via Instagram http://ift.tt/1TndjqB
Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Monday, 25 January 2016
Sunday, 24 January 2016
Saturday, 23 January 2016
Friday, 22 January 2016
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Tuesday, 19 January 2016
A Year at Kannesten
I can't believe it has been a whole year since we moved to Kannesten, but at the same time working and living in London seems ridiculously distant. What an amazing year it has been! Here are some of my highlights.
We started our journey towards self-sufficiency in early spring and for a long time it didn't look like we were getting anywhere. Spring was really cold and things just weren't growing too fast.
Eventually, and much later than we expected, we were able to enjoy some homegrown vegetables. They weren't always the prettiest looking, but we soon got over that, as they were amazingly tasty. We ate the last of our root vegetables in January and we are now planning for the 2016 harvest - fingers crossed, it will be bigger and better. We also spent a fair share of the summer/autumn foraging for blueberries, lingonberries and mushrooms, filling freezers and jam jars for use in the winter. The berries will last us until the next berry season - pure luxury.
The chickens were the first animals on the farm, soon followed by ducks, sheep and cats. Vera had some fluffy chicks in May, then Stina and Sara… and then Vera again. She was a busy girl. We didn't get many eggs though. Turns out that we need a few more hens to sustain our egg-eating habits.
Our sheep have been an amazing addition to the farm, they are so friendly now. They love a good cuddle and keep us both busy and entertained.
We kicked off our course activities with a few sauerkraut courses and an offal course. It's so inspiring and fun to share our passion for nutritious food with like-minded people.
The year involved some incredibly hard work, but also opportunities for play. And best of all loads of fresh air.
In such a short time, we have been fortunate to get to know many of our lovely neighbours. They are friendly, hospitable and generous with sharing knowledge and even surplus from their harvests. Loving our village!
I am grateful for everything I have experienced this year and I bet 2016 has some pretty amazing stuff in store for us all.
We started our journey towards self-sufficiency in early spring and for a long time it didn't look like we were getting anywhere. Spring was really cold and things just weren't growing too fast.
 |
| Cabbage, tomatoes and strawberries in our veg patch. |
 |
| They come in all shapes and sizes. |
 |
| Vegetable patch in all its glory. |
 |
| First fuzzy chicks in May. |
 |
| Animal love. |
 |
| Everyone getting stuck in at our very first fermentation course. |
 |
| Hard work. |
 |
| Play. |
 |
| Us at the Autumn Market in Simlångsdalen and our contribution to the annual October Fest. |
Yoga teacher training kept me busy during the latter part of the year. I certainly improved my physical yoga, but the training also opened my eyes to the philosophical side of yoga. I am encompassing both in my yoga classes in Simlångsdalen and Halmstad.
 |
| Us yogis spend a bit of time upside down. |
Monday, 18 January 2016
Sunday, 17 January 2016
Saturday, 16 January 2016
Wet Feathers
It has been pretty cold here the last couple of weeks with temperatures plummeting to -15ºC and a few inches of snow. The cold weather makes foraging for food and keeping warm difficult for our animals. We have been keeping extra vigilant and making sure they are all as comfortable as possible and well stocked in the food department. But, the other day we noticed that our two Indian Runner Ducks and in particular the drake was looking a bit bedraggled and cold. His feathers were very wet, matted together and he wasn't running around like his usual self.
We decided to keep them both inside in a warm room for a day to see if that helped dry out their feathers and make them feel better. Unfortunately, a day later the drake was still looking a bit sad. After some frantic net surfing, I came across a common condition that affects all waterfowl, "Wet Feather". The symptoms of which are exactly as I described above, waterlogged feathers with no sheen and the risk of becoming very cold.
There are a number of reasons why this condition may happen, ranging from parasites that make the bird over-preen itself, to having a poor diet, and/or not bathing enough. As our ducks have never taken to bathing themselves in the bathtub we dug into the ground for them, we think it could be latter. The recent snowy conditions could have led to the feathers becoming wet and with no oil protection, quickly waterlogged. So, we filled our sink with warm water and gave our ducks a bath! At first they were not too pleased, but after while they were happily splashing around. Next came the blow-dry treatment, yes, we had to dry their feathers out as best we could. It took some time, but soon they were both preening themselves and their feathers were starting to look a bit more healthy.
Tonight, and for the next few days, they will be sleeping in a heated room, with lots and lots of hay and a bath and blow-dry to look forward to every morning! Hopefully, we will see them running about with the other animals again very soon.
We decided to keep them both inside in a warm room for a day to see if that helped dry out their feathers and make them feel better. Unfortunately, a day later the drake was still looking a bit sad. After some frantic net surfing, I came across a common condition that affects all waterfowl, "Wet Feather". The symptoms of which are exactly as I described above, waterlogged feathers with no sheen and the risk of becoming very cold.
 |
| Bath-time! |
 |
Friday, 15 January 2016
Thursday, 14 January 2016
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
How Long Is a Piece of String - The Art of Rearing Animals
Our animals are always at the forefront of our minds. As beginners, we are constantly asking our more experienced mentors for advice on how to best take care of our animals. The bigger the animal, the more complex the questions and the more contradictory and confusing the answers.
Our heirloom sheep that are kept outside all year long, for example. When should we shear their wool?
My sister summed up our woes and worries with rearing animals: How long is a piece of string? You hear one thing, read another, then just have to work it out yourself... Cross your fingers and hope for the best.
Our heirloom sheep that are kept outside all year long, for example. When should we shear their wool?
- Various bloggers and enthusiasts: "Shear them right before they give birth, otherwise their lambs won't be able to nurse."
- Mentor 1 with hundreds of primarily meat-producing animals: "Make sure to shear them twice a year to avoid the wool getting too long and weighing them down when they get wet."
- Mentor 2 with hundreds of heirloom sheep: "Shear them around midsummer, that's when they naturally start molting. That a lamb won't be able to nurse unless the mother is shorn is complete nonsense!"
My sister summed up our woes and worries with rearing animals: How long is a piece of string? You hear one thing, read another, then just have to work it out yourself... Cross your fingers and hope for the best.
 |
| 7 out of 8 sheep, all glorious wool and curly horns |
Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Monday, 11 January 2016
The "Not-So-Pretty" Side of Rearing and Eating Animals PLEASE NOTE: BLOOD AND GORE
Mr B is one of our most cherished mentors in all questions sheep, so I jumped at the chance to be his hangaround for a day at the slaughterhouse (actually a small family-owned abattoir deep in the countryside).
Not because I have some morbid interest in seeing animals die. I have never seen an animal killed before. Or skinned and gutted and hung to dry... But since we eat meat as well rear animals, I wanted to understand more about the missing link between "bah bah black sheep" and the steak on my plate. At some point we might even want and need to do it ourselves.
When I see the pictures I took, I have mixed feelings.
On the one hand, I feel sad for the animal that was killed. You cannot but feel for it, or you'd be heartless.
On the other hand, it was all a very peaceful and quick process. Mr P-E, the butcher, had a very calming presence and the animal was completely still. No bleating, no screaming, no thrashing about. Just calm.
The other prevailing thought was how fast a living being turns into a piece of meat that most of us feel comfortable looking at. I made myself look throughout, from the shot in the head, the blodletting, the very first cut down its midsection, to the deskinning and the disemboweling. It wasn't fun, but it felt right. If I eat it, I should bloody well know how it is killed.
 |
| Mr B holding his sheep right before it is slaughtered |
 |
| Letting out the blood after the shot to the head |
 |
| Skinning the sheep |
 |
| From sheep to carcass in 45 minutes |
Sunday, 10 January 2016
Saturday, 9 January 2016
Friday, 8 January 2016
Thursday, 7 January 2016
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
Monday, 4 January 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)