Farmlet

Annie the sheep

Hide and seek in the hay loft

The last of tomatoes and peppers for the season

I've decided to do a little creative shuffling around this space.  I'm not that great when it comes to technology.  I think I have a hard time sitting still long enough in front of the computer to actually figure things out.  Anyway, I decided to freshen things up a bit by changing the name of my blog to "Among the Alders".   "Life on Seaside Farms II" has always felt a bit bland, and I think I chose the name in an uninspired moment!

I've touched on the name "Seaside Farms" before.  I spent my summers growing up on our family's hobby farm, Seaside Farms, in the community of Seaside, New Brunswick, Canada.  When my husband and I purchased our 16 acre parcel of land in Nova Scotia, we thought it would be fun to name it after the place I grew up.  How lucky we felt to find this rural spot just 20 km from downtown Halifax!  At the time, it was overgrown with alders and strewn with about 40 junker cars.  The cars are long gone, but the alders remain, and I have grown to love them.  We always joked around about calling this place a farm, as it was far from it at the time.  As I strolled through the yard today, I finally felt a sense that it was coming together in a very small scale sense, which is really all I want.  I recently found the definition for the term farmette/farmlet, and fell in love with it. 

A farmette is a small residential farm run by an owner who earns income from a source other than the farm. It is sometimes known as a yokelet or a farmlet.  Farmette owners are typically city workers who want to own rural land without operating a full farm. A farmette often includes a large vegetable garden, the occasional barn, tractor, and even farm or domestic animals, such as goats and cats. Farmetters usually rely on their tractor to plow or snow blow their driveways during the winter. Farmettes are usually around 50 acres.  They can have a small hog pen, a few chickens in a chicken coop or a kennel house for dogs.

I don't actually have any aspirations of becoming a real farmer.  I grew up reading Little House on the Prairie books, so I think I'm trying to live out my girlish dream of being just a tiny bit like Laura Ingles.  Farmlet really does sum things up nicely.  We have out  tiny chicken/duck coop, a little barn, a nice-sized garden and FINALLY two pet sheep (a Wool Fairy's dream come true).  It's fulfilling, yet not consuming.  It's a farmlet!  My husband read the definition and noted that we don't have a tractor.....the man wants a tractor (:

November Beauty

Although we are wrapping up another week, I'm still savouring the memories of my birthday last weekend. I will admit, it all began on a rather sad and grim note. The first foreboding clue was the discovery of a HUGE patch of feathers on my way to the coop that morning. The absence of Muffy's pet rooster Coopie, and our male runner duck was immediately obvious and left a sick feeling in my stomach. It didn't look good. I was overcome with guilt as I had forgotten to lock the pen door the previous evening. When Hubby and the boys arrived home from the rink, we followed the trail of feathers into the woods and came upon the grim discovery of Ducky's remains ):


Despite this sad event, I still managed to enjoy a fun and relaxing day. More and more, I find myself being a homebody. Instead of a night out on the town, I opted for a leisurely day at home, topped off by homemade cake and pizza by the boys. I had time for a nice long run and lots of knitting on the couch with tea. Perfection in my eyes.

With lots of sunshine this past week, the boys and I did some after school exploring around the property. I find myself really appreciating the beauty of our November landscape. The larch trees are really stunning right now as they prepare to shed their golden needles. They actually seem to glow in the late afternoon light. We have quite a few of them around here, and I always enjoy paying them a visit this time of year. My latest knitting project reminds me of them. I might just name it my November sweater.

We spent some time at the pond, catching tadpoles and throwing rocks (of course). The stillness in the air allowed for a mirror effect on the pond. The boys were tempted to jump into "the sky" as they admired the reflection. Thankfully, they did not follow through on that urge (: It's one mucky spot!!

Despite the greyness of this month, we are managing to discover and enjoy lots of November beauty. What beauty are you finding in your neck of the woods?

A Penny for your Thoughts...and your Piggy Bank

We are currently in Stage 2 of our summer vacation. This portion is a bit of a "staycation" as we are sticking fairly close to home. Hubby has had the opportunity to pick away at the barn/church project, which is slowly but surely coming together. With Hurricane Irene creeping up the coast, we felt we better get things tightened down a bit! I'm trying so very hard to remain patient as the project creeps along. My mind gets ahead of me with plans and ideas!!



This week saw the addition of some old church windows. They are not from the original structure, but I like that we have retained a bit of the church look and feel. I'm also feeling good about the reclaimed aluminum roofing - both more economical and aesthetically pleasing. The barn is a blend of old and new as we try to incorporate reclaimed materials where possible.





Power tools, scaffolding and eager little helpers are not a great combination! I needed a solution to make Chi-Chi and Muffy feel like contributors, while keeping them a safe distance from the construction action. The boys have been put to work over the last couple of days, collecting pennies for their piggy banks. Their work contract provides them with a penny for every nail they pick up from the work site. There is certainly no shortage of work! At the rate they're going, they just might pay their way through college!

And They Call It.....Ducky Love!

The summer is flying by, and despite my good intentions and grand plans, I am neglecting this space! More than ever, I'm finding life with the boys busy. It's not hectic in the sense that our days are packed with planned activities, although we are certainly enjoying our summer swimming and tennis lessons. I'm learning that 5 and 6 year old boys are literally bursting with energy - energy that needs to be burned and refuelled constantly throughout the day! When they aren't sitting at the dining room table refueling their growing bodies, they are out the door in the blink of an eye.....off and running.....which ususally means I'm not far behind! We are spending our time soaking up as much of these summer days as possible, rain or shine or fog!

There has been lots of fun farmyard action this summer to keep Chi-Chi and Muffy occupied. Their pet ducks are now full grown and both boys are quite smitten with their special feathered friends. I'll take a pet duck over a puppy any day! Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, and have such fond memories of our childhood beagle, Barney. I am, however, happy to have any animal that lives outside the four walls of my home! Another creature to clean up after is not something this Mama needs right now (: We've had so much wet weather that the chicken/duck yard is pretty much a muck pit. Chi-Chi and Muffy don't mind at all, and are constantly "bonding" with Ducky and Lovey. It turns out we have two females - one Appleyard and one runner duck. We also have a male runner duck named Toyota. Do I hear new little ducklings in my future?? Our runner duck hen started laying this week, producing the most beautiful blue eggs. It took some Scooby-Doo style sleuthing to figure out that our duck was laying as opposed to our Americauna hens. I'm currently enjoying my first batch of "duck egg" brownies with my afternoon cup of tea. Any interesting suggestions for using my new eggs would be appreciated!!

We also have one new little baby chick on the farm, hatched by one of our broody mama hens. She's as sweet as can be...as all baby chicks are. The boys teamed up and named her "Sunny Rainbow". Ah, I do love the hilarious names these two monkeys dream up. How cute is that? It's enough to melt my heart.

Yes, lots to keep up busy in these parts and still lots of summer days to savour!

I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover...

I enjoyed a little R&R at my parents' house in the Annapolis Valley this past weekend. Muffy bolted out of bed at 6 am on Saturday morning, upon hearing the backyard birds sing. "That sound is beautiful! Look Mommy, it is summer here. Look at all the leaves and flowers!" He then proceeded to wake all inhabitants of the house with the exciting (and very loud) announcement that June bugs were mating on the deck! I think this escape to the sun was in order. The ubiquitous fog in our area has us all going a bit snakey. I left home to a temperature reading of 11 degrees Celsius. An hour later I was donning shorts and a tank top in 28 degree sunshine! It's like another world down here!

I deserve the break! I've been a busy little bee this past week, working like a mad woman on that garden of mine! A big thank you to my sweet mother, who has been helping me out with the house and Chi-Chi and Muffy. With my dear hubby vacationing on the other side of the world, I've been forced to take things into my own hands if I ever want to get those seeds in the ground. Although I most certainly miss his company, I have to admit that I'm missing his muscles right now! Although I'm very active and pretty fit, I simply don't compare in productivity when it comes to manual labour! I've been shovelling, shovelling, shovelling, shovelling heavy wet soil. Each night I find myself hitting the pillow with aching, twitching arms and shoulders. I'm proud to say that progress has been made. In retrospect, I would have done everything differently, now that I'm reading up on no-till gardening.....but live and learn I suppose.

On Friday I planted my first row of Jerusalem artichokes and a small patch of rhubarb! I've been busy designing a garden layout in preparation for the upcoming week. My two sweet boys will be helping me out in this area. Although these two little monkeys certainly know how to get into mischief, I've found them to be very respectful of the garden space. Chi-Chi in particular, is so very careful with his planting - approaching the task at hand with such seriousness! This year I'm trying out edamame - a favorite snack of my little Chi-Chi. Involving the wee ones in the garden and allowing them to take some ownership for it is truly the best way to encourage healthy eating and veggie consumption!

The boys and I visited the Wolfville Farmers' Market at their new location on Saturday. What a great space with such a positive, energetic vibe. We picked up some fresh organic asparagus and broccoli - yum! I had to control my urge to buy everything in sight as I know I've got a box full of goodies headed my way from Taproot Farms early this week.

Since reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle just a few weeks ago, I've had food on the brain. I was scanning my posts from a month ago and immediately spotted the image of the fresh fruit I had purchased for Chi-Chi's birthday party. Certainly, a much better option than chips and cheezies, but all those items were certainly not local, shipped from lands far away, burning up fossil fuels to arrive on our plates. Perhaps I should have opted for apple slices and nova scotia blueberry muffins instead? It's been an interesting exercise to examine my shopping habits outside of my local CSA box, looking for areas of improvement.

So, do you think some good luck with sunny skies might be headed my way? Check out all the four and five leaf clovers the boys and I found during a nature walk this morning in the fields surrounding my parents' home! This is only half of them. Seriously, this has to be a sign (:

Mud Pies Anyone?

I actually had someone look at this "scene" and ask me if I'm putting in a pond for my ducks. That about sums up the very sad (and very very waterlogged) state of my great garden expansion project. The soil in these parts is not exactly ideal. Long before we purchased this property, it was mined for topsoil in certain areas. Because of the abundance of clay, we had to bring in some garden soil if we had any hopes of sprouting some seeds. Up to it's axles in mud, the dump truck simply could not unload a reasonable distance from the garden site. Over zealous to get this project started, I made a HUGE error and hired a Bobcat to ferry the soil to the site. In retrospect, I should have either waited for things to dry out, or sucked it up big time and pulled out my wheelbarrow (a near impossible feat I realized after just one load). The crawlers on the machine tore up the compacted clay and voila - I've got a huge mess on my hands. Oh experienced gardeners out there - any wise words of wisdom?


On to happier topics....I'm loving this sweet sign that my little chicken boys created. I was impressed with the collaboration that took place on this project. They are getting prepared for Friday, "egg day", as they anxiously await the sound of coins jingling into their piggy banks.


I found myself visiting Value Village this week in an effort to escape the rain and fog. I picked up these sweet retro Pyrex dishes. It's difficult to find plastic-free storage containers in such small sizes so I was pretty pleased with this find. Of course, they bring back warm fuzzy childhood memories so I enjoy using them for that reason alone!


Despite my sink hole problems, I'm celebrating the first sprouts from my garden. These are turnip greens, which I'm trying for the first time this year. I fell in love with them last year as they were a fairly regular offering in our CSA basket from Taproot. They are so tasty lightly steamed with a dab of butter. Yum!

Just a bunch of randomness today - as my mind contemplates that sink hole solution! Instead of fresh garden veggies, I may very well be serving mud pies to the family this summer.

There's No Business Like Egg Business

Nothing quite says spring like the sight and sound of a new baby chick. We've currently got 7 new little feathered friends peeping and pooping in the garage! As I mentioned in my last post, we are in the midst of building a small barn. The barn will serve a number of purposes, including home to our growing flock of fowl...and other exciting plans I have rattling around in my head. It appears hubby may be on a different page on the matter. I spyed a sketch he prepared of the floor plan which alloted the vast majority of space to his surfboard and other miscellaneous storage, with a corner scratched out for my gardening supplies and livestock. Those surfboads might have to make room for the pony I'm dreaming of. (:

With "my little pony" remaining a mere childhood dream at this point, I'm focusing on our flock of chickens and ducks. I have to admit, it's pretty easy to get caught up in the excitment of learning about and acquiring new breeds. On Easter morning, I had the whole family up bright and early, on the road to Silverlane Farm Shop in New Germany, Nova Scotia. The Easter Bunny was so accomodating this year and came to our house a day early (what great service). I was on a quest to acquire Cuckoo Maran chicks for our little flock. These hens, known as the "chocolate layers", produce eggs of a deep chocolate brown. I became fascinated with them and was so thrilled to find a Nova Scotia source. We also purchased a few more Americauna chicks to add to our flock of green layers. Sometimes I wonder what Chi-Chi and Muffy will think of me when they look back on these days.....dragging the family across the province to source out my coveted birds. Perhaps they will think that Mommy is just like her Maran's, a little "cuckoo".

Anyway, a growing flock inevitably leads to a growing supply of eggs in the fridge! Since we've got a bit of a surplus, I decided it might be a good idea to start sharing the goods. I have a lovely neighbour who expressed an interest in purchasing a dozen eggs every couple of weeks. We agreed that although I don't feel compelled to take her money, it would be a good learning experience for the boys to start a little egg selling endeavour. Both boys assist me in caring for the birds and collecting the eggs so it's not a stretch to say they have earned the funds. We agreed that every second Friday, she will pop by the house to pick up her eggs. It's a nice way to stay in touch with a neighbour, and a great way to start teaching the children about earning, saving, spending and financial management. Underneath this apron of mine, I'm still an accountant (:

Stuck in the Muck

The only living creatures around these parts that are NOT complaining about our recent wet weather are the ducks. While I'm huddled up inside next to the wood stove, Lovie, Ducky and Puddle are happily splashing and waddling about in the rain and fog. This trio seems oblivious to the fact that their pen has turned into a sink hole of muck! Each trip to the coop has me wading up to my ankles in the brown stuff.

I have to admit, spring is often a very frustrating season for me. This recent streak of precipitation has left me longing for sun and chomping at the bit to give my green thumb a work out. The season brings about so much hope, anticipation and possibility, yet everything is on hold for the time being. I'm currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver as part of a book club with Taproot Farms, my local CSA. I've had my nose between the pages every spare moment from waiting in the car at school pick up to stirring the tomato sauce on the stove.

Has anyone else read this book? It's been out for awhile, which just goes to show how far behind I am on my reading list! She has me so inspired! Not only do I want to deepen my commitment to eating locally grown food, but I also want our family to produce more of the food that graces our dinner plates. I've always had a small back yard veggie plot to complement the offerings from our CSA. The morning after starting this book, I was out in the yard turning soil over, preparing for my great garden expansion. I need to take baby steps and I have to continually remind myself of this (or hubby does that for me!!).

Yes, this rain has me impatiently playing the waiting game. Other efforts to expand our little hobby farm include the building of a barn....errrr church....barn. We purchased a 150+ year old church from rural Nova Scotia to be relocated on our property. The building was no longer needed or wanted by the parish, and we are so thrilled to provide it with a loving home! Those old hand hewn beams make a girl weak in the knees they are so gorgeous. As I run my hands over them, I can't help but wonder about the lives of those who built this structure so long ago. Would they believe it's now standing 300km away from the original location? Our expanding flock of chickens and ducks will be moving into the barn to more spacious and luxurious accomodations.

With outdoor projects moving at a snail's pace, I'm focusing my efforts indoors - in the kitchen to be more specific. Inspired by Kingsolver's book, I just ordered the supplies to make my own mozzarella for our homemade pizza. The success and ease of my yogurt has me feeling pretty confident it will be as simple as she says. I ordered it from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes! I'm thinking this would be the perfect use for delicious milk from Fox Hill Cheese House, conveniently located down the street from my parents' house (they are so lukcy!).

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! I'll be spending mine tilling my new garden beds (hopefully) and enjoying some time with my own mommy, with a visit to Port Williams. All I really want for Mother's Day is some sunny weather.....and one peek outside seems to indicate I might just get my wish (:

Lucky Duck

With spring in the air, I have been itching to get back into the blogging groove. My mind is bursting with fresh ideas and inspiration. I’m anxious to get the bleak and dreary winter behind me and embrace the excitement and freshness of the new season. I must admit, we awoke to a dusting of snow this morning and the kiddies and I were bundled up in our full winter woolies, chattering our teeth while waiting for the school bus. It’s a tricky time of year in these parts. The calendar declares the arrival of spring, but Old Man Winter doesn’t seem willing to say farewell just yet. Nonetheless, I’m moving forward. I have been struggling with some personal health issues the last few months, which certainly put a damper on my spirits, creative efforts and general mood. Although I am still awaiting tests and sorting things out, I’m feeling much better and have regained my energy and focus.

As a result, I’m doing my best to simply force the arrival of spring, despite the temperature readings, forecasts and that blasted wind-chill factor. On a whim, our family recently picked up a few ducklings to add to our back yard flock. I was craving a distraction and a new focus and these buttery yellow sweeties are just what the doctor ordered. It was love at first sight for all of us. Although I have adored our baby chicks in the past, there is just something so sweet and special about ducklings. Muffy remarked immediately that his new pet Ducky (how appropriately name) looked so happy! They have such a pleasant and comical disposition about them that you can’t help but feel joy in their presence. Chi-Chi named his new friend, Lovie and is demonstrating a new level of maturity. His relationship with Lovie is bringing to light a very nurturing and gentle side of his personality that is heartwarming to observe.

Yes indeed, I'm feeling like a lucky duck these days, with warmer weather and healthier happy days ahead! I look forward to sharing and exchanging ideas and inspiration in this space once again.