Witches Brew or Sustenance!?

"Good broth will resurrect the dead"
south american proverb

We've just done a trial run.  Our original girls that we started out with 2 1/2 years ago - we culled 100 of them and had them processed.  Reason for culling? Their eggs are large and wonky and somewhat unpredictable.  For a backyard - they're still perfect - and probably even better as there's a lot of double yolkers in there! However, for us, collecting, carting and packaging them and feeding "not so prime" birds is quite a challenge.

So off I trundled in the ute, 35 weeks pregnant, 3 year old in tow to the big smoke to a clean little processing place in Melbourne.  I bid our old girls goodbye and thanked them for their lives and generosity.

You wouldn't believe how many processing plants (about 15) that I rang prior to having a friend mention this one that would finally take our birds.  Every one of them said that they only take orders from 20,000 to 200,000 hens as a starting point.  My jaw dropped as I saw the reality of our poultry industry today.

Well, out of the 100 we're doing a few trial runs with 25 going to two Organic Butchers and the others to friends - I can't believe that less than 24 hours after returning home that I only have 10 birds left to cook with!!

My trial included legs thighs and breasts in the crockpot on low in an apricot sauce.  SUBLIME.  Oh, the flavour!! Yes, the meat is not pale and insipid and tender, but it is not like a boot and has intense whole flavour that is lovely when it's slow cooked.

The carcasses I browned well in the oven then chucked the whole lot - skin, fat, and pan drippings in cold water with 2 small onions, some fresh celery and carrots a couple of grabs of parsley and 6 chicken feet.  It's been on the fire overnight.  My home smells amazing.  Our bodies will be thanking us over the next few days.  If you want to know why those feet are in there - have a read: "Broth is Beautiful" from the Weston A Price Foundation.

What do you think?  Would you like to have a chance to get some of these from a shop?  We are considering selling them with a reputable Organic Butcher.  Leave us a comment to let us know.

Hope to have some baby news for you soon!

Mid Winter...

The cows in the paddock behind the house.  Blissful evening!

 

Our current wwoofer - Janine - with one of her babies she is helping to raise.  She's doing a marvelous job - and they are now out kicking up their heels in the paddock - still getting their warm milk in the morning and arvo - of course!

Transition day for the baby chickens - this is when they were moved from their broody room (where they spend day 1 to about 7-8 weeks) to their bona-fide Chookie A-Frame in the paddock.  They spend a few days getting aquainted to their new home before they are let out in the sunlight and grass to go bug hunting! So curious and so noisy at this stage!

We're having a great winter - always muddy - but managing well so far.
Hope the sun is shining on you.  

Changing Times

Hello out there from South Gippsland…

This is a picture of our youngest in the cow shed a few months ago.

We have had to come to the unbelieveably hard decision to discontinue bottling our Bath Milk.  We are very humbled by it's lovely following, but have made the change for personal reasons.

This little boy is going to be a big brother - which will finish our family with four children in September, and we are struggling to make it all work with so many jobs to do as a family and on the farm.

Thanks to all of our lovely bath milk "bathers" over the past year.  We gave it a good crack, but sometimes we just have to know when to finish something before it puts too many other important things out of whack.

If it helps at all - our milk is supplied into our Organic Dairy Farmers Co-op (which has a gorgeous new website here...) and into Red Hills Cheese.  Pretty much all of the organic milk products sold in Australia come from our cows and from other family farms with integrity.
Stay warm out there.

Uniforms

The Winter Uniform
@ Ruby Hills Organics!

Autumn 2012 Biodynamic Preps

Hello, This is me, Amy (22 weeks pregnant) - with our garden ration of Biodynamic Preps for the Autumn. 

And a Child's prospective behind the lens! Thank you Baxter (6) and Gretta (4) for the impromptu photo shoot!

  

This stuff is gold and is thoughtfully prepared.

This is our last application with the help of Shane - and we're on to our own for the Spring preps and the future.

This year's Autumn preps included:
BD Soil Activator
Molasses
Worm Wee
Seaweed
Basalt Rock Water
Lime
Borax
Diatomaceous Earth
Horn Silica
Fungi Brew
and a very smellllly fish emulsion

The weather played with us a bit, so we were able to give it a real run with Nic in the tractor applying and Shane stirring.  Worked a treat (except for Nic having a 17 hour day...)  Next time we'll take a couple of days and I'll help with the stirring.

Fascinating stuff, this Biodynamics.  It makes sense - and is such a compliment to the Organic System.

Autumn Arvos...

...most people find this in their sheds, do they not?

 

five little newbies on the farm this week.
we love going out in the evening when they're tweaking out and running around the paddock like crazy.

 

 

Nelly is insistent that she is a full fledged farm dog.
We're still to be convinced!

 

the afternoon traffic jam.
cracking day with the family...

 

wwoofing farwell

We have had the opportunity to have a wonderful fella stay with us three times during this last 6 months. Fermin - our Mexican wwoofer who arrived from working in Italy for the last few years as a professional chef.  

He was a serious delight to have around. The first one to chuck on his gumboots when we arrive home from anything. The kids adored him. He was easygoing and cheerful everyday.  And everything he put his hand to in the kitchen became magical.  He has just left us for the last time as he flies away back home (via a few international stops...) to start his own business back in Mexico.  He has a dream of having a farm/restaurant. We know he'll be successful with whatever he does because of his infectious happy personality.

Farwell Fermin! The Paul Family wishes you well, and we wish we could bottle you up and keep you for our own!

xx