Does the meat on your plate play a role in our planet’s health? Absolutely. By Shannon Hayes A few weeks ago I got into a lengthy discussion with one of my long time customers about the role of livestock farming in our future sustainability. I was reminded of this piece, which was originally printed in my […]
Farm in transition? It’s a job for the Super Friends
What does it take to move a family farm between the generations? Heroes. Bob and I have just finished unloading from the market when Kate, our summer intern, clomps by in her barn boots carrying a dead chicken. Dad is just coming in from the back fields in the Mule and she walks […]
My Mothers’ Day Gift
She swore at me. I ignored her. It was just a typical Mothers’ Day. Until I thought I could lose her. The heroine had decided to go down into the basement. Alone. It was a trap. I knew she was making a mistake. But she was the last hope — the only one who could prevent […]
Can we truly honor the earth on Earth Day?
As a radical homemaker, I want to live within the bounds of our ecosystem. But to do so, I’ve had to defy impossible odds, break the law, and quite possibly deny my children something that has been considered a fundamental entitlement in this country. This blog post is drawn from a talk I delivered in […]
Why is everybody looking for a handout?
I got angry when my sister observed that “everybody is looking for a handout”…until I realized how many times I’d said it myself. “Would you prefer to ride a dragon, or a winged tiger?” Ula is skipping between Saoirse and me as we head up the road for a morning walk. “I have this one […]
When a farmer is charged with animal neglect, who will stand with him?
I didn’t think this kind of thing happened anymore. I got the first phone call two weeks ago from a local reader. She told me there was a pasture-based farmer like me in the next county over who was being brought up on misdemeanor charges for animal abuse. I thought it was a hoax. Then […]
What dogs and mud taught me about working with family
When everything is at its dirtiest, showing up to face the muck and share the load are the most important steps. I take a tentative step on the woodland trail I’ve been breaking all winter. The snow is too soft today. I sink to my knees. Sighing, I call to the dogs. We abandon the […]
The Feathered Cat: Lessons in the Power of Believing
This chicken thinks she’s a cat. Find out what other impossible things can happen on this unconventional farm. On Thursday, Mom and Dad sit down on the back porch to listen to the chorus of afternoon crickets. Mom’s cat, Tayla, hops into her lap. Dad’s cat, Strawberry, hops into his. Tayla has long calico […]
Cave Men, Tomatoes, Ground Beef and…Love
It’s three in the morning. I’m standing in my kitchen, staring down 70 pounds of tomatoes and 35 pounds of onions, all awaiting their destiny in a year’s supply of tomato sauce. Lined up next to the basement stairs are 40 pounds of green beans, already chopped and neatly canned in quart jars. August doesn’t […]
The Retention Bonus
“Say, the price for your brisket isn’t bad,” the man said as he glanced over the list at our farmers’ market stall, “when you consider how much you get paid for your steaks!” I tried not to let it get to me. In spite of the barb, it had been a decent market day, and […]
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