The Old Red Barn She Aint What She Used To Be.

After many, many years of housing chickens, goats, cows, bunnies, lawnmowers, and garden supplies, (and no doubt rats…yuck!!!) our old barn/shed finally succumbed to the winter storms.  We had been planning on demolishing it, but Mother Nature finished her off during this last snow storm.  Long before the Funny farm came into existence, when the old girl was still in her prime, the former owners used it to house a cow, a goat, some chickens and rabbits. 

By the time she came into our hands she was in disrepair, but served well to house our garden supplies and work as a shelter for our dog kennel.  It also served to add some charm to the place and give it that “farmy” feel.  Will we rebuild?  Most definitely!  But it won’t be for a while yet.  In the meantime, we’ll use the extra space for the chicken coop and a garden.   Our plans for the future include a double car garage/shop, but, that won’t be happening for a              while.  Perhaps, I will also get a new smaller barn in the future.  And while I don’t plan on having a cow anytime soon, I won’t count it out entirely…You never know what the future may bring.   My husband isn’t too excited about the chickens, so a cow would really send him over the edge…LOL

               So in the meantime, we’re busy with clean-up.  We certainly have our work cut out for us, but we have had lots of help.  Several people have wanted the old barn wood, and one of them, in exchange for giving him the wood, is going to build me a hen house out of the old barn siding.  We’ll have a snuggly little home to house our new chickens in, we'll be "recycling", as well as adding a little piece of history to the farm.   A fitting tribute I think. 

So, it’s time to put on the over-alls and the heavy duty work gloves.  It’s clean up time on the Funny Farm!

Until next time,

Happy Farming!

Back to Basics in 2012.

Times are changing and our lives have become so complicated.  The price of everything is going up, up, up.  The air we breathe, and the water we drink has become toxic.  The foods we eat have become so genetically modified that they can’t even be classified as food anymore, but rather a substance to consume.  Our minds have become poisoned by the media, and our world is no longer safe and is filled with litter.  It is up to us parents to protect and educate our children.  Goodbye Mayberry, Hello chaos.   I keep telling my son that if we don’t take care of Mother Earth, that we’re going to end up like the people in the movie “wall-E” and be living on a spaceship with our faces glued to a computer screen.  The only problem with that is that he thinks that sounds pretty cool and doesn’t really find it much of a threat.

I want my children to grow up safe, healthy, educated and strong.  Who know what lies ahead for them in the future.  That’s why I think it’s so important for them to learn the basics early, because in the future, it might be necessary for their survival.  That’s why in 2012, we at the Funny Farm are adopting a new way of life, a simple life. 

What do we have in the works?   Sustainable living and urban homesteading.  Although working full time while attempting to achieve this way of life will present some challenges, I feel I am up to the challenge, and feel it’s important not only for the well being and health of my family, but also for my mental health.   The disorganization and chaos of our current lifestyle is making this momma crazy.

So what does Simple Living mean for me?                                                                   

1.      Getting rid of the puppy…..Just kidding…LOL

2.      A well stocked pantry

3.      Growing and harvesting some of our own food:  for example having a garden and orchard

4.      Raising chickens:   For eggs/compost  

5.      Canning and preserving

6.      De-cluttering, organizing, and simplifying our surroundings.

7.      Composting and recycling

8.      Reducing waste, and “waist”…..lol:  example: cloth diapering, buying in bulk and eliminating junk mail.

9.      Running a more energy efficient home:  Turning down the thermostat, line drying some of the laundry, using energy efficient light bulbs, reducing water consumption, washing laundry in cold water and only doing full loads, and only running full loads in the dishwasher as well.

10.   Ridding the home of toxic materials:  using eco friendly detergents, using  baking soda and vinegar for cleaning.  Not using pesticides, instead using eco-friendly choices like Epsom salts for flea control.

11.   Eating whole foods and eliminating processed foods:  in other words, If you can’t spell it, don’t eat it….lol

Now I know this doesn’t seem simple, and this does seem like a very long and overwhelming list, but just like anything worth achieving, it takes time and work.  After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.   Also, here at the Funny Farm, we have already been doing some of this for a while, for example, the cloth diapering, eco friendly detergents, home-made cleaning products, line drying, and energy saving light bulbs.  We have gotten a little lax in the compost and recycling department. And we’ve been extremely lazy in the food department.  We eat too much junk, and waste too much food.

Over the next weeks,  I will be going over each of the items on this list in detail, not only to let you know what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, but also to help keep myself on track and keep myself accountable.  Now, if the Mayans were correct and the world comes to an end on December 21 of this year, then all my efforts will have been in vain...LOL   Otherwise, should the world continue, here at the farm, we’ll be well prepared for anything that heads out way.

So until next time……

Happy Farming!

Funny Farm Spotlight: Composting

I’ve decided that with the addition of chickens at the Funny Farm  and plans for a garden this summer, I need to get busy with my plans for composting .  I have tried my hand at recycling and composting in my efforts to “go green” in the past, but I’ve only been able to achieve a level that is more of a chartreuse color. (Think margaritas!)  Also because of my past efforts of composting, I have been banned from composting from my hubby who evidently got tired of dumping the ultimately forgotton compost”soup” from my compost bin.   So to stay in the hubby’s good graces, I’ve decided to be more proactive in my efforts and treat this endeavor with a little more dedication and enthusiasm. 

So where to start….I did compile a list of some really great websites.  I have listed them below if you are interested.

http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html

http://easycomposting.com/

http://www.compostguy.com/bokashi-resource-page/

There are also some really cool products on the market including the "All Seasons Happy Farmer Kitchen Composter Kit", which uses the Bokashi method. But until I have proven myself serious in the composting department I don’t think my husband is going to be too keen on me spending money on something that will harbor rotting food on our kitchen counters.  But Hey!  It’s a goal! 

I do have one of those nifty large plastic outdoor receptacles that I had been dumping my slop into, but after I took the lid off one afternoon and came face to face with garter snake, my trips to the compost bin were over.  However, I do plan on using it again.  I just either have to overcome my fear of snakes, or sweet talk my hubby or my son (who loves snakes, by the way) into dumping the compost for me.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear any tips or ideas you might have.  Especially in the fear of snakes department…lol

Happy Farming!

An ode to puppies.

Awwww…..a puppy!!!!

Could they be any cuter?  They pee on everything and chew on everything in sight.   How cute is that?  Not to mention how enjoyable it is to take them out to pee in the middle of the night, in the freezing temperatures, in a foot of snow, in your pajamas.  How great is that?  Don’t get me wrong.  I know that most puppies grow up to be amazing, obedient, wonderful dogs.  I lived through proof of that with 3 other dogs.  It’s just that I don’t find the puppy stage enjoyable at all.  In fact our newly acquired, 10 pound little dynamo leaves a path of destruction wherever she goes, and I find it far from adorable.  How great would it be if we could pack up our new little canine friends and send them off to Puppy camp?  They would come home a month later, completely potty trained, obedient, and capable of doing some amazing tricks.  Instead, here I am, trapped in reality, running behind her with a roll of paper towels and a bottle of “Natures Miracle,” cleaning up little puppy messes here and there.  My days off consist of washing throw rugs, mopping floors, and using my CSI skills to determine what the newly chewed up item is, and whether or not it belongs to anything important. Has there been ANY improvement?  Absolutely!  I only have to use the cleaning products twice a day instead of ten.  So there is hope!  Is she adorable?  Absolutely!   Especially when I catch her gnawing on the legs of my dining room furniture, a pair of $100 shoes, or shredding an entire roll of toilet paper all over the house.  It’s especially adorable when she pulls random items out of the laundry hamper and chews holes in them.  And Yes!  She does have plenty of toys.  In fact she has an entire basket of them, loaded to the brim.  However, she is completely content to chew up the basket instead. 

Another adorable thing about her is that she’s a bully.   Although affectionate with her human counterparts, when it comes to canine playtime, she’s a 100 pound pit pull in the body of a 10 pound Boston terrier.  She has the face of an angel, but the teeth of a piranha. She loves to rough house with our 60 pound Boxer.  However, it usually turns violent.  The only one crying in pain is the Boxer.  She can come out of a 15 minute brawl completely unscathed.  The Boxer on the other hand is another story.   Scattered scratches and bite marks all over his abdomen, and a bloody ear later, he’s throwing up the white flag and headed for the safety of our bed.  Fortunately, she hasn’t figured out how to get up there just yet.   And the most amazing part about her is that she is capable of knowing  the ”exact” moment that the baby is asleep.  That’s when she starts in on her whining, barking, and other loud behaviors, especially when she doesn’t get her way.  It’s like having another toddler in the house.

But I must say despite her many annoyances, like a wart, she is growing on me.  At night when she’s sleeping, and laying still, and not biting, or chewing, or peeing, she is pretty cute.  The fact that this little gal snores like a 300 pound man with sleep apnea, is actually kind of adorable.  And despite the fact that for 16 hours a day, I want to kill her (or drop her off at PAWS), I do love this adorable little puppy for a brief, 8 hour stretch.  And as she curls up next to me at bedtime, lays her head on my chest, and starts in with her obnoxious snoring, I know she loves me too.

Best Wishes for a happy day!

Calling all chicken farmers!

Hey there fellow farmers!

Plans are underway to add chickens to the Funny Farm this spring, and I need help from all you current chicken farmers out there.  I'd like to know what kind you have.  What do you like about them, what don't you like about them?  What kind of coop do you have?  Plus any other helpful tips or advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.  I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Happy farming ~

Funny Farm Update: Guinea pig babies

I am happy to report that Wanda’s babies, Moe and Curley are doing very well.  The little sprouts are growin' like weeds, and will be headed to their new homes next week, just in time to spend Christmas with their new pet parents.  Although I have enjoyed having the little buggers, I am ready to send them on their merry way.  It’s getting mighty crowded at the Piggy Palisades apartment complex, and these little stinkers consume a lot of produce, and produce a lot of poop.  It’s been alot of fun having baby guinea pigs at the Funny Farm, however,  I think for now I’ll just be content to enjoy the three I’ve already got.  For although farm livin’ is the life for me, guinea pig farming is not...lol

Happy Farming,

My Favorite Rum Cake Recipe

Even if you don't cook, you will love this recipe.
Best rum cake ever!

You will need:

1 tsp. Sugar
1 or 2 quarts rum
1 cup dried fruit
brown sugar
1 tsp. Soda
1 cup butter
2 large eggs
baking powder
lemon juice
nuts


Before starting, sample rum to check quality.  Select large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc.  Check rum again. It must be just right. To be sure rum is of proper quality, pour 1 level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can.  Repeat.  With electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 seaspoon of thugar and beat again. Meanshile, it’s important to make sure the rum is of the hightest quality.  Try another cup.  Open 2^nd quart if necessary.  Add 2 arge leggs, 2 cups fried druits, and beat till high.  If druit gets stuck in beats, just pry loose with a drewscriver.  Sample rum again, for cinscistincy.  Next, sift 3 cups pepper or salt (really doesn't matter).  Sample wum agian.  Sift 1 pint lemon goose, fold in chopped butter & strained nuts. Add 1 bablespoon of brown thugar (or whatever color you can find).  Wix mel.  Grease oven.  Turn cake  pan to 350 gredees.  Pour the whole mess into koven and ake.
Check rum again and bo to ged.

Bon Appetit...