Welcome everyone to our blog! Here at Wild Oak Acres, we are learning every day to build the life we dream up and never knew we craved! Creating our life from scratch has been the largest learning curve, yet, the most fulfilling way to spend time together as a family. On our farm, we raise animals such as a cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and horses. We also have a garden that is a learning curve all of its own. All of this we do with full time jobs and two kids by our side.
What You Will Find on the Blog
Here on the blog, you will find everything from farming, gardening, canning, specific animals, and food. Under food, you will find easy kid-friendly meals and all things baking and sourdough!
Farming
Living in Louisiana has its ups and downs like anywhere else you may live. We tend to have a humid warm/hot climate most of the year with a very short winter. Our ability to graze our animals longer is the biggest upside, however, this last year we had one of the longest droughts we have seen as a state and that was terrible for the animals and the grass. It was blistering hot and the grass had no water so it did not grow. We lost a couple of chickens and turkeys to the heat.
Thankfully, the weather has turned cooler and we are back to getting plenty of rain, so the animals are much happier. With the rain, we have an automatic waterer set up for the chickens. The rain from their roof runs off into the gutter and down the spout which is set up in their coop. My husband installed chicken nipples and so I rarely have to worry about watering them when it rains consistently like it has these past few weeks.
The larger farm animals like the cows also have an automatic waterer. The system is hooked up to the hose which is attached to our water well. As the animals drink, the waterer automatically refills so the animals never have to worry about going without water.
All-in-all, farming is brand new to us and we are definitely learning and failing forward as we go.
Gardening
I did not grow up gardening. My knowledge on the subject is one of trial and error. I have just as much if not more than I have succeeded and I am continuing to learn with each new season.
There is something about being outside and digging in the soil with your hands that is therapeutic and brings such a joy and peace to my life.
My overall goal of gardening is to grow enough food for my family in that season to last us until next season.
Canning
Learning how to preserve food has been a learning curve unlike any other. Growing and preserving food to last for weeks and months has been a real game changer for our family. There are definitely foods we tend to go through faster, like pasta sauce, so I am learning each year that I need to up my tomato-growing game. I do believe wholeheartedly that starting small in certain aspects of life leads to great knowledge and growth as a person.
Animals
On our farm, we raise Red Wattle pigs, Scottish Highland cattle, Bourbon Red turkeys, and laying hens, and we have horses. The horses have been with us since before Pat and I got married and they are truly just living their best life. The pigs have become the heart of the farm. The turnaround time for pigs is much faster than cows and the profit margin for pigs is currently higher than the cows. I love our Highland cows more than anything and they will always be apart of the farm, but cows take longer to grow, the cost to purchase is more, and the cost to feed them has been more than the pigs either.
Conclusion
I am hopeful that this blog is a light for you and a helpful place to find some useful information for your home and growing farm or homestead.
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