Peaceful Heart FarmCast

The blueberries are ripening. Some are already ripe. We also have strawberries ripening. The varieties that we have are all everbearing, meaning they will bear fruit all summer long. That story and much more is coming right up.

As always, I want to take a minute to welcome all the new listeners and welcome back the veteran homestead-loving regulars. I appreciate you all so much. Your presence is appreciated. Let me know if there is something in particular you would like to hear me talk about. Is there a particular animal you want to know about? What about cheesemaking? Or are you only interested in eating these great cheeses. Let me know.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates Creamery

The new cheese cave is operating wonderfully. I put another couple of wheels of our Peaceful Heart Gold in there just a few days ago. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to open that door and feel the nice cool air come rushing out. Rather than an upright freezer space it is an entire room dedicated to housing our cheeses.

The cheeses are stored on wooden shelves. This is keeping with traditional aging techniques. We turn the various cheeses regularly to keep the interior moisture balanced. Right now, each cheese has its own shelf (we have four varieties) and only one side of the cheese cave is being used. I can't tell you how freeing it feels to have that many shelves to fill up and no worries about running out of space.

Cool Bot

We use an apparatus called a Cool Bot to keep the room at the proper temperature. It fools the air conditioner into believing it needs to keep running. Normally, an AC compressor is going to stop when the temperature gets down near 60 degrees. However, for cheese we need it to be 52 to 55 degrees for most cheeses. The Cool Bot fools the air conditioner and the compressor keeps running until the lower temperature is reached. It even has a Wi-Fi connection and an app that offers a graph of the temperature over time. It's a great invention. The cost of a commercial cooling unit would be impossible for us to justify.

Today the humidifier was added. I'll need to get an electronic and remote humidity monitoring set up in there, I think. As I said, we have one with the Cool Bot for the temperature, but I'm going to look into something to monitor the humidity as well.

The roof over the milking parlor is really moving along nicely. I can see how it is going to look now. Sometimes Scott explains to me how one thing or another is going to be done and I really don't have any kind of visual in my mind about what all those words mean. Now I can see it and it is amazing.

Quail Chicks

Between Saturday, Sunday and Monday 52 quail chicks hatched out. We were amazed. Normally it is expected that about 70% of the incubating eggs will hatch. That's a good hatch rate. Sometimes it is much less. But 52 out of 64? That far exceeded our expectations. We did lose one yesterday, so now we have 51. I'm so excited about this great hatch.

They are currently in the brooder where they will remain for the next two weeks. In the first week to 10 days they will fully feather out and at least quadruple in size. It is unbelievable how quickly they grow.

It's so exciting. These little birds are fantastic to raise. We have set up a cycle and every six weeks we will hatch another batch. This plan will go throughout the summer and into the early fall. We will have lots and lots of quail in the freezer by the end of fall. Since we do not raise chickens yet, this will be our poultry supply for the winter.

Sheep, Lambs, Goats, and Kids

Yesterday we brought the lambs and their moms up for their 2nd spring health check. Spring time is when the internal parasites really take off. We have to keep a closer eye on them during this time. Everyone passed with lying colors. It's so good to see this. I can't tell you how good it is to see this.

Homesteading has many challenges, and for us, learning about this cycle was a hard lesson. We do our best to raise our animals as close to nature as possible. Their health is of paramount importance to us. In 2010, when we began, we were completely unaware of how vicious and fatal these internal parasites can be for our sheep and lambs. We watched in horror as a perfectly healthy lamb would succumb to them within days if we weren't watching closely.

Parasite Monitoring

At one point, we were taking poop samples regularly to try and get a handle on the problem. Basically, we looked at their poop under a microscope and counted the number of eggs. That gave us an idea about the number of parasites they carried. There is also another test where we look inside the lids of their eyes. Here we are looking for dark pink tissue. The lighter it is, the less blood they have and the closer they are to imminent death. For the adults it is dangerous when the eyelids are pale. For the lambs and goat kids it is often a death sentence.

This is all pretty morbid so let me get to the good part. We did begin to use a chemical wormer. And in the beginning, we used it often. Three to four times per year. That is the standard for commercial operations. But we were determined to use better animal husbandry practices to bring this under control. And when I say "bring this under control" that is the mentality of most commercial sheep operations. They want to keep it under control. For us, we wanted to gain control and then, using better pasturing techniques, we wanted the problem to be a small one if not completely eliminated. I can't say I will ever be comfortable saying it is completely eliminated. We keep a check on them.

Success!!

Today, we check them twice in the spring, once in late summer and once in winter. And I cannot remember the last time we had to use a chemical wormer. I know it has been over a year. And when we do have to use a chemical, it is only on the select few who might need it.

How did we accomplish this? Good pasture rotations was key for us. One of the problems we ran into that cost us a lot of lambs and even a goat or two was a drought that reduced our pasture grass. The grass was far too short. Again, this was the early days. We were uneducated novices. As the animals grazed, they were clipping that grass way too close to the ground where the hatched larva didn't have to climb very far up the grass to be eaten.

Today, Scott manages this very, very well. He knows exactly how high the grass needs to be before we let any of the animals graze in a particular pasture. And he knows when it is time to move them to the next paddock. The result is a health check like we had yesterday. And the health check we had a couple of months ago just prior to the first lamb arriving. Everyone was doing well. No issues with parasites.

Missing Goat Kid

One small side note on this health check. Along with the sheep and their lambs, we brought up the one renegade goat and her kid. Because we do not want any more mistakes with unauthorized goat breeding, this goat kid needed to be banded. It is a relatively simple procedure that causes the blood circulation to be cut off to his testicles.

We tended to him first and that went off without a hitch. Then Scott picked up each lamb and we checked their health and banded the three boys in that group also. Next, all of the big girls were checked. All done. Let's get them all back into the field. Only one problem. Sometime during all of the hubbub, the goat kid disappeared. He was just gone. But you know, I've said this before. Goat. There is no keeping a goat in when they don't want to be kept in.

The Search

We looked and looked and could not find him. I followed his mom all the way back to the pasture in which they were currently residing. I followed her all the way to the back of that pasture until I lost her in the woods. He never showed up. I walked all the way back to the corral area. I checked the other two adjacent pastures. No sign of him. Those goat kids are sneaky and can hide most effectively.

I had exhausted myself walking up and down those hills, likely over a mile. And it was hot. I gave up. He is three months old and can make it on his own if need be. He is old enough to be weaned after all. So, I let it be for the night. Sure enough, this morning when Scott went out to get the cows, there he was, back with his mom. All's well that ends well. But he really took me for a ride.

Cows and Calves

I have just a short note on the cows and calves. The cows are still doing their thing. That means they eat, drink and sleep. Occasionally, they will offer up a couple of moos. Mostly they eat and then lay around chewing their cud.

The calves managed to get into the travel lane and all the way up to the milking shed. We still don't know if the gate was accidentally left ajar or if they worked it loose. No matter, they are back in their corner of our world, happily grazing and running around in the grass. Well, Wendell runs around a lot. Luna, not so much. Wendell is only a couple of months old. He still has lots of vim and vigor going.

Blackberries

The blackberries are in full bloom. It will be another month before we reap that harvest. The mulberry trees are blooming. That fruit will not be ready until much later in the year, closer to fall. I haven't seen any kiwis, but the vines are doing very well. We have a few peaches coming along, but I didn't see any pears or apples. That is not to say they are not there. I did not look at every single tree. I looked at them in passing as I went to the blueberry patch.

Blueberries

As I said, the blueberries are ripening. We have a couple of rows of blueberry bushes. There are several different varieties. Most of them still need to ripen, but one variety was ready to go. I went out there with a basket of course, just in case. However, my basket was not big enough. There were so many of the early variety that were ripe, I quickly filled that little basket. It held more than a pint but less than a quart. You see? I wasn't really expecting there to be very many blueberries. So, I was pleasantly surprised.

I carried the little basket filled with blue jewels back up to the milking shed where Scott was still milking the cows. He was pleasantly surprised and grabbed a bunch of them and proceeded to enjoy their sweet loveliness. Not only did he enjoy them, but Daisy got a turn too.

Donkeys Are Fun

Daisy is our eldest miniature donkey. She came up for her usual scratches and hugs. After I provided those, I offered her a blueberry. It took her a minute to figure out that it was a treat. She had never had them before. She has had carrots and apples, but never blueberries. It didn't take her long to come looking for more – and more, and more, and more.

Her daughter, Cocoa, also came forward. But she was not catching on to the treat I was offering her. Plus, because Daisy had caught on, she kept pushing her muzzle into my hand and stealing the berries I was offering Cocoa. After a while I gave up on Cocoa and gave a few more to Daisy. She loved them.

Strawberries

On my way back to the house, still having a nearly full basket of blueberries, I stopped by the garden to check on the strawberries. Why not? Sure enough, I brought in a handful of those as well. I put some of the blueberries in my yogurt. What a treat. Later, or perhaps the next day it was, I put some of the strawberries in a dish and poured fresh raw milk cream over them. That was an even better treat. Yum, yum.

Garden

The garden is doing fantastic. I still have some plants to get out there. But the ones already planted are just catching on and steadily branching out. I noticed a small sweet banana pepper already. It was about 2 inches long. And the others are blooming up a storm. The bees are having a time out there.

We have about 100 square feet of potatoes planted and they are getting really big. Potatoes was the first thing we planted. I was not sure that any plants would come up. I was using potatoes we had grown last year as seed potatoes. So they did come up and I'm happy about that. The next big hurdle there will be whether they are healthy all the way through to harvest. The problem with replanting your potatoes is they are subject to all kinds of destructive molds. We shall see. We shall see. Our soil is really good. Scott put fresh, clean compost in all of the beds. Fingers crossed.

Cicadas

As far as the cicadas, what began as a novelty that happens only once every 17 years has now become mostly an annoyance. Night and day. Day and night. They go on and on and on. Sometimes it is so loud, I can hear it clearly through my earbuds even though they are tightly fitted into my ears. Not only that, but the life cycle for many of the adults has reached its end. They are dozens and dozens lying dead all over the place. The birds and the cat are loving that, but I don't find it quite so attractive. In another week or two it will all be over, not to be seen or heard again until 2037.

Final Thoughts

I love my life here and wouldn't trade it for the world. It's hard work. It's sweaty work. Sometimes it's frustrating and heartbreaking. Many, many times it's peace and tranquility – except for those cicadas. I'm so done with them. The fresh fruit is coming in and soon the vegetables will be arriving. Cheesemaking is progressing. I'm getting better and better with my methods. The creamery that rose out of the ground over three years ago is getting closer and closer to completion. I couldn't ask for more in my life.

I'm so happy you came along for the ride around the homestead. I look forward to bringing you more stories next time.

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Reblochon raw milk cheese is coming. There are other new cheeses that I will be making over the next few months, but this one is the one I'm most excited about. It gives me a chance to enhance my cheesemaking and affinage skills. And I love learning and practicing new things. It enlivens my soul to create new things. What about you? Do you like learning? If you ever find yourself saying, "I'm bored", it's time to expend some energy learning something new or doing something you've never done before.

Let me take a minute here and say welcome to all the new listeners. I'm glad you found me and I hope you will stick around. And a hearty welcome back to my veteran homestead-loving regulars. Thank you so much for stopping by the FarmCast. I appreciate you all so much. As usual, there are exiting events and activities going on around the homestead.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates

The cicadas continue to sing. It gets louder and louder every day. I don't know how much louder it can get. There are lots of empty exoskeletons under the trees and some dead cicadas. And lots of those perfectly round ½ inch holes under every tree. I never hear them in the trees out the back door. They always seem to be a couple of hundred yards away. But they must be there. I talked about their life cycle in the last podcast, "The Cicadas in Southwestern Virginia Have Emerged". If you missed it, check out our website. Click or tap "podcast" on the menu and give it a listen.

Kittens

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but we have feral cats that roam around our property. There is one in particular that we have seen time and time again over the past couple of months. She intimidates the quail, hanging around, always watching, drooling over their plumpness. Anyway, I saw her go under the carport a couple of times. I figured she was stalking mice or other small varmints under somewhere back there. I found out a few days ago that it was not the case.

As I was about to pull the car back into the carport, I saw a black lump right in my tire track that was not there before. I stopped and got out to investigate. As I approached the black lump abruptly jumped up and dashed behind the air conditioner compressor. I calmly walked over there and peeked behind the unit and, sure enough, there was a little black kitten there. It had small white markings on feet, head and tail. It was quite cute. I looked a little further and found another black lump of fur hiding farther back in the corner. Two kittens. That explains the momma cat hanging out under the carport.

Sheep and Lambs – Goats

This morning I moved the goats back in with the rest of the girls, cows, sheep and donkeys. They moved easily. Most of them have shed their cashmere winter coats and are looking quite sleek. One is looking really ragged. I may have to sheer her. She has a very heavy overcoat which impedes the undercoat of cashmere from shedding completely. It mats and becomes impossible to comb out. But the clippers work well to get her cleaned up.

We had our final lamb born two days ago. I thought we might get another set of twins. But no. Another giant girl. Nearly 12 pounds. She is healthy and active. So glad to be done with lambing. And for the first time in a long time, no issues with moms or lambs dying. No abandoned or neglected lambs that require bottle feeding. Yay. Let's pray for their continued health.

We end this lambing season with nine new babies. Well one is nearly four months old and harder to spot as a lamb every day. Just a few inches shy of being as tall as his mom. They will all be like that in a few months. They are the cutest animals on the homestead IMO, but only for a short while. Then they look and act like the adults. But until that time, finding them jumping and hopping in the evening during play time is a pleasure I never get tired of experiencing.

Cows

I need to correct something I said last time regarding the cows and artificial insemination. It's a small thing, but I like to be accurate. I said that the AI was initiated with a uterine implant and shot. Scott corrected me. It was a vaginal implant.

On Monday there was a uterine implant. The artificial insemination took place. Now we wait for 21 days to see if they come into heat again. If so, we try again. I'm already counting the days. And I do it more than one time per day. It's going to be a long three weeks.

Quail

We have 64 eggs in the incubator. On Friday, they go into lock down. That means the eggs come out of the automatic egg turner, the incubator is resealed and cannot be opened until three days after the first quail chick hatches. I expect to hear the first peeps on Saturday or Sunday at the very latest. I'll be able to give you a total number of new chicks in the next podcast.

Garden update

Scott and I transplanted all of the tomatoes and peppers into the garden. I started them from seeds some time ago and they have been ready to transplant for more than a week, maybe even two. But the weather was not quite right.

Having completed that part of the planting, nearly the entire garden is planted. Is still have a bunch of celery starts to transplant and lots and lots of culinary herbs. I have cilantro, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and mint still to transplant into the garden. However, today was not the day to do that. The temperature finally reached a nice mid-70s to low 80's range for about 3 days. But I guess spring is already over. Today it reached 90 degrees. I can deal with that in the summer, but in the spring, I'll just stay inside and imagine that it is balmy outside. I don't want to lose that feeling of spring until much later. There is plenty of time for steamy hot days in July and August.

I love to see the garden full of green. The potatoes are up. Sunflowers are planted along the entire west end – about 70 feet. I didn't count the number of plants but I'm guessing about 50. These are mammoth sunflowers so they will get really big heads and have lots of seeds. I've watched a couple of videos on how to dry them so I am educated for the fall harvest of those giant flowers filled with seeds. I love having these new experiences. Literally, I am growing these for fun. I'll probably feed them to the birds this winter.

Creamery

This is the most exciting news. The small cheese cave is complete. Aaannndd – we moved all of our current cheese in there for aging. Today Scott ordered a humidifier that will assist with keeping the moisture at the proper level. I've never had this before. I either had to wax cheeses to keep them from drying out or make small batches and keep them in plastic containers with lids to keep the humidity up. This new setup offers a multitude of possibilities.

Earlier this year I began working on what is called a washed rind cheese. In a nutshell that means that when the cheese comes out of the press, another process is started to create the perfect rind. It involves some kind of brining or salt water bath. It can be just salted water or it might be salted water with additional cultures designed to grow specific molds on the cheese surface creating a unique rind and adding flavor to the cheese. I am so excited at the possibilities.

Recently I acquired some new cheese molds. One is designed to create a cheese called Reblochon. Some of you may know of this cheese, but for those that don't about it, here is a short description. This is a French cheese originating in Savoie mountains. It is a washed rind cheese as I just described. The center is very soft, similar to a camembert. Officially, it is made with raw milk. However, the cheesemaking and aging is essentially complete just shy of the 60 days required for commercial raw milk cheese in the US. The only way to have this cheese in the US is to make it yourself. Oh, there is a pasteurized version, but it just isn't the same. I'll only be making very small batches for us and for any herd share owner that expresses an interest. I expect to perfect my washed rind cheese skills.

Those perfected skills will assist me in creating a washed rind version of our Pinnacle cheese. It is an alpine-style cheese. You'll find it to be similar to a traditional Swiss gruyere cheese. With the completion of the cheese cave, these kinds of new opportunities are just waiting to be explored.

Final Thoughts

There is never a dull moment here. Something new is happening each and every day. At least in the spring that is true. Most days, there is more to do than it is possible to accomplish. Spring bursts out of the ground at a dead run and sometimes it's hard to keep up.

The warm spring days also invoke a new creativity in me. New growth in me just as the new growth is literally springing out of the ground. I'm so excited about making cheese right now. With the new cheese cave and new opportunities to be a better cheesemaker with a larger skillset, I'm in seventh heaven.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, please share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

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The cicadas in Southwestern Virginia are out and about. It happens once every 17 years. It's truly a phenomenal occurrence. I can't wait to get to that topic today.

But first, welcome to all new listeners and welcome back to veteran homestead-loving regulars. That you for stopping by the FarmCast for every episode. It wouldn't be a show without you. I appreciate you all so much. I'm so excited to share with you what's going on at the farm this week including all about the cicadas.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates

Life goes on at the homestead, right though the rain and more rain and more rain. We trek twice a day out into the pastures to bring up the cows for milking, rain or shine. It's getting pretty muddy out there.

Cows

The cows are not bothered by the cicadas. They continue to carefully navigate that mud and come up to the milking shed twice daily. Last Friday they each got a second trip into the shed. We have started the artificial insemination process. There is a uterine implant and a hormone shot to start. This will make all of the cows cycle together. The reason we want that is so we can breed them all at once and the calves will all be born within days of each other. It makes the calving season short, sweet and predictable. Once they start cycling together, they will continue to cycle together. It's lovely system.

The next step is removing the implant and another hormone shot. There is a very specific time window when the actual insemination occurs. I believe it is approximately 60 hours after the second hormone shot. I'm learning as we go. Scott is the one with the detailed perspective on this whole process.

The process of placing the implants involved a physical exam of each cow. It was a relief to find out that Buttercup is actually pregnant, though she has a long way to go before she delivers. The vet estimated she is about 6 months along. Cows take 9 months to grow a healthy calf, just like humans. We look for her to give birth in August.

The other four are getting ready for the next phase. They didn't complain too much during the process. It was quick and painless. Except for those shots. Cows don't like getting a shot any more than humans do.

Sheep and Lambs

Let's talk about the sheep and the lambs. These guys are also oblivious to the song of the cicadas. The lambing is just about done. There is one more ewe that looks like she will deliver in the next couple of weeks, but it could be longer. And there is one that does not look pregnant at all. She babysits the lambs a lot. I think she would like to have one. We shall see.

The big news with the lambs is the giant set of twins that was born about 5 days ago. This is a great mom and she didn't require any assistance. But I have to wonder how she managed it. Normally, our lambs are 6 to 8 pounds at birth. Sometimes less. We had one that was only 5 and a half pounds. Sometimes more. We had one just shy of 9 pounds. But these two from the same mom totaled over 25 pounds. Think of it. Normally, even if a ewe had lambs on the upper edge and gave birth to two lambs 8 pounds each. That's a total of 16 pounds of lamb. This 3-year-old ewe carried a set of twins totaling over 25 pounds. The boy was 11 and a quarter pounds. The girl was a whopping 14 and a half pounds. The day they were born, they were larger than the lambs born two weeks previous. And lambs grow fast. The little 5 and a half pounder may have doubled in weight by now. But she is still way smaller than her newest half-sister.

All are healthy and thriving. It's a great thing to see. So far, so good. No lost lambs. I did just rescue the newest boy. He was on the other side of the creek. Because of the rain today, the creek was swelled and he didn't want to cross. He was stranded on the other side of the fast-moving creek water. Fortunately, he didn't try to run away from me. I caught him easily and returned him to mom. All is well. Fingers crossed, the last ewe delivers healthy lambs without issue. I say lambs plural because I think she will also have twins. But you never know. Last year she also had a large lamb, but a single.

Goats

I have no idea what the goats think of the cicadas? But I am pleased that they are more and more comfortable with me being near. The sheep also are getting more comfortable with human interaction. Oh they will still run away if you get too close. But the point is I am able to get closer before they run away.

I am happy to report they are staying in their assigned paddock and not sneaking off to wherever they want without regard to our fencing plan and rotational grazing plan.

Donkeys

Of course, the donkeys ignore the sounds of cicadas generated in the trees all around them. They want a little cuddle and a scratch. That's it. Once they get that, they are happy campers. It's strange to see their winter coats are still hanging on. It will likely be July before they have a sleek coat. Even with brushing, their winter coats hang on long after I think they should be gone. But what do I know? It's not up to me.

Quail

The tree right next to the quail cages is full of cicadas. Poultry and fowl are pretty carnivorous. The quail would likely enjoy munching on them if they could get close enough but that is not going to happen. The cicadas are too big to get through the mesh cages. The quail are left to hear them and not be able to eat them.

The breeding groups are doing very well. There are 13 hens there and we get anywhere from 8 to 11 or 12 eggs a day. Nine or ten is most common.

The young ones are doing really well. You would not believe how big they are now. They are barely three weeks old. They went from being the size of my thumb to larger than my whole hand in that short period of time. They still have a little way to go to reach their full size. Their unbelievably fast growth rate will slow down a bit and they will become fully mature over the next five weeks.

Creamery

Scott is off the farm right now. He had to go to town to pick up that special grout I talked about last time. I think tomorrow he will be finishing up that smaller cheese cave. How exciting is that? I think that is what he has planned but I could be wrong. He is also diligently working on that roof over the milking parlor and open-air animal barn. There is an attic area over the milking parlor. That is the part where we stand when setting up the cows for milking. This roof and ceiling are a couple of feet higher than the rest of the building. Over the past few days Scott has been building a stairway from the attic over the rest of the building to the attic floor of the other roof. It looks really good. His talent with building is always amazing to me. I look at that stuff and think, "how does he do that?" It seems so complex to me. I think it is complex. He is simply very talented with creating buildings.

Cicadas

Let's get on to the main point I want to talk about today. The cicadas. There are pictures posted on our Facebook page. Go over there and check them out. There is at least one video where you can hear their mating calls there as well.

I don't know how many cicada broods there are. They are numbered from I to XXIII, but there are numbers missing after XI. Brood IX is emerging in north-central North Carolina, southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia. It began in mid-May and will end in late June. They started emerging when the soil, 8" beneath the ground, reached 64 degrees. A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence. We have had plenty of that.

This brood, and other species like it, referred to as magicicada periodical cicadas, emerge every 17 years. Other magicicada periodicals emerge every 13 years. There are seven magicicada species. There are hundreds of other cicada species that emerge every year.

Life Cycle of the 17-Year Magicicada

Cicadas begin their life as an egg which the female deposits in a groove she makes in a tree limb. The egg looks like a grain of rice. The groove provides shelter and exposes the tree fluids, which the young cicadas feed on. These grooves can kill small branches. We hope we have no problem with our orchard trees. The brood is emerging all around it.

Once the cicada hatches from the egg it will begin to feed on the tree fluids. At this point, it looks like a termite or small, almost translucent, white ant. Once the young cicada is ready, it crawls from the groove and falls to the ground where it will dig into the ground until it finds roots to feed on. It will typically start with smaller grass roots and work its way up to the roots of its host tree. The cicada will stay underground approximately 17 years. The cicadas are active underground, tunneling and feeding, and not sleeping or hibernating as has been commonly thought.

After 17 years, the cicadas emerge from the ground as nymphs. We are seeing this now. There are hundreds and hundreds of small, perfectly round holes, about the diameter of my pinky finger, all over the place. The emerging nymphs climb the nearest available tree, and begin to shed their nymph exoskeleton. We can see lots of this going on now. All over the trees there are nymphs in varying stages of shedding. Once free of their old skin, their wings inflate with fluid and their adult skin hardens. They have red-orange eyes. Their wings are longer than their body. It's an odd-looking creature. Check out our website. The featured image is a cicada. Once their new wings and body are ready, they begin their adult life. It is quite brief, only about a month.

The adults spend their time in trees looking for a mate. That is the song that we hear every morning and until sometime after mid-day. The males sing. The females respond. Mating happens and the cycle begins again. Eggs laid and hatched. Young cicada falls to the ground and digs in for another 17 years.

Why Are There So Many Cicadas All at Once?

One answer is predator satiation. The first cicadas that emerge are eagerly consumed by predators. Birds, raccoons, squirrels, dogs, cats, snakes and so on. They eat until they are overwhelmed. They fill themselves to the point of exhaustion. This gives the remaining cicadas a chance to escape.

In areas where there aren't enough of them to satiate the predators completely leads to dwindling populations. Some eventually die out.

I look forward to the next few weeks as this phenomenon continues. Who knew we would be one to have part of this brood on our property?

Final Thoughts

That's it for today's podcast. I hope you enjoyed the cicada information and the homestead updates. I look forward to next week when I hope to have some garden updates to share – if it ever stops raining long enough to get anything planted.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, please share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

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A bit of a poignant topic in today's podcast is "Does parental grief ever end?" I have that and lots more to talk about today.

Welcome each and every one of you, new and vets. Thank you so much for tuning in for each episode. I appreciate you all so much. The homestead brings joy to daily life and I want to share some of it with you.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates

Every day brings some new incident for me to add to my memories of homestead life. Today, it's the donkeys and sheep that provide the entertainment.

Sheep

The sheep have always been standoffish. They will continue to graze unconcernedly until you get about 15 feet – maybe 20 – away and then they will gradually start moving away. If you walk directly toward them at that point, they will begin moving away more quickly – as in running very fast in the other direction. So this morning I went out to check on everybody and there was one ewe that was laying down and not moving away with the rest of the flock. In fact, she was laying there as if she was dead. I am looking for another set of twins soon and the coloring of this ewe said it might be her. I walked right up to her until I was about three feet away. Suddenly she raised her head, saw me, jumped to her feet and proceeded to move quickly away. On the way, she stopped to nuzzle her lambs. She was the mom of the twins we already have. It was quite funny to see her jump up so quickly. And funnier still, that I was even able to get that close to her without a bucket of treats in my hand.

The donkeys provided a different kind of entertainment.

Donkeys

We have four donkeys. Two are in the front field with the boys – that's the steers, sheep rams, and goat bucks. That would be Johnny and Sweet Pea. Then there are two in the middle field with the sheep mamas, Daisy and Cocoa. These are our livestock guardian animals. Daisy and Cocoa have the greater job at this time of year. When lambs are born, there is an increase in the likelihood of predators coming to gobble them up. The donkeys make lots of noise and we have rarely had any issues over the years. Many times you can hear the coyotes in the distance, but they never really come close anymore. There was a time when we could hear them very close. But not so much anymore.

Our donkeys do a wonderful job in protecting the sheep and lambs. The first story I have today involves their care for the lambs. Each morning and each afternoon I make the trek out to field number 5 to check on the sheep and their lambs and to give Wendall his bottle. Wendall is our bottle-fed calf. He hangs out with Luna, our newest heifer. Yesterday, on the evening trip, I was in the vicinity of where the sheep were hanging out. And per my usual method, I was counting ewes and lambs, making sure everyone was accounted for and no one was missing in action. The ewes were out grazing on grass as they love to do, but the lambs were no where to be seen. Lo and behold, as I got nearer to the creek bottom, I saw the donkeys hanging out under the trees. The next thing I knew there were lambs coming out from behind them, venturing out for their evening frolic in the grass. Daisy and Cocoa had been babysitting while moms were out in the field grazing.

I counted them and came up one short. I immediately struck out for the creek intending to check on the other side. When they are this small, I keep a very close eye on them. Sometimes they get separated from mom and need me to rescue them and reunite them with the flock. This time however, my worry was unneeded. Out from behind Cocoa came the last lamb. She stopped to touch noses with Cocoa before joining her friends for a little run and jump action. All were safe and present. Check. On with feeding the calf.

I want to tell one more story about the donkeys before I move on to the quail babies. When I go out for evening chores, I bring along music. In my ears are stuffed earbuds as I listen to some of my favorite music, singing along of course. With earbuds on, I'm sure I'm singing flat most of the time. After all, I can't hear myself. In my mind it sounds great but who knows. There is no one to give me feedback. Except I did get some feedback.

A few days ago, I was out there singing softly a sweet song and the donkeys came walking up to me. Usually I have to go to them. And sometimes they are contrary and run away. But not this time. They came walking up to me as I softly sang a song. At least I think I was singing softly. I do recall that it was a sweet song, not sure the title or subject. So they come walking up to me and begging for attention. I start petting Daisy and Cocoa comes up and puts her head on Daisy's rump so I can pet her too. Eventually Daisy turned around and they entwined their heads while I was gently stroking them both and singing softly into their ears. I've done it a couple of times since then. I'm not sure what the signal is in my singing. They don't always come up to me. I think it is related to the song. You know, whether they like it or not. When I am singing loudly, they definitely keep their distance. I do know that much. But all in all it is a very sweet time for us. I have on my list of things to do to add a curry comb to the bucket of supplies I carry around for taking care of the new lambs. I'm sure both Daisy and Cocoa will love a good combing.

Quail

The baby quail are all outside now and looking great in their new hotel suites. There are two areas and they are nearly evenly split between the cages. Each side has a main area where there is food and water. And then they have the spa area where they can take a nice dust bath in the sand. The sand box is part of the enclosed area on each end of the coop. These birds are living the life.

One thing that I am still learning is how to keep them from jumping out when I open the cage door. I try to chase them to the back of the cage, but inevitably on most days, one or more will escape when I open the door to replenish their food and water. Then I'm out there chasing down these quail chicks. So far, I have been able to recapture them and return them to their cage.

One day, the cage door was left open on one of the breeder cages just below where this grow out cage is located. There are six birds in each of the breeder cages. They also have a dust bath spa in each cage. Anyway, the door was open and all six birds were out and about for a few hours. Scott caught most of them and got them replaced securely in their hotel rooms. However, one was missing. Later in the day, I went out to the milking shed to get ready to bring up the cows and there she was, the missing hen I mean. She was in the milking shed. I was able to catch her up and get her secured as well. All's well that ends well. The hens were all hesitant to lay eggs for a few days after that little bit of drama, but they are all back up to full production now.

Cows

The cows are all doing really well. Scott is working on getting setup for our first experience with artificial insemination. Soon it will be time to start the breeding process. This year, we are using AI or artificial insemination. This gives us much greater control of the genetics and gender of our calves. We picked two bulls that have the characteristics we are looking to develop in our herd. Number one is A2A2 genetics for our herd share milk. As we expand, we need more cows that provide this type of milk. Eventually, all of our cows will have the A2A2 genetic component. (What is A2A2 Milk?) The other genotype we are seeking to develop is BB kappa casein. That is a milk protein specifically beneficial in making cheese. The Normande breed is great with this trait, but again, we want to get everyone on the same page. It will take a few years, but we will get there.

Gender is also an important factor to consider. When we have male calves, or bulls, they end up as steers and grow up to be beef cows. That takes about two years. While the extra income from selling the beef is nice, it is yet another marketing task that I need to find time for in my already busy schedule. It is far better to have female calves, or heifers. We can grow them out for beef if we desire, but they are also very valuable as replacement stock for ourselves and breeding stock for others looking to add the Normande cow to their herd. We get lots of calls for heifers. No marketing required. People find us. In the past, we have not had any to offer. And indeed, over the next few years, likely we still will not have any until we get our herd into the shape we desire. But eventually, we will have heifers for sale.

Goats

Apparently, the goats are now contained within the current paddock. It has been quite a few days and they are still where we put them. Scott worked long and hard to patch up the holes in the fence where they were sneaking through from paddocks 10 and 14 into paddock 11. Thank goodness. We shall see how long that lasts.

Does Parental Grief Ever End?

The last experience I want to share today has to do with the question, "does parental grief ever end?" This morning I was out gathering the cows. I had my earbuds in and was listening to my usual mix of music. The weather was a bit wet and it was definitely cool. I love these morning and afternoon walks out on our land. The birds are singing. Often there is a soft breeze. It was pretty breezy this morning. The geese are all over the place squawking and making their usual racket. Life is great here on the homestead. Peace abounds in every corner of my world. Love wells up within me as a take in these many wonders of God's creation. Contentment oozes out of my pores during these times.

And thoughts gently flow through my mind. Not overpowering. Not overwhelming as before when I worked in the stressful corporate IT world. A bit of worry here and there, but nothing like the stresses you all endure and that I have endured in the past. It's quite the contrast. Before not so much physical labor but lots of mental stress. Now lots of physical labor and much less mental stress. I like the tradeoff.

Often, I think of my life and how I got to where I am today. That inevitably brings up thoughts of my parents. Like many of you, there were ups and downs in my childhood. As a teenager I had real issues with my parents. Resentment filled me and I blamed them for my unhappiness. Then, I grew farther and farther apart from them as I built my adult life. "Cat's in the Cradle" syndrome and "we'll get together then", though I talked with my mother often, especially in the later years when she was in her sixties and seventies and I was in my forties and fifties. My dad remained the same rock throughout my life. He never changed that much in my eyes. I'm sure he actually did change. We all do. The resentment faded and respect replaced it. Just as my life was filled with challenges and mistakes, so were theirs. We all do our best. Likely many of you, like me, judge our choices as not good enough and still struggle to be better – but we always do the best we can with what we have in the moment. And we inevitably make mistakes.

My parents have both been gone now for a while. It seems like there are still here and it feels like they have been gone forever and a day. My mother died over five years ago. And my father nearly 4 and a half years ago. I was with him at the end. Or I should say, he was with me. The last three months of his life he spent with me as I gently caught him as he fell; grieving still for my mother and his body giving out after six years expending every bit of energy he had to care for her as she lived out her final days.

When I think of them, the deep grieving loss wells up in me. Any of you who have lost a loved one know what I am talking about. The deep sense of love and grief at the loss of love that seems to spontaneously surge through my heart. Tears instantly fill my eyes as I think of them. I can feel it even now as I speak. And I wonder does it ever end? Will I grieve the loss for the rest of my life? I don't mind. I am grateful for the ability to feel love for them even in their absence.

I'll bet some of you have similar stories. I'll bet some of you experienced your loss more than five years ago and still feel it today. What do you think? Does parental grief ever end? I do not think so. At least I hope it never does. I want their memory to live on in me forever. What about you?

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed the homestead stories and come back again and again to hear more. It has taken me a while to find my stride and to land on what I have to offer. It took a while to realize that all I have is me and my experiences. Every day I strive to experience greater love and peace. I strive for God's grace and forgiveness.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please go to Apple Podcasts, search for Peaceful Heart FarmCast and SUBSCRIBE. Take a moment to give me a 5-star rating and a review. And if you enjoy this content, the best thing you can do to help me is to share it with any friends or family who might be interested.

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

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Today I want to talk about our raw milk cheese and cheesemaking. We have 4 different types of cheese and I am working on a 5th. I am so glad the small cheese cave is nearing completion so we will have a place to store all of them.

If you are new to the podcast, welcome. It's great to have you. And a shout out to the veteran homestead-loving regulars who stop by the FarmCast for every episode. You all make this show possible. I have so much exciting news this week. Let's get to it.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates Cheese

This week I made an absolutely fabulous raw milk cheese – Clau d'ville cheddar. Well at least it looks good so far. Sometimes we have trouble getting the cheese to come together and close up so there are no holes on the outside of the cheese. This is important. If you have opening on the surface of the cheese, unwanted mold can get inside and ruin the whole cheese. This is the first cheddar that I have made this season and I am well pleased with it.

I started off the cheesemaking with creating a new cheese. The first wheel is nearly ready for tasting. It is a tomme-style cheese. Tomme is used to describe a generic group of cheese produced mainly in the French Alps and in Switzerland. This cheese is lower in fat than our other cheeses. It is made in a circular mold, has an earthy gray-brown natural rind and, hopefully, will have an intensely nutty taste. Additionally, in the last three of these cheeses I experimented with adding wasabi to the curds. The last one I made looked like the best one with the added wasabi. We shall see.

At this point I am into a regular rotation of making Ararat Legend (a Dutch gouda-style) cheese, Clau d'ville Cheddar, Pinnacle (a swiss gruyere-style) and Peaceful Heart Gold (a Danish Havarti-style) cheeses. I'll be talking about the small cheese cave next. That's where all of this wonderful cheese will be aged to perfection.

Creamery

The creamery features two cheese caves. One is large enough to handle an entire year's worth of our raw milk cheese. All of the cheeses we make are aged. That means we have them in the aging cave for a very long time. When we are in full production, the large cheese cave will have lots and lots of cheese in it all the time in varying stages of aging. At the present time, Scott is trying to get the smaller cheese cave ready for us to use. We are not at full production so the smaller cheese cave will be excellent. It will be a blessing to have more room and greater control of temperature and humidity. At first Scott was not going to put the tiles on the floor, but recently he changed his mind. Last podcast I said we would put it into use without the floor, but life changes daily on the homestead. This cave will have wooden shelves to house the cheese. These shelves are held up with cinder blocks. I believe his reasoning on going ahead with the floor tiles was the daunting task of taking all that apart to do the floor later.

He is working on getting those tiles glued down as I speak. The grout between the tiles will come later. It has to be a special grout that can withstand dramatic alkaline and acid fluctuations and harsh cleaning compounds. Fortunately, we learned about the necessity for this based on someone else's issue. There is a lovely dairy about an hour away from us, Meadow Creek Dairy. They milk about 200 cows and make lots and lots of cheese. They make 20 times more than we ever plan on making. Originally, they started out small, just like us, going to farmer's markets and selling to local stores. Now they sell wholesale cheese internationally. They even had one of their cheeses featured at a White House dinner some years back.

I know Scott would prefer working on the completing the roof but his priority is getting that cheese cave functional and he is nearly there. After that, nothing will hold him back from finishing the entire roof. And who knows what he plans after that. I'll let you know when he lets me know.

Lambs

We have new lambs. Our first lamb – well first scheduled lamb – was born on May 7th. There is one lamb that was the first week of February. The unplanned one that resulted from one of our oopsie moments. We moved the animals around and somehow one of last year's ram lambs got sorted in with the girls. Fortunately, only one unplanned birth. Anyway, May 7th was the first planned one and now we have 6 altogether. Three more ewes still need to have their lambs. So far. we have 4 singles and one set of twins. From the round look of the still pregnant ewes, we are on a path to have two more sets of twins.

There have been no issues with any moms or lambs so far. We have no bottle lambs. Last year we had one. The mom of this year's twins had triplets last year and one of them just wasn't getting enough milk and attention. On day two or three we found him shivering and a little weak. I immediately scooped him up and brought him inside and got him warmed up. It took a little while to find the bottles and lamb milk replacer, but I soon had some warm milk in him. We had to keep an eye on him several times a day for a few days, but eventually, he perked up and is now in line to be our herd ram. We call him Lambert.

Cows

The cows are giving us plenty of milk. We had our cows tested for A2A2 genetics and about half of the herd is certified A2A2. Over the next few years, we will be moving to 100% A2A2 genetics. If you are not familiar with what that means, I have a previous podcast on the topic. It is called "What is A2A2 Milk?" I'll put a link in the show notes. Or you can go to the website and click or tap on the podcast menu item. I recorded that one nearly a year ago, so scroll down a little way and you will find it. I also have lots of good information on why we drink raw milk and lots of other information about raw milk.

All of our raw milk cheese and dairy products are available via herd share. In Virginia that means if you want these products you need to own your own cow. We offer the opportunity for folks to buy into our herd via our herd share program. You pay a fee to get into the homestead herd and then a monthly service fee and we do the rest. We have lots of great people enjoying our milk, cheese, yogurt and butter. By the way, if you know of anyone in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area that is looking for these kinds of nutritious products, let them know about us. We can't deliver across state lines, but they can certainly come to the farm and pick up their milk or butter or whatever. We welcome our North Carolina neighbors into our herd share program.

Quail

The quail babies are fully feathered. Their heat lamp has been taken away and they are getting acclimated to keeping themselves warm without the additional heat the lamp provided. I believe tomorrow is their debut in the cages outside. It has been a bit too chilly to put them out there. But the temps are changing tomorrow. And once they are acclimated, they will be fine. Their parents survived the entire winter and did very well. Sometimes I am surprised by the hardiness of barely domesticated animals. Quail in the wild have always been born and lived outside their entire lives. Nature is tough.

Garden

Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time in the garden. We have this lovely ground cover on all of the beds. The places where the seeds go in the ground are clearly marked and a hole has been cut in the fabric to allow the seed to go in and the leaves to come out once the seeds sprout. This new system we are trying this year, if it works, will simplify gardening for us. Weeds are always a problem for every gardener. And we just have too much else going on to spend a whole lot of time battling weeds. We hope this ground cover is the answer we have been looking for to bring joy back to gardening.

It will be at least another week or two before I plant my tomatoes and peppers out in the garden. Currently they reside in my living room with grow lights over them. In a normal year, I would have been planting them out in the garden but this year, it has been quite a cool spring. We actually had a frost a day or two ago. Typically, our last frost date is April 15th. That was three weeks ago. Oh well, as homesteader, we roll with the punches. Each year is unique.

Fruit

On the bank just outside of the main garden is a bed of strawberries. At each end are alpine strawberries. They are very small and quite sweet and tasty. In the middle is an everbearing variety we got at Lowes. That bed is overrun again with weeds. We were going to put the landscape cloth there as well but haven't gotten around to it. The result is weeds overrunning the strawberry bed. Sighhhh. It's a never-ending battle.

On the bright side regarding fruit, the blueberries bloomed nicely and should bear some great fruit in about a month. The blackberries are blooming. It is one of my favorite times of the spring season. Blackberry blossoms and wild rose blossoms fill the air with a lovely fragrance. The blackberries will be ripe about mid-July. If you are interested in picking your own blackberries, let me know. I can arrange a time for you to come out and fill up a bucket or two.

Final Thoughts

I'm sure I left out something. There is so much that happens in a day and time flies when you are living the life and having fun. I'll let you know how the raw milk cheese and cheese cave turns out. Next week I hope to have more lamb births to announce. And who know what else will happen in the coming seven days.

I hope you all can safely get back to work soon and get on with your lives. I cannot imagine what it must be like for you. Your lives upended. I hope my tales of the homestead are entertaining for you during this confined and uncertain time at home.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. The best thing you can do to help out the show is to share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

References:

What is A2A2 Milk?

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It's spring in Virginia and we have calves, lambs, a goat kid and baby quail. So much is going on. This is true of every spring. After a sleepy winter, spring brings rapid growth and renewed life.

I want to take a minute and say welcome to all the new listeners and welcome back to the veteran homestead-loving regulars who stop by the FarmCast for every episode. I appreciate you all so much. I'm so excited to share with you what's going on at the farm this week.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates

We love our place here. The dream we started nearly 17 years ago just keeps going growing toward our ever-changing vision.

Sheep

The lambing has begun. Just yesterday, Cinco de mayo, we had a brand new baby ram lamb born. He is strong and healthy, weighing in at 6 lbs 6 oz. His mom is the youngest ewe out there. She is just now one year old. There are 6 more ewes still to deliver. A couple of them look like they are about to burst. Sheep usually have a single in their first year and twins in their second year. We have had quite a few along our journey that even have triplets on a regular basis. On the very rare occasions this breed of sheep will have quadruplets. We have not seen that. And I have to say that I am glad of that. Four lambs is a lot to keep up with out there.

The sheep are no longer right outside my living room window. We ran out of grass in the pasture there so I'm making a bit of a longer trek to check on them a couple of times a day. Concern for their health and the health of the pasture drove that decision. Sure, it was much more convenient for me to be able to look out the window and easily check on them. But their health and the pasture health is much more important than my convenience.

If the grass gets too short, it has trouble growing back. Especially if we have any kind of drought. We learned that lesson quite a few years back. Good pasture management is essential for our grass-based operation. The health of the sheep is greatly impacted by short grass as well. Domesticated sheep and goats around the world have issues with parasitic worms. We have worked long and hard on our flock to alleviate this issue. We lost a lot of lambs in the beginning – and we even lost a couple of ewes to parasites.

The long and the short of it is that these worms are pooped out onto the grass. In the warmth and wet of spring is the perfect medium for them to re-infect their host sheep. They crawl up the grass and get eaten by the sheep eating very short grass. They can only crawl up so high and then the dryness will kill them. They need moisture. The solution to this deadly issue is regular pasture rotation. Just about the time the eggs would hatch, the sheep get moved to another clean section of grass. The worms are left behind and most die off without a host in which to lay their eggs. And if some do hatch and begin to crawl up the grass, as long as the grass is tall enough, the worms are left behind having only climbed a short way up the grass stem.

In the beginning we were forced to chemical worming solutions to keep our livestock alive. Now we rarely need to worm them. We still keep an eye on them and worm as needed. So far this year, no worming has been needed. The goats, too, have not had to have any wormer.

Goats

Speaking of goats, have I mentioned that it is almost impossible to keep goats inside a fence. Scott put lots of effort into creating a fencing system that would hold them. And I must say that the perimeter fence does a pretty good job. Inside the perimeter they pretty much go wherever they want.

We have 14 separate paddocks that we use to rotate stock so they are not too long on one part of the pasture for reasons I just stated. Four of these paddocks are on the front part of the property. Five are in what I would call in the mid-point of our land. In the back field there are five more. The front, middle and back are each separated by a driveway. The goats don't generally go across that divide. But within the middle and back sections, they pretty much move at will between the five paddocks. The sheep, donkeys and cows stay where we put them. But not the goats.

Now as I said, they generally stay inside the perimeter and only go between the internal paddock fences. But there is this one goat. She goes in and out of any fence, anywhere, anytime. This is a full-grown goat and somehow she goes right through the fence. She's like Houdini. Why is this important?

We decided not to breed our goats anymore. Gradually, the cashmere goats will be phased out and replaced with a meat goat breed. We keep goats for pasture maintenance. Originally, I wanted the cashmere goats because I had dreams of using cashmere yarn for my knitting projects. I think I mentioned this in the last podcast. When you start out on a homestead, you want to do everything. Then reality sets in and you realize you have to scale back. There is only so much time in the day. You simply can't do it all. And so it is with the cashmere. I simply do not have time to keep up with the cashmere, much less get it processed and spun into yarn. I have knitting projects in progress at this time that I have been working on for over a year.

Back to Houdini goat. About a week ago, I was out bringing in the cows from the field for their morning milking. And low and behold, there was a goat kid out there. It didn't take me long to figure out how that happened. Houdini went to visit the boys at some point. As I said, she goes wherever she wants, whenever she wants. She had a really cute kid and I'm happy to have him. There is a part of me that wants to hurry up the switcheroo so we can have goat kids again. But I'll stick with the plan. It will be a couple more years before we switch over to the meat goats. This will likely be the last kid born here on the homestead until the switch is completed.

Cows

The cows are doing great. We are still waiting on a calf or two to be born. I talked with the vet about Buttercup to get some advice about what to look for if she were to have another problem like she had a couple of years ago. According to the vet, we are still in good shape and I know what to look for in regards to identifying she is having an issue.

Cloud is having a problem though that we have not been able to resolve. She has overgrown hooves on both rear feet. One of them is quite significant and may be causing her some pain. She is very sensitive and jumpy when we get near her rear legs. Scott has gotten kicked quite a few times. I think I talked about the kick that injured the thumb on his right hand. He has had to slow down on some of the construction because he can't grip with that injured hand. It's getting better but still has a way to go before he has full function with that hand.

Violet and Claire are cruising right along. I am still unsure whether Butter is actually going to have a calf. She doesn't really look preggers to me. Scott say yes. We shall see over the next month or so if there is any indication she is ready to deliver us a beautiful calf.

Quail

We have 33 baby quail in brooders. That is an intermediate place between the incubator and living outside. We use large plastic storage containers with a piece of woven wire inserted into the lid. On top of that is a heat lamp. They have a deep bedding of wood shavings. That keeps them warm and safe while they grow their permanent feathers. In an unbelievably short while – 2 weeks or so – they will be completely feathered out. We are nearing that date at this point. Once they are fully feathered, we gradually remove the heat lamp and then transfer them to the cages outside. At 8 weeks of age, they are fully grown. Today I will start collecting eggs for the next batch to go in the incubator. We are getting 10 to 13 eggs per day. That means likely over 70 eggs will get incubated this time.

Garden

Scott worked very hard on getting the garden ready for planting. It is too late for peas, but I have lots and lots of beans, tomatoes, onions and culinary herbs ready to go. I'll be getting into that over the next week or two. I love planting in the garden. Watching the plants come up from those seeds, sprouting and growing rapidly, reaching toward the sun. This year I expect to have to weed much less. Scott spent a good bit of time putting down a landscaping ground cover, then cutting holes for the seeds and plants to be put in the ground. I'm excited to see how this works for us this year. Weeds are always a problem and the least fun part of gardening. A few weeds are fun to work with, but an overgrowth is just hard work. Our garden is quite large which is the perfect setting to allow weeds to grow faster than I can get them under control. I have my fingers crossed that this year, the landscape cover is going to do the trick in keeping the weeds to a minimum.

Creamery

The first room in the creamery is nearing completion – well near completion. The tile floors will have to be installed later and the electrical connection is temporary, but it will be functional enough for me to use it to store and age cheese. We have a freezer set up with a special temperature control that keeps the temperature near 55 degrees. That is our current aging environment. We are talking very limited space in there with no control of the humidity. The new aging room is going to be an incredible asset. It is very spacious and I will be able to put in a humidifier to keep the cheese from drying and cracking. I am so excited about the prospects of making more cheese and aging it more effectively.

Cheesemaking

I am having such a great time making cheese. I don't know if I've said this before, but making cheese is a very peaceful endeavor. I have a couple of podcasts on basic cheesemaking and the process involved. In a nutshell, the milk gets heated, cultures are added, then a coagulant to make one great big curd. The curd gets cut into small pieces and from there several different branches can happen that I won't describe here today. I'll do that again another time. But once the curd is cooked – I say cooked but it never gets above 100 to 122 degrees depending on the cheese. Once the curd is deemed done, the whey gets drained and the curds are put into cheese molds or forms. It's a long day but a wonderful experience. I can take my mind off of anything that may be bothering me, using the cheesemaking almost like a meditation. Anyone interested in cheesemaking classes? We can start with something really easy. Drop me an email (say email address) and let me know your thoughts on that.

Herd Shares

I've opened up a larger number of herd shares at this point. Lots and lots of folks are looking for raw milk and raw milk products. This is one my favorite parts of what we are doing with our homestead right now. I get to know my herd share owners a little bit more every week. These are some great people that are doing great things. I hope to attract some attention from Winston-Salem, NC. If you know anyone in that area looking for raw milk, let them know about us. They will need to come to the farm to pick up as we are in Virginia and can't deliver across state lines. We'll give them a tour and the kids love petting the donkeys.

Final Thoughts

That's it for today's podcast. I hope you enjoyed walking along with me as we toured the homestead. Maybe later this summer we can invite you to a physical tour. Those lambs are going to be cute over the next few months.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, please share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

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I've been off track on a few things in my life and today's podcast is about getting back on track. No matter what activity or goal in which you are off track, there are ways to get it back together. Let's talk about that.

Welcome new listeners and welcome back veteran homestead-loving regulars. I appreciate you all so much.

Today's Show

• Homestead Life Updates
• Getting Back on Track – a Recipe for Success

Homestead Life Updates

First item of note, I'm changing the podcast format. As you may have noticed, I do not publish nearly as many podcasts as when I started out. Life on the homestead is quite full and the podcast is what is nearly always pushed to the back burner when push comes to shove. Going forward I am changing the format to one that I can fit in to a very limited time frame. I still want to talk with you each week, but doing more than sharing my current thoughts and experiences on the homestead are about all I handle timewise.

The podcasts will be shorter in duration and focused on our traditional homestead life. I'm giving up on having a recipe each and every time. I may still throw in a few here and there, but it won't be a regular feature. The topics each week will revolve around life on the homestead and no longer contain educational content in exactly the same form. The educational aspect will be me sharing my personal learning experiences as well as stories about how we do things on our homestead and why.

The preparation for the large middle section of the podcast is the sticking point that stopped me from doing the rest of the podcast. It is a daunting task to come up with that content when I have so much else to do. So many other things require my attention. Therefore, I'm eliminating that block to my success and moving forward with what will works better for me and the homestead life.

I hope it will still be entertaining and educational for you. If not, I understand and will miss you. We all have to do what works best for us. Now, on to what is going on at the homestead followed by a vivid dream that I had. It has helped me get back on track with my goals.

Cows

Claire had her calf on April the 8th. Yet another bull. We named him Wendell. He is beautiful and healthy. Remember Luna. That's Cloud's calf that was born in November last year. She was out of sequence with our breeding schedule. We hope to gain a better handle on breeding beginning this year. We are trying artificial insemination for the first time. Anyway, Luna and Wendell are sharing space with the sheep. More on that later.

Artificial insemination is our next big learning curve in regards to cow animal husbandry. Our goal there is to use sexed semen so we get heifers instead of so many bulls. The reasoning there has several points. Number one is that we are trying to improve our herd genetics. Using artificial insemination is a good way to do that because we can choose the genetic traits in the bull that we are looking to cultivate in our herd. Also, with the sexed semen, we will be able to grow the herd without purchasing from other farms. There are multiple problems purchasing from other farms with the biggest one being the closest Normande dairy stock is somewhere in Wisconsin or Missouri. Lovely places but a long way for us to go to get a cow. I'll share some of those learning experiences as they come up.

So far, we have acquired the semen and the tank in which to store it. We've hooked up with a person who can recharge the nitrogen tank. That was one of Scott's adventures. Again, living remotely and having a very small operation limits the availability of lots of services others can easily obtain. It took lots and lots of phone calls over weeks of time to get that set up. Next will be the hands-on learning how to do the artificial insemination ourselves. I'll keep you posted on that. I think we are set up to start that process in June or perhaps July. Again, Scott's arena. He'll let me know as the date comes closer.

Sheep and Goats

So Luna and Wendell are sharing space with the sheep. They are all away from the main part of the herd. Luna and Wendell have been weaned from their moms. Wendell is on a bottle and Luna is old enough that Cloud would have started kicking her off soon anyway. She is dining on grass.

The sheep are due to starting lambing around May 6th. I like to keep them close until that time is up. Newborn lambs are the epitome of skin and bones. They grow and put on weight quickly, but there is nothing to them when they exit the womb. Goat kids too. The first week of their life is very important. Once they get past that first week, they have a great chance of making it all the way to adulthood.

A couple of years ago we started giving the sheep ewes and goat does a supplement just before their lambing and kidding dates. In this part of the country the soil is deficient in selenium. It's an important nutrient for muscles. The goat kids were particularly susceptible to what is called white muscle disease. Sometime during the first week of their life, all of a sudden, they cannot get up. Their muscles simply don't work. Goat kids are the greatest at hiding. They are nearly impossible to find when they have gone off to sleep somewhere. So you can see the problem. They can't get up and nurse and we can't find them. We noticed that each year in that first week of life, quite a few goat kids would go missing and we thought that predators were the problem. But no. It was nutrition.

I happened to catch sight of one that was too weak to stand up. This was a few years ago. Maybe three years ago. I quickly scooped him up, caught mom up and set up some temporary housing for them. Then, I got out a few of the books we have and started looking for what could be the problem. Called the vet and got even more information there. After that phone call, I immediately began giving the doe a feed supplement that was fortified with selenium. That nutrition would pass through her milk to him. We kept mom and kid in a small dog cage so we didn't lose track of that kid. I milked her out a little and fed him by hand at first. Within a day, he was better and within about 5 days he was back on his feet and growing rapidly. He was finally getting the nutrition he needed via his mom's milk. After that learning experience, every year at kidding and lambing time, they get that same feed supplement. We are a grass-based operation for the most part, but are perfectly willing to use any scientific advancement as needed for the health of our animals.

Again, after the first week or so, those lambs and kids are good to go and we stop feeding the supplement. Moms go back to 100% grass-based nutrition. We have been very successful with out lambs and kids since making that change. All that long story to explain why those sheep are right outside my living room window where I can keep an eye out for when the babies are arriving. I can assist as needed and the view of those beautiful animals grazing is the highlight of my day during this time of year.

Once this isolation stuff is done with, we will be having on-farm tours. I hope to schedule them around the time these lovely little babies are being born and the first couple of months afterwards. You will never see a cuter site than a lamb jumping straight up and down. They only do it for a few months, but it is just delightful to watch. Just about dusk seems to be their cue to set that frolicking into motion. Looking forward to that in the next month or so.

Quail

Speaking of new babies, the quail eggs I saved a little while back went into what we call "lockdown". I take out the automatic egg turner and lay the eggs on the bottom of the incubator in anticipation of the hatching within a day or two. I literally expect to hear peeping tomorrow morning. They will be shut up in there for 3 days from the time the first one hatches. We are waiting for the rest of the eggs to hatch and need to keep the lid closed. The temperature and humidity must remain constant during this critical time. We have 48 eggs in there. I'll let you know how that goes in the next podcast.

Garden

Moving on to the garden. Scott has worked very diligently on getting the ground mulch put back in place. It washed out so badly during the winter. But the walking paths are now completely covered again in mulch. That keeps the weeds out of the paths.

The next new thing we are trying in the garden is using woven ground cover to keep the weed population under control. Good weed control is essential for healthy plants. Healthy plants are much more resistant to pests and diseases.

The bulk of the planting is still a couple of weeks away. I can start some things next week. Already I need to repot my tomato seedlings. I have 40 something plants that will get planted out in the garden sometimes around the middle to end of May. But right now, they are growing very well and need more soil and space. A task for another day. Not today.

I also have lots of peppers – both hot and sweet. Those need to be repotted as well. I'm growing celery and onion starts. Those move along much more slowly but they are both healthy and doing well.

A new garden adventure for me this year is growing lots of culinary herbs. I use lots of herbs in cooking but they are dried herbs for the most part unless I make a special trip to town to go to the grocery store. I'm looking forward to learning how to grow some of my favorites.

Right now, I have starts for sweet basil, cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, and mint. I've tried twice to sprout rosemary with no success so far. I may have to get a cutting of that to get started. Another bright idea I had was to make a grouping of these plants and sell them at the farmer's market for your home herb gardens. That's not going to happen this year. The farmer's market is very limited in how they operate at the moment. And I think that when we do get back into full swing, the opportunity for those sales will be long past. Oh well, there is always next year.

Creamery

Let's talk about the creamery. We are into our fourth year of creating this building from the ground up. I say "we" but it is Scott that is doing it. He is so amazing.

He has taken a break from getting the roof on over the barn and milking parlor. Because we are in milk and I'm making lots of cheese, we need storage space. The small cooler is getting closer and closer to being ready to house some of that cheese. It will open up so many possibilities once I have more space.

Waxing cheeses has been the method of choice for aging up until this point. That's mainly because I couldn't control the humidity and the cheese would get too dry if I tried to grow a natural rind. That's about to change. In a space created specifically for aging cheese, controlling humidity is part of the building design. I'm so excited to try some new things in the new cheese cave.

Once small caveat there. Scott has injured the thumb on his right hand and can't really grip anything or wield a hammer. Cloud got a little upset a day or two ago and kicked him during milking. We are working with her to get her calmed back down. I'll talk more about that next time. It's just another challenge on the homestead. Anyway, Scott is now modifying what he can and cannot do. I'm getting more help around the house but I think he would rather be completing that project. I believe he said it might be a couple of weeks before his hand is healed enough to continue with construction. What will he do with himself?

Cheesemaking

Perhaps he will make cheese. He really likes to make cheese. Last year he was putting those block walls up and only made cheese three times. I know that because he makes the cheddar. And he makes a great cheddar. We had three, giant 25-pound cheddar wheels. I think we are on the second one. It is nearing a year of aging and OMG it is so good.

I'm making cheese at least once a week. Maybe Scott will make one each week as well. As soon as Buttercup and Butter have their calves we will be drowning in milk and making lots and lots of cheese. It's a beautiful thing.

Pressure like that helps me get back on track if I've strayed from the goals. Additionally, I had this really great dream that came from a new process that I started a couple of weeks ago. It's really working for me and I want to share it with you. Perhaps it will help you as well.

Getting Back on Track – a Recipe For Success

First let me tell the dream and then I'll talk about my recent experiences that led to having the dream.

The Dream

I went to visit a female friend. Friend was "off track". I believe it was in regards to her diet. Not necessarily a weight loss diet. Simply her nutritional diet of choice which involves choosing some foods over others. She was not choosing according to her plan. I decided to help but didn't know what I was going to do. I just decided and moved forward with my plan. My friend's husband was there. I told him I was going to help her get back on track. He looked grateful. Looked at wife with supportive expression and said, "see you later. Have fun!" He had complete trust in me being able to make a difference in her life.

I still didn't know what to do but I really wanted to help her. She was off her diet and couldn't seem to get back on track. She was suffering from continuous beating herself up, berating herself and generally giving up. She was experiencing the "what's the use" thought pattern. I told her we were going to walk through this together.

The dream switched to a room full of tables of food. We walked from table to table, looking and smelling food. At each luscious food dish, we would say together "maybe tomorrow, but not today." This was the key. No restriction. The food was absolutely available as a choice. But the choice was deferred. "Maybe tomorrow, but not today." She repeated it like a mantra.

That's the end of the dream and it was pretty clear to me what it meant for me. You see, the problem is the restriction. I have found this to be true of all things that I am resisting. When someone tells me I can't have something or can't do something, immediately my mind goes into overdrive and incessant desire to have or do the thing that is forbidden. I know, pretty childish right? It is indeed childish. It is a learned behavior from childhood and this kind of deeply ingrained response can really interfere with daily adult life. It gets me off track.

For me, getting off track starts really, really small and then grows. Pretty quickly it grows exponentially. What I choose to eat is where I fall off the wagon most often. Well, that and exercise and household tasks and doing marketing for the business. Okay, it all snowballs together. I don't know about you but I tend to berate myself as I make bad choices. I even watch myself leaning toward those bad choices, tell myself I know it's a bad choice - - - and then I do it anyway. It can be a real downhill spiral from there. I am an awful person for knowing how to make a better choices and then not doing it. That reaffirms to me that I am an awful person. Awful people make awful choices so I'll just do it again. I'm powerless against my own mind and on and on and on. The downward spiral will eventually get me to a place of hopelessness. I'm hopeless that I will ever be a good person and make good choices.

So, these are all character judgements by me about me. Perhaps you can relate to this. Maybe for you it is screwing up your really great job because you just can't seem to get it together. Maybe it's your relationship. You know what you need to do, but you just keep doing what you have been doing, all the while knowing it is the wrong thing to do. Or maybe you have set yourself a goal to pay off all your debts and save money to build your own homestead. But darn, you really want that new car and that fantastic outfit and a great trip to Europe and so on. You keep spending your money instead of saving it. Perhaps getting even more indebted. The complete opposite of what you say you want. You know the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.

Actually, when the hopelessness enters the picture, you don't really expect a different outcome. And in a way, it's a great place to be. There is nowhere to go but up. And the way back up is similar to the way down. It will start with a very small choice, then a bigger choice, and a bigger choice and so on until you are roaring with strength and confidence.

But what starts the cycle? What is the driving force that compels you to make that first unproductive choice – and on the other end, the first productive choice? It's freedom. It's the freedom you give yourself to make that choice.

Let me explain a little. I'll use binge eating as an example as that is my biggest issue. But the principle applies to many areas of my life. What happens to me is that I tell myself I can't have certain things. Sweets, of course. Or bread. Or chips. And when I demand that kind of abstinence from myself, there is a childish backlash that begins to build. There is a small voice in the back of my head that says, "but I really, really want it." That voice gets stronger and stronger until it finally takes gets me to take that first taste – just a taste mind you – of the forbidden fruit. Immediately, the weakness begins to step in. What I mean by that is the self-recrimination. It's small at first. The "cheat" was small. But the next one is larger and the self-recrimination gets larger. And the larger it gets, the smaller the disciplined voice gets and the louder the voice of judgement gets. They feed on one another. The restriction gets harder and harder to maintain. The rebellion gets louder and louder until it breaks free. That's what I mean about freedom.

Now what if I got to that same place without the judgement? What if I gave myself the freedom to eat absolutely anything I want at any time that I want? What would happen? The fear, of course, is that I would start eating everything in sight. However, if I follow my actions and not my thoughts, I begin to see that I am already there. I'm eating anything I desire as soon as the desire arises. And I haven't given myself the freedom to do that. I've done it in rebellion against a perceived restriction.

Here's what I am learning to do. Stop. Take a deep breath. Focus on the positive aspects of my nature. Starve the negative judgements. And I only have to do it for a second. Then I can have a rational conversation with myself. And it goes like this. "I could do that. Yes, I could. But not today. Maybe tomorrow. But not today." And as above, small success is key. If I can stall myself for a few minutes, the urge passes. I didn't restriction myself. I simply made a small choice to put it off for a day. I can look forward to doing the forbidden tomorrow. I'm not restricted from it. The next day, I can test myself again. And with each successful choice, I get stronger. I feel I am in control of my life. I'm okay that I can make really bad choices if I want. I'm no longer judging myself. It is the judgment that is the problem.

Trying to aggressively control everything inevitably leads to being out of control. Allowing all choices to be valid choices without judgement creates freedom. There is empowerment – being in charge of your life – even your own inner evil self cannot sabotage you.

Think of the times in your life where you have procrastinated or overindulged. Either of these actions is generally a response to restriction. Procrastination is a self-imposed restriction against doing something and overindulgence is a rebellion against a perceived outside restriction on doing something. In either case, the easiest way that I have found to get past it is to repeat to myself over and over, "maybe tomorrow, but not today". Maybe tomorrow I'll play video games on the computer, but not today. Today I have tasks that need to be completed. Maybe tomorrow I'll have ice cream, but not today. Maybe tomorrow I'll take a day off from exercise, but not today. And so on.

This is a simple and easy mind trick technique that works for me. The hardest part of using this technique was, and still is, remembering to think it or say it out loud. By the way, saying it out loud is much stronger. Saying it out loud to another person is stronger yet.

Do you ever find yourself displaying this kind of childish stubbornness? This technique may work for you. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

I said the podcasts would be much shorter and now I've gone on and on. I could judge myself for that but instead I'm simply going to end it here. I have got to get some housecleaning done. Maybe tomorrow I'll go for a recreational and peaceful walk instead of staring at a list of unpleasant tasks, but not today. Today the bathroom needs to be cleaned.

Final Thoughts

I hope you will enjoy the new format and continue to come along with my journey on the homestead life. There is always so much going on in my life and in my mind and I love sharing it with you. Living the traditional life is the best thing that I have ever created. The mental, emotional and physical challenges are still there in abundance. I can get tired of the daily slog and want to give it all up. Then I get up, dust myself off and get back on track. It's what makes me happy and successful. No matter where you are in life, you can get back on track with your goals. Maybe tomorrow you can go back to being a child for a little while, but not today. Today you will fulfill your potential.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, please share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

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COVID19, in the year of our Lord 2020 it's affecting us all in one way or another. This podcast format will be a little different. This episode is going to be a farmstead update only. Because of the emotional charge around this pandemic virus, I have lots of things I want to talk about regarding the homestead and our life here. I also want to take a few minutes to talk you with about how we are doing here and how we are affected by the current world situation. No recipe today.

I'd love to hear from you about how you are faring as well. Comment on this podcast on our webpage or drop me an email at melanie at peacefulheartfarm.com. Let me know if you need anything or if I can help out in any way. We are all in this together.

If you are new, welcome. This will not be the best representation of my podcast format so I hope you will come back again and again to get a better idea of what I do here. Welcome back to the veteran homestead-loving regulars who stop by the FarmCast for every episode.

Today's Show

• Homestead Life Updates
• COVID19 – In the Year of our Lord 2020

Homestead Life Updates The Cows

Violet has recovered from her uterine infection and is doing fine. Claire is due to calve in 7 to 10 days. She is so big. I let her take her time coming up to the milking shed. Buttercup is also quite big. If I have to walk a long way to gather up one of the girls, it will be Buttercup. This morning it was all the way to the farthest fence line. She just stood there and watched me as I approached. The others had all started moving in the right direction, but not Buttercup. Nope. Come and get me she says. Well, the exercise is wonderful so I don't mind at all.

The Sheep and Goats

The sheep are still more than a month away from their delivery dates and are looking quite happy and healthy. No baby goats this year as we are reducing the herd, but the girls are looking fine. They are shedding their cashmere.

We originally got these particular goats because I wanted to spin and dye my own cashmere yarn for knitting. That never happened. We, like just about everybody else who is just starting out, wanted to do everything about which our hearts had ever dreamed. Then reality sets in and you realize that there is only so much time in the day and you must pick and choose your homestead enterprises. Your focus must be narrowed. After just 9 or 10 years we have just about settled on the final look and feel of our homestead.

Our Homestead Vision

We have the cows for milking and making cheese. The sheep are just because we like them. The goats are for specific pasture maintenance. The herd will become much smaller. Perhaps we will not breed them at all. It may be that we just keep three or four does that require minimal upkeep. That is still a work in progress. We are sure that the cashmere girls will eventually be gone completely and replaced with a few meat goats.

Pigs and Chickens?

I hope next year will be the year of the pigs and chickens. The creamery will be completed or nearly so and pigs/chicken projects can move forward. Pigs and chickens are a natural part of any cheesemaking operation. They will get any messed-up cheese and all the whey that would otherwise be poured out on the field. These are high protein, nutritious foods that will keep our animals happy and healthy. They will provide us with meat and eggs.

The Orchard

Scott loves the orchard but I have often wondered what we were going to do with all that fruit. As I said, your enterprises must be prioritized. Just thinking about how we would have the time to pick, store, preserve and market that much fruit is daunting. The pigs are the solution. We will keep whatever we need for ourselves and the rest will be food for the pigs. They will love it and we can still have this giant orchard – well it's not really giant. We can still have this orchard that is far to big for two people and make good use of the fruit as well.

The Garden

Expanding on the orchard idea, the garden space is also much too big for two people. I have plans for growing lots and lots of root vegetables and squash for the pigs. The chickens will get to eat all kinds of greens, tomatoes and cucumbers – after I've taken out what I need, of course.

The Quail

We also have the quail. Scott can eat those eggs and we both love the meat.

Speaking of eggs. A couple of days ago we went on a treasure hunt. We came back to 8 Canadian goose eggs. That is equivalent to 2 dozen chicken eggs.

The Geese

Every morning on my way to bring in the cows, I passed by this goose nest. First, I saw 2 eggs, then 3, then 4, then 5. Then nest was in a horrible place. It was less than two feet from where I and the cows walked twice a day. It was also in a place where a huge spring rain would flood the area and wipe it out.

The eggs stopped increasing after five and I wondered if the nest had been abandoned. Perhaps that pair of geese had gotten fed up with us interrupting their family situation two times every day. It gave me the idea.

Goose History

Back in 2009 or 2010 we got our first pair or two of geese making their home on our ponds. We have two. The older pond is about an acre and the newer one, established in 2007 or 08, is about an acre and a half. For the first couple of years they nested, hatched a batch of goslings and then left for the winter. I'm not sure exactly when that changed but now they are with us year round and about a week or so ago I counted 36 of them.

Every year the total gets larger. There are usually at least three nests and sometimes four. Some years most of the goslings don't survive and some years they increased the flock by a couple of dozen. Not all stayed of course. But as I said, we are up to 3 dozen birds at this point. That's a lot of squawking geese. Hence my idea. What if we raided their nests and took the eggs? That would reduce the increase in population and give another great source of food.

The Treasure Hunt

We found two other nests but only one had any eggs. The gander guarding that nest tried to give us a flogging but we persevered. That pair nests in the same place every year. Likely she will lay more eggs. I'm undecided about snatching those as well.

That particular pair nests on the island in the larger pond. There is also another pair that regularly nests on the other side of that island. I saw them but there was no nest as of yet. I think we might have had three nests on that island at one point. There are two pairs that regularly nest up by the older pond. We found on nest but no eggs. It is still early.

Goose Husbandry

Their normal egg-laying activity goes like this. They will lay one egg each day and cover the nest. At this point the goose is not incubating the eggs. Eventually, after 4 to 9 eggs are laid, she will begin to sit on the nest and warm the eggs beginning the incubation process at that time. The gander stands guard and they can be fierce. Once a day the goose will leave the nest to feed. It takes an average of 28 days for the eggs to hatch. Every year near the end of April, I start looking for goslings.

I've been afraid to try the eggs because of the ordeal that I had with the quail eggs. If you don't know about that, go back and listen to my podcast "Am I Allergic to Quail Eggs". I'll leave a link in the show notes. Scott is loving them. I may give them a try as I have had them in the past and had no issues. Duck eggs give me a rash. Quail eggs --- well that's a whole different level of issue.

The Creamery

Let me finish up the Homestead updates with some info on the creamery. Doors with locks and windows with lovely sills are all completed. Scott is currently working on the roof over the barn and milking parlor. Once that is completed, the metal roofing will go on. Then the plumbing and electrical installation will begin. And somewhere along the way, the milking stanchions and milking pipeline system will be installed. We have all the pieces and parts sitting off to the side just waiting for their opportunity to contribute to the final product.

After that walls, ceilings and tile floors. Bathroom fixtures, kitchen appliances, various stainless-steel tables, carts and shelves will magically appear. Who knows what else? It has been a little over three years. Perhaps at the end of four years there will be much light at the end of the tunnel.

That's it for the overview of what our homestead is growing into. Let us know what you think.

Covid19 – In the Year of our Lord 2020

Now I want to talk just a little bit about this corona virus and how it is affecting us. I know you've probably heard too much about it already, but I just feel the need for us to come together and understand each other, help each other out in a time of need and grow into better human beings.

Contemplation

I walked out the front door this morning and looked at the world around me. It's glorious. This is by far my favorite part of every day. It is what it is and nothing else. There is no noisy traffic. There is only the sounds of birds. Sometimes I might hear a cow mooing, a donkey braying, or a sheep or goat baaing. The geese are always over there on the pond making a racket, or at the very least low rumbling squawks and splashing about in the water. This time of year, the sun has not risen about the horizon but the sky is light. There might be a soft breeze.

As I walked down the path to go bring the cows in for milking and/or practice milking routine, I thought to myself "these cows know nothing about what is going on in our world." It was one of those things that struck me squarely in the heart. We have finally been affected by the pandemic restrictions. Farmer's markets in Virginia are ordered to close for about a month. The farmer's market is my primary drop off point for my herd share customers. Fortunately, drop-offs are still allowed. Likely I will meet my peeps in the parking lot at the usual time – as long as they are willing. I have hand sanitizer. 😊 This is small potatoes compared to the disruption in the lives of those around us.

Past Pandemics

Scott and I are fortunate that we live where we do, with nature all around us. We are naturally isolated, keeping our distance from large crowds and society in general. Our lives revolve around the many tasks and responsibilities of raising animals. It is a full life. Going to the farmer's market is a treat for me; a chance to meet people and have conversations with other humans besides Scott. A trip to the grocery store is usually made in conjunction with a trip to drop off product for the Online Independence Farmer's Market or the twice monthly Wytheville Farmer's Market. We save on gas that way. We just don't get out much. It's hard for me to understand the deep gouge this corona virus restriction has put in the normal person's life.

We have chosen a different life. However, I do remember when I was flying every week and my life revolved around teaching classrooms full of doctors, nurses and support staff. I provided instruction in how to use the US Military's custom designed electronic health record. Interestingly enough, I got sick a few times during that five years of intense travel and exposure to one hospital or clinic after another. Since we left that world a bit over three years ago, I've yet to have even a sniffle. Even before we left those jobs for the homestead, we worked in a hospital setting. It was the same one and we must have built up immunity to all the bugs because Scott and I have rarely been sick with any kind of flu or virus in the last 10 years. It was trippy for a while there. Especially if I worked in a pediatric setting. I'm pretty sure I caught something every single time I worked in that environment.

H1N1

And in 2009, the H1N1 was the center of our world for a while. Likely most of you don't remember it. We geared up quickly, as is happening now, and many people stepped up to the plate to battle this new danger. All sorts of new procedures were put in place. I worked with the healthcare staff to develop new work flows for documenting rapidly when the vaccine came out. Drive up processing was set up. Tents were set up. All kinds of things we put in place to address the demand for the vaccine.

The H1N1 was the last pandemic disease. Before that it was MERS and SARS. We handled them all and we will handle this one as well. The big difference is the shutdown of society. And that is huge. I know some of you are frightened to death and others are just calmly doing what needs to be done. Some of you are at greater risk than others. I just turned 65 last week. Technically, I'm in a high-risk category though I am one of those completely unconcerned about contracting this virus. Again, we live a life of isolation. And the making of cheese, butter and yogurt ensures I wash my hands many, many times in any given day.

Present Conditions

Many of you are at risk and/or have family members at risk, young and old. I have a 95-year-old aunt. She lives with, and is well-taken care of, by her daughter, but can only wave at her son through a window. He works in healthcare. Scott's daughter is a nurse. Our healthcare workers put themselves in danger every single day. We pray for them.

Some of you are out of work and don't know when you will get another paycheck. Some of you own small businesses and are also wondering how you will survive. Some of you are working from home but the kids are there as well. What a challenge that must present. The stress must be off the scale for you. My heart goes out to you. Hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans and millions around the world have had their lives turned upside down. What will we do? How will we survive? Is it an over-reaction? We will never know.

We worship via streaming video. It's not the same, but we are together in spirit. I appreciate the effort our church is putting into keeping us spiritually connected with each other and God.

I know I look at social media too much. There are all sorts of stories of people who are worried for their families. Then there are the stories of folks like us who can't relate to fear. We don't live in that environment. From my perspective the precautions seem excessive. The CDC has said social distancing is a must, but I don't think they mentioned anything about shutting down much of the country. Literally shutting it down. I'm probably going to get a lot of hate over this, but I just don't see the need. When does the cure become more harmful than the disease? I just don't know. Again, I don't live in a highly populated urban center or city with lots of sick people and immunocompromised people. But I do know of these people. And I do know that every year they are faced with health epidemics. This is another one on top of the others. We have never had to completely shut down in response to a pandemic. And we have one every few years. I hear people say this one is different. It is repeated over and over. That same phrase was repeated over and over in 2009 as well. H1N1 was different. That is what pandemic means. A new disease spreading easily from person-to-person, widespread over multiple countries. Each and every one is different from the last.

Well, in the end, we will all get through this. I have such great compassion and empathy for all of you struggling with a life turned topsy-turvy. If I came across as insensitive, I apologize. My personality at this time of my life is one of calm, reason. I know people whose natural level of anxiety would prevent them being able to experience their life this way. Having experience periods of extreme anxiety throughout my life, I can completely relate and I'm ready, willing, and able to listen, comfort, and reassure.

Along those lines, there are some really great stories going on out there. Companies stepping up to the plate and retooling their factories to make masks, hand sanitizer and ventilators. I saw all kinds of patterns for homemade masks this morning while browsing social media posts. There's lots of love out there for the truckers who are keeping the food flowing. Though the hording is a bit disturbing. I do not think that we will run out of food. Truckers live isolated lives and are also considered essential. The food will keep moving. And the toilet paper thing is just bizarre to me.

How about those folks working in grocery stores and pharmacies? Also, putting themselves out there. I know, I know. They are doing it for the money too. But they gotta be thinking that any one of the people they come in contact with could be a carrier just waiting to infect them.

Our healthcare workers are being stressed at this time so keep them in your prayers. I remember the stress in 2009. Lots of them got sick. All were tired and overworked. It was brutal. We supported each other and all was well in the end. Let's keep up the prayers for these special people who put their lives on the line to help others.

Future Prospects

We don't know how long this will last and that uncertainty is a huge stressor in and of itself. One thing I do know is that each and every one of you is doing everything you can to get us all through this with as little harm as possible.

There are some great things happening. School may be changed forever. In this age of technology, homeschooling may make a resurgence like never before. I realize this is not a good thing for some of you. But for many, you can take the education of your children back into our own hands. I've seen the articles regarding how far education has move from traditional reading, writing, and arithmetic and life skills such as home economics and shop into every social, political and sexual arena possible – and not in an age-appropriate manner.

I predict the online resources will proliferate. Smaller groups of children learning together in this person's house this week and in another house the next. Location is malleable as long as there is internet. I guess that won't work for those without a good internet connection. That does still happen, especially in this area. Any rural area with mountains can sometimes have internet speed and connectivity issues. But overall, I think education will improve for the better. It will be much less expensive. Online college is coming and coming quickly.

And with every pandemic exercise, new and improved methods of protecting that most vulnerable group of people we love so much are put into place. Think of it. The whole scientific medical community is focused on combatting this virus. There will be innovations like we have never seen that will come out of this. Something as small as a new workflow, isolation procedure, or sanitizing solution can make a huge difference when the next pandemic arrives. We are so innovative when it comes to survival. Think of the new medical treatments that will come out of this.

I think I've rambled on long enough. I'm going to close out this podcast.

Final Thoughts

We are all in this together and we will get through it. This is a tough time for so many of you. My life is relatively unchanged and that frees me up to assist you. If you are having particular issues and would like to talk to someone, drop me an email and let's see if we can set up a time to talk on the phone. And if you know someone who would benefit from my message, please share this content with them.

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

References:

Am I Allergic to Quail Eggs

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You Can Make Your Own Cheese – Part 2. In the last podcast, I introduced this idea of making your own cheese and talked about what you would need regarding equipment including pots and vats, milk storage, forms and molds, supplies such as cheesecloth and mats, weights and presses and miscellaneous tools like measuring cups and cheese waxing setups. I'll leave a link in the show notes so you can check that episode out if you haven't heard it yet. Today's episode completes the topic.

As always, welcome new listeners and welcome back veteran homestead-loving regulars. Thank you for stopping by the FarmCast for every episode. I appreciate you all so much. I'm so excited to share with you what's going on at the farm this week. There's a lot.

Today's Show

• Homestead Life Updates
• You Can Make Your Own Cheese – Part 2
• Lemon Cheese

Homestead Life Updates Cows

At the top of the list of homestead updates is a bit of bad news and some good news. Last time we were together I talked about Claire getting closer and closer to her due date which is the end of March. Unfortunately, Violet came up first. And I say unfortunately because she spontaneously aborted more than a month before her due date. We lost that calf. It always saddens me when nature deals us harsh reality. But there is good news also. Violet is okay. She was treated for a uterine infection and will recover without issue as far as we know. She is in milk and that's a very great thing. I have been missing milk for quite a while. I'm sure my herd share customers are missing it also. Cheesemaking will ramp up once we have a few more calves born and more milk in the tank.

One other side note. This morning when we milked her, Violet had very little milk. We have surmised that Cloud's little Luna is double dipping. We separated Luna and Cloud from the rest of the herd and put Butter in with them so they have lots of companionship. The expectation is that Violet's milk production will be up to speed this evening. We still won't have milk right away as, when we have a great need to use antibiotics and other medications, there is a period of time when the milk is not acceptable for human consumption. But soon. Very soon. We will have milk.

Sheep and Goats

The neighbor called a few days ago to let us know that the sheep were out on the road. Sigh . . . a gate left open again. It happens. Thank goodness the goats didn't follow their lead. The goats are much harder to get back inside the fence. In other sheep news, we had an unexpected birth a few weeks ago. That mishap came about because about 6 months ago, we were moving the various groups of animals from one place to another and somehow one of the rams ended up with the ewes. We discovered it about two weeks later and rectified the situation. However, we thought it likely that at least one or more would have come into heat during that two weeks' time. I'm surprised it was only one unauthorized breeding. The rest of the flock is still on schedule to begin delivering the first week of May.

Yesterday we rounded up all of the goat and sheep girls for a health check. Basically, we were looking for signs of worms. Both sheep and goats can be devastated by a type of worm that literally sucks the blood out of them. We keep an eye on this and breed for resistance to these worms. We even planned on doing a prophylactic dose of worming. When their hormones begin ramping up as they approach birthing and when the weather becomes warmer, the worms take off and can take over so we watch closely. They. Looked. Great.

We did not worm any of them. I take that back. We wormed the new baby as a precaution. They simply cannot tolerate the worms and will be gone in a matter of days if infected. Worming is a necessary intervention in caring for these animals. Back in 2010 and 2011, we lost a lot of lambs. We altered our grazing practices and surrendered to the need for chemical intervention at times. After we got the hang of it, we have only had to worm once a year if at all. Some years – this year as an example – they may not be wormed at all. Though we do still check on them from time to time throughout the summer season. Especially, the lambs. Again, they are particularly vulnerable.

The Quail

Quail still not laying. I don't have much to say about that. I keep telling them that if they don't start laying, they are going to end up in the instant pot. It's an empty threat and evidently they know it as they are not responding.

The Creamery

Scott is off getting one of our portable milkers serviced. We are completely replacing the hoses. It's a regular maintenance task for ensuring we get the cleanest milk possible. Milk calcium builds up in the hoses and can harbor bacteria. So, the hoses are completely replaced at regular intervals.

Because he is off on this task, Scott is not working on the creamery today. But he has done so much recently. All of the doors and windows are hung. He even created these really great window sills. Go to our farm page on Facebook and look at the pictures. They are an original creation and so awesome. The door handles and locks come next. But maybe not.

The milking parlor and barn portion of the building still need a roof. This roof will be really tall and supported by giant posts similar to a pole barn. Fresh air will circulate freely. I love the openness of this design.

We are starting into the 4th year of putting this building together. It is a long journey, but well worth the effort. And I want to mention to those of you listening and dreaming of your own homestead, just keep taking small steps. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. The dream lives in your mind and each step you take brings a little bit more of it into reality. We bought this property as a bare piece of land in September 2003. We were weekend homesteaders until December 2016. We had the advantage of savoring every small accomplishment. There is something to be said for learning and growing at a slower pace, gradually building the skills necessary for success. For us it was the way forward to realizing our lifelong dream.

Now let's get to the topic of the day. Finishing up the discussion on what steps are needed to successfully make your own cheese at home.

You Can Make Your Own Cheese – Part 2

As I said earlier, I gave you the basics of physical stuff you will need. Now we need to talk about what the space looks like in which you will use this stuff. And how do you properly clean everything. Cleanliness is of the utmost importance when making cheese. The cheesemaking process is one of biological reactions. You will want to ensure that only those cultures, bacteria, viruses and molds you choose end up in your cheese.

Creating Your Cheesemaking Space

For most of you, this is going to be your family kitchen. Here are some things to take into consideration for your cheesemaking area:

• Storage space for pots, forms, press
• Adequate counter space
• A hot-water source for warming milk and for cleanup
• A place to hang or set draining cheeses
• An area away from pets, dust sources, stored chemicals, and cleaning products
• Proper ambient room temperature
• A place to store cultures and coagulants properly
• An aging fridge located where it is convenient to check daily

Let's cover them one-by-one.

Storage Space

You will need a good size storage space for several large stainless-steel pots, your cheese forms and/or molds, and miscellaneous equipment, such as ladles, spoons, and probably at least one countertop cheese press. Choose a location that doesn't share space with any cleaning products, chemicals, pet or animal products (including brushes and medications), human medications, compost or trash bins, or any other product or equipment that could dirty or contaminate your equipment. I have a dedicated space to all things cheese. I even duplicated some pieces of equipment I use for normal, day-to-day cooking activities. It makes my cleaning and sanitation steps easier and more effective.

Adequate Counter Space

This seems like an easy one, but unless you happen to have an oversize and underused kitchen, counter space is probably at a premium in your household. You may think that it will be easy to clear space on the days you make cheese, and this may be your only option, but remember that you may be occupying that space for a day or more. How will that effect family meals? Can you keep the space sanitary? Is there a way to protect the space from the splashing of dish water or splatters from cooking pots and pans during your cheesemaking time?

Hot-Water Source

You will most likely be warming your cheese using hot water, usually in a double-boiler-type set up on your stovetop or in a sink. Personally, I use the sink but your stove top or a hotplate are just as useful. I confiscate all access to the sink for the period of time I will be "cooking" the cheese. Some cheese requires temperatures over 100°F and the hot water from the sink may not reach adequate temperatures. That's when you will need that stovetop or hotplate double-boiler set up. Standard water heaters top out at about 118°F. Also, be aware that if you are using the same sink for cleaning equipment, you could run into some problems when trying to keep wash water out of your cheese pot. I deal with this all the time. I'm extra careful and use a lid on the cheese pot. That frees my second sink for cleaning up or at least rinsing the visible milk from measuring cups and utensils.

Draining Space

You will need a space to hang draining curd and a place to set cheeses that drain in forms or in a press. Small amounts of curd can be bag-drained by suspending the bag from a utensil that is placed across the top of a tall pot. Larger volumes, though, might need something such as a quality hook mounted under a cabinet. Often, I use the door handles on my cabinet to hang my cheese. I place a bowl under the bag to catch the whey. Maybe some day I'll get that mounted hook. But then again, I have much more freedom with how high I can raise the cheese for draining. I'm not limited to the hook under the cabinet.

For draining cheeses in forms, you will need a surface with either a slight slope that drains to a sink or container or a level perforated or grooved surface to collect and divert draining whey. If your cheeses don't need any weights for pressing, a sloped surface, such as a dish rack drain board, works great—but if you will be stacking forms or adding weights to the top, a surface with too much slope will cause the stacked forms to tip and most likely topple over.

My preferred method is a cooling rack over a ½ baker's sheet. This works fine for lighter weight forms but will not support too much weight without collapsing the racks. To use the same system, but with more weight, place a large plastic cutting board over the rack then put a cheese mat on top of that to wick the whey away from the form or mold.

Pets, Dust Sources, Stored Chemicals, and Cleaning Products

I mentioned before to be sure that you store your equipment away from hazards such as cleaning products and medications, but you will also want to limit access to your working space by pets and other critters.

Think about things like windows that open to animal pens or dusty driveways. If these are in your workspace, do your best to keep them closed during cheesemaking time even a window that opens to a lovely forest will allow mold spores to enter the milk. And while they may not cause health issues, they will cause flavor flaws and more. Remember, it is essential that you control what microscopic flavoring goes into your cheese.

Since your workspace will likely be in the family kitchen, be aware of natural hazards that will exist when a space is shared with products such as drain opener, oven cleaner, and so on. What are other household members doing during the time your cheesemaking is in progress? Even if cleaners are completely organic, secure from unintentional contact during cheesemaking.

Room Temperature

The ideal temperature during the making and draining is 70 to 72°F. Ideally, your space will be climate controlled. Not usually a problem if you are in the US. Other countries are not so liberal in their use of air conditioning and you will need to take this into consideration when making cheese.

Storage for Cultures and Coagulants

You will be using freeze-dried direct-set cultures for your cheeses. These are the most convenient and reliable. These types of cultures will be best stored in the freezer. Rennet or other coagulants are stored in the refrigerator. There is no concern over storing this alongside your bottles of catchup and mayo. Sharing the family fridge is not a problem.

Cheese Aging-Unit Location

If you will be aging cheeses (and almost every cheesemaker will eventually give it a try), you will have an aging unit. We started off with a wine storage fridge. Try to find a convenient location that is in sight daily and easily accessed.

That about covers your space needs. Now on to cleanliness.

Keep Things Clean

When you are making cheese for yourself or to share, you'll want to create an excellent product. Better than anything you could get at the grocery. And no matter how well you can make a recipe, if your equipment isn't clean, your cheese will be tainted as well. That's why I am devoting an entire segment to this topic.

Chemicals and Their Proper Use

While you might associate the term chemical with something man-made and harmful, let's remember that everything in life is made up of chemical compounds. Even so-called natural cleaners are composed of chemicals, but more than likely they are naturally occurring compounds. Remember that naturally occurring chemicals can still be harmful. Keep safety in mind at all times.

Cleaning and sanitizing products work very well to remove residues from surfaces. They accomplish this task via their harsh and caustic characteristics. It is not something you want on your skin, in your eyes, or in your lungs. Have you read the warning on the labels lately? Do you have good air circulation and ventilation? Gloves and goggles are a plus. Your prescription glasses can work in place of goggles but beware of ruining the special coatings on the lenses. Go with the goggles if you splash a lot.

There are basically three categories of chemicals that are needed for proper cleaning of your cheese space and equipment: detergents for cleaning, sanitizers for sanitizing, and acids for removing calcium deposits and sanitizing. Sometimes these three basic categories are combined in one product or another. Therefore, overlap in their usage can be confusing. For example, chlorine, a commonly used and readily available sanitizer, is often also combined with detergent, as it has the ability to help with removal of proteins during cleaning. And acids can also be used to sanitize. I'll provide some steps later that can help clarify some of this.

Detergents

When it comes to cleaning, detergents are quite dependent on water temperature, pH, and mechanical action. In other words, you will need hot-water and physical exertion to do the job. Detergents by nature are alkaline with a pH above 7.0. you can buy fancy "dairy detergent" that has chlorine in it, but for most home situations, a name brand or store brand detergent works just fine; in fact, it's what I use. Unscented is best but sometimes harder to find.

Sanitizers

Sanitizers are used to eliminate any bacteria that scrubbing and washing might not have removed. But the thorough cleaning must come first. There is an old saying: "you can't sanitize something that isn't clean." Sanitizing can be done with chemicals, both those that break down into very environmentally friendly, components and those that don't, or by using heat.

The most readily available sanitizer to use at home is chlorine. Chlorine, in the form of grocery store bleach, is very effective, easy to find, and inexpensive. Quite often, however, people use too much, leading to sanitizer residue on equipment (which can harm your cheese and produce undesirable flavors). Other issues include corrosion stainless steel and other metal surfaces and harm to septic and wastewater systems.

You may need as little as ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon per gallon of water to reach the ideal of 50 – 100 ppm. There is an inexpensive chlorine dilution test strip that can be ordered online. Using these strips periodically will guarantee that the proper amount of sanitizer is being used. Chlorine can lose its effectiveness over time, or you might be using a more concentrated solution. Measure for consistent results.

Use a sanitizer solution on equipment just before use; with cheese brushes soak them and then air-dry before use. When it is mixed properly, you do not need to rinse a chlorine solution with plain water. A cloth dipped in the mix solution can be used to wipe down surfaces and other areas that come in contact with your equipment.

Acid Rinses

Acid, at the right strength, plays two roles. First as a solvent of mineral deposits and second as a residual sanitizer. It need only be used periodically to prevent the buildup of what is commonly called milkstone. Milkstone builds up slowly as the minerals in milk are steadily deposited on surfaces. While most are rinsed away during cleaning, they are not all dissolved by the alkaline detergents and will eventually form a residue on all surfaces, including plastic and stainless steel. The goal is to remove the minerals before you see the buildup by rinsing regularly with a strong acid solution. (If you are a coffee drinker, you might have periodically run a vinegar solution through your coffee maker for the same purpose.)

The strength of the acid and the frequency of the rinse will depend on the amount of use your equipment receives, as well as the hardness of your water. Hard water has a higher mineral content and will contribute to the buildup. With softer water and minimal use, you may be able to use white vinegar for your rinse. If this is not sufficient, you will want to use an acid cleaner approved for use on stainless steel and any other material that you are cleaning.

Brushes and Scrubbers

You can use pretty much any kind of scrub brush and scrubber. Sponges are not recommended. They are perfect habitats for bacteria. If you are using a green scrub pad, watch for it to leave little green "hairs" on forms and equipment. This isn't a food safety issue, but it isn't pleasant to find them in your cheese.

The Six Steps to Sparkling Clean

A good cleaning regimen consists of at least four steps: rinse, wash, acid rinse, and pre-sanitize. While these steps need not be as laborious for you at home, they are still important for creating the best possible cheese. The following procedures are fairly typical for most situations.

Step 1: Prerinse

Immediately after using, rinse all equipment with lukewarm water, about 100°F, to remove visible milk and curd residues. This step is important to do before washing so the heat of the wash water doesn't "cook" proteins onto the surface.

Step 2: Wash

Use very hot water and your detergent product to clean all services. Use a clean bristle brush and scrub pads to scour the services of all utensils and equipment.

Step 3: Rinse

Rinse with clean water. If using the periodic sanitizing acid rinse, you may use it at this stage.

Step 4: Air-Dry

Allow all equipment to air-dry between uses

Step 5: Sanitize

Just prior to use, sanitize all equipment by dipping in a food-surface-approved sanitizer (which includes chlorine as I talked about earlier). Sanitizers need 30 seconds of exposure to ensure proper killing of any residual germs.

Step 6: Acid Wash/Rinse

An acid wash is done on a periodic basis to remove mineral deposits that are not completely removed during the daily cleaning process. Some acid wash products include cleaners to help with this step. An acid rinse without cleaners can be done on a daily basis instead of the stronger, periodic acid wash. If you choose to do a daily acid rinse, you can perform it either just following or in place of step three (rinse). If you are doing periodic acid washes, the frequency will depend on the amount of calcium and other minerals in your water as well as the frequency of use for cheesemaking. Observe your equipment, especially when it is dry. Look for hazes and colors that might indicate the need for stronger cleaning (both through scrubbing by hand and with chemicals).

Note: Automatic Dishwashers

As an alternate to handwashing, you can effectively clean equipment by using an automatic dishwasher. Pick up with step three to complete your cleaning process. Rinse with clean water or acid sanitizing rinse, air dry, sanitize just prior to use.

Now on to today's recipe.

Lemon Cheese

I'm going to reprise a recipe I did last year for Lemon Cheese. I think it is appropriate now that you have all the steps in place for making your own cheese at home.

Lemon cheese is a very simple fresh cheese that you can easily make in your kitchen. It is a moist spreadable cheese with a hint of lemon taste.

If you make it in the evening, this rich and delicious cheese will be ready to spread on hot biscuits, toast, muffins, bagels or croissants for breakfast in the morning!

ngredients

• 1 gallon milk do not use ultra-pasteurized, it will not set up.
• 2 large lemons or 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Warm milk to 165 F, stirring often to prevent scorching.
2. Add lemon juice. Stir and set aside for 15 minutes. The warm milk will separate into a stringy curd and a greenish liquid whey. It should be clear, not milky.
3. Line a colander with butter muslin. Pour the curds and whey into the colander. Tie the corners of the cheesecloth into a knot and hang the bag of curds to drain. After an hour, check for the desired consistency. Think cream cheese.
4. Remove the cheese from the cloth and place it in a bowl. Add salt to taste, usually 1/4 tsp. You may mix in herbs. Fresh dill comes to mind.
5. Place cheese in a covered container and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for a week, perhaps a little more.

Notes

1. You may go up to 190 F to help your milk coagulate.
2. You may add more lemon juice if your milk doesn't coagulate.

Your homemade cheese is a success!!

Final Thoughts

That's it for today's podcast. I hope you enjoyed the homestead updates. And if you are a herd share owner, well I guess you know that fresh milk and yogurt is coming soon. We'll keep you updated on when and where to pick up.

Remember that there is a transcript of this podcast and the previous podcast available on our website. I am also working on a pdf version that will be available for download for your use in reviewing these steps and getting your home cheesemaking setup and procedures in order.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, please share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

As always, I'm here to help you "taste the traditional touch."

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

References:

You Can Make Your Own Cheese – Part 1

Recipe Link

Lemon Cheese

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You can make your own cheese just as well as anyone. A few years ago, I offered a piece of my cheese for tasting to a coworker. Her response was, "cheese can be made?" I'm not sure what she thought about how cheese got to the grocery store. I regret not asking her though I was sensitive to not making her feel uncomfortable about not knowing how cheese is produced. I've heard kids sometimes think their food simply comes in cans and boxes. Meat appears in the cooler section by magic. There is no concept of plants and animals as the origination point. Lots of people today have no connection to their food. Since you are listening to this podcast, I'm going to assume you are not one of them. I'm thinking you are very interested in the answers to the question, "from where does my food originate?"

I've spoken before about the basis of cheesemaking and today I want to talk about the basics of the equipment and setup you need to be able to make your own cheese at home. Every part is very important and not that expensive. Much of it involves using what you may already have in your kitchen.

I want to take a minute and say welcome to all the new listeners and welcome back to the veteran homestead-loving regulars who stop by the FarmCast for every episode. I appreciate you all so much. I'm so excited to share with you what's going on at the farm this week.

Today's Show

• Homestead Life Updates
• You Can Make Your Own Cheese – Part I
• Greek Meatballs and Yogurt-Mint Sauce

Homestead Life Updates Creamery

The roof of the creamery is on and dried in. The floors are swept clean and look wonderful. It's a little dark in there. The doors and windows we purchased last year have been kept under a tarp. They are now inside and safe from the weather. According to Scott, that is the next step, getting all the doors and windows in place. He's putting the wood frames into the concrete blocks right now.

Cows

The birthing events draw ever nearer each day. Less than two months remain before Claire is scheduled to give birth to a beautiful purebred Normande calf. All is going well with no issues to report.

Sheep, Goats, and Donkeys

The sheep, goats, and donkeys are doing well. They are eating hay and eating hay and eating hay. That's what they do in the winter.

Quail

Same for the quail. They are eating their 24% protein chick feed ration and huddling together to stay warm. They look great!! Game birds need a higher protein ratio than domestic chickens. Can't wait until the quail start laying eggs again and we can start hatching out the cute little quail chicks.

Let's talk cheese.

You Can Make Your Own Cheese

I'm sure many of you want to develop new cooking skills and you can make your own cheese. It does take practice and you may even need to attend a hands-on cheesemaking workshop, but cheesemaking can absolutely happen in your home kitchen. You'll need some equipment, a cheesemaking space, and sanitation procedures. Having a proper space with the right equipment and knowing how to keep the space and tools properly cleaned and maintained goes a long way to making it fun and successful. You will want cleanable, easily maintained equipment and surfaces that pose no risk when used to manufacture food for human consumption. So, let's take a look at all of those issues and help you get set up to make cheese! Because there is so much information, this will be two podcasts. This one will cover all the equipment. The next will be about setting up your space and the cleaning requirements and methods.

Choosing Equipment

First, I'll go over how to choose the things you will need and want to have on hand for cheesemaking. Some are optional, especially at first, depending on the cheese you want to make. And due to the popularity of home cheesemaking, you can often find local stores carrying many cheesemaking supplies as well. I'll put a link in the show notes for one of my favorite resources, New England cheesemaking. Their website is cheesemaking.com.

Pots and Vats

The primary considerations when choosing the proper receptacle to make your cheese is the material and condition. Whether you make your cheese in a 1-gallon pan on the stove or in a steam jacketed cheese vat, your receptacle is best if made of high-quality stainless steel. You may or may not know this, but stainless steel comes in varying grades. The cheaper it is, the less likely it will hold up well over time. You may even find that it will rust in spots.

For home use stainless steel pots with stainless or tempered glass lids—a type of glass that is fine in high heat situations—can be used. Just be aware that glass can break and ruin a batch of cheese. A coated or enameled surface is also fine for home use, as long as you inspect it before and, even more importantly, after use. If you notice a chip missing from your enameled pot when you're done making cheese, you should suspect that it is in your cheese. That cheese will need to be thrown away.

In any case, the surface must be easily cleaned. So, any deep scratches or rivets on the inside, the surface, or in nooks are undesirable. In the commercial world they are not allowed.

The next factor for you to consider in choosing your pot will be size. The most common at-home cheese vat is a double-boiler-type set up of a pot set in a sink of warm water or inside a larger pot of water on the stove top. Personally, I have a 12-quart stainless steel pot and a 24-quart stainless steel pot that I use in my kitchen sink. The smaller pot I use to make a one- or 2-gallon cheese in the larger pot I used to make cheese with 4 to 5 gallons of milk. If you choose to use your stovetop, look for a large stainless-steel pot and an enamel or stainless-steel water bath canner. Walmart carries these products as well as canning supply retailers. For the stovetop, you will need a mechanism to keep the inner pot containing the milk off of the bottom of the pot with the heated water. This allows water to circulate underneath your pot of milk. You can use a wire cooling rack or even just a few Mason jar lid rings at the bottom of the canner the rings will rust, but if the water bath pot is not also used for cooking, it is a problem. In general, all of my cheesemaking supplies are used only for cheesemaking.

One other option I will mention is using your slow cooker. I've never used mine to make cheese, but I'm pretty sure it would work. A half-gallon to 1 gallon of milk would be the limitation there for me. Speaking of which, I have used my Cosori instant pot to make queso fresco. That cheese is so simple it requires nothing more than the stainless-steel instant pot and a slotted spoon. Check out my website for that recipe. I'll put a link in the show notes.

Milk Storage Containers

You can skip this section if you are making cheese with milk your purchased from the grocery. Yes, you can use store-bought milk. As long as it is not ultra-pasteurized. Whole, pasteurized milk purchased from the grocery store will make a decent cheese. Obviously, it's not the same as making it with raw milk from your own cow or from raw milk you obtained via the rules in your state. And there are a few differences in ingredients and amounts of culture, but pasteurized milk will make any cheese your heart desires.

If you are collecting your own milk or buying it from your neighbor, there is a good chance that you will store it for at least one day. We use stainless steel cans with tight-fitting lids but these are expensive. Our 2 ½ gallon stainless steel milk cans were at least $60 each plus shipping. Mason jars are a great option here. We use the ½ gallon size. I also have a bunch of 1 gallon jars. Less jars to empty and clean but harder to find. Just keep in mind that if you find a chip in the glass, it's likely in the milk. Keep the milk very cold and use it within one day. If you wait longer, the naturally occurring enzymes and bacteria will overpopulate and overrun the cultures you add. You will get cheese, but who knows what it will be.

Forms, Hoops, and Molds

These items usually need to be purchased. It's one of a few things that is worth the investment. In all honesty, you are probably going to spend more money on cheese forms than you need to. It is pretty much impossible to know early on what types of cheese you will end up making the most, what size wheels you will be happiest with, and how many forms you really need. Don't get too stressed about it. You may even be able to craft your own. The main thing to remember is that they must be made of some kind of material that is easily cleaned and not negatively affected by the acid produced by the draining cheese—so no aluminum or copper. As an aside, the terms "hoop," "form," and "mold" are pretty much interchangeable.

As long as they are easy to clean and made of food grade material, you can come up with some pretty creative options, such as plastic colanders, salad spinner bowls, or even food storage bowls with drainage holes drilled in the sides. Some people even use large diameter PVC pipe or plumbing piping for cold water lines as cheese forms.

Keep in mind the ruggedness of the form if you will be applying weight during draining. The less pressure that is used, the more options you have when selecting forms. If you're making a cheese that requires a great deal of pressure, such as cheddar, you will need a very sturdy, straight sided form or a curve sided form designed to take the pressure exerted by a mechanical press. More on presses later.

When shopping for forms made specifically for draining cheeses, you will have many choices. You will likely end up with some that you only use once or twice, and maybe you can even give those away to another cheese maker who is in the early experimentation phase. The plastic forms come in four basic types: those meant to be used with cheesecloth and pressure; basket type forms for ladled, unpressed curd; micro perforated forms with many tiny holes to simulate the effect of cheesecloth; and Kadova type forms that had a built in mesh lining. The Kadova and micro perforated forms are notorious for being difficult to clean. But they also eliminate the need for cheesecloth and cleaning involved with its use.

Cheesecloth, Draining Bags, Mats

Cheesecloth serves two purposes during draining: first, it helps keep the loose curd in a shape while it knits back together, and second, it helps wick whey away from the cheese and toward drainage holes in the form. It is important to choose the right fabric to properly drain the type of cheese you are making. In general, you can apply the following policy: the finer and softer the curd, the tighter the weave of the cloth should be. The fabric sold in most kitchen and department stores that is labeled as cheesecloth has a very open, gauze like mesh and is not suitable for draining cheeses. Instead, you will want to buy real cheesecloth from a cheesemaking supply company.

Draining bags are designed specifically for making soft, spreadable cheeses. They have a very fine weave and are sturdily manufactured. A great substitute is a white pillowcase, which you will, of course, clean and sanitize before using. If you have any sewing skills and the right equipment, you can sew your own draining bags.

Draining mats can be used directly under cheeses such as brie and Camembert during draining and aging, under forms during draining (to help keep the form itself up out of the draining way), and under hard cheese during aging (to promote airflow around the cheese).

Many people use plastic needlepoint matting as a substitute. It looks almost the same and works as well. It is low in cost and is usually available for purchase locally (rather than having to be ordered, like the "official" cheese matting). Reed mats, such as those designed to make sushi rolls, can also be a good choice.

Weights and Presses

Creativity is the name of the game here. Some cheese will require a specific press, but most can be improvised. The options are almost limitless when setting up a way to lightly press cheeses—from stackable cheese forms and jugs of water or sand to barbell weights. I've used them all. Keep the following things in mind when designing your pressing system: stability—will the weight shift and come crashing down when you are not observing the pressing? And cleanability—are the weights cleanable and contained so they don't leak or leech any nonfood substances or chemicals in your cheese?

If you find you must move up to a mechanical press, you have two basic options, then multiple choices within those options; a single wheel screw type press or lever press. Your choice will likely revolve around the number of wheels you plan on pressing at the same time. Small single wheel presses that can press 3 to 4-pound wheels can be expensive, and it will be quite time-consuming to have more than one or two wheels that you need to remove from the press, redress, and turn.

When choosing a single screw type press, look for durability, cleanability, and pressure scale. The most expensive are made from all-stainless-steel parts—and of course, these are the most cleanable and durable. Some single presses are made from wood and laminate parts.

Finally, the lever press, also called a Dutch or Holland lever press, because of its long history of manufacture and use in that country. Lever presses designed for home use are usually made of a hard wood such as maple. It is important that they not be made of a softer wood, as the lever arm from which weights will be hung can crack if it is not sturdy enough. Lever presses can be freestanding or attached to a wall. You can purchase a premade kit for single wheel versions of those presses and find plans online. I used to have one of these mounted on the wall. Scott made it for me. Alas, I've taken it down and I don't think I have any pictures. It was my main press when I was making 3 to 5-gallon cheeses. It was simply a long stick of wood that would fold up and out of the way and then fold down when I needed to use it. My weights were 1 gallon and half gallon plastic milk jugs. I put them on the scale and added as much water as I needed to reach a specific weight. I believe I had a 2-pound, a 4-pound, and 8-pound weight. They each had a small piece of rope tied to the handle which I could loop over the arm of the lever press.

Miscellaneous Tools

You will need quite an assortment of miscellaneous tools, such as ladles, curd cutting knife, measuring cups, measuring syringe, colander, thermometer, timer or clock, a scale for weighing curd, and brine "tank." If you are also waxing cheeses, that will require equipment as well.

A perforated cheese ladle can be either purchased or modified from a long handled, slotted stainless steel skimmer. The ladle is used to gently stir the curds, and the perforations allow for the whey to flow through the spoon, as well as to help disperse coagulant and calcium chloride when being added to the cheese milk.

A curd knife is used to cut the coagulated milk into curds. Again, you can purchase one or use a long, narrow spatula; a frosting spreader; or even a thin piece of stainless steel.

There are some small-scale cheese "harps" on the market, but beware of blades that are too thick or spaced too widely—once you make large cubes, is a bit more difficult to cut them smaller evenly, as they are now moving in the vat as you try to cut them. A small-scale harp can be fabricated by creating a stainless frame that is strung with nylon fishing line. While it is not necessary to invest in such a harp, it will give you the advantage of nearly perfect cubes of curd. When a harp is turned it around about, it cuts concentric circles that must then be cut vertically. Leaving you with more of a pie shaped curd than a square one.

For measuring liquid, you will need a variety of measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a couple of plastic syringes in 5 cc, 3 ml, and 1 ml sizes. A cubic centimeter (CC) is the same as a milliliter. If you have a nice little set of syringes, you will be able to make super accurate measurements of coagulant and calcium chloride.

For measuring dry powders, such as cultures, accurately weighing and dividing into unit doses is always the best choice but is often not practical for home cheesemaking. For measuring really tiny doses of mold and ripening cultures, you can purchase a set of tiny measuring spoons that will help measure amounts from just under a quarter teaspoon (1 mL) down to 1/60 teaspoon (0.05 mL).

It is a good idea to have a plastic or stainless-steel colander for holding draining bags while filling, draining curd, and other surprisingly handy uses. Don't use aluminum strainers, as the metal will react with the acid in the whey and cheese.

You don't need a fancy thermometer for making cheese, but you'd do need to make certain it is accurate. You can use the simple, metal probe thermometers you can get for a few dollars at the grocery store. Using a piece of stainless-steel wire, you can fashion a nifty little hanger so the thermometer stays suspended and you can still close the lid on your vat.

A clock or timer should be available for monitoring times during your cheese makes. Your cell phone probably has a timer on it.

If you are brining cheeses—and you will be—you will need a container large enough to float all the wheels in a batch (or you can use multiple containers). Brine should be stored at either aging room temperature of 50 to 55°F or in the refrigerator between use.

If you'll be waxing cheeses for aging, plan on a double boiler, pan, or dedicated crockpot that is used only for this purpose. The wax pretty much takes forever on all utensils. A variety of natural bristle brushes will also be needed for waxing.

I'm going to stop here for this podcast. In the next one I will finish up this topic covering "creating a cheesemaking space" and "keeping things clean". Once you have those topics under your belt, you'll be set to make the best cheese right in your own home.

It's time for today's recipe.

Greek Meatballs with Yogurt-Mint Sauce

Slow-simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served over rice with a tangy yogurt sauce and crumbled feta. Yum, yum.

What You Need Meatballs

• 2 lbs ground lamb
• 4 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• Zest of ½ lemon
• ½ cup olives, chopped (green, black or mixed)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ red onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• Olive oil for browning meatballs

Tomato Sauce

• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cumin, ground
• Salt and pepper to taste

Yogurt-Mint Sauce

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• Zest of ½ lemon
• Juice of one lemon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Garnish

• Feta, crumbled
• Fresh herbs (mint and oregano)

What To Do Meatballs

1. Combine meatball ingredients in large mixing bowl. Form meatballs.
2. Heat a large pot on medium heat. Add oil to coat the bottom. Add half the meatballs, keeping space between them.
3. Brown well on one side and flip to brown the other side. Roll to sides and brown.
4. When nicely browned, put on a plate and repeat with remaining meatballs. Put on plate.

Tomato Sauce

1. Add crushed tomatoes, garlic and cumin to pan. Scrape bottom and combine well. Add meatballs, season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer. Turn down to low.
2. Cook for about an hour with lid slightly open. Scrape bottom occasionally to prevent burning.
3. Meatballs are done when tomato sauce thickens.

Serve with Mint Sauce and Feta Over Rice

1. Prepare rice of your choice. Combine the yogurt sauce ingredients.
2. Spoon yogurt sauce on top of meatballs and crumble feta over it.
3. Garnish with fresh herbs and olive oil.

Final Thoughts

That's it for today's Peaceful Heart FarmCast. I hope you are enjoying your winter wherever you are in the world. Well, I guess if you are south of the equator it is summer. If you are south of the equator, I hope you are enjoying your summer. The winter blues are coming on me in small amounts at the moment. No where near the levels of past winters and for that I am grateful. If it wasn't raining would go out and watch a few animals grazing peacefully. That can cheer me up any time.

If I had milk, I could make cheese and that can cheer you up as well. I hope this introduction to setting up your own kitchen for cheesemaking is helpful. It really can be done. When I have completed the second half, there will be a written transcript of the two podcasts on my website. I'll make a downloadable pdf version that you can print and study.

Those Greek meatballs are fabulous. Give it a try and let me know your variations and improvements. We have ground lamb available for purchase at the farmer's market in Wytheville, 2nd and 4th Saturdays and at the farm Tuesday mornings 10am to 12pm or Saturday afternoon 3pm to 5pm.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, please share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

As always, I'm here to help you "taste the traditional touch."

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

References:

• Queso Fresco Recipe
• New England Cheesemaking Supply

Recipe Link

Greek Meatballs with Yogurt-Mint Sauce

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a comment on our Facebook Page
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

To help the show:

• PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW for Peaceful Heart FarmCast on Apple Podcasts.
• Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play Music, TuneIn or Spotify
• Donate on Patreon

Website

www.peacefulheartfarm.com

Patreon

www.patreon.com/peacefulheartfarm

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Instagram

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