Let's talk pigs for a little bit. We've put in a few permanent pig pens at the back of the property. They're close to the pasture so that when we are ready to put our pigs on grass they'll be right there. That day will come. Eventually. Until then, we've got feeder pigs in a... Continue Reading →
Baking bread has become a regular passtime on the Ealy Homestead. I think baking bread is one of those things that looks harder than it really is. There's a mystery about it when observing from afar. But when you finally draw up enough courage to pull near, to reach in and give baking bread a... Continue Reading →
There I was. Standing in the barn with both hands firmly wrapped around the legs of a squealing three week old male pig. I held it up as the vet made an incision across each testicle, beginning the castration process. And the first squeal sent Charlotte charging at us. I had dreaded the moment most... Continue Reading →
Let's be real for a few moments. Can we? Because I'm going to come clean on something. When we brought the pigs home last May, I had good intentions on creating a separate space for Churchill, our boar. Because one boar with four gilts will eventually lead to...well, you know. But those good intentions are... Continue Reading →
When I initially came across the property that would eventually be ours, it wasn't the house or the 12 acres of land that caught my attention. It was the old brick barn that boldly stood among the overgrown mulberry and ash trees. It's roof was pocked with holes, like an old cannon riddled ship after... Continue Reading →
I think bread can be beautiful. I am fascinated by the connection food has in our lives. How it connects us with the land, with each other, and how all of it makes us feel. It's almost like there was design in this, like this was part of the plan. It's almost as if food... Continue Reading →
Honestly, growing peppers might be one of my favorite things about the garden. When I sit down over the winter to flip through my seed catalogs, peppers are usually the first I go through. Searching through the all the different varieties makes me feel like I did as a little kid standing at the penny... Continue Reading →
Fresh strawberries. Mmmmm... I'm drooling just thinking about them. Certainly one of my favorite things about early summer! Nothing beats the flavor of a fresh, sun ripened strawberry. We use them to make jams and deserts. We smother our pancakes with them. Our kids will eat them right off the vine until their faces are... Continue Reading →
The Irish know a thing or two about potatoes. Like the old wisdom of planting potatoes on Good Friday. Whether doing so actually brings luck, I can't tell you. But it's usually our goal to start getting our potatoes in the ground by then. Will you be planting potatoes this year? Growing potatoes is easy... Continue Reading →
They come in all sizes. They come in all shapes. It doesn't matter how grand or how small your gardening ambition might be. Adding raised beds might be one of the easiest things to consider to give a jump-start to your gardening experience. The benefits of raised beds There are many reasons to use... Continue Reading →