NEW Chapters

I am in an exciting time right now as we begin packing up our home in the burbs, for our new adventure……the move to our farm! Three Goat Farm, that is. Also known, as “3GF”. As we move from winter to spring in Texas, we have been spending  EVERY weekend at the farm. More dreaming than working BUT that is part of the process, right? There will be plenty of work in the future….that I have been guaranteed.It has become more and more difficult to leave each Sunday evening, to make that drive home. I would live in a one room cabin- IF I could just move today!  I lust over the idea of digging in the dirt, sweat on my face, tending to animals, gardens and even bees. I realize that is not everyone’s cup of tea—but it is MY dream come true!

 We have our first two dairy goats,” Bella and Baby”. They are two of the most gorgeous little Nubians you have ever met. A few of you have met Bella, while she was being bottle fed in the burbs with me- and whom, I hushed to sleep every night for 12 weeks (she is quite the DIVA goat). She has a sister now and they live in a temporary goat garage apartment at the farm with my mother in law. Some day they will provide us with some delicious milk for making healthy kefir, yogurt and cheese.  I will have some instensive  goat farming/milking school this summer when my mother in law and I help a local dairy goat farmer by herd sitting for a week (I already see a Lucy and Ethel episode in my head-can’t you?).

We have begun selection of our fruit trees for the orchard….figs and pomegranates are going in first. Then we have pears, peaches, citrus and I can’t forget ALL the berry bushes. And obviously, with fruit trees, that need pollination, we MUST have BEE’s. Remember, my name(Melissa) means honey bee~ Bee’s were a must!  So, us THREE GOATS (me, hubby and mother in law—all Capricorns!) have taken our first bee keeping workshop intensive with Jennifer Jo Scott, Houston’s very own “BeeWrangler”. It was a great day of hands on with the hives. I harvested some propolis which I have already crafted into a medicinal tincture (took some today for an onset of allergy symptoms).

The weekends we have spent in the small town, where our little 10 acre homestead sits, have been a little glimpse of our future life. I am giddy by the prospect. The people are so genuine and relaxed. We were invited to another neighbor’s house warming last weekend. While, walking outside to meet their cows, horses, goats and chickens, I started a conversation with a beautiful lady who also has homestead dreams in her heart. She told me stories of building her very own chicken coops(I was inspired), and her dream of goats also. After chatting a few minutes and my mentioning that we had a problem of removing rusted out scrap metal, tanks, large appliances, tires, etc…(“JUNK”) that someone had dumped in a ravine on our property. She said to give her and husband a call- they would head over with their boots and gloves and help us drag it all out and haul it off…..I stood there in disbelief. Who does that? Who offers to help a stranger with that kind of work? I have tears in my eyes thinking of that kind of genuine, authentic kindness. I think I am going to enjoy EVERY moment and EVERY person in my future. This is what community is supposed to be. Not some rat race of keeping up with all the STUFF your fellow neighbor has (cars, houses, clothing, money). Okay, I will not go off on that soapbox …..that one can evoke a lot of emotion from me.

Yesterday, Hubby drove to the small town of Iola, Texas to attend “Clover Day”. A workshop hosted to educate farmers on how to rotationally pasture raise animals (multi-species) and be as Joel Salatin( Hubby’s HERO) says…”grass farmers”! We are laying the foundation to have our own chickens, cows, pigs and what ever else we have room for, haha!

I must get back to my goat cheese making project, bottling my kombucha, starting my sourdough for the family. Then on to turning my compost, worm bed and tending to my tomatoes. If I have time left, I may whip up an apron for my Farm Girl Sister Swap in my new Mary Jane’s Farm community. May all of YOUR dreams come true TOO!

In health, happiness, dirt and sunshine,

HUGS~M