Save the Cheese!!!

    I am reposting this text from a forum (homesteadingtoday.com), but I want to add my own two cents to it first. 
    This is all about a family dairy in Missouri that sells raw milk and is getting the run around for no darn good reason. I won't go into that personally, because I am going to post links that far better explain that situation than I could (read the links!). I just want to say how awful it is that this is happening the Morningland Dairy. Emily Dickson, a member of the family that owns Morningland, is a wonderful person. I know her through the forum, and she has given me and several others helpful advice for their goats more times than I can count. She is extremely knowledgable and takes good care of her animals. Not to mention the fact that, in 30 years of business, their raw milk cheeses have never made anyone sick, they've always been 100% legal, and  the cheese is DELICIOUS. Yes, I have had it, and it was the BEST! Their dairy is making wonderful, healthy food items and is being basically attacked because of it. It seems that the government always wants to hurt the little guy, but lets Mr. Big Britches KILL CHILDREN with contaminated and unsafe food before they even recall it (watch Food Inc if you don't believe me. A child died from eating contaminated meat that wasn't recalled until 16 days after the death of the child! It's so ridiculous...but I must digress, before I start ranting.) The major food industry is in the pocket of the government, and so the little guy who does his/her best to make wholesome, safe food is prosecuted because Uncle Sam thinks it's his right to tell us what we should and should not eat. I 100% believe that the only reasons this is happening to Morningland is because they offer raw (and therefore more healthy) milk products, and they are one of the little guys. My heart hurts for them and the nine families that are supported by this dairy. 
    Anyways, if you can't donate to them to help, please keep them in your prayers, write the people "in charge," do whatever you can to support Emily, Morningland, and the others like them.


Links:  

About the Situation: http://www.newswithviews.com/Hannes/doreen107.htm

Morningland's Website - http://morninglanddairy.webs.com/apps/blog/

About Raw Milk - http://www.rawmilk.org/default.php

http://realmilk.com/

Now, what I am reposting - Lets have a Cheese Party!

"Sponsor A Cheese, Save A Dairy!

---

I'll assume most of us are aware of the assault against Morningland Dairy that began back in August, and has resulted in anti-raw milk pencil pushers (and toadies of corporate dairy concerns) demanding that the dairy destroy all their cheese in stock (SIX MONTHS WORTH OF PRODUCT!) -- despite the fact that all FDA testing done at the dairy proved that there is absolutely NO contamination of their healthy food.

So... I had an idea. Here's what I am going to do, and if you'd like to do the same, I certainly encourage you to join the Un-Cheese Party!

Here's the low down:
If Morningland can't sell the cheese because the Missouri Milk Board and the FDA are against wholesome food, they may well lose their business which has been in operation for THIRTY YEARS. (And through all those years they are able to boast that NO ONE has EVER been made ill by their cheese!)

I'm not going to let that happen if I can help it.

I'm going to "sponsor" a few pounds of that embargoed cheese. I invite anyone else who is interested to join me in our

CYBER-SPACE UN-CHEESE PARTY!

There are 50,000 pounds of cheese slated for destruction. This is not counting the cheese destroyed due to the recall.

Here's how to SPONSOR A CHEESE:

The average price per pound is $5.

You can paypal a donation to

morningland@centurytel.net

Or, you can send your sponsorship checks or money orders directly to the dairy. Just let them know what the money is for, and a note of encouragement would certainly be appreciated.
Morningland Dairy
6248 County Road 2980
Mountain View, MO
65548

Now, folks, this is a PARTY, so INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, your neighbors, your mere acquaintances to join us!

Plaster the message on other boards you frequent, put it on your Facebook Status, make a YouTube video and hey! maybe it'll go viral!

We have to stand together as raw milk consumers and producers, or we WILL see the day where we can't even grow food for our own consumption!

(see the thread, "Another threat against raw milk" for sample letters to write to your politicians to make an even bigger impact.)

Let's get Morningland back on its feet -

SAVE THE CHEESE!!!"

Thank you, Pony from Homesteadingtoday.com, for thinking of this AWESOME idea! Please guys, pray for this family at the very least! Repost! Link to this! Write! Donate! Do something, please!! 

- Rach in Wonderland...at least until even just owning your own dairy animals is made illegal!

C'mon, Clara!

    I cleaned out the kidding stall and moved Clara into it today. I have been putting that off as long as possible - I hate having to lock them away for kidding, away from their "friends," the guardians, the outdoors. Therefore, I put it off until I felt it was no longer safe to do so. Her udder is filling out a little more each day (it's not really FULL and tight yet), her ligaments are loosening but not gone (at least, as far as I can tell), and it looks like she's swallowed several basketballs and a small child. I'm keeping a really close eye on her - I do NOT want to miss her kidding. I do wish she would hurry up, though! On the one hand, I realize that it is still very hot out during the day, but on the other hand...well, I just want to be able to stop worrying about it! Haha. The temperatures are supposed to start being more comfortable next week, so maybe she'll kid then. That would be ideal, but you know how goats are - they never want to do what you want them to. ;) 
    I really do feel for her being moved to the stall, though. I know a lot of people allow their goats to give birth in the pasture, but I don't feel like that is the safest option here. Maybe one day, when I have a separate pen strictly for new mothers and their kids like I plan to, that might be an option - or I would at least give them the option of kidding outside if they wanted. It's out of the question right now, though. I don't want any does kidding in a pen with other does who aren't also late in the family way, because they might be more inclined to butt the newborn kids. I also don't want her kidding near Lakota. I think that Mellow would be fine, but Lakota is still a puppy and might try to play with a kid - that would not end well, as I'm sure you can guess. In the end, I feel that it's best to have control over the kidding environment by putting the does in the stall(s) in the barn. It definitely lessens the risks. Clara was displeased, though, which I expected. She didn't want to leave the fence, and she didn't like being in the stall. She isn't completely alone, though - Rumor and  Trouble are next door. They don't have access to the same areas, but they can see and touch each other through a gate. I would never want her to be completely alone (or any of them, for that matter). I am going to have to switch around that arrangement soon, though, now that I know Rumor is not pregnant (via blood test). I also need to get electric fencing around the buck pen so I can keep the whether inside of it...oy. It seems like sometimes, no matter how much I get done, there is still so much left to do! I can't wait until my list of outdoor improvements/changes come down to nothing more than normal, everyday chores. That might be a while though....
    I really hope Clara kids soon! I'm itching for some babies - it has been way too long since I've had any! I'm also itching to put my milking stand to it's intended use! I can't wait for that sweet, rich milk! And the cheese and yogurt I intend to make from it....mmmm, yummy! I finally bought my Maggidan's Milker (http://maggidans.com/milker.htm) today. It is/was actually a birthday present that I just hadn't got around to ordering yet. I still plan to learn to hand milk, which I have never done before, but I knew that with classes, possibly small teats (I expect that more out of my first fresheners than Clara), beginner milking does, and a beginner milking human that I would need some help making things go faster. Also, the milker will allow me to keep the milk clean and away from kicking hooves! None of my girls have been milked extensively (I believe Clara has been milked some, but not a lot), and I don't want to loose that precious milk to a kicky doe. I still haven't figured out how I am going to work my milking schedule. I have one very early "night" class that would require me to milk around 3:00pm just to give myself enough time, and the other night class would require me to milk around 4:00pm for enough time...Of course, you are supposed to milk on a steady schedule for the best production, which would mean milking at 3:00am and 3:00pm every day! Now, aside from the obvious reasons that wouldn't work, I have no electricity in my barn, so I have to milk during the daylight hours. What I think is going to happen is that I will have to milk only once a day, around 7:30 in the morning. I am disappointed that I will only be able to milk once a day, because that will cut down on the production, but it is better than the alternatives. I hope I can work my schedule out better next semester for milking. 
    Well, I have rambled on enough! I hope everyone is having a great week!
-Rach in Wonderland

Just Another Manic Monday

    Alright, my Mondays aren't really manic. I don't particularly like Mondays, simply because they are the start of the school week, and the end of the weekend. Poor Monday really can't help where it was placed in the week - but that doesn't make us like it any more. Regardless of what day it is, I am not looking forward to my classes this week. That's not why I am writing, though! 

    I am actually writing because I have finally uploaded the pictures of my chicken's new digs, which I actually finished on Friday.  I am pretty proud of our little A-farm chicken house. It is holding 11 youngsters (I forget their exact age - I would have to look it up) with room to spare. I feel that it could comfortably hold a couple of Midget White turkeys (yes - I have been getting ideas) if moved frequently - which it will be regardless of what is in it, or a flock of maybe 4-6 standard hens or a few more bantams. You can see in the picture that is has large triangular sections. You can see two clearly in the picture, and it has four altogether. Hopefully that can give you some sort of an idea of it's size. It's current little mixed flock will be residing within it until they are at least 1/2-3/4 the size of my Rhode Island Reds, at which point they will be integrated into that flock. Unfortunately, the prettiest colored Easter Eggers turned out to be a roo, or at least was acting like one toward the Australorp. I'm going to have to give the roosters a space of their own. I want to have hatching eggs this Spring, and I want them to be purebred - since I have Buff Orps, RIR, and EE, this means that I will have to have a rooster of each breed. That, of course, means that I will have to have the roosters separate until I want hatching eggs.  That reminds me - one of my RIR hens went broody two weeks ago! That means that - with any luck - I should have a clutch of RIR chicks hatching out around this Saturday, which will be the three week mark.                                                     

I am already anxiously awaiting next Spring, when I will be starting to sell eggs. I will be having regular eggs for $2.00/doz. Actually, to be more accurate, I plan on charging $2.50 for the first time buyer, and then $2.00 for repeat purchases if they bring back the egg carton. The extra .50 cents is to cover the costs of the egg carton if it is not brought back. It is actually illegal to re-use another brand's egg carton, so that is a necessary expense. I'm really hoping to get up a client base that I can get to know, and who will bring back the cartons. I feel like there is a big enough market for farm-fresh, cage-free, healthy, all-natural eggs for me to be able to sell enough to cover the expenses of the chickens. My laying hens are fed a completely hormone and antibiotic free diet, and a vegetarian layer crumble [I don't prevent them from eating all the bugs they want, of course. ;) ] Their eggs are definitely healthy, flavorful, and worth at least $2.00. 
    I also really hope to start a booth at the local farmer's market next Spring to sell my eggs and soaps, as well as a few crafts. I would also really like to get a certified kitchen to sell my jams and jellies at the market. 2010 held great things for Wonderland (like chickens!), and I just know that 2011 is going to be even better! I'm actually hoping to expand into honey bees next Spring also, as well as meat chickens and turkeys. Maybe I am just ambitious, but I really hope that it will work out that way! The meat chickens are a definite must, and I would probably choose turkeys over bees, but I really hope to have all three! I just love delicious, fresh honey, and I think honey bees are adorable. Not to mention the anti-bacterial and anti-allergy properties of honey, or the fact that it is a natural sweetener! I would love to have enough honey to offer some to the local public (local honey is the best for allergies), as well as to eat myself, and use in my soaps and on my face (it is very good for the skin).

    Anyways, you can see in the picture to the left that the chicks are very happy to finally be out of the "brooder" and on the grass! The ones to the left are all rolling around on the ground taking dust-baths. I'm very glad they no longer need the heat lamp, especially considering the night that the storm caused the heat lamp bulb to burst (it got wet), which in turn cut one of the Buff's back above the tail, which unfortunately led to pecking. The affected Buff is actually the one standing near the feeder in the picture. You can see where he/she is missing some feathers still where it was cut and then pecked. Vaseline stopped the pecking and helped it heal, but it is still taking awhile for the feathers to grow back. I'll be glad when it's completely better!  
    I hope that you all like the layout of the pictures in this blog. I have previously had all the pictures in a straight line at the end of the blog, but I thought that this might make it more interesting! 
    I hope you all are having a great Manic Monday!
- Rach in Wonderland

Hopeful Master Gardener-To-Be!

    I was reading a small local newspaper today - which very rarely happens, and was only occurring this time because of an anthropology assignment - when I stumbled upon a small ad in the bottom left hand corner of one page. This ad began with "NEW CLASSES" and went on to explain that the University of Tennessee is offering a Master Gardener class this Spring in my area. I tore the ad out of the paper, showed it to my parents, and then gave it an honored spot on the 'fridge - rough edges and all. I have to turn in an application to by October 1, 2010, and if I am accepted, I will be a Master Gardener after a 15 week course starting in January! I am excited about this, because I love to learn. There are so many things that I eventually want to learn or have some sort of formal training in, or have a degree for, or be certified for...well, you get the idea! I just love to learn as much as I can. I believe that knowledge is very important; after all, knowledge is power! In any case, I also think that the knowledge I will glean from this course will be helpful to my homesteading. As soon as I know if I'm accepted to the course, I'll let you know! (Here I've been talking about it like I'm already in, when I haven't even sent in an application! =p) 
    Oh, I would also like to add that, after further research, becoming a Master Gardener might open up a lot of doors for me, either to help others or even just to participate in fun things. Check it out for yourself! - http://mastergardener.tennessee.edu/index_whatis_mastergardener.html

-Rach in Wonderland

Multiple Blogs? Nah.

    I have noticed a trend among some fellow bloggers. It seems that a lot of them have multiple blogs. For example, someone might have a blog dedicated to life in general, a blog for their farm, a blog for their quilting hobby, and a blog about their opinions. I thought briefly about doing that myself, especially since my current blog is named "Wonderland Farm," which some might say molds my blog to fit one topic. After a bit of thought, I don't find that to be the case. This blog is about my farm, yes, but it is also about my life. My farm is a huge part of my life, so it gets blogged about a lot. However, I see no reason why I can't spice up my blog a bit by posting pictures from a fair, or talking about a hobby, or any other part of my life. This is my blog, after all. I also would want any readers that I might have to feel like they had to seek out every other blog I had and follow them in order to get a good picture of what my life is really like. I also think that no one wants to read a blog that is just about say, goats. Yes, goat antics are interesting, but lets be honest - sometimes there really is nothing new to say about my goats, my chickens, or even the farm itself. That would get so old for someone to read. I imagine it would go something like this; "Ariel bit my shirt again! Oh, the hens layed an egg! The chicks eat a lot." See? Not very interesting - at least not to anyone who isn't me. No, I would rather blog about interesting updates on the farm, mixed in with the rest of my life. Yes, homesteading is a huge priority to me, but so are things like school, family, God, hobbies, and just life in general. If you narrow down your entire life to make it only about one segment of it, your life - and your blog! - will get boring pretty fast. 
    I hope that y'all don't mind this blog being about more than my homestead. If you do, well, that's too bad! What can I say, this is my one blog, and it is about my one life - all the various parts of it. =)

Chicks No More!

    I realized that I haven't updated about the chicks lately. Well, they're hardly chicks anymore! They have grown so much - it's amazing. The Easter Eggers are just beautiful. There is one that is a blue color with red on the wings, and Speckles is now speckled almost all over. The others are very pretty, also. The Buffs in particular are feathering out nicely, and are so rich in color and soft looking. We did lose one of the Black Australorps, unfortunately. I won't go into detail here, but he/she had to be put down. It was the first time I've had to make the decision that it would be best to put down an animal. It wasn't easy, but I am confident that we did the right thing. Death is something that has to be dealt with when you homestead.
    The other eleven chicks are thriving! They quickly outgrew their box in the bathroom, and have now outgrown their above-ground hutch, their fan, and their heat lamp. We are in the process of building them a portable ground coop. It is an A-frame structure designed to be moved every week or two in order to give them fresh grass and bugs. All that is left for it is to attach wire, tin, and a door. Once they outgrow it, they will be moved to the adult layer's pen. The A-frame will be used later on as a brooder for meat birds. Once the construction is complete and the chicks are moved, I will post pictures! 
    In the mean time, enjoy a few pictures from the Tennessee State Fair! Would you believe we spent four hours there?

-Rach in Wonderland

Picture Time!

The bowl obviously doesn't fit, but hey, I was making do with what I had. 

Hello, September!

    As some of you may know, I celebrated my birthday September 3rd. My birthday is a welcome day for me, not just because it's my birthday, but because it also signals the end of Summer. How fitting for me, the lover of all things Autumn, to be born at the beginning of my favorite season! The air has held a slight chill during the evenings and mornings, and even on a few rainy days lately. The skies have been overcast more often. The temperature and humidity have markedly dropped. The first leaves have also started to turn, as well as soybeans and cotton. It's glorious! 
    Another thing that my birthday comes along with the beginning of is school. Children - both home schooled as I was and the public and private school attenders - are once again turning their minds to their studies. "In fourteen hundred-ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." College kids like myself have also begun the semester. My classes keep me fairly busy, even though one was canceled too late for me to find a replacement for it (Summer classes are in my future...oh, great!). I live in fear this time of year that some emergency on my "farm" will make me miss one of my once-a-week night classes. It's not as big of a problem for the classes that meet more often and longer, but if I missed one of the seven week classes, I could fail if my professor was unforgiving. Here's hoping none of the goats choose one of those nights to kid! Yikes! I should probably rethink seven week courses the next time I have does due to kid, but I do love only have seven - albeit very long - classes. 
    In other news, no one has kidded yet. Clara has been developing an udder for a while now, so I am thinking that she will be going first. Pictures will be posted within 24 hours of any births! I can't wait. I also received a metal milking stand for my birthday - pictures will be posted soon. IT is so helpful with things like trimming hooves! Yesterday my mother and I shucked, blanched, creamed, and froze 5 and 1/2 dozen ears of corn straight from Wisconsin. The ears were beautiful and delicious, and not a single one was skippy! I hope we have an opportunity to buy some Wisconsin corn next year. The South may be known for farming, but I have to admit that the North has us beat as far as Sweet Corn goes. There is one more bit of exciting news. I also received a new buckling for my birthday! I was planning on bringing home an adult, but I fell in love with "Trouble's" dam, and Trouble himself. Introducing Chinook Winds Wild America (name pending). 

    The pictures below are of my birthday dinner and the corn. On my birthday, my grandparents, parents, Sarah, and I had Indian food for the first time. It was SO delicious! Afterwards, we had ice cream cake at my grandmother's.

 -Rach in Wonderland