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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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 Posted - Feb 19 2016 : 6:24:19 PM
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| Very beautiful setting Shaia! Impressive what you've done and are doing. It will be fun to follow along on your journey. Thanks for sharing with us. Love your dog Koda too. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Feb 19 2016 : 6:24:54 PM
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LOVE your photos Shaina! Such hard work now but the memories will be something you can set great store by some day. I lived without electricity or indoor plumbing for many years and don't regret it for a minute. In fact, some days I miss the sincerity, purity, and forthrightness of it.
Getting a milk cow in your situation is a sound idea. She'll bring you joy and purpose, not to mention food:)
When I lived on a remote ranch without electricity, accessible in the winter by jet boat only some 4+ hours from Lewiston, Idaho in Hells Canyon, I had a goat that I milked and eventually a milk cow. I have such sweet memories. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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Shaina
32 Posts
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Posted - Feb 20 2016 : 08:04:16 AM
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Cindy,
Property comes first! Haha! I like the way you think! Do you have a barn? I am interested in what people recommend for a cow barn and milking stanchion. I have some ideas, but no for sure plans. I'm thinking my barn will have hay storage to one side and a calf pen and milking area on the other side.
Earlier you posted that you spent eight years in an 800 square foot cabin. So you have a pretty good idea of what we have been going through. It takes a little while to get used to such a drastic change, but it is all worth it in the long run, right? Back to the basics! My goodness. This whole adventure started with a book called, "Back to the Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills". It has a little bit of everything in there. It even has a section on keeping cows, and making dairy products. :) Gotta love the farm life! |
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Shaina
32 Posts
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Posted - Feb 20 2016 : 08:13:42 AM
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MaryJane,
I agree with you 100%. This life style change has made me feel like we are living more like we are supposed to. If that makes any sence. It is definitely more work, but more meaningful work. And it builds character! I am so looking forward to getting our own fresh milk and learning to make cheeses and all the other delicious dairy products. :) |
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Shaina
32 Posts
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Posted - Feb 20 2016 : 08:14:32 AM
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| I forgot. Yes we are in Northwest Montana. :) |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 20 2016 : 09:32:17 AM
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shaina, you are in gods country! gorgeous, as your photos attest.
it is meaningful work. very meaningful. i am so tired on saturday and sunday nights, from being outside all day, but it is such a GOOD tired and i am so satisfied all day. i now have nieces that come to visit that love the life too, you can see that for the first time in their lives they are really LIVING and deriving so much peace and satisfaction from the land and animals. it is so heartwarming to see that.
by the way, i forgot to mention that "cinnamon" is my nickname since when i was little. i have reddish auburn hair that is really cinnamon color in the sunlight - at least when i was younger without the oncoming grey ;? so my parents started calling me that and it stuck |
_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Feb 20 2016 : 3:40:26 PM
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| Shaina, my dad gave me that book, Back to the Basics, 27 years ago when I first moved to my farm home. It was helpful on several occasions. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 21 2016 : 05:42:05 AM
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shaina, my lover boy constantly reminds me that we do NOT have a barn we have an equipment shed ;> apparently there is a huge distinction. all i know is that we have a run down large three sided structure that can house some livestock and hay and tractor - that's enough to call it a barn to me!
look over in the "housing" area of the chatroom. we have a thread about milking parlor construction there so you can see what i have been up to as well as others https://heritagejersey.org/chatroom/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=978
now charlene would be your go to gal for barns right now, they just finished one and are making plans for another. lovely barn! she has that thread here with some lovely photos https://heritagejersey.org/chatroom/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=878
our weather in east texas is much different than yours, we rarely get snow and when it comes it sits around for a day and looks pretty and departs. as such we can work outside 12 months a year, and entertain outside at least 10 months a year. so we put up, all by ourselves, a large freestanding patio called a summer kitchen and are installing water, electrical and gas. then we attached a milking parlor to the side with the same amenities.
the thought was that remodeling a house kitchen is way too expensive, but the structure kit we got for this was just $4k (our house kitchen is the size of a postage stamp, and our interior living area also tiny for entertaining). we positioned it on the edge of the garden, so i can harvest and take it right there to process, can, cook. etc. and our barn/pasture is a ways from the house, so bringing the cow up to the adjacent milking parlor means less far to walk with heavy milk cans, etc.
its essentially a modern day take on the old summer kitchens, and we have gotten almost everything off craigslist for super cheap. its now our favoriate area of the "house", even though it isn't officially part of or even attached to the house.
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 21 2016 : 2:01:36 PM
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shaina, the only advice i have (i am still new to this whole milking a cow thing) is that if you have the ability to have a small concrete pad with a roof to start milking then that is fantastic. i actually intended to just milk in the barn, a stanchion to the side of the cow corrals where they sleep/eat. but with the summer kitchen going up last summer, lover boy said "lets add a 10x30 extension to give you a milking parlor". and so we did.
its amazing. at this point we still don't have the electrical or water hooked up, so i just have a hose and an electrical cord.... BUT the concrete pad with fixed stanchion and side rail make it so efficient, enjoyable, clean for me. and we are a RAW milk family, so that cleanliness gives us such a piece of mind as the concrete makes a clean difference.
we actually added on the milking parlor knowing that in ten years we would have a real barn and would repurpose this extension... but we are familiar with that concept, as everything we do may have to be altered over time. we pay cash as we go so many times do a "short-term" solution knowing we will change later on. and some times that later on is ten years ;>
also, read the side-rail discussion as mary jane's side rail is fantastic - i wouldn't be without one now. and i think with you having little ones it would give you peace of mind getting them to start milking - prevents any accidents as even the most wonderful cow might have a fly or something bugging it and make it lift a hoof untimely. https://www.heritagejersey.org/chatroom/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=189&whichpage=3 |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Feb 21 2016 2:07:23 PM |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Feb 21 2016 : 2:44:13 PM
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| As someone who milked in Montana over the winter, mild though it was, I would add some sides to that roof and cement pad. At least three sides with the open side facing the direction least likely to get wind/weather. That said, there were some times milking this winter that I had that exact setup and my pinkies still went numb while milking. :) |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 21 2016 : 4:30:43 PM
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Yes, make milking in the winter as comfortable as possible! Walls are necessary to break the wind ... we even used free pallets to create a wall and it was amazing how much weather it kept out!
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Shaina
32 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 08:04:18 AM
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Thanks for posting the links!!!! I still have not gone through all the topics. :) So helpful you all are!! You guys have some great points on barns and milking ease. I am definitely looking into a cement pad now. Thanks.
Cindy. I am excited about your outdoor kitchen!!! How neat! Who wants to be stuck inside cooking when the weather is nice? Not me. :) Have you seen any outdoor bathing idea. Clawfoot bath tubs outdoors! Cool!! |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 09:41:15 AM
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| You should ask MaryJane about outdoor bathtubs. Do you have any of her other books or get the magazine? Great ideas! |
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Carol
2 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 10:42:27 AM
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Hi Shaina.
I had to laugh when I saw your post this morning! MaryJane herself invented the outdoor clawfoot bathtub idea. In her book, MaryJane's Outpost: Unleashing Your Inner Wild, published in 2008,
MaryJane gives step-by-step instructions for "Riggin' Up an Outpost Bathtub," telling you how to heat your outdoor bathtub with propane. You definitely need one at your place.
Here's a link to her book: http://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanes-Outpost |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 12:28:23 PM
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| Thanks Carol!!!! What would I do without you? |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 12:32:24 PM
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thanks shaina! we have been bathing outside for decades, but carol is right in her post that mary jane definitely upped the classy aspect of it! her setup is downright elegant.
carol is also correct in that you def need it! we have two tubs that will be outside our summer kitchen one day along with another shower, but first we need to get all the plumbing and electrical just to the sinks working! priorities, priorities. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Feb 24 2016 12:35:37 PM |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 12:36:49 PM
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when i saw carol posted i ran over here real quick to see what she had to add, we don't get to see her posting around here very often... nice treat!  |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 3:59:54 PM
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I'm sure she would tell you that we keep her too busy and that all she has time to do is check in to read, but not to post:) Karina also comes here. Carol grew up around cows (and horses) on an Ohio farm.
and Mary, her horse.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 4:28:11 PM
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| LOVE the photos mary jane! and i am sure you do keep carol hopping ;> |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 4:53:43 PM
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| Such a cutie and quite the rodeo queen back in the day. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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Carol
2 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 5:03:50 PM
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Too funny! Well, the secret's out! Here's my childhood heroine, Dale Evans ... and did you know ... her horse's name was Buttermilk!
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 5:09:39 PM
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Oh my, now that we've completely hi-jacked Shaina's post, I might as well go flat out. (Sorry, Shaina.)
Janet (and anyone else), here's some fabric I purchased (in pink, blue, and ivory colorways) to make aprons for my granddaughters. Thought you'd love it, too. It's from Riley Blake's Farm Girl collection.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Feb 24 2016 : 5:22:57 PM
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| Nice to see all the photos, and Carol's post. Dale Evens had nothing on you Carol. :) I absolutely love the fabric you found MaryJane. It will make darling aprons. The little girl reminds me of the animated little girl for Campbell's soups. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 25 2016 : 09:05:16 AM
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What fun! Love the stories and I'm still trying to think how in the world would we get an outdoor tub with privacy up on our hill?? Love the idea of an outdoor tub, but not so much the lack of privacy. :) In time it will be private up here, but the trees still need to grow, grow, grow!
MaryJane, please post pictures of your grandgirls' aprons when you finish them! Darling fabric. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Hello! From Shaina, New Member
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