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Published: April 14th 2010
The last month at Serenity Acres has been busy busy busy! The nine goat babies have been growing very fast and are all running, jumping and playing like wild maniacs. Cuddling with them has become less soft-warm-fuzzy-time and more of biting, jumping and nibbling time. They LOVE to nibble on shoe laces, clothing, hair.. basically anything you put in front of them. By the time I left they were all 20-25lbs, so having them jump three at a time into my lap became more of a work-out than anything.
The baby geese and ducks were finally released onto the main property, free to roam around during the day. The geese look almost full grown and have lost all their yellow feathers. The ducklings have all their adult feathers and have taken to flying short distances around the property, quacking happily as they go. I can't believe we raised them from such little fluff balls - they grew up so fast!
Julia, Wayne and I started milking the mama goats in the AM, before letting the babies nurse, and without milking them out completely, were able to get 5 quarts of milk each morning. We used the milk to make
cream, butter, buttermilk, cheese and soap. I have posted pictures of the butter, but unfortunately I didn't take pictures of any of the other products, sorry! I'm excited to hear from the farm in a few months as to how the 2x a day milking and milk-processing goes - and how they market and sell all that milk!
Pete and I managed to finish the last of the five goat shelters, and Tommy got the rest of the fencing in the pastures done. Comparing the pastures to when I first arrived and to when I left, three months later, it's incredible what a difference has been made. The shelters and fencing really complete the farm look - and it's rather impressive to drive onto the property today.
As the weather (FINALLY!) warmed up, the garden got a face lift, the fruit trees started to flower and the pastures began turning green. It was so nice to wear shorts and a tshirt at 7pm and not see the sun set until 8pm.
Something I am taking away from this experience not only on this farm, but the three before it, is that I'm unsure if sustainable farming exists
in this country. It seems to me that in order to have a farm these days, there must be some sort of outside income to supplement it, otherwise it will not survive. None of the farms I have been on, visited, or heard about from other wwoofers have been 100% sustainable. One or more of the owners have had a job not related to the farm that provides income in order for them to live. I am curious to see as I continue west what sort of farms are out there, and if sustainability really exists, or if what I've experienced is the status quo for small US farms.
Overall my time at Serenity Acres has been positive and highly educational. I am very thankful for the experience and people that made up my time there. I dabbled in goats, muddin', horses, cooking, baking and milking, among other things and spent my time with some excellent people, to say the least. Julia and Wayne have a beautiful property and a wonderful thing going on the farm and I wish them only the best as they continue to cultivate their dream.
I'm on my way to a new farm
in Oregon for June+ spending the next two months on the road, making stops in Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington. Thanks for all your support, I love hearing from everyone, xoxox!
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HANK Liiv
non-member comment
Incredible experience!
Megan, thanks for taking the time, even when you must be tired to the bone, to tell this wonderful story in pictures and almost poetic prose! I do hope you also find some sustainable farms. Hank