We’re finally getting settled in here, on Claddagh Farms and summer is in full swing. There has been a lot more work to get up and running than I imagined, and every day seems to throw new challenges at us. But, life is good. The ducks, pigs and rabbits are all thriving and we [...]

I imagine “out there” somewhere there exists a growing group of people who would love to live in a bubble. A protective bubble where no harmful organisms exist. These mysophobes would love to dine on irradiated foods, completely sterilized of all harm, nutrition and flavor. They seek to sanitize the world. If ever they [...]

Ever since building the Polytunnel, I have been seeking to improve ways of extending the growing season for vegetables. When I stumbled upon an serialization of the book French Gardening by Thomas Smith in Small Farmer’s Journal I thought I had struck gold. The book, originally written in 1909, divulges the intensive gardening secrets of [...]

It’s all well and good to champion local and artisanal foods and it is fantastic to see the groundswell behind these products, but somewhere along the way these local producers need to accept some responsability for standards. How do consumers judge such products? Is it by sampling a wide variety of similar craftsmade products, [...]

This is a cream separator. They still make them, but the new ones don’t have near the ruggedness or durability of this vintage Montgomery Ward separator. This ingenious device was American made, and has withstood the test of time. It is still in perfect working order despite many years of hard service. I have pulled [...]

I have been working on some Raw Milk issues lately, dealing with press perspectives on it–mostly bad, largely uninformed scare-mongering–and how we can cut a path through the red-tape of over-regulation and ignorance for greater access of something which is supposed to be legal in my state.
However, the horror stories from other states keep [...]

I have been working with a committee on limiting agricultural over-regulation in our county. Whether we will be successful, and how long it will take, only the future knows. I am encouraged by the drive and focus of our group despite Department of Agriculture suggestions that if we are having problems when one inspector [...]

There is a machine at work, launched by the Industrial Agricultural Complex, to churn out supposedly convincing arguments to con ignorant people that “Milk is Milk”. The current Milk is White Gold or White Gold is White Gold to be related, if but in a cagey sort of way. However, the only way Milk [...]

I completely blew it. I forgot that tomorrow is an important meeting of the County Council about the continued funding of the Agricultural Resource Committee I’m part of. This meeting is critical due to a budget crisis in the county which is seeing the loss of many positions and services. Thanks to another ARC [...]

I hereby declare that I am of sound mind and reason. That I fully understand the implications of my diet and my digestive processes. That I have certain wants and tastes which may not be the norm in society today. I declare that I understand and accept the risks of consuming dirt with my [...]