Zeeland, MI

Livin' the Good Life ~

We got the butter taken care of thanks to the udderly ample milk supply that Miss Mabel the moo cow will put out when she becomes Mama Mabel. But what about the sugar, honey? Well, there's a few options in that department.

We could go with raising bees, but there's a learning curve in the bee world. And I don't know if bees have some kind of weird collective conscience, but if they do, they'd certainly remember playing the part of Rambo as I ransacked their underground hideouts out behind our home when I was a kid. I was like a one man retaliatory mob with my spade shovel, lighter and gasoline. They struck first, but I struck last.

So scratch the bees off the list for now, until I get those biohazard looking suits or I find out bees love my wife as much as the animals do. Could be, I named her first house the beehive, because that's where the honey was *chuckle*.

The other option: MAPLE SYRUP!!!! Boy, God sure blessed Michigan as a land of many lakes, and a land of many maples! In fact, the street I grew up on in Kalamazoo was lined with huge maples trees, thanks to a wise ancestor of my neighbor who had planted them many years before. Not only did they supply me ample opporunity to strengthen my work ethic (with endless piles of leaves), but they also supplied some lucky local feller with a sizeable load of maple sap and syrup.

Last year was my first year tapping maple trees with my best friend Dude. Dude is a 5th generation farmer, so he is heir to quite a bit of land and trees that his Dad was gracious in allowing us to tap. I can't remember how many taps we drilled last year, but I do remember that it turned out about 450 gallons of sap ~ which is a lot of work for one Dude (and he was left to do most of the hard labor).

But there's nothing quite like homemade goodness straight out of your local maple tap. Drink up! Here are cute #1 and cute #2 asking Dada to supply a little syrup for their sweet tooth at breakfast!

(photos taken down)

Running a real estate business and the funny farm are actually very complimentary. As a family, our goal is to get back to more "real estate" - like 40 acres of it; and with it, a team of Belgian mules to help get some work done. We enjoy homesteading, because we enjoy learning, and because we enjoy supporting our family, neighbors and community, and becoming decreasingly dependent upon outside sources for our everyday needs. And each day we are becoming increasing dependent on our Provider and Source - our Heavenly Father. We know if we can grow and show ourselves diligent in running our present operations, we will have opportunities and doors opened for us to continue to learn and grow.

There's not many days that go by that we don't enjoy a bit o' butter or sugar in our menu. So, for the butter, we just had to get a family cow! We considered the Jersey cow, the mini Jersey, and the Dexter. But we ultimately settled on the Dexter because this excellent heritage breed from Ireland has a great track record as a small farmer family-friendly milker and meat cow. Her feed requirements are less stringent than other breeds, and her expected size/weight is under 1000 lbs full grown.

We found our Dexter thru the Internet, a local breeder in Lakeport, Michigan. She and her husband have raised a healthy herd of the long-haired and long-horned Highlanders as well as Dexters on about 10 acres of retired apple and pear orchards. The animals were all very friendly ~ and well fed! In fact, for feeding time, they would go and trim the old apple trees with a pole saw. No need to lug bales!

We loaded our little lady in the back of our Chevy 'burban, and made the trip home with her. She has been on the farm now for the better part of a year. It will still be another year before she is old enough to breed and calf. So we'll have to be patient for that fresh cream and butter for Miss Mabel. Here is Miss Mabel hanging out on March 4, 2010:

We equipped Miss Mabel with a bit of a wind chime around her neck. Whilst honeymooning in the Alps of Switzerland, we were charmed by the sights and sounds of the cows grazing and on serene landscapes. Cling-cling, cling-cline rose the chorus of chimes from the hills wherever we went. We even brought home from Switzerland a very treasured gift: a cow bell from one of the cows of the farmer whom we stayed with while visiting. It's a 1904 bell with a very lovely chime, and much bigger than the one Mabel is wearing in this photo!

Ice Cream, Butter, Cream, and Milk are just around the corner!

This is a photo taken taken, March 4, 2010, of our happy and well-adjusted goat girls and boy enjoying the snow melt and sunshine: (from left) Starburst, Miles, Lemonade and Daisy (rear).

This year, we officially kicked off our farm by filing Cotton Apron Acres with the state. (No, my wife does not wear an apron around all day). For most, it's just a bit expensive to raise animals as a "hobby" without enjoying writing down some of the expenses associated with rearing and advertising your flocks! Evie just got www.CottonApronAcres.com working today ~ check out and read about our farm anytime!

Our "Farmily" is fun to watch, and we can see most everybody from our kitchen window in the morning, and the goats (whom I call goatski's). In the summer Evie and I sit on our swing that I salvaged from a trashout and repainted and watch everyone.

Part of my morning routine is stocking the woodstove, then heading out to visit everyone with fresh water...ahem...fresh, WARM water heated on the woodstove for the goats, because they have a goat union, and they tend ot have pretty reasonable demands ~ good hay, alfalfa pellets, and warm water, before agreeing to produce good milk.

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Ever hear of "companion planting?" Like from the excellent book "Carrots Love Tomatoes?" Well, we adopted a similar philosophy in raising our animals. So we just had to have some sheep to keep the goats company next door!

Once again, our research and development arm (my farmer-in-chief, wife), consulted our CFY (chief finanical yesman ~ me) and determined that we she would certainly enjoy the challenge of rearing, shearing, spinning and selling crafts from her sheep. After a visit to Allegan's fabulous Fiber Arts Festival and a good deal of research, Evie settled on a beautiful heritage breed ~ Icelandic Sheep.

Icelandic sheep are a triple purpose heritage breed that can produce milk, wool, or meat. We are using our girls for primarily their wool, and selling the additional offspring. Their wool is sheared 2x a year, and then carded to make silky, ready-to-spin roving. The roving can be spun in any varieties of ways, but one of the most common is the Rumplestiltskin-type classic wooden spinning wheel. And like the fairy tale, a a good fiber artist can spin the wool into some gold.

Here's a photo of our herd queen, Merry:

Isn't she beautiful? What a gorgeous fleece! She sure will look funny when it gets snipped away! We also have Dakota, Ragusa (our Favorit swiss Chocolate), and Balinda.

When it comes to farming, the term "hobby farm" seems to convey a cute little farm, with cute little animals. Animals that gracefully graze upon a picturesque landscape bordered by a white picket fence. And, of course, there are no big bad wolves, hawks, or sights and smells of anything that would resemble a manure pile. I think what I just described might be fall under the phrase "fantasy farming."

Big or small, if you are engaged in raising animals or crops, whether for love, profit, or both, I can almost bet my moo cow that you have more than just a hobby. You have full time occupation, pay or no pay.

When our family moved to Zeeland in '06 to our 1 acre, we took with us a vision: that as our children took their first baby steps, we would begin taking our baby steps into our almost forgotten heritage: farming. My wife has always had a penchant for animals, and you could say the animals have always been mutually inclined to her.

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Growing up in Holland, MI, she had nearly achieved celebrity status in the Idlewood Beach neighborhood for her parade of animals that followed her on her frequent walks down to the beach. Marshmallow and Bunnykins rabbits, Sondoo the african grey, and trusty bark-on-command Brigadoon the dog, and a trio of ducks, just to name a few.

Her father, a doctor and a son of doctor, unwittingly carried on the family tradition when he raised yet another doctor amongst his daughters: Dr. Doolittle. And the Idlewood beach a somewhat unlikely location to find both this amazing child, and parents compliant to permitting her managerie to be paraded in the public.

I married sweet Evie with eyes-wide-open ambition to fulfill her every wish for farm animals. God provided us with almost a full acre and a relic of a farming yester-millenia in the form of a farmhouse. 3 years and a lot of elbow grease later, I am resigning my position as handyman-in-chief. My 2 year old son shall fill the vacancy as needed. :)

Gotta upload some photos of the transformation!

(con't on Part 2)