Today the boys helped me to make the lasagne garden for my hoop house. The soil is too soggy to much of anything else. I'm hoping the hoop house will give me a jump start on the season for veggie growing. We first put a layer of newspaper down and added a decent layer of peat moss on top of it. Then they added a think coat of goat manure and then a good layer of horse manure that has been composted well. This raised the area up about a foot. Tomorrow we'll add the plastic and I'll plunk in some seeds to get going.

The grass is greening up finally and the animals are very happy. Today, the cows were kicking it up and running around the pasture. I do find them very entertaining. I'm hoping to get a couple of them nice and filled out for a June appointment, if you know what I mean. No grain used here, pure grass-fed animals. The chickens are busy scratching looking for the first insects to dare to crawl out. I think they do a marvelous job keeping the bug population down around here. Now what to do about the flies. Yuck.

Grass Fed Beef - It's What's for Dinner

Thank you for checking out this blog. I want to share with you what goes on around here and the updates on our cattle, goats, chickens, ducks and turkeys (I think that about covers it).

When we moved here, we began a commitment to grow, using organic practices although we are not certified, vegetables and meat products. We strive to use only organic feed for the poultry and fowl and the goats get a treat of the same. Herbs are used for any treatments that are necessary for healing purposes, although we don't have that very often. I believe animals that are raised humanely and as naturally as possible are a healthy and happier animal that will produce a superior product. Grass fed beef are happy cattle. I wish I had a video of when I let them out into the big pasture area yesterday. What a sight to behold! Kicking and running, just like it was the first day of spring. Beautiful.

This year, Lord willing, will be our first year to go to the Urbana Farmers Market. I've been an organic gardener for years and would love to share with the consumers the beautiful heritage vegetables we have available in season. Hopefully someday I will have fruit available. Those are just babies right now.

We also try to use heritage breeds in our animals instead of the hybrids. Our farm is switching to Belted Galloway cattle for our beef and we raise Jersey Giant and Rhode Island Red chickens for eggs. We will be also raising up meat birds of a heritage breed, too. This breed has not yet been determined. Last year we raised and harvested the regular Cornish Cross chickens. Those are the most disgusting animal ever! Plus, I found it to be an outrage how quickly these grow and have so many health issues to the point they can't walk. They are bred that way all for the sake of a fried chicken dinner and the almighty dollar.

We are truly blessed and I praise and honor our Lord for the good gifts He has given. All the glory goes to Him!