Pigs like to eat and given the opportunity will spill their feed on the ground. This leads to the feed being wasted. To reduce how much is wasted, someone designed this feeder. We put feed in the top. The back lid keeps the feed from getting wet. When the pig wants to eat, it comes to the front, lifts the lid with its snout, reaches in and eat what it wants. This method keeps the feed contained, reduces feed wasted, and lets the pigs eat what they want. Creative tool!
March 2021 Views from the Farm
Under cover we see:
Piglets – Litter 1 
Layers 
Piglets – Litter 2 
Savannah – great with kid 
Pesch – great with kid
Outside we see:
Rooster 
Cows grazing 
Khiza 
Piggies sunning 
Calf 
Pigs visiting
In the gardens we see:
Planted bed 
Pea rows 
Garlic patch
January 2021 Views of the Farm
Here are recent views of the farm:
Piglets 
Calves 
Goats
Baby Piglets
The Bros purchased a boar and sow late last year. The sow, Maple, came bred. When it looked like she might be ready to give birth, we moved her into the barn. And waited. And waited. Finally, in late January on a Saturday night, she pushed a piglet out. After several hours with nothing else coming, one of the bros reached inside and was able to pull a second one out. And then she pushed a third one out by herself.
She took to mothering, letting them nurse, making a nest in the hay for them to cozy into, and keeping an eye on what they are up to. They have been growing, like they should.
3 piglets is a very small litter, even for a first time mom. 9-16 would be a more common size. But they all survived. And 100% survival rate is excellent.
Beef Stew
This was made with canned and frozen ingredients that I had on hand. It had a chunkier consistency than the beef over potatoes and veggies did.
Beef Stew
This included beets along with the beef.
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- Enough water to cover the bottom of the crockpot
- 1 qt. canned beef 1-2 lb. of cooked beef (stew meat) would also work.
- 1 qt. canned beans, drained
- 1 qt. canned beets, drained
- 2 cups celery 2 cups combined of celery, onion, and/or garlic would also work.
- 1 qt. pumpkin or squash puree
Instructions
- Put enough water in to cover the bottom of the crockpot. Mix beef, beans, beets and celery in crockpot. Add squash puree until it is spread throughout.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Let sit with lid off for 5-10 minutes to cool. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Frozen veggies and beef, thawed, could be used instead of canned ones.
The squash puree sweetens the dish.
Chicken and Edamame
This is a simple meal, using ingredients I had on hand.
Chicken and Edamame
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, thawed
- 1 qt. edamame, thawed
- Water to cover bottom of the crockpot
Instructions
- Put thawed chicken breast side down in crockpot. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle edamame still in the pods over the chicken.
- Cover the crockpot. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.
- Remove chicken from crockpot. It may want to fall apart, so be careful and don't get burned. Cut chicken up into serving pieces.
- Serve edamame alongside.
Notes
We added a carrot raisin salad (raisins and shredded carrots mixed with mayonnaise) and lettuce salad to complete this meal.
Beef Steaks over Potatoes and Veggies
This crockpot meal cooks a long time. The meat on the top sheds its fat and flavor through the whole dish. At the end you cut up the meat and stir all of it together resulting in a thick stew.
Beef Steaks over Potatoes and Veggies
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 8 medium potatoes, halved and sliced
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, sliced and quartered Any squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato would work.
- Enough water to cover the bottom of the crockpot
- 2 cups stalks celery, chopped A total of 2 cups of celery, onion, and/or garlic would work.
- 1 quart frozen Swiss chard, thawed 1.5 lb. of a cooked green would work.
- 2 beef steaks, thawed Any pork or beef steak would work.
Instructions
- Thaw meat; prep veggies.
- Layer 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 the squash, 1/2 the potatoes, 1/2 the squash in the crockpot. Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the crockpot.
- Cover the squash with the celery. Cover the celery with the Swiss chard.
- Put the steaks on the top of the chard. The crockpot will be full. Make sure the lid is down all the way on the crockpot.
- Cook for 8-9 hours on low. Turn off, take off lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Cut up the steaks, add back to the crockpot. Stir the stew until the meat and other ingredients are spread throughout.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This was made with a 5-6 quart crockpot for 9 people. For a smaller crockpot and smaller crowd, use less of each ingredient.
Duck over Apples
This is a recipe that I have used at Thanksgiving for several years. Duck is a meat that I will purchase as we haven’t raised or processed any ducks yet*.
*In 2023 we have now processed our own duck. I look forward to using my duck for this recipe.
Duck over Apples
This makes a sweet duck with nice leftover broth for cooking rice or rice pilaf in.
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 duck, whole, thawed
- 4-6 apples, cored; similar height
- Water to cover bottom of crockpot
Instructions
- Thaw duck; remove giblets and any sauce packs.
- Core apples. Place in lightly greased crockpot. You want enough that the duck can rest on top of them. Add just enough water to cover bottom of crockpot.
- Place duck breast side down on top of apples. Cover crockpot. Set to low heat for 7-9 hours.
- Remove duck from crockpot, and allow to cool some. Remove meat from carcass and eat. Put broth over rice OR save to cook with rice later.
Crockpot meals
Recently I was given a freshly painted kitchen with a new vinyl floor. The trade off was that for about 1 week I wouldn’t have the use of my stove. So we used the crockpot for some meals. Here are the recipes that we used:
For sides we had lettuce salads and carrot raisin salad. All in all it worked well. And I am thankful for the refreshed kitchen and the use of my stove.
Here’s to a Normal Year!
Here are some of the normal things that happened this past year:
Goat chewing its cud 
Piggies lounging 
Goats chewing their cud 
Chickens scratching 
Pasture growing 
Turkeys pipping 
Boar and sow lounging 
Veggies growing 
Rooster crowing 
Cows chewing their cud 
Cutting hay 
Doelings chewing their cud
Lots of normal living! May you see the normal living going on at your place this 2021. Wishing you strength and health, peace and joy, and more vegetable plants and less masks!