Comments on: On making do with what’s available http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/ This is a journal, of sorts, of an organic garden in SW Michigan. "Ut sementem feceris, ita metes: non semper erit aestas." Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:46:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: El http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7850 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:25:33 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7850 Hayden, well, yeah, I have heard about that escape-artist kind of thing. I am hoping we’ll just keep them happy enough not to wander…and we’ll also let them wander. Kind of like dogs that way: if you trust them to go off leash then they’ll not really run away. That’s the plan, anyway.

John, yeah, I saw that. I of course got all excited about the formwork for her new cheese cave. Of course it gave me ideas. BUT I have done the baked goat cheese thing before; yum, wunderbar…

aastricker, yeah, how fun, cheese experiments!!! I am looking forwar to it all too. I know it will be a bit of work but heck I am always up for a new challenge or two.

]]> By: aastricker http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7843 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:19:54 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7843 I am so jealous of your new addition! I so badly want a pygmy goat. A good friend of mine lives outside of town and has many goats. She has promised me milk after the ladies birth their kids so that I can make cheese, but I wish I could have my own. I’m looking forward to your adventures; keep us posted.

]]> By: John A. Abel http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7773 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:25:40 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7773 The sunday NYTimes mag food article is on a goat farm in Vermont and has a nice looking recipe for baked goat cheese on greens and a goat cheese cheesecake.

]]> By: Hayden http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7751 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:59:44 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7751 She’s beautiful! I love goats, but no no no… they are escape artists and I’m just not up to the challenge. I’ll enjoy watching you post about yours though…

]]> By: El http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7748 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:21:56 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7748 Happy New Year, everyone!

Sparow, thanks, I am sure to share. I kinda picked the goat, not the breed…she’s very easy going, and even a 4 year old girl has milked her in the past.

Amanda, thanks for sharing the link to your neighbor! Glad to see urban farming: much more exciting than what’s going on in the pastoral plains out here, really. And yes, bunnies. Not my idea but they are cute…

TLC, absolutely. And with an Alpine I will have a lot of milk to work with!

Sara, indeed, it is all new. And good. Happy new year!

Mike! Yes, we did it. And I am so happy.

Milkweed, well that’s fitting. I hope you can learn something from me…or not, if I really screw up…

Mavis, I hope you mean crazy in a good way? :)

Aimee, I might be bending your ear about the whole thing. But: she is so fun.

rsalis, how hilarious!!! Gah, it’s so good to know I am not the only nutcase with farm creatures in her car. And Turd Acres: it’s all for the garden, you know: I do swear I can just FEEL how fast the plants (and weeds) will be growing with this nutritional boost.

DennisP, you know, I don’t think I mentioned that book but it sure was one of my favorites last year. He “gave me the strength” to put the critter in my car, frankly. Ah well. His personal anecdotes were wonderful but I really enjoyed his historical stuff, frankly. Like the origin of some of our letters.

Kimberly, how sweet about the gramerlings and their eggcups! It IS fun when they really glom on to the wonder that is The Egg. Personally, I never get tired of it. And who knows? Maybe a goat’s in your future too ;)

Oh Sylvie one step at a time! I think Tom would have a fit if I started talking pig already…but pigs are in the 5 year plan. But yes, goatS as she’s pregnant. Here’s hoping she throws a doeling. And yes: we have LOTS of poison ivy that could use the goat treatment…

Serina, indeed, a minivan was this girl’s prime mode of transport until she hooked up with us. No big deal. They’re usually so freaked out they don’t poop/pee, and they usually just lie down.

Shelly, you milked 14 2x a day? Whooee! It was cute: the folks I bought her from said “well you probably don’t need a milk machine. It helps if you have to milk more than 5 goats,” and I nearly fainted. One milker, maybe two!! yipes! But thank you for those links. Anything is helpful with me being such a newbie.

Stef, good question (on what to do with the bucklings). They’ll be sold, probably once they’re weaned. Indeed, it’s the dark underbelly about the whole endeavor. But: tell Denise to live vicariously until your town allows them :)

Hi Elsie! What a wonderful dairy name you have! Yeah, I have been dreaming for a while, too…it’s nice when dreams come true.

Shellywoman, hah! Good. This is definitely one of the last steps to cutting those supermarket ties, so I hope you get to go there too…

John, my dad hunted rabbits too; I vaguely remember something with them…they were definitely on the gamey side of the spectrum. Both mustard and pepper though sound really wonderful right now at this early hour of the a.m. No blue moon for us, too snowy! But happy New Year to you out there.

]]> By: John A. Abel http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7747 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:28:32 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7747 Goat cheese is great.I’ve bought rabbit several times in LA from a butcher for Rabbit in Mustard sauce recipe from Patrica Wells but I find I like making it with chicken more.The raised stuff doesn’t taste anything like the wild rabbit my uncle hunted years ago and would make Hares in Pepper(forget the German Spelling) but I loved that dish as a young man.None of my brothers would go near it.Hope you got to see the Blue Moon New Year’s Eve.It’s peeping in my window right now.

]]> By: shellywoman http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7746 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:52:55 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7746 my next dreamy step – good for you!

]]> By: Elsie http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7745 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:48:52 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7745 Ohh, SO jealous! I have aspirations, but the city currently specifically says No Goats. So that addition is a way off in time but not in mind. Looking forward to hearing of your adventures!

]]> By: stefaneener http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7743 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:14:41 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7743 Oh, Denise will be a little jealous! What are you going to do with male kids? That’s got to be harder than bunnies. . . enjoy, enjoy enjoy.

]]> By: Shelly http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7742 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:00:34 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7742 good luck with your new nanny goat. Currently my farm is goatless. But I used to have as many as 14. Its a real time commitment to milk them 2x a day. But its worth it. Best of luck for Feb. kids. some helpful links

http://www.goatworld.com/

http://www.caprinesupply.com/

]]> By: serinat http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7741 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:40:05 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7741 congrats! i’m so jealous!

when we get our goats, either in 2010 or 2011, they will be coming home in a minivan.

]]> By: Sylvie http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7740 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:11:28 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7740 A goat! or goatS? no matter: Congrats! It’s a big step going to 4 legged animals (rabbits don’t quite count). I understand they do quite a job on cleaning underbrushes too if needed.

When’s the pig arriving? come on… you’ve got to, right?

]]> By: Kimberly http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7739 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:04:59 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7739 What a cutie. I always said I wanted goats and chickens, but wasn’t ever sure that dream would become a reality. Now we have 18 girls and two rooster guys. Also, sweet little multi-colored cups that I serve the chickie girl eggs in to my gramerlings. In spite of a boutiful meal for Christmas, the wee ones wanted to cook themselves an egg and eat it out of their cup-sweet.
I’ll be excited to hear of your goating adventures!

]]> By: DennisP http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7737 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:51:40 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7737 Now you will have to read a neat book by Brad Kessler, titled Goat Song [or did I learn about it here - I can't remember where]. An urban (NY City) dweller drawn to the land, he (and wife) buy a small farm in Vermont and start raising goats and making goat cheese. What it’s like to live intimately with animals that feed you and to be a herder, learning how to care for and breed and birth goats. With observations along the way on goats in our history, culture, poetry, religion and economy. Good reading!

]]> By: rsalis http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/12/30/on-making-do-with-whats-available/#comment-7736 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:14:49 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=4078#comment-7736 tee hee. love it! check out the photo of my 6 week old kid in the back of the honda. here she is just coming out through the tunnel past downtown Pittsburgh. now she’s a suburban goat, and not likely she’ll see the big lights again.
http://turdacres.wordpress.com/

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