Why Keep a Closed Herd?
At SaJe Family Farm, we’ve spent a lot of time planning the future of our registered Nubian goats and Finn sheep. To ensure the health and longevity of our animals, we have made the important decision to maintain a closed herd and flock. What Does This Mean? All of our goats and sheep will be vet-checked and disease-tested. No new animals will be introduced without thorough quarantine and testing. We will not be offering our billy for stud services to prevent potential disease transmission. Why Is This Important? Biosecurity is a critical part of responsible livestock management. Several serious diseases
Hatching Chicks at SaJe Family Farm: A New Incubator and Exciting Plans
Springtime on the farm is a season of renewal, and this year, we’re embracing new beginnings in the most hands-on way possible! We’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be hatching our own chicks again, thanks to our new CT180SH Egg Incubator from Hatching Time. Raising poultry has always been an essential part of our farm, and investing in this incubator ensures a steady supply of healthy birds for years to come. In the past, we had great success with the Brinsea Ovation 56 EX incubators, which are excellent for smaller hatching projects and have served us well for many years. However, with
Unexpected Strawberry Madness: Potting 2,000 Plants in a Hurry!
Farming always comes with surprises, but we weren’t expecting 2,000 strawberry plants to show up 2 ½ months early! Instead of planting them directly in the field, we had to jump into action and start potting them right away to keep them healthy until spring. It’s been an all-hands-on-deck effort—even the baby helped… mostly by getting into the pots and playing in the soil! But she had fun, so we’ll count it as a win. We’ll be planting all week to get them settled, and while it’s been a crazy start, the bright side is that our strawberry patch is
A Heartfelt Goodbye to MayBelle
This is not the post we wanted to write today. A week ago, we were full of hope, eagerly anticipating the moment we could share with you whether or not MayBelle was pregnant. Instead, today we faced one of our worst fears. We found MayBelle down in the pasture, unable to get up. After several frantic phone calls and gathering all the help we could, we learned she had something called Right Displacement Abomasum. It quickly became clear that even surgery wouldn’t save her if we couldn’t get her standing again. We fought for her. We did everything we could.
Seeds: How Did I Become Like a Kid in a Candy Store?
If you know me well, you’ll understand why this blog’s title is so fitting. My husband, my children, my friend Vicki, and my sister Mel would all laugh and confirm how true it is—I’m obsessed with seeds! I plan all year long what to plant on our farm. I buy seeds, trade seeds, harvest seeds, and even collect free ones. There’s something magical about seeing those little packages of possibilities stacked in their boxes, ready to bring life to the soil. When I first started gardening, I went the typical route of buying starter plants from a nursery. You browse
Fresh Corn Salsa: A Summer Staple From the Kitchen of SaJe Family Farm
Ah, garden season—when the sun shines just a little too bright, the days stretch on forever, and everything in the garden is ripening at once. It's a time of abundance, but also of... well, *panic*. You know the feeling, right? You've planted a few tomato vines with the hopeful anticipation of a few summer salads, but before you know it, those vines have exploded into a wild, fragrant jungle. The harvest comes in waves, and suddenly, you have more tomatoes than you could ever use. That’s when recipes like this Fresh Corn Salsa come in handy. It’s quick, it’s versatile,
Excited Anticipation
As the weather has been such a tease lately, I am struggling with excited anticipation for spring to really be here. Not only will I finally get to hold our miracle baby girl (I will explain that in a minute) but I am prepping for growing season, and lambing season is well under way. These are some of my favorite times in life. So back to our little girl. My husband and I went to an infertility clinic for 6 years. We had one doctor tell us that we shouldn't have any issues. Then after the years went by with
Dreams
It is the time of the year where we look at our farm and dream about what it can be...what we want it to be. It makes me feel like a little kid in some ways. I literally find myself driving and day dreaming about what it would be like to have our farm completely self sustaining for our family and profitable enough to make a living from. I am not afraid to work hard and my husband works harder than any person I know. We dream big. We have huge aspirations. We don't care about making a ton of
More Changes Coming
So of course I have been horrible about blogging. I always feel weird sharing what I am thinking and feeling. I never know exactly how much to share. Life has so many ups and downs and starting a farm is just plain tough. Yet we have so many blessings that we are thankful for. My husband and I have been praying and asking God to put a hedge of protection around our farm and to guide us when making decisions about the farm. We really want more than anything to make our farm a blessing for our family and those
A New Year
It has been almost a year since I last wrote a blog. I don't even know exactly where to start. Life has not been what we thought it could be or should be. Things clearly are not what we believe they should be. I literally feel like I am carrying the weight of the world. I try every day to find joy in little things and to dare to dream about our farm. I try to find hope and stay positive. Today, I am struggling with that. I am trying really hard to count my blessings. We have had