Farmgirl

Woof(er) Pups

Liz James · March 15, 2017 ·

I think gardeners must suffer a worse case of spring fever than the average Joe, and North Texas weather only plays with our emotions making the situation even worse. We have beautiful days followed by cold snaps frequently with little or no warning. It’s a dance of self control and roulette with the Farmer’s Almanac officiating.

We have no kids of our own, so the farm and garden are managed by us alone. If you live on a farm, you know that the chore list is never ending. Gardening season kicks that list up a notch or two. This season we are trying something new. Have you heard of WOOFing?Technically, the acronym is WWOOF, and stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms. It is an international organization that connects people who want to learn about organic farming with organic farms who needs extra set(s) of hands…. people like us! You can actually plan a learning/working vacation by being a willing WOOFer. We live in a deep and friendship filled community. While many of our friends have their own farms, we also have friends who live in town in subdivisions where gardening is hampered by privacy fences, small yards, poor soil, and a low bee population. We have one friend in particular who homeschools their children, and was looking for a way to incorporate gardening and self sufficiency skills (a dying art in my opinion!) into the curriculum. WOOFing in the truest sense means that the student generally lives on the farm for a period of time while working… so food and lodging in exchange for work. We are modifying that format a bit in this case, and I’ve got two young WOOF pups who will be learning the finer points of organic gardening alongside me this season and will be taking harvest bounty home in exchange for their work. It’s definitely a win/win situation for all parties involved. My two young friends have proven themselves to be hard workers…. harder even than many adults I know. I am really looking forward to passing what I know and have learned thus far on to the next generation, and am loving the relationship I’m building with my WOOF Pups. Respect and love for what we grow to nourish our bodies (whether that be animal or plant) is something I hope to pass on to others. The “cleanest” food we can eat is that which we have the most control over from start to finish (much like the company I represent), and it’s the most very basic first sustainable step in living a life focused on complete wellness.

Gardening, you see, fills so many needs: Spiritually, it gives you time to pray and connect with nature. Physically, it provides you with exercise, sunshine, and direct contact with dirt (a very very good thing!). Emotionally, it has been scientifically proven to be a balm for the soul…..originally thought to be simply calming, but now there is evidence that exposure to microbes in the soil actually BOOST serotonin levels in the brain providing a sense of peace. And finally, Nourishment…..if grown organically, you will have regular access to some of the healthiest food you can get your paws on.

We’ve got our onions, lettuce and kale planted… that’s all I’m brave enough to plant for now. But in just a week or two we will begin planting the rest of our seeds. In the meantime….. lots of preparation is still in order for this busy busy time. Stay tuned for updates!

Why try to explain miracles to Kids when you could just have them plant a garden? ~ Robert Brault

Organic Seeds!

Liz James · March 5, 2017 ·

In early winter I start itching to get my paws on the latest edition of The Whole Seed Catalog. It’s crack for the organic gardener. Truly. I’m not sure how many times I thumb thru the catalog highlighting, circling, and dogear-ing pages before I make my final selections. I feel like Imelda Marcos in a shoe store. Rareseeds.com is my ‘go to’ source for seeds simply because I trust them and I respect their ethical stance on heirloom seed preservation. Their seeds aren’t just heirloom, they are also organic.

We are organic gardeners, and that includes our seed choices. I am frequently asked why seed choice is so important. Oh ho ho. Seed choice is VERY important any time you are asking something of a plant ( it’s one of the things that really sealed the deal for me on my essential oil company of choice ).

Organic heirloom seeds are better for a multitude of reasons:

Exceptional Taste and Flavor (far superior to hybridized fruits and veggies whose genetics have sacrificed both in favor of ship-ability & gas-ripening/green picking )
Seeds from organically grown plants are more likely to do well in an organic garden because the parent plant has proven that it can meet the challenges of an organic environment (We certainly experienced this too when we opted to convert our beehives to 100% organic management!).
Organic seeds have never been exposed to toxic pesticides, and they are chemical free! (this is a bigger deal than you might think)
Organic seeds are NEVER the product of genetic engineering.
Heirloom seeds are nearly ALWAYS more nutritious than their counterparts. You can read more about that here.
Heirloom seeds can be open pollinated (kind of a big deal if you are a seed saver!). Hybridized usually cannot.
Heirloom plants tend to mature at different rates. This means that you can usually assume a longer harvest period for your crops.

My seeds arrived last week and I’m itching to plant. It’s still a little early for most things. I prefer to plant directly into the soil, but will prestart a few that take longer to germinate in my greenhouse.

Cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, lettuce, kale, onions, zucchini, butternut squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, beans, beans, and more beans…. and so much more! I’m even making an attempt at growing loofah sponges this year!

Come on spring! We’re ready!

Foods For Any Prepper

Liz James · February 15, 2017 ·

This post is a list of simple things to keep in your short-term home stockpile. Most are not “typical food storage” items, but this isn’t a typical food storage book. All items listed can not only be stored, but can be easily used in your daily life. Storing these things is a painless way to […]

food storage ideas for 3 months

Who’s Your Mama…and Daddy?

Liz James · February 15, 2017 ·

As you may have seen in my first post on Henri, we have interesting animal relationships out here on the farm. Thumbellina (the white hen) is a banty. She is a broody little thing, and will sit on any nest and anyone’s eggs when she is of mind to do so. In effect, she believes strongly in cross cultural adoption! These are her 3 most recent adopted hatchlings. Actually, they are about 2 months old in this picture. They are guineas, and they are strongly bonded to their adoptive mama. In fact, they really want nothing to do with the other guineas on our property.Interestingly, I’ve got a rooster, who, last year adopted 4 guinea ‘teens’ as his own. It is a bit odd for a rooster to have much interest in raising babies, much less ‘non chicken’ ones. Fabio (the rooster) has fiercely protected them, and they cling to him as their daddy. And now that they are older, I’m a bit concerned that I may eventually end up with a rooster/guinea cross…. which I understand can happen, although I’ve heard that all chicks will be sterile. I’m ok with that, as long as they still produce edible eggs! It will be interesting to see how all this plays out 🙂

this Might Just Be Your Missing Puzzle Piece

Liz James · February 11, 2017 ·

Our bodies. We are a mega city of cells that never sleep and never vacation: 24/7/365. Our cells are shift workers, simultaneously creating and destroying depending on our body’s needs. That makes me tired…. just thinking about how hard our bodies work around the clock!

Just like any mega city employees, our cells need adequate and proper tools to do their jobs and keep things running smoothly. Without proper tools, production and destruction may become delayed or dysfunctional, and for a mega city, that can result in a real crisis.

Enter Young Living’s product Sulfurzyme. In my opinion, this is one of the most important powerhouse products that YL offers us. It is one of the supplements Charlie and I use daily to support our bones, ligaments, and joint health. We both have had some significant “wear and tear” on our farm weary bodies and this product helps us function at our best. (and no….neither one of us walks with even a limp). After doing a little research, I came to realize it supports a whole lot more than just our musculo-skeletal system, and now covet this product even more than I already did.

You see, the mineral sulfur is critically important to our body’s function. Unfortunately, roughly 75% of the US population is deficient. It hasn’t always been this way….current farming practices (ie: stressing soil by not rotating crops, soil overuse, artificial fertilizer use, herbicide use etc) that have evolved since the early 70’s have robbed our food supply of many minerals, and sulfur is no exception. Organic sulfur comes from the plants we eat, and also from the animal proteins we eat (unless vegan). In its most elemental form it is called MSM (methylsulfonylmethane).

MSM is utilized by our bodies to create 2 of the 20 essential amino acids we need in order that we may live and thrive: methionine and cysteine. Amino acids are necessary building blocks required to create protein. Aside from water, protein is the most plentiful substance within our bodies.

Adequate availability of both these amino acids and bioavailable sulfur are known to play a large role in:

Breaking down fat (especially in the liver and arteries)
DNA/RNA synthesis
Detoxifying harmful accumulations of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic within our bodies
Supporting muscle strength and tone
Aids in the production of collagen and provides elasticity in the skin
Supporting hair, skin, and nail health
Facilitating cellular energy production
Facilitating carbohydrate metabolism, especially important for those with insulin production issues
Glutathione production: The principal function is waste disposal in our cells, but it’s also known to promote good eye health. Nearly every type of eye disease has the hallmark characteristic of low glutathione levels. (Coincidentally, our levels tend to drop naturally as we age)
Glucosamine production: the building block for ligaments, tendons, joint lubrication, digestive and respiratory membranes, heart valves, eyes, nails, skin and bone. It gives cartilage strength, structure, and resiliency.
Facilitating normal digestion and bowel movements/ helping to neutralize sour stomach.
Alleviating discomfort from bone & joint pain, muscle soreness

When MSM is combined with a diet rich in Vitamin C….. well, this is when some additional magic happens. There is a synergistic effect between the two, and our cells and body tissue becomes more flexible and more permeable, making the above list happen to a greater degree.

Sulfurzyme is a deceptively simple product, containing just MSM and dried Wolfberries. However, the wolfberries are a powerhouse in their own right (to be discussed another day) and in addition to vitamin C, also contain minerals and coenzymes that further support sulfur metabolism. Taking this combination is much more powerful than simply consuming MSM alone, and the effects of MSM appear to be magnified.

There is no way I can feasibly condense “how” and “why” MSM works as it does in this article. If you’d like to dig deeper on this subject, I’d encourage you to read The MSM Miracle by Earl Mindell, RPh/PhD. It is a small book that would be well worth your time!

** Side note: do not confuse Sulfur with Sulfa (as in the drug class). Nobody is allergic to Sulfur in its elemental form. In fact, if we were to be completely without sulfur, we simply would not exist. So, yes, even if you have a sulfa allergy, you can still take elemental sulfur. **

If you’d like to learn more about Sulfurzyme or Young Living’s other products, please contact me. You (and your body!) won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy your day!
Liz

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