Broken H Farm

December is upon us and that means winter. At least here in Ohio it does. While farmsteading is never easy, winter weather turns the challenge level up a couple notches. Be it mud or frozen troughs, each presents it’s problems to overcome.

Many years early December brings mud, this year it brings below freezing temps scheduled for the next 2 weeks. So how do I address the needs of a farm full of animals, a house that needs warmed and work that still needs done?  With vigila read more...

October is here and winter is just around the corner. The first frost has occurred, the garden is closed out, the garlic and cover crops of spelt, einkorn wheat and ladino clover are planted. Thankfully the fall rains have begun and the ground will slowly recover from a dry summer. It’s too late for the pasture to grow and I’ve already begun feeding some hay.  Terribly early, but some years are like that.

The winter wood supply is building and soon it will be time to read more...

Well it’s September already. The summer was long and short at the same time. Some of the hottest and driest weather I can remember. Normally I’m sad to see summer come to an end, but honestly I’m looking forward to the cooler and hopefully wetter weather fall brings.

The pasture is nearly dried up and I’ll be feeding hay far sooner than late November like I usually do. I count my blessing however as many are already feeding hay or sacrificing hay meadows for pa read more...

I like to think I raise my laying chickens as naturally as possible, while still providing for their needs. I don't use commercially produced feed. Instead I rely on a whole grain diet and plenty of free range. I encourage broodiness and let the hens raise the resulting chicks themselves. 
The beautiful thing about heritage breeds is they are typically good mothers. My Guinea sow is an excellent mother raising 9 piglets with little input from me. My chickens, especially the Dominiqu read more...

I come from a long line of farmers. On my Father's side we have farmed the land for more generations than I can count. The same on 1/2 of my mother's side. For 42 of my 49 years I have lived on a farm(stead). I grew up working beside my Dad, learning from him, but I've learned even more in the last 8 years doing it completely on my own. 

These are the top things I've learned:

1. Fence posts drive and dig much easier when the ground is soft which is typical late fall t read more...

Compost. There have been literal books written on the stuff and yet it's still a mystery on how it works and what goes into it for many. If you think about it, every bit of dirt in this planet is the result of composting material over the millennials. 

Composting isn't rocket science but there is a science behind it. You need the right mixture of browns (carbons), greens (nitrogen) and moisture to create heat which in turn breaks down the material into useable soil, aka compos read more...

Spring is upon us! This last week we have seen temps at 80 and plenty of sunshine. Time to get those gardens in and start using muscles we forgot we had. 
Lots of babies here at the farmstead. 14 American Guinea hog piglets and 7 baby goats. 21 Dominique eggs in the incubator have started hatching today. All make the hard work of winter worth it and remind me exactly why I put in the hours. 
Potatoes, peas, carrots, spinach and lettuce are all planted and I've enjoyed one read more...

March!  Winter is nearly over. Not much snow this year but plenty of mud. I think the mud will be with us for months yet. No time to waste tho and Muck boots are well, good for slogging through muck, so here I go!  
While the house is getting a much needed facelift with new siding and a metal roof, I have plenty of smaller projects going too. Over the course of last week I built a new smaller chicken/turkey coop and I'm in the processes of building an additional pig shelter for read more...

What is a heritage breed and why choose one? Heritage Breed is a term used to designate livestock and poultry breeds with a long history in the United States. They are breeds that were bred and developed over many years to have specific traits that made them suited to their regional environment. Typically, these breeds were developed prior to industrial agriculture and can trace their founding to the 18th and 19th centuries.
So why choose one? Good question. Typically, these breeds have read more...

Have you ever heard the adage “it takes a village to raise a child”? Ever thought about what that means? To me it means teamwork. Being there to assist, teach, guide, etc. Relying on each other’s strengths at times. No one can or, should, be an island onto themselves. People, like dogs, are meant to work together. 

I hate to ask for help. Hate it! I’m the person that will tackle a project and allow it to take twic read more...