is to clean out her stall about a week before her due date.

I've seen slight movements on her right side which I'm hoping is those precious babies getting closer to coming out to meet us.  The farm kids are so excited to hold some baby goats.

I realize this post went rather long, but if it's helped please let me know by leaving a comment.  I would also appreciate hearing any comments on anything else that I need to do to prepare for goat babies.

Canning Tomatoes. . . . 09.14.2017

Oh my!  I just looked at my calender and realized it's really halfway into September.  Has anyone else had that "Awh Ha" moment?    School is in full swing in our house;  I have 4 still participating in our Bibby Christian Academy; one in 9th, 7th, 5th and 3rd this year.   The excitement for beginning a new school year lasted all of  . . . 30 minutes.  No, I'm really kidding. . .  it was more like 3 days!  Lest you think that after 16 years of homeschooling I have it all together, pssshhh - Homeschooling is an ever evolving learning process for not only the students but for momma.  We always begin the new year with an annual "let's burn last year's papers" fire in the fire pit.  That coupled with some really dry pallets made for a very enjoyable evening with delicious smores.

Tomatoes, tomatoes everywhere.  That has been the motto of my kitchen part of August and into September.  When the tomatoes ripen, one must can tomatoes, make salsa (green and red) and spaghetti sauce.  Have I ever mentioned that my hubby my family really likes tomato based recipes?  So, hop in the car with us as we travel to our favorite spot to get THE BEST organic tomatoes.

It's only a 20 minute drive from our home, southbound on the 101.  If you haven't taken the time to travel through the Avenue of the Giants. . AKA - the Northcoast Redwoods. . .you need to!  There is something magical about driving through these towering giants looming over the top of you.  Gene and Ginger Sarvinski are the proud owners of the Corn Crib.

Sunflowers greeted us a we pulled up to the stand.  My children were more enamored with the sweet dog that needed some attention (which I am absolutely sure, she gets an abundance of all day long!)  Our first trip out there we loaded 80 pounds of tomatoes into the back of the van.  While that seems like a lot, it's really only 4 big boxes.   Since, then we've been back for 4 more boxes.  Yes, I am that crazy tomato canning lady!

The girls helped me immensely one day. . . it was homemaking skill learning day.  I'm not sure if they will can food for their family one day, but I sure think it's a skill worth passing along.  It is frustrating knowing that we can buy already processed food so much cheaper than canning our own. .  BUT . . I'm committed to teaching these children of mine a different way of life.  The time went by so much faster this way and it's a memory I will treasure for years.

Every good canner needs good products.  My water bath canner is on the verge of springing a hole in the bottom of it, so off to a flower planter it goes.  I'm due ready for another one anyway.  You will also need a set of tools.  George's favorite tool is the magnetized lid picker-upper - he calls it a "fishing pole," and always asks if he can go fishing with me.

In the end, after a lot of hard work and energy, you CAN(no pun intended) end up with a pantry looking full and stocked for the winter.  Plus, you will have the satisfaction knowing that you put it up with your own hands.  The Lord intended us to work hard. . 

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. Exodus 20:9

You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. Job 1:10-11

I said in my heart,
"God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,
For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." Eccl 3:17