My desk faces the window, and as I write, I see the barn and pasture, my goats and chickens–and yes, the rabbits, popping up from one of the many tunnels they’ve dug under the barn. I am reminded yet again just how out of control some of my projects have become. So I thought I’d give a mini update on the State of the Farm.
Rabbits: Do not adopt feral rabbits. They have a strong instinct for freedom. We kept plugging the tunnels they dug out from under the coop (which had a six-inch underground barrier), but they’d dig new ones, larger ones. We worried the barn’s foundation might become compromised. But by this point, it seemed cruel to stuff them into an above-ground hutch so we let them have their tunnels and access to the goat and chickens stalls and paddocks. They hop about the pasture, protected by electrical netting. Hawks are a worry, but the goats do a remarkable job of providing arial protection to the rabbits and chickens. They are happy bunnies. They are a joy to watch.
Goats: I love my goats and hope to eventually breed Lilly and have more Nigerian Dwarf Goats and a supply of milk. In hindsight, though, I would not have let Lilly and Lou sit in my lap when they were babies. They still want me to hold them. If I bend down, they jump on my back. If I sit, they try to climb onto my head. I used to enjoy sitting in a lawn chair inside the paddock, my feet propped on an overturned tub, drinking a glass of wine at dusk. I can no longer do that.
Mushrooms: I harvested about two mushrooms off my logs. I think the failure of this project has more to do with our arid climate and the fact that I wasn’t dilligent with my misting. I have abandoned this idea, but found Pistol River Mushrooms, where I buy dried mushrooms at wholesale prices. I now have bags of wild mushrooms and Shiitakes on hand. A particularly good buy is their bulk pieces. And an added bonus–I use the water I hydrate mushroom with to water plants, which are thriving!
Vermiculture: I found it difficult to keep the worms hydrated in the summer. They also couldn’t handle all the composting material we generate. They’ve made some nice compost, but not nearly as much as I thought. I’m going to keep at this project. I think a larger bin and more worms, started earlier in the season, might do the trick.
So to wrap-up, this is what I’ve learned so far on my quest to live a simpler life, where the land I live on matters: 1) Simpler is not necessarily easier or less time consuming; 2) The land and its animals have a strong will of their own; 3) Even haphazard efforts achieve results; and 4) The state of the farm will always be in flux.
I have never been more content.
