wholeistichomestead-blog

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Your Community Has A Story! . This past weekend, Jerry & I had the amazing opportunity to experience the History of our local community first hand - sort of. The community group, Friends Of Cardington (find them on Facebook), put on a "Cemetery Walk". At various points through a guided walking tour of the Glendale Cemetery, local actors portrayed prominent citizens from the community's past. Proceeds from this event went to the repairing of the cemetery's Civil War monument. We learned of past business leaders, civil servants, authors, artists and citizens. While we will feel in love with our home community in Cardington, Ohio, we now have a broader and richer appreciation for this community.

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It's Graduation Day! . The #6Chicks have graduated to adult feed today! After much research the past few weeks, I settled on a mix of corn, red wheat, flax seed and black oil sunflower seed (all organic & non gmo). The protein percentage is right about 18% with the weights of each I have in the mix. I'll be soaking each day's feed overnight before giving it to the girls in the mornings. As you can see by one of the photos above, they thoroughly enjoyed the dry mix sample plate I made for the photos. I'll also be putting it oyster shells and kelp for them free choice to supplement.

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A Time To Breathe. . As Summer turns to Autumn, we once again experience the Earth readying itself for Winter’s cold slumber. With that, for some, comes the inevitable season of sniffles, wheezing, coughs and phlegm. Allergies and sinus issues - the hallmark of Fall for many. One avenue in the road to relief is essential oils. doTerra’s Breathe blend along with Cedarwood together create a powerful ally in allowing the air to flow freely. This time of year, my morning routine includes a couple drops of each in my hands and rubbed onto my forehead and cheeks (I’m very careful to avoid the eyes). I find this helps me get through the day with less suffering and pain. Take a moment to research these, and other, essential oils and discover what works for you during these seasonal challenges. DISCLAIMER - You know the deal. We’re not a medical professionals. We are not intending to diagnose anything. This post is a personal account only. Our experience. For you, do your research. Decide for yourself what works.

(edited 10/18/17 to correct spelling error)

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Take A Moment. . In the hustle of the daily schedule, it's imperative to take time to stop and look around you. I make a point to walk around the property on Sunday mornings and just take in what is around me in Nature. These mornings center and ground me. A moment of quiet and solitude in the otherwise hectic schedule.

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A Tasty (and healthy) Morsel. . This is a great alternative to the sugar sweet cookies and muffins! I learned of this recipe from a YouTube video by #OffGridWithDougAndStacy. (Link at bottom of post) It is so quick to whip up and tastes SO good! Just a baked Sweet Potato, an overly ripe banana and a few other healthy ingredients. That’s all you’ll need. Watch the video, here https://youtu.be/-gV801FYdxc, to see the full recipe!

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With A Little Help From Our Friends. . So much of moving out to the country is learning where your resources are. One of the biggest, and best, resources you have is your friends. Your community. As we continue to look for sources of fire wood for the upcoming winter, we learned that a coworker's husband was clearing out dead trees from their 26 acre property to accommodate room for family camping. They don't burn firewood for heat. So, they were more than eager to help us split up several trees to supply us with the firewood we need for the upcoming cold season. They needed to get rid of the wood. We are in need of wood. We got to spend time with friends. We all worked together to get this project done. It all works. Amazing what can be accomplished With A Little Help From Our Friends.

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Today we closed down the garden. It was our first year in this particular location, and the first year with a garden this size. It did ok. Probably would have done better had we had more time to take care of it. And, I'm sure it'll do better next year. All in all, I'm happy with our garden this year. Now, it's time to let the #6chicks get to work and ready the soil for next year's garden. Today was the very first day they've been outside the confines of either the coop, or the brooder when they first came home. They are in heaven! I can tell they're loving this. Especially when they find a big and chase it.

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Summer Is Coming To An End. Time To Look Forward To Winter. It's Labor Day weekend, marking the ending of Summer. This means it's time to start planning for Winter. It's 80°f today, yet we were out stacking wood to use in the furnace this Winter. We still have a few plants producing in the garden, but they will be coming out soon and we'll let the chickens loose in there to work their magic. While the abundance of Spring and Summer are drawing to a close, it's time to let the Earth rest and to slow down and look within ourselves for a season to rest and renew. The first snow fall will be here before you know it. So, plan ahead and be ready to take a break from the outdoor hustle.

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Just Plant - The Garden Haul. To be honest, we've taken care of our garden pretty poorly this Summer. Though, in our defense, with full time jobs and a Winery to run, a 1,000 sqft garden to take care of seems a little "bite-off-more-than-you-can-chew." The grass has grown back, along with the weeds. We've not kept up with weeding. We've also not picked the fruits & veggies as often as we should have. However, the land has still rewarded us with an unexpected bounty. Early on, the spinach, lettuce & kale went wild and we were salad eating fools for a while. Now, as you see in the photo here, the tomatoes are growing like crazy! I once heard a wise man (Justin Rhodes, The Permaculture Chicken Ninja) say, simply, "Just plant." We did. And, we are the better for it! #garden #growyourfood #homestead #naturalliving #cleanliving #justplant

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Our #6Chicks have gotten large enough that the one quart waterer want cutting it. Not only are they requiring more water, but they began thinking it was a roost and either pooped in their water dish, or knocked it over (draining out all the water). After watching some #YouTube videos (Thanks SewTheLand, LumnahAcres and White House On The Hill) on the subject, I decided to build a nipple water. I got the nipples and bucket (2.5 gallons) on #Amazon. Once I drilled the holes, the nipples were self sealing. I had 50lbs-picture-hanging-wire and an old wall screw hook in the tool cabinet. I left the quart waterer in the coop for another day, but the chicks had the nipples figured out on their own by the next morning.

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Starting in March of 2017, we began another step in the journey of changing our lives and going back to the Source and live more naturally. We both were, and unfortunately still are, on several #BigPharma medications for various ailments. We wanted, no, needed, that to change. Having dealt with severe, seasonal allergies since I was a small child, I decided this would be our first issue to tackle. The essential oils you see here, #doTerra's Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint and Melaleuca (tea tree), have been BRILLIANT in getting us both to a point where we are now both off of any OTC allergy meds and I'm breathing freer than I ever have in my life! We diffuse them at night while we sleep. We blend them in roller bottles and apply several times throughout the day. And, on heavy pollen days, I take the Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint internally in a glass of water. Essential Oils are a part of our lives now, and will only become more so as we figure out solutions to rid of lives of the adictive and toxic chemicals BigPharma would keep us on. #EssentialOils #Naturalliving #NaturalSolutions #LetsTalk #AskMeQuestions DISCLAIMER - You know the deal. We're not a medical professionals. We are not intending to diagnose anything. This post is a personal account only. Our experience. For you, do your research. Decide for yourself what works.

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We took a store-bought coop, which we got discounted because it was the display model (already put together FTW!), and built a base that we mounted it onto and added wheels to make the coop mobile. The #6chicks are loving their home! #homestead #naturalliving #growyourfood #chickens #eggs #wholeistichomestead