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Homesteading. Is the juice worth the squeeze?

04/09/2015 by Katie

Did I lock up the chickens?  I really hope that cow doesn’t calve before morning.. What if the wolves get to the calf before I do?  I should have locked momma in the barn for the night. Did I turn off the hose?  If I flood the pasture one more time, its going to be a sloppy mess. I really need to make cheese tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat those ducks, they’re just too cute.  Why haven’t I planted my beets yet? If it would just quit raining I could till the garden. Ugg, I’m never going to get seeds in the ground.  We should go camping. Who would watch the farm? Is my hand still bleeding? Gross.   I’m going to kill that sourdough starter if I don’t get up and feed it.  I need to go to sleep, I have to get up in just 3 hours. I swear I can smell those chicks from the garage.   Is that stupid rooster crowing already?  I should eat him.  Did I shut the gate?  Oh crap..

 Homesteading. Is the juice worth the squeeze? |livilovinfarmin

Its Two O Clock in the morning and I’m already stressing.  I’ve slept long enough to know that I could probably function if I need to.  Once I wake, my brain wont shut off.  Its like a machine. The only way to complete the thought is to complete the task. With the days getting brighter and warmer, my to-do list gets longer. It will never go away.  Being a homesteader takes every waking minute I have, even if it starts at 2:00 AM.


Homesteading. Is the Juice worth the squeeze | livinlovnfarmin

I am held hostage by my farm.  I can’t leave for the night without a thoroughly executed plan and a well trained, paid, person to milk my cows.  I can’t leave for a weekend in the summer without the garden going limp. I can not spend a hot day at the lake because I will inevitable be canning something and if I’m not canning something, I will be stressing about needing to can something.   I can not sleep in on Saturdays or on Holidays. I can not catch a break or take a breath. Milking the cows come before presents, parties or rest. Spelling words get practiced in the barn or in the car.  Meals are ate with one hand. Every chore becomes a lesson. The list gets longer everyday and every task will need to be done again tomorrow.  Homesteading is Groundhogs Day.  Rinse. Lather. Repeat.


10 Reasons Why You Need A Cow |Homesteading | livinlovinfarmin

I’m not going to lie, some nights I lay in bed and wonder if its all worth it. The long hours.  The inability to leave the farm at a moments notice. The aches and pains and cuts. The attachment to animals only to see them die by my own hand.  It’s exhausting being a homesteader, physically and emotionally.  The desire to grow all your own food becomes an obsession.  No store bought, organic or local is good enough when there’s no pride that comes with putting it on the family table.

Homesteading. Is the juice worth the squeeze | livinlovinfarmin

The average chores list for my day is daunting.  My workload is worth a well respected salary, that I will not collect.  I will not take my hard earned income to the bank, but rather reinvest it in my family’s pantry and fill their hungry growing bodies with the most nutrient dense food I can produce. I will teach my kids horticulture, home economics, science, math and survival all in one day.   They will get dirty, eat something they shouldn’t and inevitable lose a shoe some where on the farm.  They will chase the ducks and step in cow poop.  They will squirt water at each other straight from the horse trough.  They will have a strong immune system and high self esteem.  They will shake hands and hold open doors.   They will learn to be self sufficient.  They will know how to survive without any help.  They will know how to turn a seed into a meal and how to take one life to feed another.  I will teach them respect for the land and for the life we are blessed with. They will not waste or want.  That is homesteading. And that is why I do it.  Its worth it.  Every cut. Every bruise. Every sleepless night.  Every heartbreak.

For more homesteading, check out these posts..

Homemade Poultry Feed | Chickens | Turkeys | livinlovinfarmin (.com)

Homemade Soy Free Poultry Feed

10 Jobs for Kids on the Homestead | livinlovinfarmin

10 Jobs for the kids on the homestead

10 Reasons You Need A Cow | Homesteading | livinlovinfarmin.com

10 Reasons why you need a cow

Homesteading Tools I LOVE. Livin Lovin Farmin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Filed Under: Homesteading Tagged With: canning, DIY, family cow, garden, grow your own, homesteading, know your farmer, milking cow, organic, raw milk, self sufficiency

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Comments

  1. Billy Douglas says

    06/18/2015 at 2:22 pm

    Hey Katie, great post.
    It is very raw & feels real. I guess I needed to hear that stuff right about now!
    thank you.
    Billy Douglas recently posted…Getting Other Family Members On BoardMy Profile

  2. Diane Blanken says

    01/18/2016 at 8:37 am

    How true that statement is and how much heartache I can associate with. It is a dying art and a life that is not easy or pretty, but the blessings are all too worth it also. Thank you so much for making me feel less alone in this journey.

  3. Mrs Shoes says

    01/22/2017 at 12:11 pm

    Very well said. You’re giving your children a gift that town kids cannot understand; whether they follow your path or not, the values you are instilling will remain with them all their days….and you have created a legacy.

    I can to visit through Chicken Chick’s bloghop, hope you’ll find a minute to visit the 4Shoes and let me know you’ve stopped by. Another site that I wish you would visit is WITWIK – about an abducted child & her mother who will never stop looking, but time is of the essence if she is ever to come home. http://www.where-in-the-world-is-kaydance.jigsy.com

  4. Mrs Shoes says

    02/05/2017 at 10:41 am

    Here I thought I was the only one who spent nights like this…. try sleeping pills; now I wake refreshed enough to DO all the things my brain keeps bubbling to the surface! haha

    I came to visit through Chicken Chick’s bloghop – I hope you’ll take a minute to visit my corner of the web & let me know you’ve been!

  5. Luke says

    04/08/2017 at 7:24 am

    You got it! I was in the car with my brother for a couple hours the other day and tried to explain why I thought it was ‘worth it’ and he just couldnt see things the way we see them. I especially like the part about teaching your kids! 😉

WELCOME TO THE FARM

Hi, I’m Katie. Our family lives on our fourth generation family farm here in beautiful Idaho. We milk jersey cows, raise pastured heritage pigs and poultry, scottish highlanders for beef and a few sheep for fiber.  Our journey is about healing the body through sustainable agriculture.  After being diagnosed with a autoimmune disease several years ago, I saw a need to change the way we think about diseases in today’s modern world.

Our farm prides ourselves on selling the best meat and dairy possibly.  We do not use ANY gmo’s, corn or soy in our animal feed.  Our critters graze on fresh green pasture and are fed a locally grown, locally milled grain ration.

We are not offering farm direct pickups or tours at this time.

Our dairy and egg products are available at Pilgrims Market in CDA Idaho.  We do not ship raw dairy.

Grassfed Beef, lamb and pastured pork are available by the half or whole. 

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Recent Reviews and Notes

“Dear Katie,

Thank you for all you do for us. We appreciate your hard word and we LOVE the top quality products you provide for your customers. It’s a wonderful, thoughtful service for which we are all grateful.”

“Katie,

I bought some extra bacon when I picked up my pig. I wanted to tell you that it was good but nothing near as yours! We are super excited to be restocked!”

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