Need I say more.
 


When we had our business meeting last week and discussed all the necessary plans and purchases I would be lying if I didn't admit to just a little stress. But my husband has taken care of it once again, finding exactly what we need for a great price and now we can cross tractor off our to do list!



It's a Yanmar 26 horsepower. It arrived yesterday with free delivery, love the customer service up here, seriously. We purchased it from Olson Power and Equipment. If you are in the area and need any tools they are great people. We also found out they rent equipment so for the occasional heavy duty labor that needs a bigger tractor we have a source for that and once again they deliver, yah!

The kids had a great time riding the loop with their dad and it is really starting to look like a farm now. In a few short weeks our chicks arrive. Plans are already made for the greenhouse, and packing shed. Things are starting to role and things feel great.

I even have a new pastime.



I love going out after the snow and looking for tracks. This one was almost run over by the tractor but it gives you an idea of how big the bird was that left these wing marks as it is framed perfectly in the tire tracks. There were 3 such tracks, this being the heaviest and the hopping mouse tracks were no more after this. I thought hawk, but Proeun said owl. It's great to see the evidence of wild life.

Farming really offers you everything. I remember talking with a wonderfully intelligent woman I knew who felt that her work no longer challenged her. I thought in my mind that I will most likely never have that problem. Between raising 4 eternal souls, homeschooling them, running a household and business with my husband I am always challenged--in a good way, mostly.

Now is the time for the business of farming. Words like marketing, cash flow, customer retention, asset aquisition and such become part of bed time conversation with Proeun. Decisions have to be made, big decisions like greenhouse placement, cooler placement, tractors, soil amendments and organic certification.

It is a challenge, but I love a challenge. I am so so blessed to be on this journey with my husband, and he loves a challenge to.

So this week, many many phone calls will be made, probably a few big purchases and plans will take shape.

We are also blessed to be presenters at this year's Immigrant and Minority Farmers Conference. We have attended the conference for the past 4 years. Now we actually have knowlege to share. We will be presenting on business plans for long term funding and advanced marketing--sharing your story. One thing I love about this conference is the international component. When I present it will be translated into at least 5 languages--Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Karen and Bhutanese. Amazing to think that I have something to share with people from so many backgrounds.

A couple of years ago Proeun and I realized that as our number of children grew so did the amount of accumluation acquired at Christmas. Between  my side of the family and Proeun's 5 siblings it was getting crazy. So we decided to draw names for Proeun's side of the family and my side its all about handmade. Here are some gifts going out.

The table runner is the "Kid Art Table Runner" from Handmade Home with one adjustment. We have a laser print and all the iron on transfer paper I found was for inkjet. So we got some fabric markers and embroidery hoops and voila, kid art beauty. That is what we are doing
 

 
Here. We made a table runner for my grandma and great-grandma.

Then we have the felted leave coasters for my sister and her new house.

Next we have Shea Butter Brown Sugar Scrub with tangerine and grapefruit essential oil. I learned how to make this treat at one of Erin Piorer's (herbalist) classes. The girl's and I had a great time making this but at first I had a hard time convincing them it wasn't food since it looked and smelled so yummy. I made a double batch so that went out to all my ladies.

Finally the smokehouse almonds.

1 tsp salt
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 tbsp water
4 cups raw whole almonds

Disolve salt in water and liquid smoke. Pour over almonds and stir well. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place almonds on cookie sheet in one layer and bake for 2 hours.

Now with Christmas over we can really work on our move. The count down has begun. So I will be away from here for awhile. I will be back soon with pictures of our new place.

The Sproul family is without a mother this Christmas. Just days before the most blessed day of the year Denise Sproul left her husband and 8 children aged 18-6 to sleep in the arms of Jesus. I have never met her but read her books and heard about her so often in my various circles that I felt I knew her. As a Christian I do not mourn for the dead, but the living. Those children that will grow up now without a mother present and yes I want to cry.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of a holiday season and a move it is easy to forget to enjoy every moment with your family.  It was a total shocker for me to hear of Denise's losing battle with cancer. I had always thought of her so young and vibrant and I am reminded nothing is a given. Except one thing.

Proeun told me he thought I should meditate. I am reminded of the verse "Mary hid these things in her heart and pondered them." As a momma of 4 miracles there is alot that I ponder too. I remember reading somewhere that when you have a child you are giving birth to an immortal soul. Yes I have alot to ponder too. At Christmas it is so easy to focus on the material gifts. Amazing how its so easy to not see the most amazing gift, creation of a life.

Today I am meditating on words--creation, redemption, forgiveness and the only given--love. I am overwhelmed with the wonder of it.

Denise had a sense of wonder, even as the end neared the wonder of it all is what gives up hope. So on this Christmas I am embracing the tears, the wonder and the love. I encourage you to take a moment to meditate on what is really important.

I grew up watching "Little House on the Prairie" while in my opinion it remains one of the great television series we have been reading the books this year and they are oh so so much better. I love that I am finally able to read chapter books with my children and look forward to my story time as much as the children. We just finished the 3rd book in the series "Farmer Boy," the one book that is actually about Laura's husband, Almanzo Wilder.

As we embark on our new journey as farmers this book has alot of interest for me. It is fascinating to me that Almanzo's father raised  merino sheep in the 1850s-60s. Or how careful he was when training horses, how to raise a "milk-fed pumpkin" and the techniques for building a sled to haul wood.



The children loved the pictures and I did to. It is interesting enough to be a fun read but has some interesting instructions that I plan to try out this next year.

Two things really fascinated me about the book--1. The price that Mr. Wilder got for his products, like $0.50/bushel for potatoes, $2/bail for hay and $400 for a team of horse. Yeah if you are thinking what I am thinking the prices haven't gone up that much in 150 years.

2. When Almanzo's older brother chooses a career as a shop keeper over farmer and Almanzo must make his own decision the benefits of being a farmer have not changed that much either.

So I would definitely suggest adding Farmer Boy to your winter reading list. Things I really want to try include winter evening taffy pulls and story telling nights. I look forward to slowing down a bit once the move is complete. What's your plans for quiet winter evenings.

So the past 2 weeks have not gone exactly as planned but here goes with the big announcement--Crazy Boy Farm has found its permanent home. After 3 years of renting land and preparing for this moment it is almost here. Yes almost. These things can sometimes drag one and this is the case for us. So hopefully we will be moving before the end of the year. So I will spare the physical details until then.

Also CSA sales are now open. Hop over to our website using the tabs to the left for more information on our CSA. One important thing to note is that though our farm has been certified organic for the past 3 years our new farm has been farmed conventionally until now. So we will begin the process of certification right away and use the same great farming methods we will not be certified organic again until the 3 year transition is completed. We plan to continue offering the same great variety and use the same growing techniques.

So that is the great, amazing news. We are all so excited. The negative thing is the actual move.
 


Some things in boxes, some things sorted, but left out for frequent use and some things getting ready to be thrown away. The process has required a reordering of our life and conscious decision about what to keep and what to leave. I am thinking that I should go through a similar clearing out every couple of years. I am employing these 2 rules to decide what stays and what goes 1. is it useful (i.e. have I used it in the last year or so or will I use it in the next year?) and 2. is it beautiful to me?

So even with the clutter and the impending move which is doing wonders to teach us about contentment and the importance of relationships above of all else we are trying to take moments for beauty in this the most beautiful season of all.



Our first gingerbread house.



A bit of Christmas crafting ("elving" ala Soule Mama). More on that after Christmas.
 


Mama projects abound also. I thought about putting away the sewing and knitting to make way for the practical work of sorting, packing and moving. But I am finding I need it even more now then before. So here is a hat I completed for Two. He loves it and for a boy I have to fight tooth and nail to put on pants versus shorts a hat he likes is a blessing in more way then one.
 


And there has been quite alot of dreaming. Here are some fabrics I purchased in Banberry Place's after Thanksgiving sale. These will be pillows and curtains in our new master bedroom. Yes there has been a whole lot of dreaming going on lately.

I know I hoped that Proeun would be able to post about his recent 3 generation hunting trip. But something very very exciting has happened and I need to turn my attention to that. So I will be taking the next 2 weeks or so off from blogging to complete all the required details. Check back December 5th for our big announcement.

In the meantime we are working out the details for next year's CSA. We have already had a couple people ask to buy shares--talk about planning ahead. So I will be working out the details. December 5th share sales will open as well for next season. We are planning to expand and add a couple more dropsites and maybe a different drop day. If you are interested in being a dropsite please drop us a line. Prices will stay the same. Thanks for all your support. Be back soon and Happy Thanksgiving!