Vaughnshire Farm

I suppose everyone is writing about this and trying to wrestle with its meaning.  I would like to.  However, after reading the commentary linked below feel I would be re-stating what has already been said.  In some cases the comments being received concerning this article are more depressing than the event itself because they reveal the short sighted theology this generation has embraced.

I trust this will bring some comfort to those who trust God and genuine angst to those who do not.

http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/2007/04/2471.aspx

Where we celebrate the lose of the freedoms we remember on July 4th:

 

This upcoming week is going to be a busy week for our family –actually, the next 3 weeks.  We will be preparing to move to our farm and as you can imagine, this long awaited moment, is producing great amounts of joy and anticipation from the oldest to the…well…next to youngest. 

Yesterday, we spent a large portion of the day out at the farm visiting with previous owners.  It was a cool, rainy day, yet the guys were able to learn how to drive the tractor and check out other things on the land.  We learned more about the house and spent some time getting to know some of the animals — for those of you who do not know, our animal ownership more than doubles — which is causing quite a stir around here from the children who have been discussing who is taking care of what animals.  The girls want to be the goat, garden and flower farmers, the older boys want to be the cow and chicken farmers.  The 6 year also wants to be a dog farmer (ha!ha!).  The 4 year old is insistent that he is going to be the pig farmer –which is fine with everyone since we don’t even have pigs.  The 2 1/2 year old argues with everyone every time they mention an animal by saying, “NOOO, ME! I do it!”, which is all the more funny when you know that she is terrified of the animals anyway.  My oldest son’s solution was, “We just need more children, because we have enough work for more helpers to be involved.”  All the children agreed with their oldest brother’s solution with a unison verbal agreement and the nod their heads.  I kept working on breakfast for an army and enjoyed listening to their planning talk over the kitchen table while they were waiting on breakfast. 

Yesterday, I took home some “how to” milk goat information and just finished reading a book entitled, “Raising Milk Goats The Modern Way”.  While I learned a wealth of information that I am sure multiplied my brain cells, or maybe fried them out???, I learned a slew of information that had me making out loud groans and moans along with detailed facial grimaces and contortions.  Believe me, I had no idea!

I can officially say that I have the book knowledge on how to disbud a goat and can tell you in detail how to castrate a buck;  the burdizzo method, the good ol’ fashion sharp knife method or the handy elastrator tool method.  You pick method, all can be done at the family farm!  You may grimace at that, but you should have read the book!  Coincidently enough, I became first hand acquainted with the metal elastrator tool the day before I read the book – the previous owners were kind enough to leave a box of useful and necessary farm supplies for us!  For that we are sincerely thankful for their help in our transition, I just realized that my “country girl” skin isn’t thick enough yet!  I expect that to change very soon, since I am married to a husband that can do anything and who believes in giving me the opportunity to do things that I don’t want to!

Back to the book:  More interesting to me, was the actual information on the milking part of raising dairy goats.  Being a breastfeeding mom, I was, as first, becoming a bit concerned on how much I could relate to the information being presented.  Engorgement, let-down, supply and demand, regular milking, problems such as mastitis….sounds familiar right??? I am actually very excited on learning about these milk goats and how to use the milk for our family.

As we busy ourselves with connecting loose ends here, we will soon be back up and running…although running a bit differently. 

For now, your irregular and sporadic blogger friend who confuses her readers with her wide rage of non-related post topics….

I have been learning many new natural biological control methods (using a natural predator to control pests) and companion planting tricks to use in my own garden. I just finished reading an article about the how to’s and why’s of companion planting in your garden.

Companion planting is when you plant an arrange combination of plants for the benefit of one another. It could be planting two plants next to each other or four plants. The point is to utilize the specific qualities of each plant for the benefit of the other. Just like peanut butter and jelly or chips and salsa, radishes and spinach compliment each other.

Here are some other plants and their compliments:

Cabbage and Rosemary and Mint: Rosemary, as well as mint, distracts the cabbage moth from laying its eggs on the cabbage.

Tomatoes and Marigolds: Some plants emit smells or insect repelling natural chemicals through their leaves or roots which kill or deter pests. This is the reason why marigolds are so beneficial to your garden areas. Marigolds secrete a substance through their roots which control microscopic soil pests called nematodes.

Dill, Basil, Marigolds and Tomatoes: Dill weed is not only a wonderful herb to grow and use in the kitchen, but it is a beneficial pest deterrent. Dill is supposed to keep the tomato horn worm away. We had an awaking with this pest. They show up out of no where and can eat a full grown tomato plant before you know it. I keep my eye out for this pest and use the old-fashion hand picking and destroy method for control. Basil also repels the tomato worm as well as deters mosquitoes and flies as well as increases the flavor of tomatoes because it conditions the soil with certain beneficial nutrients. This year, I am planning on experimenting with these combinations of tomato companion planting.

Garlic, onions, chives planted with tender greens: Some pests locate their food by smell. By planting onions near tender lettuce greens, pests are overpowered and repulsed by the smell of onions or garlic.

Chives near rose bushes: I absolutely love chives. Even if you do not like the taste of chives, the plant is a beautiful, hardy grass that blooms the most wonderful purple flower. Chives are strong plants that deter pests that seek fragrant roses.

There are a hundred different combinations:
Basil - keeps away flies and mosquitoes.
Horseradish - repels the potato bugs.
Catnip - Help stops flea beetle.
Mint - keeps away white cabbage moth, ants.
Nasturtium - keeps away aphids, squash bugs and pumpkin beetles.
Marigold - keeps away asparagus beetles and tomato worm
Peppermint - keeps away the cabbage butterfly.
Rosemary - prevents cabbage moth, bean beetles and carrot fly.
Sage - keeps away cabbage moth and carrot fly.
Thyme - deters the cabbage worm.
Wormwood - keeps away animals from garden, like cats.
Leeks and carrots repel each other’s pests.
Tomatoes, beans, peppers, carrots are mutually beneficial to each other.

Indians practiced companion planting by growing what is known as the “Three Sisters”. Corn, beans and squash are companions in these ways:

1. Corn grows into a tall stalk that provides a natural pole in which the beans may climb.
2. Bean plants put vital nutrients, nitrogen, into the soil for the enrichment of the plants.
3. Squash leaves spread large and wide providing shade for the soil and thereby keeping moisture in the soil. Squash plants also choke out large weeds.

Amazing how 3 simple plants, planted in combination together can produce benefits for its plant neighbors! Then, of course, we all have heard about the composting skills that the Indians used — that of teaching our forefathers how to grow corn by composting dead fish in the soil before planting corn seed.

You may also experiment with planting certain plants together to maximize space. This winter I planted broccoli with lettuce underneath after reading about this type of companion planting in a gardening book. There is a wealth of knowledge to learn about just in how to plant deep rooted plants next to shallow rooted plants or how to combine shade loving plants with taller sun loving but shade giving plants. Just as important, it is beneficial to know which plants not to plant together. Jodi Torpey says in her article “Sow Happy Together”:

“While some plants do better when grown together, other plant combinations don’t work as well. Their root systems may compete for moisture or nutrients, or their chemical makeup may inhibit the other’s growth. Carrots’ growth will be stunted if dill is planted close by, for example. Beans don’t grow well near any member of the onion family such as chives, shallots, or garlic.”

An interesting and vast subject for sure. The point is, creating a symbiotic relationship between a variety of plants is an art and science that has been long neglected. Were it not for massive chemical companies that produce products like round-up and off! –we may be more knowledgeable about how to use plants for our benefit. I am just getting into the fascinating facts about using plants for bug repellents instead of products that contain harmful ingredients such as deet.

The companion relationships between different plants can be used to increase yields in your garden as well as increase plant and fruit quality, provide natural pest control and disease prevention and maintain healthy soil. Using plants in symbiosis is a very natural but powerful approach to gardening that recognizes the wisdom of our Creator in providing us with plants that have distinct unique characteristics. Isn’t the design of the Creator marvelous?

Sat Apr 7, 2007 5:58 pm (PST)  - Reuters

Romania’s shepherds wrestle with EU normsSerban Enescu is wondering how to bring milk coolers 5,000 feet up the Carpathian mountains to a sheepfold at the end of a rocky trail
unreachable by car.His weather-beaten face creases as the Romanian shepherd ponders new food safety standards required by the European Union, which Romania joined at the start of this year.

Like thousands of other Romanian shepherds, he has until July to meet EU rules or be banned from selling his products.

If that happens, Enescu and many like him will be forced to give up their sheep. Some, seeing n o clear alternative to preserve their
traditional livelihood in this poor, mostly rural country, say they will seek other jobs abroad.

“Shepherds are already leaving the mountains because of harsh conditions. Many are confused, they sell their sheep and migrate to
Italy, France, Spain” said Eugen Gontea, head of the dairy farmers’ association in central Romanian Brasov county.

Like many other small-scale dairy farmers, Enescu has always made his cheese in mountaintop shacks, without electricity and running water, using wooden pots and recipes handed down for generations.

Many villagers still carve out a living by selling their products, such as branza de burduf - a very salty cheese pressed inside tree bark -
at roadside stands to tourists.

“We knew harder conditions were looming once we joined the European community, but this dropped like a bomb,” said Enescu, a 46-year-old vegetarian.

“If European community norms finish us, we will give up our sheep, and our children will only see shepherds in a history museum.” he
said.

Little of Romania’s economic vigor has spilled over to the poorly educated, conservative countryside where many villages still lack indoor
plumbing, electricity and proper roads.

In coming decades, billions of euros in EU aid will help diminish widespread poverty, modernize industry, and bring living standards
closer to western levels.

But three months after accession, many small-scale farmers are confused both about EU requirements, and the procedures for applying for cash aid.

Tough Standards
Romania has struggled to meet EU membership requirements in agriculture, which employs one-third of the country’s work force but produces only 8 per cent of gross domestic product.

Now it risks losing EU export markets if food safety standards are not met — or seeing EU cash payments cut back if it fails to finish an
operational database for animals, crops and land, called IACS.

To avoid sanctions, Romania has to overhaul the sector, tackling issued from animal genetics, feed, health, and hygiene to technology upgrades in food collection, processing, storage, and distribution.

In the longer term it needs to consolidate thousands of tiny and unprofitable farms, to make agriculture efficient and less of a burden
on state finances.

Data shows 85 percent of milk collected in Romania does not meet EU standards, and health officials say they see frequent minor cases of
food poisoning from cheese.

The July deadline is for shepherds to register with local health authorities, allow inspections at least once a year, and meet EU health
standards.

Dairy farmers, who unlike large processors rely on direct trade, will also be confined to selling their products only in their counties from
July — a common EU measure crucial to tracking back the origin of potentially harmful food.

But only a few have started preparing, and most lack cash to modernize production and do not know how to get EU funds.

They can sidestep market restrictions either by pooling resources and starting larger processing units, or by registering their products as
“traditional”, which will allow them to sell their products nationwide — but will not exempt them from EU food safety standards.

“If the milk is produced up the mountain, it’s not compliant,” said an EU diplomat in Bucharest. “To be compliant
dairy it would be necessary to have cooling facilities and certainly running water.”

More problems

Observers blame delays in implementation of EU rules on an inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy. Others also blame Bucharest’s government for failing to ensure a smooth transition towards EU norms for some of the poorest Romanians.

EU diplomats warn the cheese-makers’ struggle to meet EU standards could become a problem if it keeps making headlines, by fanning
euro-skepticism and popular support for ultra nationalist politicians on the rise in Romania.

“Romanians should have paid more attention to the implications of EU legislation and negotiated better protection, longer transition
periods,” said one EU diplomat in Bucharest.

“The cheese-makers are one example but other issues will crop up,” he said.

Some rural dwellers can’t see what all the fuss is about. “We have made cheese for many years and no one’s died from
it,” said 53-year-old Dorica Cojanu, a tiny red-cheeked dairy farmer from Moeciu.

I will add some of my tips to this question:

Wow, I am so motivated to begin a garden, something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. We did try to grow some tomatoes and carrots once, but failed due to positioning of the garden. I will get the book you have recommended. Do you make your own compost? I love the idea of making my own, but had been afraid of having a compost pile in my small backyard UNTIL I saw one of those big plastic barrel “things” that you simply add to it and give it a spin. Also, what are your tips for organic growing, but keeping away the bugs?
Thanks for the much needed encouragement. I’ll be waiting for any additional tips you may have.

Candace in San Antonio

I am not an expert gardener.  I still have a lot to learn, but what I have learned, I don’t mind sharing.  My husband and I planted a small garden the very first year of our marriage.  We put some tomatoes, okra and squash in our flower bed in the back yard.  While we were the only people to have corn growing along our fence line in our little neighborhood, we were proud of that corn.  I was able to stock my freezer with corn that lasted us for a very long time.  In fact, we had so much squash that I gave it to my neighbor.  She was an elderly lady that came over one day and said, “What’s a matter..Don’t you know how to eat squash?!”  I actually didn’t know what to do with it.  She wrote out a recipe for squash casserole that I still use today.  It was a great little start.  Every year since then, we have grown some sort of garden something…but nothing huge yet, because of space limitations which will no longer be a problem.  I have learned a lot from trial and error.  I have made so many mistakes!  I really believe gardening is a art form that can be learned and improved. 

Compost: 

Yes, we make our own compost.  When we started composting, I became keenly aware of how much we waste!  Composting, for me, became sort of a necessary part of life.  I no longer had a garbage disposal and was forced to come up with alternative ways to dispose of items. 

I compost tea leaves, tea bags, coffee, coffee filters, some paper and cardboard, lots of leaves, small twigs and plant clippings, kitchen food scraps that are veggie and fruit related, egg shells, ashes, rabbit manure, old barn hay, grass clippings.  I do not have a container for it, but when we move, I would like to build a composting area out of wood pallets.  Right now our black gold pile is behind the barn and the chickens are constantly scratching through it.  Ever so often, I put the boys to work turning over the pile to aerate it.  And…Yes… we will be taking our compost pile with us when we move. 

For other kitchen waste, such as scraps from plates after supper, left over oatmeal, and other food that you would not want to put in the compost pile, we feed to our chickens and they eat every bit of it up like it were candy!  I also recycle glass jars, plastic jugs, tin cans, paper that doesn’t go into the compost.  One of the biggest changes I have noticed is that our garbage outage has dramatically decreased! 

Garden Pests: 

Chemical pesticides are toxic and dangerous, but not only that, they do nothing to add anything beneficial to the plant or soil,  so I do not spray my plants.  Organic gardening benefits the plant and soil, as well as people,  by using natural, God-given, substances and techniques to help keep the plants and soil healthy. 

You will not be able to rid your garden of all bugs.  Bugs are everywhere, however, you will want to watch out that certain bugs do not develop a liking for your plants and feed on them. 

Some of the best pest control tips are some of the most over looked: 

• Handpicking - One time I asked my grandmother what I could do about some bugs that were on my garden plants.  She said, “Well, I always just pick them off and kill’em.”  Hmm… now that was a simple remedy that many never even think about!  Hand picking is an old fashion effective way to control many pests.
• Water - sometimes a good spraying will get rid of some pests.  Soapy water is also a cure that I have found to be useful.  I have a spray bottle of water and hand soap.  I spray it on affected plants in the early morning or late evening with focusing on spraying the ground around the plant with the soapy water.  Bugs do not like soapy water. 
• Herbs and flowers that repel bugs.  Plant lots of marigolds in and around your garden.  Other herbs like chives, horseradish, mint, lemon balm, lemon basil, citronella type plants keep bugs away.  Huge varieties of these plants are available and very useful in your garden.
• Kelp - Although I have not personally used this yet, I am reading about using Kelp in my garden.  Kelp is highly beneficial to the soil and helps your plants develop resistance against common pests and diseases.  It is sort of like building up your immune system so that you can fight off sickness.  The idea is to build nutrient rich soil so that you will have strong plants.  Composting is also a great way to build healthy strong plants so that you will have less problems with diseased and pest ridden plants.  Chemical toxic pesticides only create bigger problems with pests and disease in the long run. 
• You may also use other things like barriers, traps, reflector tape, shinny things etc. to deter pests like birds, moles or deer. 
• Diatomaceous Earth - We use this with our animals as well.  It is microscopic crushed sea shell that literally mechanically kills pests by cutting them up and causing them to dehydrate and die.  You can research this organic multi-useful ingredient by searching for Diatomaceous Earth organic pest control.  This is amazing stuff!
• Lime, sulphur, baking soda, vinegar, salt, flour and other natural compounds also can be used. 

With all the variety we have to kill harmful pests, harmful pesticides are not necessary.  We just need to be re-educated and learn how to use these natural, non-toxic remedies.

I still have much more to learn to even claim to be a gardener.  For now, I am using gardening as a wonderful way to expose my children to a variety of practical life applications.  They are learning everything from how deep to plant certain seeds, to healthy soil composition, to caring for plants and learning a variety of organic pest control techniques.  Gardening offers children a huge learning field!  Don’t feel bad if you skip on the bookwork and spend a lot of time outside in the dirt! 

As we have embarked on learning how to garden, we have come to a greater appreciation for all the beauty God has given us.  So many times, we are too busy to stop and look at our world around us and see how abundant and beautiful it is.  Fast paced industrialism has jaded our view and sometimes all it takes is stepping out into the back yard to watch a hummingbird sip his nectar or a bee buzz around a patch of spring flowers to remember the simple, natural aspects that make up life. 

Here is my money saving gardening tip: 

I need more seed starter trays.  I acquired two tray flats last week from our local farm co-op, but need at least 25 more.  So I began trying to figure out how I could come up with some of these trays and flats.   

Idea number #1:  I called a large flower landscaping company and said:

“Hello, I am hoping you can help me.  We are homeschoolers and in need of some seed starter planting trays…. the plastic pots and trays that landscaping companies usually throw out or recycle….” 

He says, “Yes…I know what you are talking about…. hold on just a moment.” 

He comes back to the phone and says, “If you can come by the 1st week of May, you can have thousands of them…all sizes and shapes.  We throw them away anyway so you are more than welcome to use them.”

Wow!  I am so excited!  So if you need any seed starting trays, call a flower landscaping company!

This is a simple post to commemorate a huge event, the purchase of Vaughnshire Farms. On this day the Vaughn Family has finally found a place to call home. By God’s grace and His good pleasure we hope to stay here for generations to come.

Ever since Beth and I married, we have searched for a simpler life. We just wanted a little bit of land to raise a family and perhaps a garden… a small place that could serve as the launching pad for the ministry God has called us to. Of course during this time, our understanding of that ministry has been broadened and deepened. In fact you could say it has been expanded to encompass multiple generations. But that is not the only aspect of our life that matured.

As God continued to bless our family with more children, we found that it was pretty much impossible to raise a large family in a Christian environment in the culture we live in. Living in the feedlot housing of most residential neighborhoods, even a nice feedlot neighborhood, still posed more challenges than it provided solutions. It also provided no opportunities for children to mature and grow by contributing to the household. After all there are only so many bags of trash to be taken out each day.

As our understanding of ministry matured and we realized that it was not actually up to us to save every soul in the world, but rather to glorify God with our life, our family, and everything that he gives us, we began to see that moving to a farm was not a means of retreat, but more of a short term cultural succession with a view toward long term dominion.

There is much more to the Christian life than just a prayer of salvation. There is actually a life that needs to be lived out in a biblical fashion. We are to be in the world, not of the world. We are to come out from among the world. We are not to be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of our mind. We are also to take dominion over the Earth and subdue it. We are to make disciples of nations, teaching them to conform to this biblical life. This is what we desire to do as we intentionally move from the city life and prepare our children for their place in the world God placed them in.

This will encompass a huge effort on our part as a family. It will require a different economy than we currently live in both as a family and as a nation. It will be an interesting journey to say the least. But it will be one with one objective in mind. To glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

At any rate, with that as my short apologetic for our purchase of Vaughnshire, I will leave this post with that introduction. We will be continuing to live out these ideas as we actually take possession of the farm and will discuss many opportunities for ministry and our humble attempts to glorify the God who created us.

After paying $5 for a small bag of red onions, all I could think about was, “I can’t wait to start my garden!” 

(butterfly pollinating our cherry tree)

A garden not only provides a large family with a bountiful harvest of fresh fruits and veggies, but it does wonders for saving a large amount of money.  Over the winter, I experimented with winter gardening and was pleased to find out that it was not as difficult as I thought it was going to be.  No, we weren’t by any means living off our winter garden, but I was pleased that my plants didn’t freeze or die.  I was encouraged that it is indeed possible to grow food in the winter.  We ate some of our broccoli and I harvested a very small cabbage of which I was very proud of.  Most importantly, I learned a great deal of what to do and what not to do.  It was a nice start.  However, this spring and summer, I am getting serious about big time gardening.  It is becoming a necessary part of life!

In a few days, I have finished off that $5 worth of onions.  It takes no time at all to plow through the produce.  I don’t skimp on produce because I believe that it is vital for keeping my children healthy.  Yet, at the same time, the amount of produce this family can use is astonishing and if I were purchasing it via the grocery store on a regular basis, it is foolishly expensive!

The benefits of a productive garden:

• Lots of vegetables and fruits available to you at home, not shipped from China or travel over many miles… 
• Nutrient dense foods.
• Because of the bounty of fruits and vegetables, I will utilize more of these healthy foods in our diet.  If the produce is around, I can use it.  This adds huge health benefits. 
• Huge savings on the grocery bill.   Even a small garden can save a lot of money.  I cringe at paying $2 for a head of lettuce when I know how easy and inexpensive they are to grow. 
• Having food that is without harmful pesticides. 
• Protecting your family from GM (genetically modified) foods that are greatly increasing in the market.  Labeling of these genetically modified foods is also not mandatory so in many cases we do not even know what has been altered.  In the coming years the GM issue will only become a bigger issue and the importance of pure, heirloom or non-hybrid seeds will become even greater. 
• Work - The work and labor of producing food is a greatly rewarding experience.  This is the deterrent for many…the work and time involved.  It does take work and time.  God put Adam and Eve in a garden to take dominion and rule over it and to work.  We need to embrace our work and expect some things to just be….hard work.  Work is good. 
• As home schoolers, we use the garden, as we use many things, to expose our children to real life.  Many times “education” is so sterile and useless.  Because we are whole life homeschoolers, we use life as the school room and utilize every opportunity we have available for a learning experience.  I heard my 6 year old tell his 4 year old brother, “Come on, let’s leave the bees alone, they’re not done pollinating.”  So while my kids may be working with me in the garden during “school hours”, we count that work and learning far more beneficial to them than learning about a garden from a workbook in a fluorescent lit classroom with 30 other foolish peers.  

Garden Starting Tips:

• I highly recommend checking out the book Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza
• Use non-hybrid seeds.  
• Try gardening in large planter pots if you are limited on space. 
• Try culinary herbs.  I grew a pot full of chives and it lasted for 4 years until my cats dug it up recently.  Chives repel pests and they will come back for years, so they are low maintenance. 

(pictured above are some of my seed trays — I have various herbs, squash, cucumber, lettuce and brussel sprouts.   I just purchased a large amount of heirloom seeds that are awaiting my attention.)